Exclusivism suggests that a single religion has a unique, or exclusive, claim to what constitutes the absolute truth and that, by extension, truth is not found in other religious traditions. Inclusivism claims that although the truth can only be found in a particular religious tradition, other religions are acknowledged and included in this truth in one way or another. Relativism states that there are no universal claims to the truth, and thus no claim to religious truth is better or worse than the others. Finally, pluralism upholds the idea that there is a plurality of claims to the truth that are correct, and hence no single tradition can hold an exclusive claim to the truth.
Each of the outlined approaches has its own benefits and problems, which is logical considering the complexity of a subject that religious belief is. Exclusivism is inherently not tolerant of other worldviews and interpretations of reality yet have a compelling promise to provide a believer with “the” truth. Inclusivism still upholds the arguably unfair priority of a single religious tradition but provides an appealing middle ground for those who want a definite worldview but are uncomfortable with exclusivism. Relativism provides no foothold for any claims of moral superiority in beliefs, opening a door for polemic arguments in favor of twisted versions of religion, often utilized by dictators. Yet, it also acts as the widest possible approach to existing beliefs and provides a promise of equality and diversity. Pluralism is structurally complex and provides room for conflict on the relative importance of different truth claims but provides a good balance between acceptance of diversity and critical analysis.
