The Bible and Other Faiths: Christian Responsibility in a World of Religions

"There can be only one." Logic presumes, and history suggests, that not all religions can comfortably coexist: their interaction is frequently characterized by bitter conflict. Even the questions that come to mind as we consider other religions betray this bias toward competition: Is Christ the only way? Can people of other religions get to heaven? Are they worshiping God or the devil? Theologian Ida Glaser argues that there are more pressing, more relevant questions to be asked: How can we understand religions and the way they affect human beings? What has God done for people of different religions? What is God now doing among them? How should we respond to the gods of other religions? Even more critical is the realization that although we cannot always expect God to tell us what he thinks of others, we can expect him to tell us what he wants of us. Eschewing simple solutions to the dilemma of other faiths in the Christian experience such as exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism, Glaser offers a guide for conducting ourselves biblically among people of other faiths, in such a way that our words and deeds will bring glory to God.