This article is adapted from a paper delivered to the Evangelical Theological Society in Washington DC in November 2006. The paper was subsequently published as Cooperation without Compromise: Faithful Gospel Witness in a Pluralistic Age (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2007).

[1] A. Vanlier Hunter, Th.D., “Biblical Reflections on Theological and Religious Pluralism.” Online: http://www.icjs.org/clergy/vanhunter.html

[2] The religious makeup of America is 77% Christian, 3.7% Other Religions, 14.1% No religion, according to the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS). For further study, see Professor Barry A. Kosmin; Professor Egon Mayer; Dr. Arela Keysar: Study Director, “American Religious Identification Survey.” Cited November 14, 2006. Online: http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_briefs/aris/key_findings.htm

[3] “The greatest increase in absolute as well as in percentage terms has been among those adults who do not subscribe to any religious identification; their number has more than doubled from 14.3 million in 1990 to 29.4 million in 2001; their proportion has grown from just eight percent of the total in 1990 to over fourteen percent in 2001.” (Ibid.).

[4] Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans; Geneva, SZ: WCC Publications, 1989).

[5] Reinhold Niebuhr, The Essential Reinhold Niebuhr: Selected Essays and Addresses (ed. Robert McAfee Brown; New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1986).

[6] Christ against culture, Christ of culture, Christ above culture, Christ and culture in paradox, and Christ the transformer of culture. (H. Richard Niebuhr, Christ and Culture [San Francisco. Calif.: HarperSanFrancisco, 1951]).

[7] His unpublished critique was later published(Glen Harold Stassen, D.M. Yeager, John Howard Yoder, Authentic Transformation: A New Vision of Christ and Culture [Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1996]); Stanley Hauerwas, William H. Willimon, Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony (Nashville, Tenn: Abingdon Press, 1989).

[8] Will Herberg, Protestant, Catholic, Jew: An Essay in American Religious Sociology (Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press, 1955, 1960); Glenn Lucke, "Review of Robert Wuthnow, America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity," Insight Cited November 13, 2006. Online: http://commongroundsonline.typepad.com/common_grounds_online/2005/11/glenn_lucke_rev.html

[9] Robert Wuthnow, America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2005); Peter Wood, Diversity: The Invention of a Concept (San Francisco, Calif.: Encounter Books, 2003).

[10] Hans Urs von Balthasar, Cred Meditations on the Apostles' Creed (trans. David Kipp; New York, N.Y.: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1990).

[11] Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, 27.

[12] See the excellent reflections on Dinesh D’Souza’s What’s Great About America and Pat Buchanan’s State of Emergency: the Third World Invasion and Conquest of America. Chris Seck, "Buchanan on Nationhood, [cited October 7, 2006]). Online: http://buchanan.org/blog/?p=125 

[13] Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society; Lesslie Newbigin, The Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission (rev. ed.; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1995); Lesslie Newbigin, Foolishness to the Greeks: The Gospel and Western Culture (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1986).

[14] Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, 244.

[15] John Stott, "Interview with John Stott," Orange County Register, Oct 3, 1998, Cited November 9, 2006. Online: http://www.religioustolerance.org/rel_plur1.htm

[16] Susan Laemmie, Education as Transformation: A National Project on Religious Pluralism, Spirituality and Higher Education on the Wellesley College website, 1998. Cited November 9, 2006. Online: http://www.wellesley.edu/RelLife/transformation/edu-ngoverview.html

[17] “M. Basye Holland teaches courses on World Religions and Biblical studies at Belmont University in Nashville and is the Religion and Training Consultant for the Huntsville/Madison County Interfaith Mission Service, board member for the Alabama Faith Council, and presents programs on Inter-religious Dialogue for churches and universities.” Online: http://www.episcopalarchives.org/e-archives/bluebook/6.html

[18] M. Basye Holland-Shuey, "Religious Pluralism and Interfaith Dialogue" a speech given to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Florence, AL, January 13, 2002. Cited November 9, 2006. Online: http://www.religioustolerance.org/rel_plur1.htm

[19] Diana L. Eck, A New Religious America: How a "Christian Country" Has Now Become the World's Most Religiously Diverse Nation, (San Francisco, Ca.: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001). “Dr. Eck received the National Humanities Medal from President Clinton in a White House ceremony for her work in the area of religious pluralism” “Dr. Eck, a United Methodist, and her Lesbian partner serve as the first homosexual house “parents” at the famous Lowell House dormitory at Harvard. They have been active in not only advocating religious pluralism but also promoting homosexuality as normative in the Christian faith.” Review by Liza Kittle. Online: (http://www.renewnetwork.org/A%20New%20Religious%20America.pdf).

