The critique of Jacques Dupuis, SJ, by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the direction of Joseph Ratzinger was met by almost universal dismay by Christian theologians and participants in interfaith dialogue throughout the world. This book is comprised of both responses by Father Dupuis to the Vatican's criticisms (which he was forbidden to publish during his lifetime) and introductory and background material by his friend and editor Bill Burrows, who draws on their many conversations to draw out the deeper implications of Dupuis' work and the background to the Vatican investigations and criticisms. In addition to laying bare procedural problems in the CDF's process, Dupuis shows that both the Vatican document Dominus Iesus and the Notification about problems in his work rest on dangerous misunderstandings of Scripture and church teaching that reverse the gains in interfaith understanding and ecumenism that have occurred over the past fifty years.

The critique of Jacques Dupuis, SJ, by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the direction of Joseph Ratzinger was met by almost universal dismay by Christian theologians and participants in interfaith dialogue throughout the world. This book is comprised of both responses by Father Dupuis to the Vatican's criticisms (which he was forbidden to publish during his lifetime) and introductory and background material by his friend and editor Bill Burrows, who draws on their many conversations to draw out the deeper implications of Dupuis' work and the background to the Vatican investigations and criticisms. In addition to laying bare procedural problems in the CDF's process, Dupuis shows that both the Vatican document Dominus Iesus and the Notification about problems in his work rest on dangerous misunderstandings of Scripture and church teaching that reverse the gains in interfaith understanding and ecumenism that have occurred over the past fifty years.

Religious pluralism upholds the idea that multiple religions can coexist and be beneficial for society; it is a concept spreading around the world, not only in Asia with its myriad beliefs and practices, but also in Europe where many non-Christian religious traditions are growing. On the face of it, religious pluralism is the ultimate message of tolerance, a vitally important principle for how we can live peacefully. But not everyone sees it this way. Joseph Ratzinger, former Pope Benedict XVI and Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is amongst those who regard religious pluralism as a threat to Christianity. If only Christianity can save us, then how can religious pluralism do anything but hinder Christianity’s cause? Ambrose Mong examines Ratzinger’s thoughts on this subject and evaluates how the church has responded to the call of the Second Vatican Council to create dialogues with other faiths. By looking at Ratzinger’s educational, cultural and religious background, Mong reveals the roots of Ratzinger’s Eurocentric bias and how it has shaped the views that he holds today, including his attitude towards religious pluralism, his ecclesiology and his ecumenical theology. Are Non-Christians Saved? is essential reading for students, teachers and scholars seeking a thorough analysis of Ratzinger’s position, including why he believes religious pluralism, with its ‘evil twins’ of relativism and secularism, is a threat to Christianity.

When people of different cultures and religious traditions are being constantly drawn closer together, interreligious dialogue becomes not only a strategy to understand the "Others," but also an attitude to deepen one's faith. Christian faith acknowledges other religious traditions as genuine "ways" and "channels" of salvation for their adherents and that religions have a place in God's universal plan of salvation for humankind. The plausibility of this assertion can be exemplified by the concept of "inclusive pluralism," a theological model developed by the Belgian-born Jesuit theologian Jacques Dupuis. This book expounds that concept and reflects on its implication for the Catholic Church's unwavering commitment to interreligious dialogue.

Joseph Ratzinger has shaped and guided the church's mission to proclaim the good news, as well as to forge good relations with non-Catholic Christian communities, other religious traditions, and the secular world at large. Through a critique of Ratzinger's theology, this book draws attention to the importance of theological discourses originating from non-European contexts. Mong highlights the gap between a dogmatic understanding of faith and the pastoral realities of the Asian church, as well as the difficulties faced by Asian theologians trying to make their voices heard in a church still dominated by Western thinking. While Mong concurs with much of Ratzinger's analysis of the problems in modern society - such as the aggressive secularism and crisis of faith in Europe - he brings attention to the realities of religious pluralism in Asia, which require the church to adopt a different approach in its theological formulations and pastoral practices.

The influence of religion on culture is as strong as ever, but the shape of that influence is unique in today's pluralistic society. In Christianity in the Modern World, Ambrose Mong examines critically themes of religious commitment and tolerance, attitudes towards other religions, and the sociological aspects of religion and inter-religious dialogue. He provides an overview of factors that challenge traditional religion, from the relationship between monotheistic and polytheistic beliefs to the history of tolerance and intolerance in the church and the future of secularism. Following the global ethics formulated by the late Hans Kung, Mong also engages with the dialogue between Jurgen Habermas and Joseph Ratzinger to provide an extensive defence of the importance of inter-religious dialogue, with particular relevance to multiple religious belonging in the Asian context. Scholars of world religions will find Mong's analysis compelling, while students will find his introduction to the historical dialectics underlying many of today's tensions illuminating.