Product Description

Here is the beginning of an evangelical theology of religions that addresses the problem of truth and revelation, and takes seriously the normative claims of other traditions.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #181380 in Books
• Published on: 2000-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 233 pages

Clark H. Pinnock, professor of theology, McMaster Divinity College
"This book makes a solid contribution to the evangelical theology of religions. Leaving aside the issue of the fate of the unevangelized, it leads us to expect to learn from people of other faiths and not suppose that they have nothing to teach us. What a gracious and open spirit this message frees us to have."

About the Author
Gerald R. McDermott is associate professor of religion and philosophy at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia. He is the author of One Holy and Happy Society: The Public Theology of Jonathan Edwards (Penn State Press), Seeing God: Twelve Reliable Signs of True Spirituality (IVP), and Jonathan Edwards Confronts the Gods: Christian Theology, Enlightenment Religion and Non-Christian Faiths (Oxford University Press).

Customer Reviews

Tells it like it is (that is, from an evangelical perspective)
McDermott's primary thesis is this: Evangelicals can learn from the world's religions. He offers chapters on the historical encounter between evangelicals and the religions of the world; the definition of "revelation"; biblical "suggestions" on the world religions (e.g., God-fearing Gentiles and pagans honored by various prophets and by Jesus); theological considerations (typology, the "scandal of exclusivity," covenants); an account of ancient Christian theologians and their views of the world religions in light of the ascendancy of Christ; and finally the four chapters I found most interesting: one each on Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism and Islam in which McDermott writes explicitly of what he has learned about his own faith, Christianity, from these religions, and ways in which he has come to understand more fully his understanding of the uniqueness of Christ. These final four chapters were quite insightful as an exercise in "comparative" religion.

Careful & Insightful Biblical Review Makes this a Great Book
McDermott writes a much-needed book that helps those in the evangelical Christian tradition find a way to truly respect other religious traditions without selling out the store. Citing examples of such biblical figures as Melchizedek, Balaam, and others who speak the word of the one true God but are not members of the Children of God, McDermott shows that there is biblical evidence for Christians to rediscover truths that are deeply imbedded in the Bible from those who do not confess Christ.

The author is very diligent and often reminds his readers that the Christian claim of the uniqueness of Christ is one that needs to be lifted up. Furthermore, what we learn from those outside our faith is not new knowledge per se but may be a different but helpful approach to biblical principles.

The unfortunate title regrettably misleads readers who will probably be surprised to find a careful study on the nature of revelation and a theological overview of Christianity's major theologians. The concluding chapters offer a great inroad to some Eastern and Near Eastern faiths. Explicitly stating that the acknowledgment of Christ as Lord is the only saving confession, McDermott continues to show how God has continued the biblical tradition of revealing himself to those outside the Christian faith.

Still unsure of the author's intent
Gerald McDermott would answer in the affirmative to the question posed in the title of his book, "Can Evangelicals Learn From World Religions?". But I still don't know what his main point was in writing this book. I think I could write a similar book and call it "Can Evangelicals Learn From the World of Sports?" and accomplish the same result as Mr. McDermott accomplishes with this book. Christians (and all people) can learn from almost anything.

McDermott seems to be trying to walk both sides of the fence. He boldly claims that Jesus is the only true AND full revelation of God, but he also says that God has revealed aspects of Himself within other religions. So the obvious question becomes, "If these truths can be known within the Christian belief of biblical revelation, then why go to other religions to learn the same things we can learn from Christianity?" He tries to answer this question in a helpful section at the end of the book where he address objections and concerns. His answer focuses on the fact that Jesus used non-Jews to demonstrate true faith (Luke 4:14-30, Matthew 15:21-28, etc) and how some of the pillars within Christianity such as Aquinas (from Aristotle) and Augustine (from Neo-Platonists) had their theology shaped by those outside the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Unfortunately, his answer fails to note that in the case of Jesus, those making a religious response were responding directly to Jesus and not acting within their previous religious system. In the case of Augustine and Aquinas, I think they'd be the last to argue for their own infallibility. But what is our test for truth? Evangelicals have said that when it comes to religious claims, its the Bible that has the final say. I'm not disputing that Christians are unable to learn from other religions, but I think we could learn a lot more by studying our own. Rather than reading Confucius or Muhammad, let's try some Aquinas and Augustine (heck, even C.S. Lewis would be a start).

This book does have some very positive points, otherwise I wouldn't have given it three stars. McDermott will help Christians become more educated about other religions and hopefully this will help us to become more sensitive when dealing with people from those backgrounds. He has also succeeded in showing evangelicals how to properly test all religious claims by a final standard, and that standard is the Bible. Let him be found "not guilty" of abandoning this important doctrine. McDermott acknowledges that this book covers relatively uncharted territory within evangelicalism. I look forward to his further work in this area and more clarification on his views.