Why this homily matters?
St Peter tells us there is no salvation through anyone but Jesus. How then do we reconcile ourselves to other religions if Jesus alone can offer salvation? Do we use imperialism or violence to bring people into Christianity? Or conversely, do we give into an indifferent mindset. One that says that all faithful people from any religion may be saved? Neither extreme is correct.
Key Points
The Gospel we hear today is St Peter’s Kerygmatic sermon in Acts 4. This basic proclamation of Jesus contains troubling lines.
St Peter says:
He is the stone rejected by you the builders which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation through anyone else. Nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.
St Peter’s Words Clash with Modern Inclusivity
We put a lot of premium on non-judgmentalism and inclusivity these days. Everyone of all faiths should get around the table equally.
But these are uncompromising words of St. Peter
It seems like no Jew, no Hindu, no Buddhist, no Muslim, no atheist and no agnostic could get into heaven. None except Christians.
It seems to play into our worst religious instincts. In other words, it’s us against them. Would this not give rise to religious violence, people might correctly conclude. We are the inside group and everyone else is outside. If we have to use violence to bring them in, then why not. Hasn’t this been used up and down the centuries to justify violence.
So this is undoubtedly a problematic text.
To begin understanding this text, we should first do nothing at all.
It is important to let the difficulty of this text sink in. We should not seek to explain it away. Stay with the difficulty of this claim by St Peter.
Jesus is Distinct From Other Religious Founders
Jesus is different. He is distinct from all the other religious founders or philosophers. Above all, Jesus spoke and acted in the person of God. Jesus demanded a choice that no other religious founder or philosopher required. You are either with me or against me. If Jesus says who he is, then we need to give our whole life to him. If he is not who he says he is, then he is a deluded, bad man. So Jesus is distinctive.
Does this make Christianity better than other religions? So be it. No one else makes the claims of Jesus. No other name saves us. If we mean that the fullness of salvation that God intends for his people is on offer through Jesus alone. True.
Jesus Alone Reveals the Fullness of Salvation
What is the fullness of salvation? That we become in Christ and through Christ participants in God’s own life. The Father sent the Son to limit of godforsakeness to gather us into the divine life with the Holy Spirit. No other religion holds out such a prospect. Therefore, there is no other name by which we are offered the fullness of salvation.
People say nowadays we are climbing the same holy mountain by different routes representing different religions. This is not the claim of Christianity.
The reality of the Resurrection is stark. It confirmed the veracity of Jesus’ claims about Himself. I might have been able to say he was a deluded madman if he had died and stayed in his grave. But the Resurrection confirmed for them that what he was saying about himself was true. So this great decision if you are with him or against him remains.
Salvation as God intends it is on offer in Jesus and no one else.
This is deeply challenging in today’s society.
Does this mean that Christian imperialism is warranted then? Can I engage in violence against those who don’t hold the same beliefs about Jesus? Does this mean that no one else besides Christians go to heaven?
The answer is NO.
Catholic Teaching on the Light Found in Other Religions
The council of Vatican II produced a document called Lumen Gentium (Light of the World). In Section 16, the council fathers urge us to think of other religions not as a stark either or choice. Rather we should look at this in terms of fullness and participation.
Is the fullness of salvation on offer only in Jesus? Yes, St Peter is correct. But are there participations in that fullness of salvation elsewhere? Do we see these in other religions and other religious philosophies? The answer is yes.
The council fathers further talk about rays of light. Look at Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism and other religious philosophies. Can we see rays of light in these other religions? Yes. Can we see elements of truth and beauty in them? Yes. Therefore, we should read those as participations in the fullness of the light found in Jesus Christ. Jesus says I am the light of the world. Are there reflections of that light available in other religions and religious philosophies? Yes.
Can one find salvation in these lesser lights? The answer of the council fathers is certainly yes.
We are not saying that everyone will be saved. But can someone be saved by the grace of Christ offered in a participative way in these other religions. Yes.
But that does not mean that we stop proclaiming Christ. We are called upon to announce the fullness of salvation. We are called upon to share the fullness of the light.
This does not mean some bland religious indifferentism.
Jesus Speaks to Us in Our Consciences
St John Henry Newman spoke of the conscience as the aboriginal vicar in the soul. This aboriginal vicar is representative of Christ. When my conscience speaks to me, and I in good faith follow it, I am following the voice of Christ. Can a non-believer who sincerely follows his own conscience be saved. Yes. But we are only saying “can be”. Following your conscience is following Christ. But only in the measure that they are following what is good and true and beautiful in that other faith. That follower is following the light of Christ even though he/she may not be aware of it. This is the way Vatican II deals with this subject.
Are we compromising what St Peter has said? No. There is no salvation through anyone else. The fullness of salvation is available in Jesus Christ alone. This is why the Church evangelizes constantly. We proclaim Christ when it is popular and when it is not. We preach Christ and Him crucified.
Resist the temptation to succumb to an aggressive exclusivism. Through participations in the fullness of Christ others can be saved and they are being saved by Him.
Here is the trick. These 2 ends of the spectrum are popular in our culture. Firstly, we must affirm Christian distinctiveness and completeness without falling into imperialism or violence. We must also affirm the truth in other religions. But we must not fall into relativism or indifferentism about other religions. Both paths are on offer on the internet. Vatican II encourages us on an enlivening path.
So let St Peter’s speech bother you. Salvation is available through Jesus Christ alone.
Suggested Homily
Scripture References
Acts 4:8-12
John 3:1-2
John 10:11-18