Brian McLaren on Constructive Dialogue

“The Anglicans and Episcopalians have tremendous resources in liturgy and worship, and one group we all need to hear from are the Anabaptists, because they have a tradition of not killing each other. Presbyterians have a great intellectual life and a rigor in approaching the Bible, and the Catholic teachings on social justice should be adopted by everyone.

“The thing that gives me hope is that there’s an attitude among Christians on the ground where so many of us are sick of the kind of debates and fights that cause Christians to vilify one another.”

Such is the manner that Brian D. McLaren explains why he believes “denominations” do not have to be a “source of division, it can be a source of mutual interest and understanding.”

Certainty and Uncertainty in Religious Experience: Koukl and Chopra

Mission and Dialogue? A New Journal for Evangelical Interfaith Dialogue

For many American Evangelicals the topic of interfaith dialogue is confusing and suspect at best and downright dangerous or wrong at worst. On all accounts they face numerous challenges when considering if and how to enter into the realm of interfaith work.

So begins the inaugural issue of a new journal titled Evangelical Interfaith Dialogue.  The journal “seeks to create space for Evangelical scholars and practitioners to dialogue about the dynamics, challenges, practices and theology surrounding interfaith work, while remaining faithful to the gospel of Jesus and His mission for His Church.”

The inaugural issue (winter 2010) is provocatively titled “Mission and Dialogue?  Is it possible to be an Evangelical & engage in interfaith dialogue?”  Indeed, such questions sum up the main concern for many Evangelicals as they seek to come to terms with this thing called “dialogue.”

Review and Reflections of Summa 2009

Last January, I began the year by announcing that other projects would prevent me from blogging on interfaith issues as much as I would have liked. While the prediction came true, 2009 still saw some interesting highlights.  Here are some of the more memorable ones.

Year 2009 in Review

While interfaith dialogue can be quite rewarding, online discussion forums can be a trap for the unwary.  Abraham Lincoln and Blogging was my attempt at suggesting that self-restraint in dialogue should not be forgotten.  In 2009, I discovered Premier Christian Radio, a London-based radio station, that broadcasts Unbelievable with Justin Brierley.  During the year, Unbelievable ran an American Masters of Christian Thinking series, including Alvin Plantinga, William Lane Craig, Norman Geisler, and Gary Habermas.  Alvin Plantinga’s interview, touching on free will and the problem of evil, was superb.  Robert Millet and Greg Johnson also found themselves on Unbelievable, which often hosts debates between a Christian and a non-believer.  Brierley did an excellent job inquiring into the challenges of this exchange.

In March, I spotlighted Peter Kreeft, a well-known Catholic professor and prolific writer who often speaks on CS Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.  Fans of Middle Earth will enjoy “Christianity in the Lord of the Rings: Apologetics in Tolkien’s Classic.” In May, I highlighted an interview with another Evangelical theologian, Clark Pinnock.  Pinnock’s writings on Openness Theology are especially important to Latter-day Saints.

One of my favorite posts is Stephen Robinson and the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.  In the wake of How Wide the Divide, there has been a lot of confusion over this issue and I hope to have made a contribution to mutual understanding with my paper.

The Divine Council at the SBL 2009 Annual Meeting

The Society for Biblical Literature (SBL) is currently holding its annual meeting in New Orleans. The meeting began November 21 and will run to November 24. Abstracts of the many sessions are available online.

Of particular note is F. Rachel Magdalene, University of Leipzig and Humboldt University Berlin, who is  presenting Retributive or Restorative Justice: Reading the Nature of God, Justice, and Humanity in the Book of Job on Monday (November 23):

The Pierian Spring: New Blog Project

I’d like to announce a new blog The Pierian Spring.  The blog is devoted to further discussion and discourse on Mormon scripture and thought and written primarily towards a Latter-day Saint readership.

Interfaith dialogue necessarily requires one to summarize, describe and otherwise explain one’s faith tradition in a way that others can appreciate and understand.  It goes without saying that in order to do this effectively, one must make a concerted effort to learn about the religious traditions of others and become aware of the themes, contours, the history and concerns that has shaped the faith of others.  In a sense, one must become religiously “bilingual.”  Thus, those involved in interfaith dialogue are continually learning about the faith of others but importantly, and concurrently, studying and reflecting on their own faith tradition, and as a result gain an important perspective concerning their own faith tradition.

Patheos Series on Interfaith Dialogue

Patheos is currently running a series on Interfaith Dialogue from a variety of religious perspectives including those from a Catholic, Evangelical, Mainline Protestant, Latter-day Saint and Pagan view points.  Authors discuss what led them to enter into dialogue with those of other faiths.