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Counterpoints
Four Views on Salvation in a Pluralistic World (Counterpoints: Exploring Theology) (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology) by Hick, John, Pinnock, Clark H., McGrath, Alister E., Geivett, (1996) Paperback
To read the New Testament is to meet the Old Testament at every turn. But exactly how do Old Testament texts relate to their New Testament references and allusions? Moreover, what fruitful interpretive methods do New Testament texts demonstrate? Leading biblical scholars Walter Kaiser, Darrel Bock and Peter Enns each present their answers to questions surrounding the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament.Contributors address elements such as Divine and human authorial intent, the context of Old Testament references, and theological grounds for an interpretive method. Every author applies his framework to the same three texts so that readers see each method's practical use. Each contributor also receives a thorough critique from the other two authors.A one-stop reference for setting the scene and presenting approaches to the topic that respect the biblical text, Three Views on the New Testament Use of Old Testament gives readers the tools they need to develop their own views on this important subject.The Counterpoints series provides a forum for comparison and critique of different views on issues important to Christians. Counterpoints books address two Church Life and Bible and Theology. Complete your library with other books in the Counterpoints series.
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First published October 1, 1995
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November 1, 2016نطالع في هذا الكتاب - كما يوضح توصيفه - رؤية أربعة اتجاهات لاهوتية حول مسألة الخلاص في الفهم المسيحي، هي: التعددية، الشمولية، الخصوصية بمعناها الأعم، والخصوصية بمعناها الأخص.
ومسألة الخلاص، كما غيرها من مسائل اللاهوت المسيحي، قد طالتها من حيث فهمها تغيرات عديدة عبر الزمن على إثر التحولات الفكرية الكبرى التي كانت تشهدها دول العالم، كعصر التنوير وعصر ما بعد التنوير، ونتيجة لتلك التغيرات، فإنك تجد بين اتجاه وآخر من الاتجاهات اللاهوتية تفاوتًا كبيرًا في فهم كل اتجاه للمسألة وفي تحديد أطرها النظرية، ما يضع المسيحي وغيره من أهل الإيمان أمام سؤال محوري في عصرنا اليوم: من هم أصحاب الخلاص؟ فهل يشمل أصحاب كل معتقد ودين؟ أم أن الإرادة الإلهية حصرته بفئة دون أخرى؟
للسؤال هذا تداعيات كبيرة لا يمكن لهذه العجالة تناولها بل نتركها للقارئ ليتناولها بهدوء. فالسؤال هذا وغيره من الأسئلة هي محور الكتاب الأساس.
أما عن منهجية الكتاب، فهو مؤلف من أربعة أبحاث قدم كل واحد منها علم من أعلام الاتجاهات الوارد ذكرها أعلاه: جون هيك عن التعددية، وكلارك بينوك عن الشمولية، وأليستر ماكغراث عن الخصوصية بالمعنى العام، وكل من ر. دوغلاس غايفيت وو. غاري فيليبس عن الخصوصية بمعناها الخاص.. ثم أُلحق بكل واحد من الأبحاث الأربعة ثلاثة ردود من أصحاب الاتجاهات الثلاثة الأخرى ثم رد أخير لصاحب البحث الأصلي..
وإن هذه المنهجية قد فتحت للنقاش أوسع أبوابه ما يوضح للقارئ أهم المتعلقات النظرية لكل طرح كما وأبرز الانتقادات التي يمكن أن تطال ذاك الطرح..
الكتاب بالإجمال على قدر كبير من الأهمية خصوصا بما يقدمه من القدرات النقدية التي يملكها كل من الباحثين، ولو لم أكن كمسلم قد اقتنعت بأي من الاتجاهات، إلا أن الكتاب قد أضاف إلى معارفي القدر الكبير..
كتاب ضروري لكل مهتم بفلسفة الدين أو اللاهوت..
