Seminar in Other Religions
One
hundred and forty years ago, in 1860, the first really representative missionary
conference in modern times was held in Liverpool.
Full records were kept, and reading the lectures and the discussions
today, one is almost in the position of a listener at those proceedings of long
ago. Much of what passed strikes a curiously modern note.
The vocabulary has changed—we no longer speak of native Churches—but
many of the concerns are exactly the same as those discussed at the most recent
meetings in mission conferences. There
is, however, one notable difference. Hardly
a word was said about the non-Christian religions with which the missionaries
have to do in their daily practical work; we could hardly imagine such a neglect
in the proceedings of a missionary conference today.
A good many reasons could be given for the apparent
indifference. Those present at the
Conference were concerned primarily with their own problems as preachers of the
Gospel in strange lands (only one representative of a young Church, an Indian
clergyman, was present at the Conference of 1860), and with the developments in
the Churches that were growing up under their guidance.
Many of them were dealing with primitive peoples whose religious ideas
may not have seemed to them very important.
But perhaps the main reason was that, even in 1860, the great religions
of the East were still imperfectly known. Max
Müller’s great series of The Sacred
Books of the East still lay in the future—the first volume was published
only in 1875. (A great deal of
pioneer work, particularly in the study of the classical languages of the East,
had, or course, been accomplished before 1860.)
The
situation we face today is as difference as could well be imagined.
All the religions of the world have been minutely studied, some of the
best work having been produced where Western science has cooperated with the
institutions and inner apprehensions of the Eastern mind.
All the great works have been translated into all the main languages of
Europe. Selections have appeared in
paperback form and are easily available. More
than we perhaps realize, something of the Eastern mind, and particular of Indian
thought has become part of the unconscious furniture of our minds.
The whole study started with comparative philology,
the study and classification of languages, followed what is often called
“comparative religion” but should have been more correctly been called
“the comparative study of religions.” One
of the first tasks was to classify religions according to the main recognizable
types, such as the prophetic and mystical types of religions.
Those who engaged in such comparative studies included Christianity as
one of the phenomena to be studied, classified and compared.
For example, Salomon Reinach in his Orpheus
(1909), ended his work with a combined study of Judaism and Christianity,
which he regarded as only slightly variant forms of one of the principle types
of religion.
Christian
reactions to this approach were on the whole favorable.
Ideas of evolution were in the air, and had been transplanted without due
thought from the sphere of biology to many other aspects of human life. It chimed well with new ideas of tolerance to think of
Christianity as playing its part in man’s age-long search for God. Christianity would naturally hold that it was the highest
manifestation of the divine that had yet been accorded to the human race, but
need not necessarily exclude the thought that it might be a resting place on the
endless pilgrimage of man rather than his permanent home.
It
was at this stage of the argument that Hendrik Kraemer launched his first great
book, The Christian Message in a
non-Christian World, written in preparation for the International Missionary
Conference held at Tambaram in 1938. Here
he took up a position as different as possible from that of all the supporters
of the comparative method. Speaking
of the Gospel in terms of “biblical realism.” He argued that this story of
the divine action in Christ is of its nature entirely different from anything to
be found in any other religion. The
comparative method had taken it for granted that all religions are equal—the
possibility of comparison between them is self-evident.
It was precisely this claim that Kraemer denied.
The Gospel is in fact incommensurable with everything else; to attempt to
bring it into such comparison with other faiths is at once to falsify it.
Adapted from
Stephen Neil,
Christian Faith and Other Faiths. The
Christian Dialogue with other Religions,
1970, pp. 1ff
The goal of this course is that of a
dialogue. The aim is to enter
“into the heart and spirit of another religion,” yet without disloyalty to
one’s own; to seek what is positive in other faiths, and the questions they
may rightly ask of Christianity, as well as the pertinent questions about God
and man, which Christians may put to them.
1.
