Showing posts with label Buddhism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buddhism. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Our Faith Needs Another Faith
Tweet
Based on the recommendation of a friend, I picked up the book "Without Buddha I would not be a Christian" by Paul Knitter. I started reading it this morning while I waited for an oil change on my car. In the preface, he makes a bold statement:
In an article entitled, "What does the Buddha have to do with Jesus?" John Thatamanil says,
For me, these are challenging, but also exciting ideas. I appreciate and practice contemplation, which has many connections to Buddhism. I have been reading more of the Koran and have been amazed by the wisdom of Mulsim Sufis. The challenge of religious pluralism is one that will not go away, and perhaps the best way to move forward is to learn as much as possible from the great religions of the world. The goal is not to be converted, or to create some new syncretism, but rather to be come the best follower of Jesus I can be, even with the help of those who don't claim to follow Jesus.
What do you think? Is this giving up an important Christian distinctive? Is this a "dangerous" approach to religion? What might it mean to admit as a Christian that our faith requires and needs other faiths as well?
Based on the recommendation of a friend, I picked up the book "Without Buddha I would not be a Christian" by Paul Knitter. I started reading it this morning while I waited for an oil change on my car. In the preface, he makes a bold statement:"I have realized that these two sources..." meaning Christian theology and human experience "haven't sufficiently equipped me to grapple with the kinds of disconcerting and destabilizing questions...about the nature of God, the role of Jesus, the meaning of salvation...I have come to realize that I have to look beyond the traditional borderlines of Christianity to find something that is vitally, maybe even essentially, important for the job of understanding and living the Christian faith: other religions"In other words, what Knitter is saying (at least for himself), is that to really understand Christian faith and live in the way of Jesus in the contemporary world, Christians need to engage with other religions in a personal and intimate way. This means more than just a cursory study, or an apologetic overview highlighting the differences between religions (and superiority of Christianity). We have to live our Christian lives "dialogically," in conversation with, engaging, practicing, and seeking to understand the religions of the world.
In an article entitled, "What does the Buddha have to do with Jesus?" John Thatamanil says,
"The time has come for religious communities to demand a new kind of clerical leadership. Every religious leader -- Rabbi, Imam, or Priest -- must be required to know a second religious language....And all of us, lay and clergy, must demand a new civic culture marked by interreligious hospitality and by a deep desire to learn not just about but from the faith of our neighbors. We must rise to one of the great spiritual challenges of our time: the hard work of integrating multiple religious wisdoms into our personal lives and public vocations."
For me, these are challenging, but also exciting ideas. I appreciate and practice contemplation, which has many connections to Buddhism. I have been reading more of the Koran and have been amazed by the wisdom of Mulsim Sufis. The challenge of religious pluralism is one that will not go away, and perhaps the best way to move forward is to learn as much as possible from the great religions of the world. The goal is not to be converted, or to create some new syncretism, but rather to be come the best follower of Jesus I can be, even with the help of those who don't claim to follow Jesus.
What do you think? Is this giving up an important Christian distinctive? Is this a "dangerous" approach to religion? What might it mean to admit as a Christian that our faith requires and needs other faiths as well?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)