The Only Way?
The 1990s have been declared by the World Council of Churhes a “Decade of Evangelism”, and many churches are beginning programmes to evngelise their neighbourhood. This declaration carries implications about the way we think of other faiths. Do we consider a devout and practcising Moslem or Jew to be in need of evangelisation? Many Christians would answer this question by replying that they would not try to convert a member of another faith, since it is far more important ot reach the people who are without any religious faith. But this reply is skirting round the issue, which is whether other religions are mistaken in their perceptions and approaches to God, or even wrong. Is Christianity the only true way to have a relationship with God and to be granted salvation?
Christians believe that Jesus was God Incarnate — God in human form. No other religion makes this claim for its prophets, holy men or holy women. This, then, must make it impossible for us to say that all religions are essentially the same and hence equally valid. However, if Jesus was really God on Earth, then his incarnation has enabled us to relate to God, even if we do not realise that it has, and do not believe that it even happened. This idea may be expressed in the concept of Christ as the “logos” — the rationality and reason behind everything, no matter what our belief or unbelief. This is an idea which John uses at the beginning of his Gospel, and which he expresses in the original Greek as “logos”, which is usually translated as “Word”. “… the Word became flesh; he made his home among us …” (John 1:14). John continues this idea of the universality of Christ’s incarnation with the phrase “The true light which gives light to everyone.” (John 1:9).
In the light of this idea, passages of the Bible which are often quoted as showing that Christianity is the only answer may be seen to be saying that Jesus Christ is the reason behind the salvation or the manifestation of God, but not necessarily the only means to it. In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no-one comes to the Father except by me.”. People are enabled to “come to the father” through Christ’s incarnation; but the passage does not state that everyone must follow Christ to do so. Jesus’ statement is not incompatible with the belief that people of other faiths can reach God because of Jesus, but not necessarily by way of Christianity. Similarly, Acts 4:12 “There is no salvation through anyone else; in all the world no other name has been granted to mankind by which we can be saved.” can be seen in this way. It has been made possible for people to be given salvation by God’s incarnation.
We cannot know precisely what Jesus actually said, or exactly what he thought about other faiths. The New Testament is our only source for his life and preaching, and there are great difficulties in using it, because of the great distance of the Gospels and epistles in time from the events on which they meditate, their different and unfamiliar literary styles, and the fact that we read them in translation. However, it does seem possible to discover the essence of his message, and to discuss what is out of character with his nature as the incarnation of a loving God.
To me, it is clear that Christ did not come to Earth in order to set up Christianity. Nowhere is it certain that Jesus himself stated that everyone should be converted to following him. He told his followers to proclaim God’s kingdom on Earth, and bring people to a right relationship with his father, but not to make them “Christians”. (The early Christian Church, afterall, existed purely as a sub-sect of Judaism.) It is likely that Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore to all nations and make them my disciples; baptise them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” was written a long time after Christ was alive. It is the omly use of the Trinitarian formula found in the New Testament, which implies that it is a later addition to Matthew’s gospel. Certainly, it is most unlikely that Jesus would have used these words, which do not have unambiguously Christian content. The whole of Mark 16:9–20, which includes the passage “Those who believe [the gospel] and recieve baptism will be saved; those who do not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16), is held by almost all biblical sholars to be a much later addition to his gospel, and again, highly unlikely to be Jesus’ words.
I believe that all faiths are valid approaches to God — that is, that they all enable people to have the right relationship on Earth to God, which is salvation. This is not to minimalise the differences between faiths. For example, the Hindu emphasis on ascetism and subugation of the flesh is part of a very different view of the human relationship to God, one almost opposite to the modern Christian emphasis that God relates to imperfect human beings by choice. (Although it should be remembered that in the past there have been many ascetics and mortifiers of the flesh within mainstream Christianity.) But these differences are inevitable and valid. All faiths are an attempt to make sense of, and in some way to relate to, God. Each individual has a slightly different perception of the transcendent, which they may call God. Naturally these ideas closter together in a recognisably similar form in various cultural situations. Who are we to say that our perceptions and prejudices are right and other people’s wrong, if we cannot be certain Christ was exclusive? We believe in continuing revelation; that God did not stop revealing himself to the world at the death of Christ — why then shouldn’t he reveal himself to non-Christians?
What does this mean in terms of the “Decade of Evangelism”? By all means let us talk to members of other faiths about our Christianity, and about the insights we have had into God’s nature. Contact with new ideas and world views can only be beneficial to all of us. But not whilst inwardly saying “I’m right — you’re wrong,” rather, in the spirit that we are all trying to do the same thing; make sense of our lives on Earth, and live as we believe that God wants us to.
For further reading:
M Barnes, “Religions in Conversation”, SPCK, 1989.
John Thick and Brian Hebblethwaite, “Christianity and other Religions”, Fount, 1980.
Paul Knitter, “No Other Name”, SCM, 1985.