The Global Conversation

I am wondering whether the distinction is sufficiently clearly made between the richness and benefits of cultural pluralism in a descriptive sense and epistemological pluralism?

the world is changing. thinking is changing. The Church has to find new ways to sustain faith. People, especially the youngsters, seem anxious and bored at the same time. So the search for alternatives; and mushrooing spiritual shops and new age gurus. The Scientologists are on a rampage in the media. Relativism is something which is going to catch up, as the search for truth continue.........!

Thank-you for all your thoughful articles and responses. One encouragement of LC is to 'meet' the many who are my brothers and sisters throughout the world. Very encouraging. I spend my days in southern Taiwan telling Bible stories to people who are not really seekers. Most of them are content with their own religion although many have never questioned. Instead, they just accept 'what their parents believe'. They have no intention of becoming followers of Christ and in fact think it is a "western religion!" and that "all religions are the same." I usually do not respond to these things early on but start telling them the salvation story from Genesis. This helps them begin to question their ideas. Things that attract them are the story itself (the greatest of all stories) but also that someone would listen to them and spend time with them. That someone would not rush or push them. What a privilege to see God working in them.

It took me quite some time to realize that it is God who is in the business of building his kingdom. The concept of missio Dei spells it clearly. Once upon a time, we were classified as a dark continent as if God was absent from it. Far from the truth, God was and still is at work building His Kingdom which is stronger and reaching out everywhere. The centre of mission is no longer in the West. It is everywhere. We need to open up to dialogue with other faiths. the lion defends itself and the truth we embrace will defend itself. Globalization has brought these faiths on our doorsteps. What an opportune time to proclaim the true Gospel and not a caricature of it.

"In commending truth in the face of relativism, we are dealing with people, not just cold ideas." This is a very important point that Mark Chan pointed out in his article. People of this world, coming from different faith traditions are all seekers of truth. Humanity, and not ideologies is a fundamental reason why different forms of dialogue are necessary to understand "truth" in a post-modern context. It is exerting effort for people to find common ground to be able to find our contribution in God's kingdom building. The truth is that God is in the process of bringing his kingdom in this world. The question we need to answer is, are we part of this kingdom building. This can be answered in many ways and we, as Christians, cannot simply play the role of a final arbiter. Instead, as we continue to engage the World through a serious and honest reflection of the Word, we may have a better chance to be able to contribute in this kingdom building.

This article is one that encourages christians not to comform to the the standards or the customs of this world but to rather continue telling the world that Jesus Christ is Lord no matter the cost of telling this truth. As christians we need not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus for it is the power of God that brings about slavation to all mankind despite race, one's home/official language, birth palce/country or any other thing that the world's system may regard as a disadvantage to another person. All we need to do as the children of the most high is to show the world the love that God showed us through which we where saved from our since.

I congratulate the author, not only helps us to be tolerant, but also to continue preaching of Jesus, there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved.

I can testify from my life: Jesus is the way to the Father. But: the only way - that's a different storry alltogether! It seems to be not an easy issue to chew on, if I look at some of the responses here. An excellent book on this is Paul Knitter's "No other name?"; I think, his analysis of the problem and a portrait of various attempts of solving it is really brilliant - though I may not fully share his conclusions.

Concerning Stuart McAllister's comment on the "end of apologetics": maybe one has to differenciate and say: "the end of apologetis as we know it". In a postmodern culture we will have to learn, how to spell out the gospel of Jesus in a way that can be understood. Maybe the "Finding Faith" books of Brian McLaren could give an indication, what effective apologetics in our postmodern times could look like ("A Search For What Makes Sense" and "A Search for What is Real")?

PART TWO After all, we are called to do so, and the "historic accident" that you and I were born in the present times, i.e. in post-modernity (or whatever other label you prefere) to me is an indication that it is our job to spell out the good news of God's love and grace into the parlance of - post-modernity! But how? My tentative sugestion: can we talk of "that which makes sense". After all, truth (as long as it existed) never mattered as long as it remaind some abstract metaphysical thought "out there"; it had to make sense, otherwise it remains irreleveant. I admit, it may be a bit disappointing to replace the traditional "truth" with "something that make sense to me", but at least it would capture an important aspect.