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A New Kind of Christianity

Chapter 19

1. 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?
2. 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?
3. The author identifies the Greco-Roman mind as the real problem in the mindset of Christians towards people of other religions. Explain why.
4. 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:

1. 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?
2. 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?
3. 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.

1. A volunteer reads a sentence or paragraph from the week’s reading that was important to him or her for some reason.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Another group member volunteers (or is invited by the leader to go next), and the process continues around the circle.
5. 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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3 Responses to “Brian McLaren: Q9 – The Pluralism Question”

1. Brian McLaren – Navigating Through A New Kind of Christianity | David Kenney Says:
   April 29th, 2010 at 12:16 pm

   [...] Question 9 – The Pluralism Question [...]

2. Hipolito M. Wiseman Says:
   May 28th, 2010 at 2:06 am

   gr8 research bro…

3. Eric Says:
   May 29th, 2010 at 9:55 pm

   There is a new Christian affirmation of faith that has been growing in popularity since 2006 which claims fully the path of Jesus without denying that God may provide other legitimate paths. It’s called The Phoenix Affirmations (See Affirmation 1 below):

   As people who are joyfully and unapologetically Christian, we pledge ourselves completely to the way of Love. We work to express our love, as Jesus teaches us, in three ways: by loving God, neighbor, and self. (Matt 22:34-40 // Mk 12:28-31 // Lk 10:25-28; Cf. Deut 6:5; Lev. 19:18)

   Christian love of God includes:

   1. Walking fully in the path of Jesus, without denying the legitimacy of other paths that God may provide for humanity;

   2. Listening for God’s Word which comes through daily prayer and meditation, studying the ancient testimonies which we call Scripture, and attending to God’s present activity in the world;

   3. Celebrating the God whose Spirit pervades and whose glory is reflected in all of God’s Creation, including the earth and its ecosystems, the sacred and secular, the Christian and non-Christian, the human and non-human;

   4. Expressing our love in worship that is as sincere, vibrant, and artful as it is scriptural.

   Christian love of neighbor includes:

   5. Engaging people authentically, as Jesus did, treating all as creations made in God’s very image, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, nationality, or economic class;

   6. Standing, as Jesus does, with the outcast and oppressed, the denigrated and afflicted, seeking peace and justice with or without the support of others;

   7. Preserving religious freedom and the church’s ability to speak prophetically to government by resisting the commingling of church and state;

   8. Walking humbly with God, acknowledging our own shortcomings while honestly seeking to understand and call forth the best in others, including those who consider us their enemies;

   Christian love of self includes:

   9. Basing our lives on the faith that in Christ all things are made new and that we, and all people, are loved beyond our wildest imagination – for eternity;

   10. Claiming the sacredness of both our minds and our hearts, and recognizing that faith and science, doubt and belief serve the pursuit of truth;

   11. Caring for our bodies and insisting on taking time to enjoy the benefits of prayer, reflection, worship, and recreation in addition to work;

   12. Acting on the faith that we are born with a meaning and purpose; a vocation and ministry that serve to strengthen and extend God’s realm of love.

   For a commentary on the Phoenix Affirmations, see http://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Affirmations-Vision-Future-Christianity/dp/0787985783/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214136413&sr=8-1

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