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Theological pluralism—defined as belief in more than one Savior—is an acid that dissolves Christian faith. In "Still the Way, the Truth, and the Life" [December], John R. Franke rightly calls for an uncompromising commitment to Jesus' uniqueness as God and Savior on the part of all Christians. He makes a compelling case for the necessity of the absolute uniqueness and insurpassability of Christ.

At the same time, it's important to remember that this Jesus is universally present (John 1:9) so that, as the church fathers declared, all truth is God's truth. We as 21st-century Christians can say with the 2nd-century apologist Justin Martyr that there is truth to be found even among the pagans, because our Christ is not our possession. He is everywhere present and active by his Spirit.

Let's remember to distinguish between the truth of Jesus' uniqueness as Savior and the claim that Christians have a corner on truth. The former does not entail the latter.

Roger E. Olson
Professor, George W. Truett Theological
Seminary
Waco, Texas

I appreciated the Christocentric approach that Franke took in his cover essay. He didn't objectify Jesus by making him simply the subject of propositional statements. Rather, he aims to move the church past debating orthodoxy vs. orthopraxy, so that both our beliefs and conduct are shaped by an unwavering focus on the "personal, active, relational, and gracious" Jesus. I appreciated the reminder that our role is not to prove the uniqueness of Christ, but rather to bear witness to it with our lives.

Sharon Autenrieth
Collinsville, Illinois

How could an article about Jesus as the Way, Truth, and Life say nary a word about Jesus' own assertion in that very verse that "no one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6)? Also, I'm all for openness to church history, but in an article about the relevance of Jesus today, did we need three images from the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries? Might something newer speak to a generation not fascinated by oil paintings? Thanks for all the hard work, nonetheless.

Ted Boswell
Chicago, Illinois

As a minister who works with sex abuse agencies, I found the news article on sex offenders in churches ["Modern-Day Lepers," December] important. Churches' most important role is to protect the "little ones," as Jesus calls us to. In the U.S., sexual offenders cannot teach in schools, coach children, or volunteer in many roles with children. Yet so many of them are active in churches. Should churches be just as vigilant about child safety? Forgiveness is an important virtue, but what about repentance?

Pedophiles are scary people because they are highly manipulative. Few seminaries train clergy in how to work with them, and support groups have little clue as to how to hold offenders accountable. The church's best role is to train leaders to protect potential victims and let the authorities rehabilitate offenders.

Ron Clark
Portland, Oregon

Editor's Note: A review of Ron Clark's Freeing the Oppressed: A Call to Christians Concerning Domestic Abuse (2009) will appear Thursday.

Thanks for addressing the complicated issue of how the church can bring God's love to a group hated by large portions of society. As a case worker who has worked with sex offenders for several years, I've grown to see the humanity of those who seem unlovable and even unredeemable. More direct and honest dialogues such as this one can allow offenders to draw closer to God in a safe, responsible way.

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February 2010, Vol. 54, No. 2