A SRI LANKAN CHRISTIAN'S REFLECTION ON WHEATON'S ACTION TOWARD DR. HAWKINS - 0 views
started by Frederick Smith on 16 Jan 16
started by Frederick Smith on 16 Jan 16
started by Frederick Smith on 16 Jan 16
The signatories above do not necessarily affirm all of
the content or language of the following essay. It is added (1) to illuminate
the way in which Muslims and Christians refer to the same God, while differing
dramatically in their theology; and (2) to illustrate the potentially negative
consequences Wheaton's action toward Dr. Hawkins may have for the global Church,
as Christians seek to dialogue with Muslims about the Gospel.
_____________________
POCKET-SIZED
GODS? by Vinoth Ramachandra
Posted by vinoth-ifes on December
30, 2015, at: https://vinothramachandra.wordpress.com/
The
Malaysian Church, in recent decades, was engaged in a prolonged legal battle
with their Islamist-influenced government which prohibited non-Muslims from
using the word Allah to refer to the supreme God and
creator. Church leaders received directives stating that several words of
Arabic origin, including Allah,
Nabi (prophet) and Al Kitab (Bible) were not to be used by
non-Muslims as Arabic was the language of Muslims. Usage by Christians would
sow the seeds of "confusion". The import of Malay Bibles printed in Indonesia
(which used Allah) was
effectively banned.
Christians
countered by pointing out that Allah was the common term used to refer to
the supreme God long before Islam came into existence in North Africa. Arab
Christians continue to worship God as Allah and Malay-speaking Christians have
also been using Allah for centuries. Far from sowing
"confusion", it has facilitated communication and promoted mutual understanding
between Christians and Muslims.
Clearly this
was more than a matter of official historical ignorance. Islamists fearful of
the conversion of Muslims sought to deter the latter from reading the Bible by
claiming that Christians and Muslims worship different Gods. They have been
successful. Christians lost the legal battle, with dire consequences for the
future of social justice and religious harmony in Malaysia.
How ironic,
then, to find these Islamist arguments flourishing among conservative Christians
in the so-called American Bible Belt.
Earlier this
month, the authorities at Wheaton College, a prominent "evangelical" liberal
arts college aligned themselves with the Islamists. They suspended a tenured
professor for referring to Jews and Muslims as "people of the book" (a common
Qur'anic expression, distinguishing Jews and Christians from polytheistic
pagans), and stating that "Christians and Muslims worship the same God". In the
statement of suspension, the professor was accused of not "upholding
theological clarity". The obsession with "clarity" and fear of "confusion" - at the expense of other intellectual virtues
such as desiring truth and tolerance of different theological opinions - have
long been hallmarks of religious fundamentalisms.
The eminent
logician Gottlob Frege (1848-1925) famously drew an important distinction
between the referent of a word/phrase and its sense or meaning. He took the
example of the planet Venus which is, paradoxically, described as both the
"Evening Star" and the "Morning Star". The two expressions have different
senses or meanings, but they have the same referent, namely the planet Venus.
The earliest
Christians, most of them Jews, found themselves worshiping Jesus as Lord and
ascribing to him all the titles and functions that applied to Yahweh, the God
of the Hebrew Bible. They were not bi-theists. Nor were they rejecting Yahweh.
As they reflected more deeply on their experience, they eventually came to
articulate a deeper and fuller understanding of who Yahweh is. They became
Trinitarian monotheists.
Arab
Christians share many beliefs in common with their Muslim neighbours. Not only
do they both worship Allah as the unique creator and sustainer of
the universe, but Christians accept most of the 99 Beautiful Names for Allah in
the Qur'an. The differences, of course, are crucial and decisive. Belief in God
as Trinity, as Incarnate as the person Jesus of Nazareth, as crucified for the
salvation of the world … these are foundational to all Christian believing and
living. It grieves Christians that these are misunderstood and rejected by
Muslims (and Jews). Therein lies the great challenge to communication.
Christians ascribe a different narrative identity to Allah and Yahweh. But if
there were no overlapping areas of agreement, no dialogue between Christians
and Muslims (and Jews) would be possible. (Indeed, even argument would be
impossible because argument presupposes that we are arguing about the same
subject matter). And Christians, Muslims and Jews have engaged in mutually
fruitful dialogue for centuries in Europe, Africa and Asia (along with
monotheist Hindus and Sikhs).
All the
distinctive Christian truths are paradoxical. Christians, therefore, should be
at home with paradoxical thinking and not shun it.
So, do
Christians and Muslims worship the same God? Yes and No. To use Frege's
terminology, the same referent but different senses.
But why is
this question not raised in conservative American circles in relation to Jews
and Judaism? (This is what makes many suspect that underlying this debate is
fear or even animosity towards Muslims. If so, it would be deeply disturbing.)
The actions
of the Wheaton College authorities, like much of what is done in the U.S.,
reach a global audience. I can imagine how they will be seized upon by
Islamists around the world as ammunition to deploy against Christians. And how
betrayed Malaysian Christians must feel.
American
Christians- especially those studying and working in colleges and universities-
cannot remain complacent with theological, historical or political naiveté. Wilful
ignorance is inexcusable. Americans have ready access to a wide range of
scholarly literature and the latest information technologies that the rest of
us envy. They don't have to watch Fox News or listen to the
latest chauvinist or demagogue. Some of the finest biblical scholars,
theologians, philosophers and historians are found in the American Church
(sadly, it is not their works that are exported to the rest of
the world).
Moreover,
every American city is multi-cultural and multi-religious. You can meet
Christians from all over the world, as well as thoughtful Muslims from every
Muslim sect, Jews, Sikhs, Jains or Buddhists. You can have your prejudices
dispelled, your viewpoints and worldviews enlarged through such encounters and
friendships.
If American
Christians do not avail themselves of the resources and opportunities on their
doorstep, they will remain culturally marginal, intellectually lightweight,
politically reactionary, and a deep source of embarrassment to the rest of the
global Church.
_____________________
The author, Vinoth
Ramachandra, was
born in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He earned bachelors and doctoral degrees in nuclear
engineering from the University of London. Instead of pursuing an academic
career, he returned to Sri Lanka in 1980 and helped to develop a Christian
university ministry in that country. From 1987 until 2001 he served as the
South Asian Regional Secretary for the International Fellowship of Evangelical
Students (IFES).
He currently serves on the IFES Senior
Leadership Team as Secretary for Dialogue & Social Engagement. His ministry
aims to promote holistic engagement and dialogue within the university among
students and professors, and to encourage Christian students and graduates to
think and respond as Christians to some of the social, cultural and political
challenges they face in their national contexts throughout the world.
Vinoth lives in Sri Lanka with his Danish
wife, Karin, a trained counselor and also a Bible teacher. They often travel
and minster together at student and graduate conferences. Vinoth has also been
involved for many years with the Civil Rights Movement in Sri
Lanka, as well as with the global Micah Network and A Rocha (a world-wide biodiversity
conservation organization). He is the author of several essays, articles and
books including The Message of
Mission (2003), Subverting
Global Myths: Theology and the Public Issues that Shape Our World (2008) and Church
and Mission in the New Asia (2009).