In this inaugural issue of the journal we seek to address the pressing need within the American Evangelical community to engage in critical theological reflection on the issue of interfaith dialogue.
For many American Evangelicals the topic of interfaith dialogue is confusing and suspect at best and downright dangerous or wrong at worst. On all accounts they face numerous challenges when considering if and how to enter into the realm of interfaith work. Those seeking to enter the broader interfaith conversations find themselves up against a firmly engrained relativism. This places Evangelicals in an awkward position and leads many to believe that the entire field of work needs to be completely avoided or perhaps reconfigured to look more like the already accepted mode of public discourse with other religious and ideological groups – that of the philosophic debate. Neither of these options is sufficient for Evangelical interactions with other religious groups. Within the American Evangelical traditions, there is a need for a robust biblical, theological, and missiological foundation to be established that will enable faithful and sustainable forms of creative and self-critical interfaith dialogue to be worked out within the community of faith.
In seeking to fulfill the biblical mandate to make disciples of all nations, there have been those within every generation who have taken up the task of pioneering avenues of interfaith dialogue with other religious communities. From Muslim to Mormon, from Jewish to Buddhist, there have been Evangelicals who have sought to give witness to the gospel of Jesus through proclamation and demonstration, crossing cultural and religious barriers in their efforts to be faithful to the Great Commission. Against the backdrop of numerous twenty-first century violent religious conflicts, the complex forces of globalization, religious pluralism, as well as he rise of religious fundamentalism and extremism in the post-9/11 world, it is necessary that American Evangelicals think critically about how they relate to religious “others.” While it is presumptuous to assume that there should be one single foundation or approach to interfaith engagement, it is incumbent upon on the Evangelical community to grow in wisdom and discernment in this important area of witnessing to the Lordship of Christ in our pluralistic and globalized world.
In light of this need, this journal seeks to create space for Evangelical scholars and practitioners to dialogue about the dynamics, challenges, practices and theology surrounding interfaith work, in faithfulness to the gospel of Jesus and His mission for His Church.