ومسألة الخلاص، كما غيرها من مسائل اللاهوت المسيحي، قد طالتها من حيث فهمها تغيرات عديدة عبر الزمن على إثر التحولات الفكرية الكبرى التي كانت تشهدها دول العالم، كعصر التنوير وعصر ما بعد التنوير، ونتيجة لتلك التغيرات، فإنك تجد بين اتجاه وآخر من الاتجاهات اللاهوتية تفاوتًا كبيرًا في فهم كل اتجاه للمسألة وفي تحديد أطرها النظرية، ما يضع المسيحي وغيره من أهل الإيمان أمام سؤال محوري في عصرنا اليوم: من هم أصحاب الخلاص؟ فهل يشمل أصحاب كل معتقد ودين؟ أم أن الإرادة الإلهية حصرته بفئة دون أخرى؟
للسؤال هذا تداعيات كبيرة لا يمكن لهذه العجالة تناولها بل نتركها للقارئ ليتناولها بهدوء. فالسؤال هذا وغيره من الأسئلة هي محور الكتاب الأساس.
أما عن منهجية الكتاب، فهو مؤلف من أربعة أبحاث قدم كل واحد منها علم من أعلام الاتجاهات الوارد ذكرها أعلاه: جون هيك عن التعددية، وكلارك بينوك عن الشمولية، وأليستر ماكغراث عن الخصوصية بالمعنى العام، وكل من ر. دوغلاس غايفيت وو. غاري فيليبس عن الخصوصية بمعناها الخاص.. ثم أُلحق بكل واحد من الأبحاث الأربعة ثلاثة ردود من أصحاب الاتجاهات الثلاثة الأخرى ثم رد أخير لصاحب البحث الأصلي..
وإن هذه المنهجية قد فتحت للنقاش أوسع أبوابه ما يوضح للقارئ أهم المتعلقات النظرية لكل طرح كما وأبرز الانتقادات التي يمكن أن تطال ذاك الطرح..
الكتاب بالإجمال على قدر كبير من الأهمية خصوصا بما يقدمه من القدرات النقدية التي يملكها كل من الباحثين، ولو لم أكن كمسلم قد اقتنعت بأي من الاتجاهات، إلا أن الكتاب قد أضاف إلى معارفي القدر الكبير..
كتاب ضروري لكل مهتم بفلسفة الدين أو اللاهوت..
August 8, 2011
First I'll give you what the book says about itself, then a quick synopsis from my reading:
In Four Views on Salvation in a Pluralistic World, four perspectives are presented by a major advocate of each:
Normative Pluralism: all ethical religions lead to God (John Hick)
Inclusivisim: salvation is universally available, but is established by and leads to Christ (Clark Pinnock)
Salvation in Christ: agnosticism regarding those who haven't heard the gospel (Alister McGrath)
Salvation in Christ Alone: (R. Douglas Geviett and W. Gary Phillips)
This is not an easy book to read. These guys are intellectuals and create and expound as many -isms as they can think of. All arguments are well thought out and presented with depth. But, it is apparent to me after reading this book that the index is FULL of biblical references. Which means you can use the Bible to argue any point that you want.
Now while I find myself in agreement with points from each of the contributors I realize that I have to have an understanding of what the Bible teaches first. Otherwise, I can just become a follower of Hick, or a follower of Pinnock, or a follower of McGrath, rather than a disciple of Jesus.
Understanding what the Bible says is much more important than understanding the individual philosophy of these thinkers.
All in all, this book helped me solidify more of what I believe and in turn taught me how to defend the differences.
In Four Views on Salvation in a Pluralistic World, four perspectives are presented by a major advocate of each:
Normative Pluralism: all ethical religions lead to God (John Hick)
Inclusivisim: salvation is universally available, but is established by and leads to Christ (Clark Pinnock)
Salvation in Christ: agnosticism regarding those who haven't heard the gospel (Alister McGrath)
Salvation in Christ Alone: (R. Douglas Geviett and W. Gary Phillips)
This is not an easy book to read. These guys are intellectuals and create and expound as many -isms as they can think of. All arguments are well thought out and presented with depth. But, it is apparent to me after reading this book that the index is FULL of biblical references. Which means you can use the Bible to argue any point that you want.
Now while I find myself in agreement with points from each of the contributors I realize that I have to have an understanding of what the Bible teaches first. Otherwise, I can just become a follower of Hick, or a follower of Pinnock, or a follower of McGrath, rather than a disciple of Jesus.
