Who Do You Say That I Am?: Christians Encounter Other Religions

598 Pages·1997·1.32 MB·English

by  Calvin E. Shenk

Who Do You Say That I Am? : Christians
title:
Encounter Other Religions
author: Shenk, Calvin E.
publisher: Herald Press
isbn10 | asin: 0836190602
print isbn13: 9780836190601
ebook isbn13: 9780585262956
language: English
Christianity and other religions, Christianity
and other religions--Biblical teaching,
subject Religious pluralism, Religious pluralism--
Biblical teaching, Jesus Christ--Person and
offices, Witness bearing (Christianity)
publication date: 1997
lcc: BR127.S46 1997eb
ddc: 261.2
Christianity and other religions, Christianity
and other religions--Biblical teaching,
subject: Religious pluralism, Religious pluralism--
Biblical teaching, Jesus Christ--Person and
offices, Witness bearing (Christianity)
Page 3
Who Do You Say That I Am?
Christians Encounter Other Religions
Calvin E. Shenk
Page 4
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Shenk, Calvin E., 1936-
Who do you say that I am?: Christians encounter other religions /
by Calvin E. Shenk.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8361-9060-2 (alk. paper)
1. Christianity and other religions. 2. Christianity and other
religionsBiblical teaching. 3. Religious pluralism. 4. Religious
pluralismBiblical teaching. 5. Jesus ChristPerson and offices.
6. Witness bearing (Christianity) I. Title.
BR127.S46 1997
261.2dc21 97-19784
The paper used in this publication is recycled and meets the minimum
requirements of American National Standard for Information
SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI
Z39.48-1984.
All Bible quotations are used by permission, all rights reserved, and
unless otherwise indicated are from the New Revised Standard Version
Bible, copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA.
WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?
Copyright © 1997 by Herald Press, Scottdale, Pa. 15683
Published simultaneously in Canada by Herald Press,
Waterloo, Ont. N2L 6H7. All rights reserved
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 97-19784
International Standard Book Number: 0-8361-9060-2
Printed in the United States of America
Book and cover design by Jim Butti
07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00 99 98 97 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Page 5
To our children, born in Ethiopia, and their spouses
Douglas and Elaine,
Duane and Tanya,
Donna and Ryan
all of whom have spent a semester of study
in the Middle East,
where they encountered the issues described here.
Page 7
Contents
Foreword 13
by Wilbert R. Shenk
Preface 16
1. Introduction to Religious Plurality 21
Religious Plurality 22
Religious Subjectivism 24
Self-Criticism 25
Quest for Unity 26
Truth and Relativism 27
Religious Plurality and Religious Pluralism 29
Religious Pluralism and Cultural Pluralism 31
Christ as Center 31
2. Response to Religious PluralityExclusivism and 34
Inclusivism
Exclusivism 34
Definition 34
Description 35
Response and Evaluation 37
Inclusivism 43
Definition 43
Description 44
Response and Evaluation 49
3. Response to Religious PluralityPluralism 53
Definition 53
Description 54
Common Essence 54
Page 8
Tolerance of Religion 54
Social Conditioning 55
Specialization of Religion 55
Twentieth-Century Pluralism 56
Theocentrism 57
Salvation-Centeredness 58
Religious Experience 59
Reinterpreting Christ 60
Relative Truth 62
Response and Evaluation 63
Vagueness of God in Religion 63
Criteria for Understanding God 64
Christ the Criterion 65
Salvation 67
Truth Is Relativized 68
Tolerance and Dogmatism 70
Understanding of Mission 71
Summary Perspectives on Exclusivism, Inclusivism, and 72
Pluralism
4. A Biblical Perspective on the ReligionsOld Testament 74
Thinking Biblically 74
Covenant of Creation and Covenant with Noah: Genesis 75
1-11
Election and Covenant Through Abraham: Witness to the78
Nations
Implication of Abrahamic Faith: God and the Gods 79
Exodus, Sinai, Canaan: No Other Gods 80
Kingship, Prophets, Exile, Restoration: Protest Against 83
Idolatry and Syncretism
God's Dialogue with the Nations 86
Mission in Israel 89
New Testament Interpretating of the Old Testament 91
5. A Biblical Perspective on the ReligionsNew Testament 92
Uniqueness and Lordship of Jesus Christ 92
Good News Replacing Lostness 92
Uniqueness of Christ 93
Jesus and the Kingdom 94
Uniqueness and Universality 95