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gonza_basta's review
3.0
Absolutely clear and interesting, especially with regard to the less popular religions. The only thing that left me a bit puzzled has been the way in which sometimes the author, absolutely in my opinion, took as understood that "Christianity is better anyway," but maybe this is just my impression as a non-native English speaker.
Chiaro ed assolutamente interessante, specialmente per quanto riguarda le religioni meno famose. L'unica cosa che mi ha lasciato un pochino perplessa é stata la maniera in cui a volte l'autore, assolutamente secondo me, faceva intendere che "comunque il cristianesimo é migliore", ma magari questa é stata soltanto una mia impressione da non madrelingua.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND WESTMINSTER JOHN KNOX PRESS FOR THE PREVIEW!
Chiaro ed assolutamente interessante, specialmente per quanto riguarda le religioni meno famose. L'unica cosa che mi ha lasciato un pochino perplessa é stata la maniera in cui a volte l'autore, assolutamente secondo me, faceva intendere che "comunque il cristianesimo é migliore", ma magari questa é stata soltanto una mia impressione da non madrelingua.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND WESTMINSTER JOHN KNOX PRESS FOR THE PREVIEW!
drbobcornwall's review
4.0
Philip Wogaman, former senior minister at Washington D.C.'s Foundry United Methodist Church, a congregation whose members included Bill and Hillary Clinton along with Bob and Elizabeth Dole, as well as former President of the Interfaith Alliance and professor of Christian ethics at Wesley Theological Seminary, writes a book that I think should have great value to Christians who wonder whether there is something to learn from their neighbors who hail from religions other than their own. Once Protestants and Catholics might have asked that about each other, but in today's increasingly pluralistic context the conversation partners are becoming increasingly diverse. Wogaman asks the right question -- what can we as Christians learn? In the course of ten chapters he offers his reflections on that question.
He focuses his attention on primal religions, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese religions (Taoism and Confucianism), and atheism. He adds another chapter that asks similar questions of several religions he is unable to address more broadly -- Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, and the Baha'i movement. The principle that he works with is that dialogue must compare the best of the other with the best in one's own. He notes where he feels is necessary where Christians probably won't find a particular belief system workable (such as the idea of reincarnation present in a number of Eastern religions). He seems to have invited members of these faith communities to read and critique his presentation so its fair. He includes atheism because while not affirming divinity, they do have conversations about ultimate concerns, and their critiques are worth considering.
The concluding chapter offers suggested areas where other faith traditions might learn from Christianity -- including the way in which modern Christian scholars have handled scripture critically.
The book began as a sermon series, which makes this a very accessible and readable text. As one involved in interfaith work, I found this to be quite useful. My only real problem area came when he delved into that treacherous doctrine of the Trinity in his chapter on Islam. Recognizing that the Trinity is a problem for Jews and Muslims, he sought to address their concerns about whether Christianity is truly monotheistic. In his effort to demonstrate that Christians aren't tri-theists or polytheists, he seemed to move to the opposite view, which is modalism (father, son, and spirit end up being masks or functions). But, that is really the only place where I struggled with his presentation.
Recommended resource for interested Christians and their friends outside the faith!
He focuses his attention on primal religions, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese religions (Taoism and Confucianism), and atheism. He adds another chapter that asks similar questions of several religions he is unable to address more broadly -- Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, and the Baha'i movement. The principle that he works with is that dialogue must compare the best of the other with the best in one's own. He notes where he feels is necessary where Christians probably won't find a particular belief system workable (such as the idea of reincarnation present in a number of Eastern religions). He seems to have invited members of these faith communities to read and critique his presentation so its fair. He includes atheism because while not affirming divinity, they do have conversations about ultimate concerns, and their critiques are worth considering.
The concluding chapter offers suggested areas where other faith traditions might learn from Christianity -- including the way in which modern Christian scholars have handled scripture critically.
The book began as a sermon series, which makes this a very accessible and readable text. As one involved in interfaith work, I found this to be quite useful. My only real problem area came when he delved into that treacherous doctrine of the Trinity in his chapter on Islam. Recognizing that the Trinity is a problem for Jews and Muslims, he sought to address their concerns about whether Christianity is truly monotheistic. In his effort to demonstrate that Christians aren't tri-theists or polytheists, he seemed to move to the opposite view, which is modalism (father, son, and spirit end up being masks or functions). But, that is really the only place where I struggled with his presentation.
Recommended resource for interested Christians and their friends outside the faith!
elephant's review
3.0
This is an interesting book. The author tells his Christian viewpoint of what other religions are about and then how he thinks Chrisians can benefit from some of what he thinks their concepts are. He looks at most of the world's religions, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Jainism, Sikhism, Baha'i, atheism, and even Confucianism and Primal Religions. The author's views are very open and accepting although I am not sure that members of the various religions that he portrays would all agree with his portrayals of their religions. The author's understanding of the Trinity, which he says Christians can learn something from the Muslims about, is not one that I think fits in with the Orthodox Christian view of the triune God. I think that many readers will find his thoughts on the Trinity and on some other Christian topics to be rather unorthodox. The book has discussion questions at the end of each chapter and it is well written and easy to read. I think that it can lead to some interesting discussions. I received this book free to review from Netgalley.