Understanding what the Bible says is much more important than understanding the individual philosophy of these thinkers.
All in all, this book helped me solidify more of what I believe and in turn taught me how to defend the differences.
February 18, 2017
Godt valg av bidragsytere. Har bare lest introduksjonen med dens korte presentasjon av de ulike synene, samt McGraths svar til John Hick.
Mitt eget syn er nok en positiv partikularisme, à la Alister McGrath. Frelsen er kun gjennom Jesus Kristus, men vi vet ikke hvordan de som aldri har hatt sjansen til å høre evangeliet står overfor Gud. Vi kan håpe at noen av dem blir frelst.
Mitt eget syn er nok en positiv partikularisme, à la Alister McGrath. Frelsen er kun gjennom Jesus Kristus, men vi vet ikke hvordan de som aldri har hatt sjansen til å høre evangeliet står overfor Gud. Vi kan håpe at noen av dem blir frelst.
June 15, 2023
Thoughtfully presents the spectrum of arguments on how people are saved, and who fits the criteria.
4 views are presented:
- Pluralism (Hick): All religions have a piece of the truth, and Christianity is no different. Salvation is a subset of a bigger concept of "transcendence" that exists in all religions.
- Modal Inclusivism (Pinnock): The Holy Spirit is at work in all spheres of life, including religion (and particularly, other religions). While Jesus Christ brings salvation through his death and resurrection, other religions can act as a "training ground" to receive this salvation. Those who are not explicitly Christian may be saved.
- "Open" Particularism (McGrath): Jesus Christ brings salvation. We don't know what happens to those who never hear about Jesus, they may or may not be saved.
- "Restrictive" Particularism/Exclusivism (Geivett/Phillips): Faith in Jesus Christ brings salvation. People who never hear about Jesus cannot be saved. If they don't hear about Jesus, it probably means they would have rejected God if they did hear.
Personally, my views are some conjunction of the middle two. I found two points that Pinnock made particularly compelling:
- The examples of the Old Testament patriarchs and Melchizedek, who had no way of explicitly professing faith in the name of Jesus, but Christians would assume would be part of the final resurrection.
- The issue of "fairness" - the intuitive sense that God is unmerciful/unfair if those who have not heard are automatically condemned. The restrictivist view in the book makes the argument that it is "equally plausible philosophically that God knows that all individuals who never hear the gospel are
individuals who would not believe if they were to hear the gospel." While it feels "philosophically plausible", in a real-world sense, it seems unpalatable and/or unlikely to me. There will always be strange exception/corner cases that cannot be accounted for by this restrictivist view - those who are neurodivergent, where the line for "faith in Christ" is fulfilled or not (for example, are certain "cult" beliefs eligible if they still claim Jesus Christ), and what to do with children or babies who don't have the intellectual ability to profess faith in Christ.
4 views are presented:
- Pluralism (Hick): All religions have a piece of the truth, and Christianity is no different. Salvation is a subset of a bigger concept of "transcendence" that exists in all religions.
- Modal Inclusivism (Pinnock): The Holy Spirit is at work in all spheres of life, including religion (and particularly, other religions). While Jesus Christ brings salvation through his death and resurrection, other religions can act as a "training ground" to receive this salvation. Those who are not explicitly Christian may be saved.
- "Open" Particularism (McGrath): Jesus Christ brings salvation. We don't know what happens to those who never hear about Jesus, they may or may not be saved.
- "Restrictive" Particularism/Exclusivism (Geivett/Phillips): Faith in Jesus Christ brings salvation. People who never hear about Jesus cannot be saved. If they don't hear about Jesus, it probably means they would have rejected God if they did hear.
Personally, my views are some conjunction of the middle two. I found two points that Pinnock made particularly compelling:
- The examples of the Old Testament patriarchs and Melchizedek, who had no way of explicitly professing faith in the name of Jesus, but Christians would assume would be part of the final resurrection.
