An Interreligious Approach to a Social Ethic for Christian Audiences

Through the lens of a Christian minister, immersed in the global interfaith movement and trained in the discipline of religious philosophy, this book develops a social ethic that is based on function. By using the concept of a functional paradigm, the book explores the way religious language works to create subjective mental states. These mental states represent various degrees of truth for the adherents, but due to their subjective nature, the truths cannot be objectively verified. This results in conflicting truth claims by religious adherents from different religious traditions. However, because the truth claims function in the various traditions to teach social values, function and morality are areas in which common ground can be found and explored.

Rev. Dr. Richard A. Rose is Chair of the Philosophy and Religion Department at the University of La Verne. Dr. Rose completed his undergraduate degree in Philosophy at Pacific Christian College, earned the Master of Divinity degree at Howard University School of Divinity and the Ph.D. degree from the Claremont Graduate School. His scholarship focuses on interfaith dialogue and the pivotal role of new educational models in advancing social justice and inter-religious understanding. Dr. Rose serves as the Director of the University of La Verne's Ecumenical Center for Black Church Studies Program; through satellite locations non-traditional age students earn their B.A. degree in an ecumenical setting. As an ordained Elder in the A.M.E. Church, Dr. Rose also serves as the Assistant Pastor at CORA.M.E. Church in Irvine, CA.

As we move deeper into the twenty-first century the world is quickly becoming a global village, with many of the world's major cities acting as microcosms of the planet. But even though we share a new sense of global-social space, we are still living with ideologies and worldviews that are very different from one another. The tensions that exist in this global village are seen in hate crimes carried out in neighborhoods and what has been called a fight for civilization that has resulted in violent conflict among nations. Our inability to live together harmoniously exists on interpersonal, intercultural and international levels. As an ordained Christian minister for over 30 years and a professor of religion and philosophy for over 20 years, I have been troubled by the seeming inability of religious leaders to develop a coherent strategy in the work for social and global peace. In my research and study, I have searched for a consistent and coherent view of religion that might overcome the challenges of conflicting truth claims and create tools for interfaith dialogue that would move adherents of religious traditions toward a greater understanding and appreciation of each other's belief system. This book is an attempt to outline some of the tools that can guide religious discourse as we seek to realize common spiritual ground devoid of interfaith conflict. Even though this work grows out of my experience in a Christian context, it is nevertheless an attempt to move beyond Christian discourse and build bridges of communication with spiritual thinkers from diverse religious traditions.

Several interrelated theological and philosophical issues arising out of my socio-religious milieu have created the impetus to write this book. The first issue has been a perceived impotence in the teaching of many Christian clergy as it relates to personal moral behavior. The impotence seems to be caused by a misunderstanding of the applicability of the radical aspects of Jesus's ethical teachings for everyday living. I am not suggesting that it is necessary to pluck out our eyes to avoid sin or rid ourselves completely of material possessions, but the effect that inappropriate social behavior and materialism have on our ability to wrestle with higher spiritual truths needs to be addressed. Jesus's ethical teachings call for spiritual disciplines to be understood and applied as universal principals. Unless this radical aspect of Jesus's teaching becomes the focus of ethical praxis, the transformative nature of the Gospel message is compromised.

The second issue is that while the faith of Christians-here a distinction is made between faith and morality-is an effective and powerful force in the personal lives of many adherents, due to doctrinal constraints, practitioners of the faith do not reflect on the implications of similarities that exist in religious traditions outside of their particular context. It is evident that many committed Christians use their faith in God to sustain them through the vicissitudes of their lives. On any given day, believers are sure to give testimonies about how Jesus has been a counselor, lawyer, doctor, sister, brother, mother, father, and friend. God is known as "a help" in the time of trouble: "God may not come when you want Him, but He is always right on time." This sort of personal faith has been one of the defining characteristics of modern Christianity, especially in the African-American religious tradition. But this emphasis on personal experience has created a spiritual vacuum in terms of recognizing spiritual effectiveness outside of the boundaries imposed by one's existential context. In other words, there is a "mine is better" disposition that accompanies religious faith. The assumption is that since my faith works so well for me, it must be better than yours.

**Contents and Sample Pages**