Can Only One Religion be True? Paul Knitter and Harold Netland in Dialogue.
Man Hei, Yip
Can Only One Religion be True? Paul Knitter and Harold Netland in
Dialogue. Edited by Robert B. Stewart. Minneapolis: Fortress Press,
2013. ISBN: 978-0-8006-9928-4. 272 pages. Paper. $24.00.
Can Only One Religion be True? The question appears to be
rhetorical. Whether or not this question expects an answer, readers are
alerted that a rather limited perspective for the discussion of
pluralism has been set in place. Rendering the dialogue to an either/ or
framework will easily force readers to take sides on the issue.
What do we expect from a dialogue between a Catholic (known as a
mutualist) and an evangelical (in a liberal stream)? Yes, more labels
are found throughout the book. There is just no way to know if these
labels achieve mutual respect and greater mutual understanding. When it
comes to the uniqueness of Christianity, the evangelical circles put
much emphasis on the idea of salvation. It gives an impression that the
debate is reduced to soul-saving; whereas, this idea of salvation is not
necessarily the focus of other religions' attention. The discourse
of difference constructed for the theology of religions unfortunately
divides groups into "us" and "them." If the
discussion of religion is rested upon the discourse of difference, a
dialogue on culture and pluralism will only be comparing apples to
oranges. The disposition of dialogue remains egotistical. To craft
effective dialogue, Stewart and his cohorts may want to acknowledge that
dialogue is not an end in itself. Dialogue is a way of living that sets
out for a genuine exploration of truth. It requires courage to turn
challenges into opportunities for faith transformation.
One should not, however, deny Stewart's editorial skills of
compiling the materials in a concise manner. The book is a collection of
papers presented at the Greer-Heard Point-Counterpoint Forum in Faith
and Culture, including a transcript of the dialogue between Paul Knitter
and Harold Netland. It provides basic concepts to the field of religious
pluralism and theology of religions.
Man Hei, Yip
The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