- The issue of "fairness" - the intuitive sense that God is unmerciful/unfair if those who have not heard are automatically condemned. The restrictivist view in the book makes the argument that it is "equally plausible philosophically that God knows that all individuals who never hear the gospel are
individuals who would not believe if they were to hear the gospel." While it feels "philosophically plausible", in a real-world sense, it seems unpalatable and/or unlikely to me. There will always be strange exception/corner cases that cannot be accounted for by this restrictivist view - those who are neurodivergent, where the line for "faith in Christ" is fulfilled or not (for example, are certain "cult" beliefs eligible if they still claim Jesus Christ), and what to do with children or babies who don't have the intellectual ability to profess faith in Christ.
March 14, 2025
Overall, I enjoyed the book. My favorite sections were John Hick’s explanation and defense of pluralism and Clark Pinnock’s defense of inclusivism.
However, I would have liked to hear more from the author defending the notion of salvation in Christ alone—specifically, why is it so important to God that we profess faith in Jesus in the first place? If Christ has already died for humanity’s sins, what difference does it make to Him whether we acknowledge it or not? And if their view is correct, what are the implications for the vast majority of the human race who have never made such a profession? Am I really to believe that a God whose attributes include being all-loving and all-forgiving would condemn 99% of humanity to hell—whatever one imagines hell to be—simply because they never made a declaration of faith? Perhaps these are questions for another book.
Another critique I have is that unless you have some background in theology or philosophy, many of the terms the authors use may not mean much to the average reader.
That said, I recommend this book to anyone interested in exploring alternatives to the traditional particularist view of Christian salvation.
However, I would have liked to hear more from the author defending the notion of salvation in Christ alone—specifically, why is it so important to God that we profess faith in Jesus in the first place? If Christ has already died for humanity’s sins, what difference does it make to Him whether we acknowledge it or not? And if their view is correct, what are the implications for the vast majority of the human race who have never made such a profession? Am I really to believe that a God whose attributes include being all-loving and all-forgiving would condemn 99% of humanity to hell—whatever one imagines hell to be—simply because they never made a declaration of faith? Perhaps these are questions for another book.
Another critique I have is that unless you have some background in theology or philosophy, many of the terms the authors use may not mean much to the average reader.
That said, I recommend this book to anyone interested in exploring alternatives to the traditional particularist view of Christian salvation.
February 10, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book but found it hard to follow at times due to my ability to comprehend their big words and explanations. I noticed in the description of this book that they described a totally different book. So I went to Amazon and copied the description from this book to put on here. Below is the right description for this book. It is from the Amazon web page.
Religious pluralism is the greatest challenge facing Christianity in today's Western culture. The belief that Christ is the only way to God is being challenged, and increasingly Christianity is seen as just one among many valid paths to God.
In Four Views on Salvation in a Pluralistic World, four perspectives are presented by their major proponents:
Normative Pluralism: All ethical religions lead to God (John Hick)
Inclusivism: Salvation is universally available, but is established by and leads to Christ (Clark Pinnock)
Salvation in Christ: Agnosticism regarding those who haven't heard the gospel (Alister McGrath)
Salvation in Christ Alone: Salvation depends on explicit personal faith in Jesus Christ alone (R. Douglas Geivett and W. Gary Phillips)
This book allows each contributor to not only present the case for his view, but also to critique and respond to the critiques of the other contributors.
The Counterpoints series provides a forum for comparison and critique of different views—both Christian and non-Christian—on important theological issues
Religious pluralism is the greatest challenge facing Christianity in today's Western culture. The belief that Christ is the only way to God is being challenged, and increasingly Christianity is seen as just one among many valid paths to God.
In Four Views on Salvation in a Pluralistic World, four perspectives are presented by their major proponents:
Normative Pluralism: All ethical religions lead to God (John Hick)
Inclusivism: Salvation is universally available, but is established by and leads to Christ (Clark Pinnock)
Salvation in Christ: Agnosticism regarding those who haven't heard the gospel (Alister McGrath)
Salvation in Christ Alone: Salvation depends on explicit personal faith in Jesus Christ alone (R. Douglas Geivett and W. Gary Phillips)
This book allows each contributor to not only present the case for his view, but also to critique and respond to the critiques of the other contributors.
