Having Faith in a Pluralistic World
"Theological pluralism at its best means real convictions actually held, although variously, and it invites continuing search for truth along multiple routes." Mary Luti, Prism 1998
The quote from Mary Luti was a revelation to me when I first read it in 2000. She stated what I had long held to be true, that we live in a pluralist world where it is important to both understand our own convictions and to search for truth along many avenues. Recently I attended a workshop held by a group of Progressive Christians in Santa Cruz, CA. The keynote speaker was Dr. Diana Butler Bass, a church historian who wrote the book Christianity After Religion. She spoke about the need to shift our view of the world to acknowledge the reality that we now live in a theologically pluralist world. So I asked her what skills are needed to be both grounded in our own faith and to live with integrity in a pluralistic culture.
She gave me three suggestions, which we will explore below.
1) Know who you are. Live unabashedly how you feel called to be in the world. Articulate your own theology (thinking about God) and create your own theopraxy (doing because of God). If you choose to be a part of an established religious community, know its history and its unique teachings and live them.
2) Listen to others. In a pluralist society there are a multiplicity of ways of being in the world, a myriad of ways of thinking about God, many and varied practices for connecting with God. Have an open mind and a non-judgmental heart. Seek out those who think and do things differently and listen to them. Seek understanding, not to convert them or to have them convert you, but to be able to look at each other eye to eye and heart to heart and do your best to see them and how they see the world.
3) Seek common ground. What can you agree on? Where do our convictions over lap? What values do we share? Use these places of common strength to work towards a better world.
It is our hope at First Congregational United Church of Christ Moorhead that the confirmation process will help you develop these skills.
Rev. Michelle Webber
The quote from Mary Luti was a revelation to me when I first read it in 2000. She stated what I had long held to be true, that we live in a pluralist world where it is important to both understand our own convictions and to search for truth along many avenues. Recently I attended a workshop held by a group of Progressive Christians in Santa Cruz, CA. The keynote speaker was Dr. Diana Butler Bass, a church historian who wrote the book Christianity After Religion. She spoke about the need to shift our view of the world to acknowledge the reality that we now live in a theologically pluralist world. So I asked her what skills are needed to be both grounded in our own faith and to live with integrity in a pluralistic culture.
She gave me three suggestions, which we will explore below.
1) Know who you are. Live unabashedly how you feel called to be in the world. Articulate your own theology (thinking about God) and create your own theopraxy (doing because of God). If you choose to be a part of an established religious community, know its history and its unique teachings and live them.
2) Listen to others. In a pluralist society there are a multiplicity of ways of being in the world, a myriad of ways of thinking about God, many and varied practices for connecting with God. Have an open mind and a non-judgmental heart. Seek out those who think and do things differently and listen to them. Seek understanding, not to convert them or to have them convert you, but to be able to look at each other eye to eye and heart to heart and do your best to see them and how they see the world.
3) Seek common ground. What can you agree on? Where do our convictions over lap? What values do we share? Use these places of common strength to work towards a better world.
It is our hope at First Congregational United Church of Christ Moorhead that the confirmation process will help you develop these skills.
Rev. Michelle Webber
Know Who You Are
In your journal, finish this sentence in as much detail as possible.
"You don't really know me, unless you know..."
Throughout the confirmation process you have been keeping notes and answering questions about the topics we have studied. Why would someone believe in God? Why would someone participate in religion? Why would someone be a Christian?
Look back on your notes and synthesize them by answering these questions in light of what you have learned in this process. Write the answers in your journal and share them with your confirmation partner.
Do you believe a conscious force one might call God exists? Why? Why not?
How did you come to believe this? Did you have an experience of a force you might call God? Did you listen and read and follow your study to its logical conclusion?
What difference does this belief make in your life? What actions do you take, or not take as a result of this belief? How might you craft your life in a way that affirms your beliefs or expresses your experience of the world?
Why have you participated in a Christian church thus far in your life? When you are an adult do you think you will participate in a Christian church? Why? Why not?
Do you call yourself a Christian? What does that word mean to you? What values do you have that you would identify as Christian? How did you come to hold these values?
NPR has a program called This I Believe, where people read essays about some conviction they have, something they know to be true. Listen to a few of them and write down what they have in common. Think about what these people value. Do you also value that? Have you had a similar experience? Can you think of a time in your life when something suddenly seemed clear to you? Click here to navigate to NPR's This I Believe page.
"You don't really know me, unless you know..."
Throughout the confirmation process you have been keeping notes and answering questions about the topics we have studied. Why would someone believe in God? Why would someone participate in religion? Why would someone be a Christian?
Look back on your notes and synthesize them by answering these questions in light of what you have learned in this process. Write the answers in your journal and share them with your confirmation partner.
Do you believe a conscious force one might call God exists? Why? Why not?
How did you come to believe this? Did you have an experience of a force you might call God? Did you listen and read and follow your study to its logical conclusion?
What difference does this belief make in your life? What actions do you take, or not take as a result of this belief? How might you craft your life in a way that affirms your beliefs or expresses your experience of the world?
Why have you participated in a Christian church thus far in your life? When you are an adult do you think you will participate in a Christian church? Why? Why not?
Do you call yourself a Christian? What does that word mean to you? What values do you have that you would identify as Christian? How did you come to hold these values?
NPR has a program called This I Believe, where people read essays about some conviction they have, something they know to be true. Listen to a few of them and write down what they have in common. Think about what these people value. Do you also value that? Have you had a similar experience? Can you think of a time in your life when something suddenly seemed clear to you? Click here to navigate to NPR's This I Believe page.
Listen to Others
Below you will find some videos of people talking about what it means to them to be a part of their chosen religious community. In your journal note anything that surprises you and anything that is similar to what it means to you to be part of your chosen religious community.
Finding Common Ground
Below you will find some videos of advice about and examples of how to find common ground with those whose religion is different from yours. Listening for understanding is key. We need to understand each others values in order to find where they overlap.
Watch these videos with your confirmation partner. Together, figure out a way of connecting with someone outside of your religious community in order to understand their values and find common ground. Share your ideas with the other confirmation partners.
Watch these videos with your confirmation partner. Together, figure out a way of connecting with someone outside of your religious community in order to understand their values and find common ground. Share your ideas with the other confirmation partners.