Jacob Kavunkal SVD, Jnana Deep Vidyapeeth (Pontifical
Institute of Philosophy & Religion), Pune, India.
E-mail:
jkavunkal@hotmail.com
Abstract
A Christology of Complementarity and Harmony
Discipleship in the Context of Religious Pluralism
Christology has become central to missiological reflections in the context of
religious pluralism. The author develops a Christology that preserves the
uniqueness of Jesus Christ without devaluing the significance of other
religions. Having emphasized the role of harmony in the Asian World view and
basing himself on the biblical themes such as the Christological dimension of
creation, the role of Wisdom in the Wisdom literature, the Johannine Prologue,
etc., he argues that just as there is only one God, there is only one mediation
between God and humankind. This mediation, identified as Jesus Christ in the
Christian tradition, is a Mystery and is operative in all religions. The
Christian community has inherited his mission manifested in his Incarnation.
Specifically, it is making present the love of God, God’s other-centeredness.
The Church has to expand its horizons to accept the divine plan of the plurality
of religions and assure the followers of these religions that its mission in no
way is directed against them. This will enable to Church to witness to the
Gospel in the spirit of complementarity and harmony.