He argues in favour of tolerance and diversity. He argues that Plato, and Western philosophers and theologians who follow Plato, was wrong to believe that there is a single abstract ideal reality and the idea that happiness and perfection may be brought about by the perfect social and economic order. The reality of life is flourishing and evolving diversity. He argues theologically and Biblically that one transcendant God created a world of diversity and made one great covenant with humanity in which humans must have faith - but not all the same faith.
He argues that religion and religious values are important parts of life, but he argues against allowing religious values to directly drive political and economic decisions. Politics and economics are tools for security and justice, to be used in a manner that respects the good of the community. He also recognizes that governance is a complex and subtle business and that societies governed by clerics - modern Iran, Afghanistan under the Taliban - have had incompetent and repressive governments.
To some extent, he is rewriting the ideas of classical liberalism with a greater respect for religion. To some extent he is writing within the modern theological school of neo-orthodoxy with an emphasis on tolerance and diversity. He appears at times to wear the shoes of an urbane liberal academic too comfortably.
He fails, significantly, to address the questions of accomodating fraud, emotionalism, fanaticism and mental instability when those issues appear within the context of religion. He argues that religions should respect each other, without saying, for instance, whether the ramblings of Shirley MacLaine on her past lives, or the fraudulent New Age speculations of the Celestine Prophecy are worthy of tolerance and respect. While some of that is peripheral to his concerns, the question of the encounter with fundamentalism surely is not.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
very interesting and important Tony - well done, thanks!
2 - Bryce Eddings
Listed at Advance