What happens when you engage in a non-confrontational dialogue with those of another faith? Well, for one thing it allows exchanges such as the following. Ergun Caner, President of Liberty Theological Seminary in Virginia, interviews and dialogues with LDS missionaries in front of a live audience (in 2006) as part of his “Engaging The Cults” podcast (1:06:36 total time).
The podcast description notes:
Caner invited leaders of such groups of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Baha’I and other, to speak directly to evangelicals. Instead of lecturing about world religions, this series was designed to speak to them, and to engage various systems with the truth claims of the Gospel. This is an entirely unique approach, and one that has generated more interest than we expected. As a result, these debates are now available online for you.
This really is a unique approach. One thing I appreciate about this interview is that two competent and seasoned (i.e. they have been in the field over 20 months) LDS missionaries have been chosen for this event. Both missionaries are converts to the LDS Church, one a convert of four years. In addition, I appreciate Caner’s ability to allow them to tell their conversion story, explain things in their terms as well as to seek clarification about their beliefs in a respectful manner. They discuss topics such as salvation, baptism, temples, worship services, marriage, priesthood, nature of God, trinity, etc. A question and answer segment with the audience takes place afterwards.
Aquinas, fairly, I don’t think it is a unique approach. It happens all the time, we just don’t hear about it in the public news.
I encourage the people in our church family to let the missionaries share their life stories and religious convictions.
I think the friendly dialogue is by far the more used avenue than any heavy duty confrontational approach in Mormon country. Among students and young married, etc.
And some don’t even talk, they just serve with kind deeds. They will only share their evangelical convictions when asked.
It would be interesting to get the pulse on how many evangelicals in Mormon country have ever “confronted.”
I think the unique approach being referred to in the podcast description is to have a evangelical theological seminary, as part of their curriculum or educational series on world religion, invite LDS missionaries to an event where there is a moderator who asks questions in a non-combative matter and also allows the audience to ask questions as well. That is the approach being referred to, and I agree that it is unique because I don’t know of many other theological seminaries that do this as part of a world religion series and then podcast it. This is a series which includes other faiths aside from Mormonism. I’m simply highlighting the LDS portion due to the nature of this blog.
Point taken. Thanks
This looks like an interesting and promising approach. Perhaps it will be replicated by others in additional churches. I do wish, however, that these were framed and titled “dialogues” rather than as debates.