The book is divided into two major parts. Part 1 deals with theoretical and methodological issues as well as provides an overview of how Christian faith interprets religious plurality and explores various responses in the Christian theology of religions. The first section provides an extensive review and critique of the classical typologies, which have not been without critique and of which there is a diversity of opinions. In response to this the editors have in the second section of Part 1 considered these responses as extensions of the classical typologies. The three other approaches considered are particularity, feminist approaches to other faiths and interfaith dialogue. Particularity is a term that is becoming more widespread, however it is difficult to define, and complicated further by the fact that there is no set agreement on its usage. Particularity 'draws on the tendencies and themes of postmodernism, which maximises differences between religions and presumes the classical typologies to rest on certain assumptions derived from the European Enlightenment'. (p.11) Nonetheless, this is a fascinating article and is worth the discipline of reading it through to the end.
As there are very few feminists who have constructed a Christian theology of other faiths, Jeanine Hill-Fletcher's article is a welcome contribution. Her article "Feminisms: syncretisms, symbiosis, synergetic dance" is aptly titled. Hill-Fletcher surveys Western and non-Western feminist contributions to Christian theologies of other faiths. She states that as 'feminist theology emerged out of the interreligious social movement', feminist methodology arises out of border crossings as the emphasis is usually weighted on experience and lived everyday reality. Feminists are acutely aware of the 'embodied and lived dimensions of their theologies'. Alan Race's article on the nature and impact of interfaith dialogue and its connections with differing theological positions completes the first part of the book and a lead into the second part of the book.
Part 2 considers a number of Christian responses to individual religions. This according to Race, (and I heartily agree) is an important 'complement to the search for a theological overview and is generally not included in the usual introductory works in the field.'(p.12) This section is included for the challenge dialogue presents to a Christian theology of other faiths. It is the editors' conviction that these challenges should be reflected in a search for a viable Christian theology of religions. The religious traditions considered are the Abrahamic, Indic, Chinese, Indigenous and New Religious movements.
This book maps the Christian theological terrain in relation to other religions, clarifies methodological and theoretical issues and considers the impact dialogue with other faiths brings to the ongoing development of Christian theologies of religion.
Race, A. (1993). Christians and religious pluralism: patterns in the Christian theologies of religions (2nd ed.). London: SCM.