What is listening? It is the act of being present, of being aware, of being open and available, to what is given for experience, in a respectful and attentive way.
Open Horizons “God as the Deep Listening”
Category: Links (Page 1 of 3)
They have a sale price of $17.66.
A good, thought provoking read: After the Cultural Backlash – Imagining a Process Populism.
Bruce Epperly has an essay at the Center for Open and Relational Theology site titled Writing with God. Well worth the read!
You can find out more about Bruce on his Energion author page.
Sometimes we help God in God’s suffering like Simon of Cyrene, from OpenHorizons.org.
Introduction
This article is not precisely about process theology, but I think it is valuable to hear the perspective. There are different ways of thinking of the relationship between various faiths. On Energion author, Herold Weiss, in his book Finding My Way in Christianity, discusses exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism. In summary, exclusivism says that only those in your faith tradition are saved, inclusivism acknowledges that others may be saved, but it’s because of the events described in your faith. In Christianity, this refers to the death and resurrection of Jesus providing salvation to those who may not know or accept this for themselves. Pluralism says that various religions may bear truth.
Featured Link
Letter to My Christian Friends is written by a pagan, and discusses how his faith is viewed by others, as well as his own pluralistic approach to faith. It is well worth reading.
Related Book Extract
The traditional exclusivism that has characterized Christian history must not be replaced by an inclusivism that is patronizing or imperialistic. Pluralism is a way of escaping the horns of the dilemma posed by exclusivism and inclusivism. According to exclusivism, Christ is the only savior, and those who do not confess his name will not participate in life. According to inclusivism, all those who are saved, and there may be among them many who have never heard of Christ, are saved by Christ. One of the notable contributions to theological discourse by Karl Rahner was the designation of those who are saved by Christ without their knowing as “anonymous Christians.” This notion was received, at the time of its first appearance, as a great step away from exclusivism. It was not long before several voices objected to it as condescending and imperialistic. Pluralism provides a way of escaping the pomposity of exclusivistic claims and the paternalism of inclusivistic “generosity.” It admits that in other cultures and religious traditions there are also savior figures who work effectively on behalf of the members of those cultures and traditions.
Herold Weiss, Finding My Way in Christianity, p. 193
Read I, the Open and Relational None: Is there space for me? by Jay McDaniel on OpenHorizons.
The Interfaith Hospice Care Worker from OpenHorizons.org.
Jay McDaniel is the co-author with John B. Cobb, Jr. of Choosing Life: Ecological Civilization as the World’s Best Hope.
I might hope that Process could become far more widely espoused, given that when it comes to application, I find…
thanks for the response, Chris, I am in full agreement....some people the "or" when presented with either-or options....absolutism or atheism...
What Childers is putting forward is both a "slippery slope" and an "excluded middle" argument. The trouble is, what Bruce…