"No issue in missiology is more important, more difficult, more controversial, or more divisive for the days ahead than the theology of religions. This is the arena where differing truth claims among world religions challenge Christians to articulate their understanding of the relationship between God's redemptive activity in Jesus Christ and people of other faiths. Our understanding of the theological significance of other religious traditions determines our attitude and approach to people of other faiths in terms of mission, evangelism, dialogue, service, and other forms of Christian witness."
From: Gerald Anderson, "Theology of Religions and Missiology" (p. 200) in The Good News of the Kingdom: Mission Theology for the Third Millennium, ed. Charles Van Engen, Dean S Gilliland and Paul Pierson {Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis. 1993 ) pp. 200–208.
This quote was used by Dr. Mike Goheen, the Calvin Seminary professor of missiology, recently in a March 7/2013 talk entitled: "THE CHURCH AND RELIGIOUS PLURALISM: Living Faithfully Amidst the World Religions".
My big question: How do we see the religion of our neighbor, or for that matter our neighbor as a religionist?
My first subquestion concerns the religions:
1. Are these religions stepping stones to Christianity?
2. Are they systematized rebellion against Christianity?
3. Are they a bit of both? Where do we find the answers?
My second subquestion concerns the religionist or that person who follows a certain religion:
1. Is this person simply misinformed and requires a bit more information?
2. Is this person simply in a underdeveloped stage on the path to Christianity?
3. Is this person an un-regenerate human who lives in conscious or sub-conscious rebellion to God?
If Anderson is right — and I think he is — then this might be the million dollar question of our day. Thank you for your well thought out, theologically informed, Biblically-based responses. And a special thanks to John Bolt and company at Calvin Seminary for translating and editing the new J.H. Bavinck reader which Dr. Goheen makes reference to.
Shalom.