1. A critical approach to theology of religions : engaging with Rowan Williams and Jerusha Lamptey
- Author
-
Akay Dag, Esra
- Subjects
200 - Abstract
This thesis provides a critical analysis of Christian and Islamic theology of religions. The first section of the thesis, utilizing Alan Race's threefold typology together with alternative typologies, presents diverse Christian theologians' responses to religious pluralism. It argues that although Race's typology provides a good overview of current discussion on Christian theology of religions, it fails to do justice to more complex theologies. After paying specific attention to Rowan Williams' theology, it also argues that Rowan Williams' Trinitarian theology of religions, with its complexities, challenges both the threefold and other typologies and the pluralist assumption that only pluralism provides sufficient openness towards other religions. In the second section, the thesis questions the applicability of Race's threefold typology to Islamic theology of religions. It argues that Race's typology does not fully help to present Islamic theology of religions, as the application of inclusivist theology to Islamic theology seems to be problematic. Subsequently, providing diverse Islamic responses to religious diversity under the types of exclusivism and pluralism, it argues that both approaches do not satisfactorily respond to religious similarities and difference. In this respect, after careful consideration of Jerusha Lamptey's Muslima theology of religions, the thesis argues that she offers a sophisticated theology which pays attention to the problem of doing justice to both religious similarities and differences.
- Published
- 2015