The Exclusivity of Christ - Introduction

(Renjith Krishnan - FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

We live in a world that is both becoming more globalized by the moment, and yet it is also a world that is highly divided.  A handful of years ago, author and social researcher Andy Wolfe wrote a book entitled One Nation After All.  In it, he concludes that (based on his research) Americans are more similar than we are different.  While this was true a decade or so ago, my position would be that traumatic events of 9/11 changed that.  Interestingly, I just heard an interview tonight with a congressman who had been in office for over 20 years, and he commented that when he first started serving (just after the Watergate scandal), there was more unity and cordiality than there is now.  It's true in Congress, it's true in the U.S. overall, and it's true in the world.  While the world becomes smaller each day, there is a clear sense that many people groups are at odds with others.  Certainly, the culture wars of years past may be true, but now we find many researchers noting that there is a clash between East and West, between North America and China, or between Islam and Christianity. 

So what are we to do with this?  In a world that is already filled with strife and conflict, division and enmity, can't we just all agree that religions are all an attempt to climb the mountain to God, even if the path is different? 

If only it were so easy.  Over the next few weeks, we will look at some of the challenges we face when considering the exclusive claims of the Christian faith (and other faiths for that matter).  As we do so, my hope is that we work to create more light than heat.  The test of all discussion and presentation is two-fold: the truth of the claims that are made, and the honesty in the hearts of those considering them.  May we have both.

-tC