Exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism are the three traditional conceptions of Christianity's relationship with other religions. The exclusive paradigm claims that there is no redemption outside of Christianity; Christian fundamentalists often adopt this approach. Religion God's scholars despise idolatry. Exclusivism bases much of its reasoning on Old Testament writings that condemn the worship of other gods, claiming that the purpose of "God-breathed Old Testament Scripture" is to guide the Christian church.
The inclusive concept of Christianity's connection with other faiths asserts that God may save adherents of other faiths. The model is particularly associated with the fact that Christ died for all, and the Holy Spirit offers all possibility of being associated in a way known to God, and God's salvation includes salvation for both Jews and those who acknowledge the Creator, the first of whom are Muslims, who profess Abraham's faith. It goes on to declare that because God desires that all men be saved, salvation will be granted to those who have never heard of the Christian faith but follow their conscience anyhow. On the Protestant side, a similar argument is made for the uniqueness of salvation in Christ, arguing that Christians cannot call themselves evangelicals while limiting salvation to a select few.
People of different faiths could receive God's revelation in addition to salvation, and whenever people have a real religious experience, that experience could be Jesus showing himself. Although Jesus is the fullest expression of divine revelation, this does not rule out the possibility that God can also reveal himself through prophets and sages of other faiths. As a result, other faiths' Scriptures might incorporate God's Word, and the Holy Spirit can work in other faiths and cultures.
The third model is pluralism, which differs from exclusivist and inclusivist models in that it places God at the center rather than Christ. God is better known as the Eternal One and is later referred to as the Real. All religious faiths, whether theistic or non-theistic, revolve around this Eternal One or Real. The pluralist approach contrasts with the first two in that the latter assumes a specific religious perspective, whilst the former demands religious believers "step outside" their own faith to a place where creedal beliefs are suspended and other religious faiths can be seen objectively.
The diversity of religions is not a result of human ingenuity but rather part of God's design for humanity. Some scholars argue that God's self-revelation and redemption are manifest in other faiths and in other saviours and that the suggestion that non-Christian religions can be ways in which God purposefully discloses himself represents an inclusive model that goes beyond traditional orthodoxy and that many in the Church would question.
However, full knowledge of the above facts can be gained through a deeper understanding of Christianity and world religions through study and research as described below.