Class Attendance and Format
Since this class is offered as a doctoral seminar,
regular class attendance is required. Class
meets every Monday, 3:30-6:20pm in the James White Library, Room 279.
During most of the classes students are required to
make presentations and report on research projects assigned during this class.
2.
Reading
A fair amount of knowledge regarding the major world
religions is expected for students taking this class. Such knowledge should have been gained by taking a class on
the MDiv level, such as MSSN670 Christianity
and Other Religions.
Recommended Reading--
Students who have not had any formal classes in world
religions are recommended to read the following introductory books:
Roger
Eastman (ed.), 1999. The
Ways of Religion. An Introduction
to the Major Traditions. New
York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Jacob
Neusner (ed), 2000.
World Religions in America. An
Introduction. Louisville, KY:
Westminster John Knox Press.
David Levinson, 1996. Religion. A Cross-Cultural Dictionary. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Required
Reading--
Hans
Küng et al., 1993.
Christianity and World Religions. Paths to Dialogue. Maryknoll,
NY: Orbis Books.
Ian
S. Markham (ed.). 2000. A World
Religions Reader. Second Edition.
Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, Inc.
Daniel
B. Clendenin. 1995. Many
Gods, Many Lords. Christianity Encounters World Religions. Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Books.
Additional
short articles will be assigned during the semester.
3.
Class Presentations
a.
Students will have to be prepared for class discussions on the following
books:
(1) Daniel B. Clendenin. 1995.
Many Gods, Many Lords. Christianity
Encounters World Religions. Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
(2) Hans Küng et al., 1993.
Christianity and World Religions. Paths to Dialogue. Maryknoll,
NY: Orbis Books.
b. Students will also
make short presentations on a religion not discussed in Hans Küng’s
book. The 30-minute presentation
should be based in part in the reading of Ian S.
Markham’s book (the book provides an excellent annotated bibliography
for additional information)
c.
A
one-hour presentation on a major research project. Such as:
(1)
Religion
and Human Nature
Based in Keith Ward’s Book, Religion and Human Nature. Oxford,
NY: Oxford University Press, 1998.
(2)
Religion
and Community
Based in Keith Ward’s Book, Religion
and Community. Oxford, NY:
Oxford University Press, 2000.
(3)
Religion
and Revelation
Based in Keith Ward’s Book, Religion
and Revelation. Oxford, NY:
Oxford University Press, 1994.
(4)
Or
another relevant topic to the class
4.
Written Assignments
a. A critical review of Hans Küng’s book (5-6 pp.). For guidelines of such a review, see ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE OF A CRITICAL BOOK REVIEW (in Attachment).
b.
An
outline of presentation of a religion as discussed in item 3/b above (5-6 pp.).
c.
A major
comparative research paper on religious issue as discussed in 3/c above (of at
least 25 pages).
5. Time Table
This
seminar is scheduled to meet every Monday (3:30-6:20pm) in the James White
Library, Room 279
September
4
(Labor Day Holiday)
11
Kűng :
A/1 Cristian
18
Kűng :
A/2 Paul;
A/3 Leon
25
Kűng :
A/4 Cristian B/1
Leon
October
2
Kűng :
B/2 Paul
B/3 Cristian
B/4 Leon
9
(Columbus Day Holiday)
16
Kűng :
C/1 Paul
C/2 Leon
C/3 Cristian
23 Kűng
: C/4
Paul
30
Clendenin, Ch. 1,2
Cristian
Ch.
2,4 Leon
Ch.
5,6 Paul
November
6
13
20 (Seminary Colloquium, No
Classes)
27
December
4
Religion
and Human Nature (Paul);
Religion and Community (Cristian)
11
Religion and Revelation (Leon)
18
(Exam week)
During the month of November students meet individually with instructor discussing progress and preparation of final paper (a minimum of 2-3 hours). Otherwise no classes. Time should be used in the preparation of research paper
On Dec 18 class will meet for a summary of discussion.