Approaching the World's Religions Volume 2: An Evangelical Theology of Religions

Evangelical theology strives to be evangelical conservative and contemporary. In a world in which everyone is Christian evangelical theology provides a balanced position between fundamentalism and liberalism. While theological debates within the family will occur to be evangelical is a breath of fresh air for many. However we do not live in such a world. We do find ourselves living in a secular global society. It is secular because no religious organization dictates how we live our lives. It is global for at least two reasons. First our technology brings us immediately in contact with those faraway places. Second and of more importance we can simply step outside our front doors and encounter our neighborhoods that reflect a global pluralism. This raises the question how shall we then live? The intent of An Evangelical Theology of Religions is to suggest a direction for evangelicals to think about the secular global society in which they live in a way that is not only conservative but also evangelical and contemporary. The final essay strives to address the evangelical aspect of our tradition that places an emphasis on the Great Commission and the law of love. Robert Boyds twenty years teaching philosophy and world religions and working with religious others in the community has generated a winsome evangelical understanding of other faiths one that does not compromise scriptural commitments but yet embraces an equally biblical agnosticism regarding certain mysteries that are not meant to be resolved. Approaching the Worlds Religions insists as the title suggests on pressing forward amidst these ambiguities by loving our neighbors of any and no faith and asking the hard questions of life with them. --Amos Yong author of Hospitality & the Other: Pentecost Christian Practices and the Neighbor Boyd provides a helpful overview and a philosophical analysis of various aspects of evangelical theologies of religion. He shows how over the last thirty to forty years evangelicals have come a long way in developing a robust theology in this area and that there are still important areas that need to be and can be developed. Boyds work is a welcome addition to this crucial topic. --Darren Duerksen Fresno Pacific University Robert Boyd has taught philosophy at Fresno City College since 1996. He took his PhD from the University of Wales at Lampeter. In addition to publishing several books in the field of critical reasoning he has authored or coauthored a number of articles in peer-reviewed journals. While he has maintained his interest in logic and critical reasoning much of his current research deals with the study of world religions and the theology of religions.