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A Multitude of Blessings: A Christian Approach to Religious Diversity

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Cynthia M. Campbell, President of McCormick Theological Seminary, raises the issue of how Christians can live in a religiously pluralistic society while at the same time maintain the distinctives of Christian confession and witness. Her approach is refreshingly free of a more familiar tendency among "liberal" theologians to fall into a mushy syncretism or simply capitulate to a prevalent secularism. Campbell seeks to remain within the ballpark of scriptural authority, in contrast to such writers as, say, Phillip Gulley and John Mulholland in their odd book "If Grace is True." Campbell even appeals to the doctrine of the Trinity to support her argument.

What is her argument? Actually it is a rather simple premise and follows a clear logic. God has created all mankind in the Image of God, and therefore must love all equally. This requires that, in view of the diversity of religious traditions, we see God at work in all religions and go beyond "tolerance" to appreciation and "respect." This mindset will enable all peoples to work together for "peace and justice" in society.

The key to understanding Dr. Campbell is her appeal to the Trinity. Her interpretation of the Trinity is theologically orthodox--God is One, but Three within that one-ness. Despite her obvious discomfort with male pronouns for God, she manages to retain references to God as "Father" and "Son," while offering up the cute construct "Godself" as an avoidance of an apparently discomforting "Him." Nevertheless, her application of the Trinitarian reality of God to understanding the reality of the world and the human condition is a theme that begs for further exploration in a separate work. Indeed, I have found in my own individual meditations that the concept of the Trinity is deeply coherent with our normal experiences and consciousness as creatures bearing the "imago dei." In short, a traditional believer reflecting upon this historic doctrine in relation to normal experience will find that it makes increasing sense.

Campbell offers a new interpretation of the Tower of Babel story. In her account, God drives the people in separate directions not as a punishment for their alleged hubris in building the tower but as a divine kick in the butt for humanity to get about realizing the actual divine intention--to become diverse. While attempting to ground this interpretation in the text itself, it overlooks the text's own clear message that God is taking the action as a guard against human utopianism. Campbell weakens her case regarding diversity by resorting to such a stretched interpretation of this particular story.

In Campbell's scheme of things, God's overall covenant with all of humanity is paramount. All more specific covenants, such as the divine covenant with Israel, must be understood in this larger context. God loves all, and intends his creation to be diverse in nature and human life. This principle, if embraced, will save Christianity (and presumably any other faith tradition) from an unhealthy "exclusivism" claiming to possess the one and only spiritual truth. Whereas it remains true that Jesus Christ is "Lord and Savior" to Christians, and the foundation of salvation, it is also perhaps true that "salvation" is not a big issue for other traditions, equally defined by God's intention of "diversity" in the human family. Appealing to the paradox of the Trinity's "unity in diversity," Campbell states her belief that "affirming the truth of one tradition does not automatically require believing that all other religious ideas and traditions are false." This point, of course, has been made previously by C.S. Lewis, so there is really nothing new in saying this. Where she would differ from Lewis's position is in Lewis's insistence that the Christian must assert the correctness of Christianity in the points of difference. Campbell would counsel to just leave matters alone, and realize that all such differences are part of God's design of diversity for human life, society, culture, ideas, and spiritual beliefs.

What of salvation? Campbell seems to say that this is an issue about which we all need to relax. She correctly affirms that all salvation is from God and accomplished by "Godself's" initiative. God will save all that God (He) will. What this means for evangelism, in a Christian perspective, is to define evangelism pretty much as the pursuit of "social justice" and "peace," -- the establishment of health clinics, agricultural technology, roads and other infrastructure, etc. -- rather than proclamation of distinctively Christian spiritual themes.

There is much to appreciate in Campbell's presentation. Her emphasis on God's sovereignty is strongly affirmed, and her emphasis on salvation as being grounded in God's grace is historically rooted. Although it is a matter of disagreement among Christians, I embrace her position that God's covenant with Israel remains in place, in contrast to "supercessionist" notions of divine promises to Israel having been transferred to the church. Her affirmation of the universal relatedness of humans as creatures of the Creator is well placed, especially in an age of racist multiculturalist superstitions. Her attempt to locate her arguments within the authority of scripture should appeal to all Christians who embrace the principle of scriptural authority.

Having said that, there are some questions that can be raised. Reading the book, I couldn't help but wonder whether Campbell is really concerned to enlighten us about God's will and intention or use theology for a sociological purpose (i.e. making diversity theory more attractive). That is to say, is the Trinity an actual affirmation she would make and vigorously uphold, apart from its usefulness for promoting her positions regarding religious diversity? Granted, this sounds a bit paranoid, but it is a skepticism grounded in a number of conversations I've had with "ecumenical" clergy over the years who seem to "believe" or reject whatever they will, according to whichever agenda might be served.

