Many Voices, One God: Being Faithful in a Pluralistic World

Rating:
Summary: Too many voices spoil the pudding!
Review: It would have been a more cohesive tribute to have read six or seven of the essays; most likely those from Columbia Seminary. For me it was that first potent chapter by Prof Brueggemann that made it difficult to follow his intensity and focus on the theme of "Being Faithful in a Pluralistic World!" It seemed from my first readings that only three other essays jumped out with such strong similarity to Bruegge's exegesis of Amos 9:7. His usual habit of reference to scripture passages from Genesis to Exodus to Psalms to Amos to Romans was only exceeded by footnotes!

Brugge starts with his "not so readily recognized nineteenth- century developmentalism that ethical monotheism...not only constituted a great theological gain, but brought with it an enormous ideological temptation." It was proudly & doxologically affirmed that Jahweh was the only One to become accepted as the 'onlyness'of Yahweh and the 'onlyness' of Israel!" He proceeds to lay out a historical background for his thesis of "only one God and only one Israel."

Charles Cousar, Prof Bruegge's closest long-term colleague at Columbia Seminary contributes his New Testament version of "Paul and Multiculturalism." He exceeds Prof Bruegge in his similiar habit of paralleling NT references and also footnotes!

Daniel Migliore, distinguished theologian from Princton Seminary contributed: "Sin and Self-Loss"...Karl Barth on the Feminist Critique of Doctrines of Sin. His strength lies in drawing upon theological resources of Barth, Reinhold Niebuhr, Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel and Paul Tillich.

George Stroup, the second editor contributes, "The Spirit of Pluralism." - "It may be that the appropriate Christian response to pluralism is not a reconstruction of Christology but a rediscovery of the significance of the Holy Spirit."

The strength of this tribute to Shirley Guthrie lies in this variety of personal, theological and historical perspectives upon this troubling theme of Pluralism!
Thanks to Bruegge & Friends, Retired Chaplain Fred W. Hood