Exclusivism

Exclusivism is the practice of being exclusive, a mentality characterized by the disregard for opinions and ideas which are different from one's own, or the practice of organizing entities into groups by excluding those entities which possess certain traits. Chosen people and One true faith Religious exclusivism, one of the three classic typologies which describe religions relative to one another, states that one religion, to the exclusion of all others, has the correct understanding of God, truth and salvation, and eternal paradise is contingent on one's belief in the core tenets of that religion. According to American religious professor, Diana Eck: ‘Exclusivism is more than simply a conviction about the transformative power of the particular vision one has; it is a conviction about its finality and its absolute priority over competing views’. While it was originally used to define Christianity, exclusivism can apply to any religious belief system, as can Race’s other two categories inclusivism and pluralism. In his 1982 Christians and Religious Pluralism, Race defined pluralism as all religions being equally beneficial, with no single religion dominating. Inclusivism attempts to straddle the poles of pluralism and exclusivism by agreeing with the latter that one religion (Christianity) has the most value, and agreeing with the former by stating that other religions still have significant value. While Race’s three categories have been criticized, amended and refuted, most religious studies and interfaith scholars and students find the typologies useful as a starting point for conversations about the diversity of religions. Accordingly, the Nichiren Shoshu religion based on the foothills of Mount Fuji, Japan is an example of an ultra—traditionalist Buddhist sect claiming only it is The True Buddhism based on the exclusivist teachings of the 13th—century Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222—1282). Pluralism was borne out of a criticism of exclusivism, saying that no single tradition has a monopoly on revelation or salvation, and that we have no way to judge between the salvific claims by adherents of any faith tradition.