Love Thy Neighbor is a collaborative series by Shared Justice, an initiative of the Center for Public Justice, and Neighborly Faith, an organization helping evangelical Christians to be good neighbors to people of other faiths. Recognizing that we live in a religiously diverse and pluralistic society, this monthly series will explore how Christians can embody and advocate for hospitality in principle, practice, and policy. Kevin Singer and Chris Stackaruck are the Co-Directors of Neighborly Faith and are serving as Associate Editors for the series.
BY AMAR PETERMAN
In 2018 I attended the Interfaith Youth Core’s Interfaith Leadership Institute in downtown Chicago. As a student at Moody Bible Institute, I was one of only a handful of Evangelical Christians attending this conference. As someone who was new to vernacular and dialogue around religious pluralism in America, I sought out the opportunity to listen, understand, reflect and broaden my horizons beyond just my Christian tradition. However, word quickly spread that Moody Bible Institute students were in attendance and I was no longer afforded the introverted luxury of blending into the diverse crowd. For the remainder of the conference, my friend Tim and I were approached by people of different faiths, orientations, traditions, and belief systems with the same common questions: Who are the Evangelicals? What do they believe? Where have they been?
This begs an important question: Why was it such an anomaly for Evangelical Christians to be in attendance at an interfaith conference?
THE HISTORIC RESPONSE OF EVANGELICALISM
A core tenant of Christianity is to love and serve our neighbor. This can take many expressions, but often takes place through tangible acts of mercy and service through our churches or through para-church ministries.
Christianity has enjoyed the benefit of being the most prominent and widely held religion throughout the history of the United States. Much of this arises from the historical roots of the United States and Christianity’s role in the development of national identity. As such, many Christians do not have to interact with those of other faiths — they attend a house of worship, they volunteer with Christian ministries and service organizations, and may even attend a Christian school.
Emerging from the Modernist-Fundamentalist divide of the early 19th century in the United States arose a tradition known today as Evangelicalism. While numerous books have been written seeking to describe this movement in the United States and set the defining characteristics of the tradition, I will refer to as Evangelical Christianity as that tradition of Christianity which formed out of a central commitment to the study and literal interpretation of the Bible. It stresses the importance of the infallibility of scripture and emphasizes the work of Christ and the Orthodox tradition as defined by the ecumenical councils. Historically, Evangelicalism’s emphasis on evangelism also has informed their approach to justice, societal woes, and communal needs. This is to say, the solution to worldly problems is not “worldly fixes” but rather conversion, the changed heart will ultimately change communities and societal structures at large.
In recent years, an internal shift has occurred within the Evangelical movement. Rather than abandon the Evangelical tradition, younger Christians have begun to engage in cultural dialogues from within the Evangelical tradition. This new generation has sought to show that Evangelicalism is not opposed to seeking social justice or the flourishing of all communities. Rather, it has argued that seeking such things can be one of the greatest acts of loving one’s neighbor. The Evangelical emphasis of evangelism and conversion is not removed, however it is seen through a new lens. Attentive to Jesus’ life and ministry, these young Evangelicals are witnessing to the world through biblically informed action addressing social injustice, systemic racism and violence, Islamophobia, marginalization, and much more.
Perhaps this is why fellow attendees at the Interfaith Youth Core were surprised that we were there. Like us, our peers of diverse faiths also have a commitment to justice and flourishing in their communities, inspired and motivated by their faith. Yet, the surprise of my interfaith peers was not unwarranted.
Despite this growing movement among young people within the tradition, many Evangelicals have still never interacted with, nor recognized the important contributions of, things like a Muslim drug recovery center, a Sikh food pantry, or a Jewish homeless shelter. Even more, most Christians do not know the basic tenets and beliefs of the global religions.
How, then, can Christians love their neighbors if they do not know them? How can they converse with them if they are too frightened to speak to them, or fear they will be led astray from the faith? Even more, how can Evangelicals love their neighbors if they are unwilling to work alongside them for the betterment of their communities?
In the remainder of this article, I will seek to answer the latter question by suggesting that it is not anti-Christian to support and work alongside organizations of all faith traditions; but rather it is inherently Christian to do so as an act of loving our neighbors.
