Over the last couple of years, I have had the privilege of being involved in Evangelical-Mormon dialogue. As a result of these experiences I have been pulled into conversations that have pushed the outer reaches of my own thinking regarding a various issues. Luckily I have had good friends to process my own thoughts, and questions with. One of the ways we have decided to respond the rather messy topic of interfaith is to launch a journal where people can wrestle pubicly on these issues.
The journal is called Evangelical Interfaith Dialogue. Download the first edition and see what you think. We would love to hear your feedback at evangelicalinterfaith@gmail.com.
Below is a little more about the journal...
For most American evangelicals, 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. Those seeking to enter the broader interfaith conversations find themselves up against a firmly engrained relativism. This places Evangelicals in an awkward position and leads many to believe that the entire field of work needs to be completely avoided or perhaps reconfigured to look more like the already accepted mode of public discourse with other religious and ideological groups – that of the philosophic debate. Neither of these options is sufficient nor desirable for Evangelical interactions with other religious groups.
Within the American Evangelical traditions, there is a need for a robust biblical, theological, and missiological foundation to be established that will enable faithful and sustainable forms of creative and self-critical interfaith dialogue to be worked out within the community of faith. In seeking to fulfill the biblical mandate to make disciples of all nations, there have been those within every generation who have taken up the task of pioneering avenues of interfaith dialogue with other religious communities. From Muslim to Mormon, from Jewish to Buddhist, there have been Evangelicals who have sought to give witness to the gospel of Jesus through proclamation and demonstration, crossing cultural and religious barriers in their efforts to be faithful to the Great Commission.
Against the backdrop of numerous twenty-first century violent religious conflicts, the complex forces of globalization, religious pluralism, as well as the rise of religious fundamentalism and extremism in the post 9/11 world, it is necessary that American Evangelicals think critically about how they relate to religious “others.” While it is presumptuous to assume that there should be one single foundation or approach to interfaith engagement, it is incumbent upon on the Evangelical community to grow in wisdom and discernment in this important area of witnessing to the Lordship of Christ in our pluralistic and globalized world.
I found your new journal, and your blog, through one of my Mormon friends that I dialogue with. Like you I have been involved in Evangelical-Mormon dialogue for many years, as well as Christian-Pagan and Christian-Muslim dialogue. See my blog for more of my commentary on evangelical-Mormon dialogue. I am also part of a fledgling evangelical chapter of the Foundation for Interreligious Diplomacy that will help evangelicals learn how to engage in appropriate dialogue. If you're in Utah like I am I hope we can get togther. Thanks for your work in dialogue.
Posted by: John W. Morehead | January 31, 2010 at 14:12
matt, have you read any of amy jill levine's work? I have a copy of jesus the misunderstood jew that I want to read someday...
Posted by: conrad erb | March 04, 2010 at 01:57