An Initial Bibliography

Baker, David W., ed. Biblical Faith and Other Religions: An Evangelical Assessment. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregal, 2004.

Beale, Gregory K. "Other Religions in New Testament Theology." In Biblical Faith and Other Religions: An Evangelical Assessment, ed. David W. Baker, 79-105. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregal, 2004.

Block, Daniel I. "Other Religions in Old Testament Theology." In Biblical Faith and Other Religions: An Evangelical Assessment, ed. David W. Baker, 43-78. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregal, 2004.

Browning, Don S. "Empty Inclusivism: A Report on Church and Family." Christian Century 120, no. 13 (2003): 8-9.

Chan, Mark. "The Church and Community Engagement: Theological Reflection for Praxis." Church and Society in Asia Today 10, no. 1 (2007): 1-14.

Clarke, Andrew D., and Bruce Winter, eds. One God, One Lord. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1992.

Escobar, Samuel. The New Global Mission: The Gospel from Everywhere to Everyone. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2003.

Fernando, Ajith. Sharing the Truth in Love: How to Relate to People of Other Faiths. Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House, 2001.

Forell, George W. The Proclamation of the Gospel in a Pluralistic World: Essays on Christianity and Culture. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1973.

Gaybba, Brian. "Christology and Religious Pluralism: The Search for a Route between Inclusivism and Pluralism." Journal of Theology for Southern Africa no 87 (1994): 3-10.

Goldingay, John E., and Christopher J. W. Wright. ""Yahweh Our God and Yahweh One": The Oneness of God in the Old Testament." In One God, One Lord: Christianity in a World of Religious Pluralism, ed. Andrew D. Clarke and Bruce Winter, 43-62. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1992.

Hess, Richard. "Yahweh and His Asherah?: Religious Pluralism in the Old Testament World." In One God, One Lord: Christianity in a World of Religious Pluralism, ed. Andrew D. Clarke and Bruce Winter, 13-42. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1992.

McDermott, Gerald R. God's Rivals: What Has God Allowed Different Religions? Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2007.

McWilliams, Warren. "Spirit Christology and Inclusivism: Clark Pinnock's Evangelical Theology of Religions." Perspectives in Religious Studies 24, no. 3 (1997): 325-336.

Plantinga, Richard J., ed. Christianity and Plurality: Classic and Contemporary Readings. Oxford, UK: Blackwell, 1999.

________. "God So Loved the World: Theological Reflections on Religious Plurality in the History of Christianity." In Biblical Faith and Other Religions: An Evangelical Assessment, ed. David W. Baker, 106-137. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregal, 2004.

Stetson, Brad, and Joseph G. Conti. The Truth About Tolerance: Pluralism, Diversity and the Culture Wars. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2005.

Winter, Bruce. "In Public and in Private: Early Christians and Religious Pluralism." In One God, One Lord: Christianity in a World of Religious Pluralism, ed. Andrew D. Clarke and Bruce Winter, 125-148. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1992.


Summary of Mark Chan's essay
In this article, Dr Mark Chan shares thoughts on "a) the foundational beliefs of the Church vis-a-vis God's intentions for humankind and her place in the divine agenda"; and "b) some implications for Christian leadership on implementing the mission of the Church within the religiously pluralistic context of Singapore." (2)

On the FOUNDATIONAL BELIEFS (or biblical-theological foundations), Mark names 5 points. There is therefore

i) a "Creation and the Cultural Mandate" which compels ownership of and participation in the affairs of created world

ii) a community orientation or a "created sociality embedded in the very nature of humans as God's image bearers" (4) which invites engagement in society

iii) A world marred by "Sin which has social ramifications" into which Christians are called to bring the gospel and reconciliation

iv) A vision of redemption of the world which is centered on Christ and which involves participation both as recipient of reconciliation and agent (or ambassador) of reconciliation

and

v) The call for the church to be missional agent of God's kingdom.

On IMPLICATIONS FOR CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP AND PRAXIS, Mark names 7 points to note:

a) That community engagement begins in the church

b) That church leaders demonstrate their commitment to the life-affirming and world-forming gospel

c) That church leaders should encourage, instruct, and equip their members to be responsible and involved citizens

d) That the church should participate readily in social structures to build up the community with critical discernment

e) That the church on this side of the final realization of God's kingdom should be restless and discontented with the brokenness of our world

f) That the Church should learn to know, respect and love her religious Neighbours

g) That despite the clear differences that separate the church from other faiths, there are nevertheless areas of agreement that can form the basis for collaboration

Mark concludes with a missional call for the church in Singapore. I leave the quotation found on p 13-14 below together with another nice opening quote found in p 2:

The Church in Singapore exists and fulfills her mission in an environment that is ethnically and religiously pluralistic. How then do Christian believers maintain their distinctive beliefs, proclaim the message of Jesus Christ through word and deed, and at the same time be responsible citizens working collaboratively with people of other (or no) religious persuasions to build society? In other words, what can Christians do to hold on to their identity as the called out people of God, and at the same time respond constructively to God's call to go into the world and serve God's redemptive purposes there? (2)

The Church as God's servant in our day and age is called to be an agent of reconciliation and transformation. Standing on the conviction that the Gospel of Christ liberates from sin, death, and evil, the Church moves into the world to care for the earth, her neighbors and the community structures to which she belongs. God's salvation involves both the vertical dimension of reconciliation with God and the horizontal dimension of mending broken fences between human beings.

All who have made peace with God through Christ are called to be peacemakers in the world. And all who have the hope of glory in them are invited to be purveyors of God's hope for our broken world. In articulating the Christian hope for new and transformed relationships in human society, the Church offers an alternative to the rhetoric of hopelessness that seems to have colonized so much of contemporary discourses on society.

The reality of the Church's spiritual relationship with God is evident by the way she brings the restorative good news of the Gospel to bear on the community of which she is a part. Community engagement is thus a necessary implicate of the Church's life in Jesus Christ and of her belief that the God who created all things has in mind the restoration of all things. He has great plans for planet earth and for the communities of this world! (13-14)