Gerald R. McDermott's God's Rivals

McDermott, Gerald R. God's Rivals: What Has God Allowed Different Religions? Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2007.

In 1983, Alan Race developed a typology that has been used to understand this question until recently: Pluralism, inclusivism, and exclusivism (also know as restrictivism). Pluralism is the position that there are many saviors, and Jesus is just one of them. Exclusivists content that jesus is the only savior, and explicit confession of Jesus as savior is necessary before one dies. Inclusivists maintain that while Christ is the only way to the Father, explicit knowledge of him is not. They believe ‘good’ Buddhists can be saved by Jesus if they recognize their inability to save themselves and cry out for mercy. Inclusivists say these Buddhists are casting themselves upon Christ, who is God’s mercy-but without knowing the same. More recently this typology has collapsed...23