A COMMITMENT INSTITUTIONAL PLURALISM
The principle of institutional pluralism provides a framework for considering a way forward. Institutional pluralism is found at the intersection of religious freedom and principled pluralism. It argues for the public support of all faith traditions in their efforts to better one’s individual community and society at large. Further, it argues Christians must advocate for Christian and non-Christian institutions and organizations to maintain their faith identity in service without bias. Furthermore, this pluralism is both an interpersonal act (love your neighbors) and a public justice act (religious freedom for all people and the institutions of which they are a part).
At an interpersonal level, this is inherently born out of a belief that all humans are made in the imago dei and possess inherent worth and dignity (Genesis 1-3). Even more, Christians are called to advocate and serve all who are in need (John 15, Luke 12, Matthew 25) and to show no partiality in our faith (James 2). Therefore, Christians working alongside non-Christian charities or service organizations is not an act of promoting another tradition, but rather is affirming the worth and dignity of non-Christian individuals. In fact, working alongside non-Christians allows Christians to genuinely dialogue at a local and personal level with those of other faith traditions. It is not an act of abandoning one’s faith or promoting another’s; instead, it is a radical expression of loving our neighbors. Scripture calls us into relationship with those whom we have been placed with (Jeremiah 29) and to serve those across cultural, tribal, racial, and religious divides (Jonah 1; John 4; Luke 12).
Within a public justice framework, institutional pluralism is not a dialogue to be had behind closed doors, but rather in the public square. Its emphasis lies in advocacy and action. It begins at the dinner table and moves to one’s community. The importance of institutional pluralism is not merely in building bridges between faith traditions, but doing so for the betterment of one’s society. As Collin Slowey writes in “Sacred-Public Partnerships: Religious Organizations and the Social Safety Net,”
Human dignity requires us to respect one another’s ability to act on deeply held beliefs in the public square, whether as individuals or in association. Furthermore, when the religious freedom of organizations is protected, they are able to serve communities in diverse and distinctive ways. It is, therefore, essential for both faith-based organizations and the government to honor institutional pluralism.
In his book Pluralism and Freedom, Stephen Monsma argues “to promote human flourishing, individual groups and the government must work together, not in opposition.” Government often partners with faith-based organizations through grants and contracts for the provision of human services, and its important that Christians advocate for diverse faith-based organizations to continue to serve out of their faith-inspired mission. Faith-based organizations are often able to reach individuals and populations overlooked or underserved by government, and thus their ability to continue to provide services is essential to our communities’ well-being.
LOVE THY NEIGHBOR
What is being presented here is not the abandonment of the Christian faith, nor is it asking Christians (specifically Evangelicals) to give up their exclusive truth claims and traditional distinctives. Instead, institutional pluralism and religious freedom are means by which Christians can love their neighbors. Christians can be faithful to God and also advocate for the religious freedom of those of differing faiths. In fact, it is of great importance for Christians to seek out opportunities to work alongside other faith traditions, to engage difference with hospitality and grace, and to acknowledge the important work of diverse traditions in their efforts to bring justice to a fallen humanity.
The support of relief and service organizations of diverse faith traditions begins with a recognition of the abundance of opportunities Christians have in their communities around the United States to love their neighbors. It is exactly these neighbors who are leading, volunteering, funding, and supporting institutions and organizations that are seeking to better their communities. To support organizations of diverse faith traditions is not detracting from the Christian witness, but rather sacrificing one’s own priorities and desires for the betterment of one’s community represents radical love of one’s neighbor which is our greatest witness (John 13:35; 1 Corinthians 13).
Attending the Interfaith Leadership Institute in 2018 was not a contradiction to my Christian witness and having a posture of humility and listening did not equate a universal acceptance of all truth claims. However, the surprise of my peers quickly turned to curiosity, which led to questions, which led to constructive and vulnerable conversations about faith, spirituality, and how we are all seeking to better our communities. While there were a number of ways I could have been a Christian witness at this conference, seeking to listen, learn, grow, and understand offered more opportunities than I can count to not just share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but to be asked to share more, to tell my story and what Christ has done in my life.
Amar Peterman is a Senior Fellow and Associate Director of Media at Neighborly Faith. He is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and is currently pursuing his Masters of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is also Research Assistant to author and lawyer Asma Uddin. You can follow him on Twitter: @amarpeterman
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