The Counterpoints series provides a forum for comparison and critique of different views—both Christian and non-Christian—on important theological issues
December 30, 2023
Very well formatted book- I felt at times like I was watching a debate. The reader certainly needs a background in theology to keep up with some of the language and points used. This would be a very challenging read for someone without previous study. But I do feel like the reader gets a solid grasp on all four authors’ perspectives in a succinct way. Hick’s view is certainly interesting, but he is the most attacked by far and I was not persuaded by him. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Pinnock’s writing style and found myself very drawn to his perspective, though I also felt persuaded by McGrath. The two exclusionist writing at the end of the book are introduced as “young scholars” (though perhaps in the world of scholarship that could constitute anyone under 50) and I think it shows in their limited ability to empathize with other perspectives and their cold, callous view toward the lost. Overall a worthwhile read and I got through it quickly while learning a lot.
September 2, 2022
Overall Amanda rating: B
This book was a very interesting read. I had some issues agreeing with one of the authors throughout the entire book, however, I do think that that was the purpose. There were 4 different views written throughout this book, oddly enough I found myself completely not agree with a single one. There were some places yes, but not in full agreement. I had to read this book for an assignment. Thankful I did. It was enlightening.
This book was a very interesting read. I had some issues agreeing with one of the authors throughout the entire book, however, I do think that that was the purpose. There were 4 different views written throughout this book, oddly enough I found myself completely not agree with a single one. There were some places yes, but not in full agreement. I had to read this book for an assignment. Thankful I did. It was enlightening.
April 11, 2024
I have mega beef with everyone except for John Hick. But also this book highlights some of my issues with the theological world, all of these authors have clear opinions, but choose to illustrate them using the most difficult language they can come up with. I've read a lot of these author's other works and in other writings it seems they are perfectly capable of crafting comprehensible and accessible pieces. That being said I did enjoy how sassy everyone was in their rebuttals.
September 23, 2023
A little basic. It would be better to read the four authors on their own since they refer to their own works so much. This way you can get a complete picture of their ideas rather than a brief and incomplete sketch.
August 18, 2017
Very informative. Hick is very challenging as he lays out his journey from exclusivism to pluralism...
June 5, 2025
Interesting read but a little bit acrimonious between the various authors. In the end I would take McGrath’s view.
February 10, 2013
The book has a good format. Each contributor presents his view, the others respond, and then the contributor replies to the responses.
It presents a good introduction to four viewpoints on Christian salvation. I don't think anyone will change their mind as a result of reading, but the contributors did a good job, and you will find yourself intrigued. I personally found Hick's arguments to be weak (numerous places) and was a bit surprised that I agreed with McGrath more than the others.
It presents a good introduction to four viewpoints on Christian salvation. I don't think anyone will change their mind as a result of reading, but the contributors did a good job, and you will find yourself intrigued. I personally found Hick's arguments to be weak (numerous places) and was a bit surprised that I agreed with McGrath more than the others.
June 4, 2013
Read this one in conjunction with IVP's Three Views on What About Those Who Hvve Never heard. Neither volume was especially helpful... good provocative questions... lots of liberal nonsense with reactionary fundamentalistic wagon circling... Would have liked to see a better selection of authors, and a more genuine dialogue and wrestling through the issues that just axe grinding.
May 20, 2012
One of the best of the counterpoints series in my opinion. Three thinkers that I respect from three very different points of view are presented in this book: McGrath, Pinnock and Hick. I am with McGrath on this subject, but I found all the chapters very helpful. Great read!
May 17, 2007
Talbot Course: Systematic Theology 3- Christ, Salvation & the Holy Spirit
Any of the perspectives book are worth a read!
Any of the perspectives book are worth a read!
October 10, 2010
I enjoyed this far more than I expected. And I was surprised to find that I actually engaged with each of the four views, rather than just glossing over the words.
June 11, 2011
Great book with a balanced presentation of views from Hick's pluralism to the more traditional view of an exclusive particularism.
September 23, 2014
Theologically thick! But good to be exposed to so many views and opinions.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews