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A New Kind of Christianity
Chapter 19
- Why do you feel the question of religious pluralism is so important, and how do you rank the dangers of the two common responses (“It’s either us or them” and “Whatever you believe is fine”) described by the author?
- The author reviews several passages of Scripture that could be brought to bear on the question of how we relate to people of other religions. Which of those passages was of most interest to you?
- The author identifies the Greco-Roman mind as the real problem in the mindset of Christians towards people of other religions. Explain why.
- What is the meaning of John 14:6 according to the author, and how relevant is it to the issue of religious pluralism?
Additional Questions:
Questions for Reading Groups:
- What one, two, or three passages or ideas in this chapter did you respond most strongly to? What was your response – what feelings and ideas did the idea(s) or passage(s) elicit? Why do you think you responded in this way?
- What quotes, points, or questions from this chapter would you most like to talk about with your group? What would you like to ask your other group members about these quotes, points, or questions?
- How would you complete this sentence: “For me, the most important take-aways from this chapter were …”
A Five-Step Reading Circle:
A convener invites a circle of friends to read the book. The convener proposes how many chapters will be read per week, and when, where, and for how long the group will meet. At each meeting, the convener reads these five steps as ground rules for the group, and intervenes to uphold these ground rules as necessary. The convener may also lead in a brief opening and closing activity – such as reciting the Lord’s Prayer, observing a period of silence, journaling, etc.
- A volunteer reads a sentence or paragraph from the week’s reading that was important to him or her for some reason.
- That group member then talks about the passage for an agreed-upon period of time without interruption. (Ten minutes would be a good maximum, but five or seven minutes might be better for groups of more than five people.) He or she shares why the passage is important, what the passage means to him or her, and how he or she responds to it. Other members seek to “listen the speaker into free speech” through their attentiveness. Again, no interruptions are allowed, and periods of silence are fine.
- That group member invites others to ask further questions about his or her responses to the passage – for the purpose of understanding the group member (not debating, not critiquing, not agreeing or disagreeing – only seeking to understand the group member better). Or that group member may ask a question of fellow members to which they may respond.
- Another group member volunteers (or is invited by the leader to go next), and the process continues around the circle.
- If time permits, the group leader may invite each member to reflect on what they have learned or gained from one another during the gathering. The group confirms the next week’s readings and meeting details.
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April 29th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
[...] Question 9 – The Pluralism Question [...]
April 21st, 2011 at 9:56 am
1. I agree with McLaren in regards to pluralism and how Christians should treat people of a different faith. Jesus taught us to act out of love, and we can disagree with someone’s spiritual belief without being aggressive but rather accepting.
2. I really think the notion of attacking other religious groups can never be argued for. It’s cliche perhaps, but the old W.W.J.D. bracelets that you used to see all over are so crucial in regards to arguing for pluralism. Jesus would treat any person with love and humility no matter what they believe.
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