Whither Theological Inclusivism? The Development and Critique of an Evangelical Theology of Religions

What are the issues at stake in an evangelical theology of religions? This paper focuses on the inclusivism of Clark Pinnock, who has developed the most comprehensive evangelical theology of religions to date, in order to assess its strengths and weaknesses. It is argued that underlying the exclusivist critique of Pinnock and his inclusivist colleagues is the concern that evangelical inclusivism lays itself open to the charge of relativism insofar as the possibility of divine presence and activity is allowed in the non-Christian religions without any substantive criteria being developed for discerning when this is or is not the case. Some suggestions are offered in conclusion as to how theological inclusivists can strengthen their argument and further the debate.