[20] T. S. Eliot, Christianity and Culture: The Idea of a Christian Society and Notes Towards the Definition of Culture (New York, N.Y.: Harcourt Brace, 1976), 200.

[21] United States Coast Guard Lay Reader Training Manual, (United States Coast Guard, 1995), 12.

[22] Ibid, 13.

[23] Chaplain (BG) David Zalis, The Army Transformation and Objective Force Unit Ministry Team, 2002 [cited November 9, 2006]. Online: http://www.usachcs.army.mil/TACarchive/ACwinspr02/Zalis.htm

[24] For some of the tensions, and from a liberal viewpoint, read Laurie Goodstein, "NY Times: Evangelicals Are a Growing Force in the Military Chaplain Corps"(July 12, 2005). Cited November 9, 2006. Online: http://www.refuseandresist.org/repro/art.php?aid=2123

[25] According to the translation of Richmond Alexander Lattimore, Acts and Letters of the Apostles (New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1982).

[26] Ibid.

[27] For more on this illustration of one way—an unbiblical, unprofitable and even inhumane way—to respond to plurality and pluralism, you need only to type in “Fred Phelps” to get 59,400 entries at Google (on November 15, 2006). I read from http://www.apologeticsindex.org/111-westboro-baptist-church

[28] And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, (Acts 17:26 esv)

[29] Jean Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion ([Christian Classics Ethereal Library]). Online: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.iv.i.iv.html

[30] "That there exists in the human minds and indeed by natural instinct, some sense of Deity,. . . .God himself . . . endued all men with some idea of his Godhead " (Calvin, Institutes, 1. 3. 1.).

[31] For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. (Acts 17:23, esv)

[32] nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.' (Acts 17:25-28, esv)

[33] because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:31, esv)

[34] The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, (Acts 17:30, esv)

[35] On Acts 17.30, Calvin writes, “And assuredly we be not able to comprehend the reason why God did at a sudden set up the light of his doctrine, when he suffered men to walk in darkness four thousand years; at least seeing the Scripture doth conceal it, let us here make more account of sobriety than of preposterous wisdom.” (Jean Calvin, Commentary on Acts [Christian Classics Ethereal Library] Online: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom37.html

[36] . . . he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. (Acts 17:18, esv)

[37] Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, "We will hear you again about this." So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. (Acts 17:32-34, esv)

38] And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:16, esv)

[39] Read more on him and the legend, as well as the pseudo Dionysius and his letters. Online: http://www.bartleby.com/65/di/DionysiuA.html

[40] See the sermon by Fr Andrew Phillips, "St Dionysius the Areopagite" [cited November 15, 2006]). Online: http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/sermdion.htm

[41] I am thinking now of Paul’s appearance before Festus after having been charged by the Jews with crimes against the state. Paul said, “‘If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar’” (Acts 25:11, esv). Paul would cooperate in many ways with the existing governments, even though they were pagan, anti-Christian, and even hostile to the faith. So, too, would Peter charge believers to do this: “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:17 esv). Much more has been and could be said about this matter, but for my purposes, it is clear that Paul—as well as Peter and their Christian auditors—could and must cooperate but without compromise.

[42] Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, 227.

[43] I quote from documents) outlining the charges against The Reverend Dr. David Benke concerning his participation in the multi-faith prayer service at Yankee Stadium. The prayer is a direct quote from an October 13, 2001, letter from The Reverend Charles Hendrickson to officials of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Online: http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:NAYcVVt9eNoJ:www.cat41.org/news/archives/2001/BenkeDocs.rtf+benkedocs+yankee+stadium&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us