One might detect as well a kind of sleight-of-hand in her argument, a smuggling in of humanity's universal and given status as "children of God." But isn't this precisely the issue in Christian belief, that people become children of God through spiritual renewal in Christ? Does this premise play any role in God's plan of diversity? That is, if it is a principle revealed within the specific spirituality of Christian faith, is it at work in other traditions as well, even if we assume that we are not necessarily talking about Christian conversion? Campbell does not say. But, by leaving this issue alone, Campbell would seem to be importing, obliquely, the doctrine of universalism. If all humans are by nature and creation "beloved children of God," then why would "salvation" be any kind of issue at all? This is not a problem unique to a Christian believer, but would have to be asked by anyone, for the diverse traditions do, in fact, maintain some form of salvation doctrine.

Ironically, there is a kind of Christian triumphalism implied in her approach, even while trying to avoid it. For example, she writes: "The theological principles we have discussed here have three practical implications for evangelization. First, we should make clear in our interaction with those from other traditions that we Christians assume that those with whom we speak are already beloved children of God." Immediately we see, here, an insult to Muslim belief, according to which it is abhorrent to say the God has "a Son" or any other relationship to humanity that would assert that Allah has "children." One wonders, as well, what such a premise would mean to a Hindu regarding "untouchables" as existing on the outer boundaries of humanity. It is unlikely that this nice-sounding principle can really be the starting point of dialogue.

Campbell also makes an unsupported claim that "within all of the great religious traditions, including those implicated in the conflict in the Middle East, there is a strong tradition that renounces violence toward others and contends that peace is the way of God," which enables all to "make common cause for peace and justice." Anyone who might take the time to read the Qur'an and consider Islamic hermeneutical principles, or study the power of Jihad theory in Islamic jurisprudence, will discover the problematics of this claim. One also ponders the "justice" theme in Hinduism's recognition of "untouchables."

Campbell rightly calls attention to biblical stories that show people from outside of the covenant community playing a role in salvation history (Hagar, Ruth, Cyrus, etc.). It is odd, then, that in her desire to avoid what she calls Christian "exclusivism," Campbell overlooks one of the most intriguing New Testament texts
suggesting the salvation of people from outside the covenant (in this case Christian) community. That text is the famous "least of these" story set forth in Matthew 25. People who, from their own words, seem not to have a clue as to who Jesus is or how it is that they have served him, are invited into the Kingdom. They are saved, yet they clearly do not understand anything about what they have done to receive this salvation. I would think she could have made much of this, in her concern for "exclusiveness," yet strangely overlooks it.

Finally, what one misses in Campbell's argument is any real consideration of the concept of the "Fall." Although she observes that God's larger goal is the reconciliation of all things in the created order (Romans 8), this theme is explored apart from any clear consideration of the question as to why it needs reconciliation in the first place. Here she is quick to depart from, or ignore, an important biblical theme, which is the theme of "the curse" and the creation's fundamental alienation from the purposes and character of the Creator. Again, there is a principle being smuggled in underneath the clear peaks of her intellectual landscape, the premise that the world is more-or-less what God intended while needing, nevertheless, a bit of adjustment. One might detect the presence of evolutionistic, "process theology" here, a posture that certainly carries with it its is own problematic baggage.

It's a good try by the author, but ultimately unconvincing as a result of its own internal contradictions. It would be nice to see this argument printed in tandem with a contrasting point of view, with dialogue between the two, after the manner taken up regarding New Testament themes by Marcus Borg and N.T. Wright (The Meaning of Jesus).

Cynthia Campbell's "A Multitude of Blessings" is an excellent book, a must read for anyone interested in what has become of Christian ecumenism over the years. The book is well organized, perceptively written, and will present new "talking points" for anyone who is interested in furthering the activities that might be entitled "true ecumenism." For a minister and the President of a prestigious seminary, I was especially delighted with what I would call the "philosophical" development of her reflections. The book is both easy to read and hard to put down. If you need to jump start your ecumenical reflections, this book is a good place to start; if you are an experienced ecumenist, you will find a new enthusiasm for your work.

What is a Christian to make of religious diversity? How does one affirm faith in Jesus Christ and seek to live according to the teachings of Christian faith and at the same time live with neighbors who are not Christian? This book is written for Christians who are concerned to make sense of this challenge of living with religious diversity. For the most part, the author does not write about other religious traditions, the ways they approach reality and understand God, or the moral claims they make; this is not a book about "comparative religions." What the author does is present one way that Christians can think about this topic from the standpoint of her faith tradition.