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(St Albans Review) Jeffrey John–How should Christians regard other faiths?

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Kendall Harmon

So when Jesus says ”˜No-one comes to the Father except through me’ he doesn’t mean ”˜No-one can be saved except by being a card-carrying Christian’, but rather ”˜No-one comes to God except by the Logos that is in them’ ”“ that is, by following the reason and conscience that belong to everyone.

We should recognise that God can work through other faiths and philosophies too. St Paul recognised that we are all the children of God, ”˜in whom we live and move and have our being’ (Acts 17.28).

That is not to say that all religions are the same. The unique claim of Christianity is that in Jesus God was actually born and died as one of us.

Read it all.

Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, * Christian Life / Church Life, * Culture-Watch, * Religion News & Commentary, Anglican Provinces, Anthropology, Christology, Church of England (CoE), Inter-Faith Relations, Ministry of the Ordained, Multiculturalism, pluralism, Parish Ministry, Religion & Culture, Theology, Theology: Scripture

One comment on “(St Albans Review) Jeffrey John–How should Christians regard other faiths?”

  1. Pageantmaster Ù† says:
    April 17, 2015 at 11:35 pm

    Dean Jeffrey John asserts:

    We should recognise that God can work through other faiths and philosophies too. St Paul recognised that we are all the children of God, ‘in whom we live and move and have our being’ (Acts 17.28).

    That is not to say that all religions are the same. The unique claim of Christianity is that in Jesus God was actually born and died as one of us.

    Jesus is therefore the ultimate revelation of God, and the safest way to Him. But that should never stop us respecting the measure of truth and wisdom that is already everyone’s, as God’s image in them.

    However, this is inconsistent with the doctrine of the Church of England

    Article XVIII. Of obtaining eternal salvation only by the name of Christ
    They also are to be had accursed that presume to say that every man shall be saved by the law or sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that law and the light of nature. For Holy Scripture doth set out to us only the name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved.

    and

    Canon A 5 Of the doctrine of the Church of England
    The doctrine of the Church of England is grounded in the Holy Scriptures, and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures.

    In particular such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, The Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordinal

    Further Dean Jeffrey John asserts:

    The unique claim of Christianity is that in Jesus God was actually born and died as one of us.

    No, the unique claim of Christianity is that in Jesus God was born, died, and rose from the dead as one of us to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. Dean John also omits to mention that Jesus Christ is also our Lord and Our Saviour; extraordinary a few weeks after the church celebrated Easter.

    For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
    John 3:16