What Does it Mean to be an Evangelical Christian in the Pluralistic Society?

With the phenomenon of globalization, there have risen some challenges in evangelicalism in the Western world. Pluralism is growing and there are some challenges we must address if we are going to live in peace. God is absolute sovereign and nothing passes his hand without his knowing and approval. God has placed the world in our neighborhood. There are Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Pakistanis, Vietnamese, Australian, and every other group of people you could think of. This has challenged our dominance as a white, male, evangelical Christian majority. I’m not saying that this dominance is a good thing. I’m saying that there are those who hold majority status and have advantages based on their ethnicity, gender, and culture. Today, the hard question that needs to be answered is: “What does it mean to be an evangelical in the pluralistic and globalized world we live in?”

Last week I attended the Alliance of Virtue for the Common Good conference in Washington, DC. It was a gathering of evangelical pastors, rabbis, and imams from all over the world to make a declaration for religious freedom, unified under the common goal for peace. The thing that made this event special was that it included evangelical pastors, a group identified as the most negative towards Muslims. If you don’t understand the significance of their attendance, please give me a moment to explain. Many evangelical Christians view attending any inter-religious conference or gathering a compromise to their faith and convictions. Many evangelicals are particularly critical of interfaith events. Interfaith events are known for blending and intermeshing faiths so that everyone gets along. I engage in multi-faith, not interfaith. Multi-faith is where religions with strong convictions maintain their theological integrity, yet come to the table with compassion and respect for the other faith.

The problem with interfaith and evangelicals is that we have very strong boundaries concerning our convictions. We believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, the life, and that no one gets to heaven but by believing that Jesus is Lord, God in the flesh (John 1:1-18 and John 14:6). We also believe that we have a duty, a mandate, a commission to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:19-20). We do not believe that all roads lead to heaven. We believe that unless a person believes in their heart and confesses with their mouth that Jesus is Lord, they spend an eternity in hell, eternally distant from God. The million dollar question is, “how can we maintain our theological convictions and engage with people of other faiths?”

Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all of our heart and with all our soul and with all of our mind (Matthew 22: 37). So, why would evangelicals go to any event with other religions? Because, Jesus also said that the second greatest commandment is equally important, and that is to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). There are also commands to love and care for the outcasts, the marginalized, the poor, and our enemies. Jesus didn’t leave any room for not loving others. Paul said that as much as it depends on us, to live in peace with everyone (Romans 12:18). Considering the the context of Romans 12, Paul writes about what it truly means to be Christian. We are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, hate what is evil, cling to what is good, bless those who persecute us, weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice. He's not just talking about Christians relating with Christians. He's talking about how Christians should live in the pluralistic society. Paul was immersed in the pluralistic society. He was surrounded by polytheists, agnostics, and people who believed all sorts of things. Being a white evangelical Christian man, I would say that a lot depends on me to make peace. When you hold majority status, you have a duty and responsibility to look after the minority and marginalized. In the United States, particularly in the south, Muslims are the marginalized and outcasts. We have a mandate from God to care for them and to love them. Peacemaking is at the core of every believer’s identity (Matthew 5:9).

Evangelicals feel uncomfortable with this. When I talk to my Christian friends about my Muslim friends, my evangelical friends always ask “what’s the end game”. My end game is to love my neighbor as myself, and as much as it depends on me, to live in peace with everyone. If I claim the rights as an heir to the kingdom, an adopted son, a child of God, then it’s in my core identity to be a peacemaker. Do I shrink from sharing my faith with my Muslim friends? Certainly not! They are all the more reason to share my faith. How can an evangelical Christian be about the mission of God and not love Muslims, even when they do not accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior? Evangelism is at the core of evangelical Christianity. Some ask, “what do you do if a person doesn’t accept Jesus”. My answer is that you do what Jesus did. Jesus never stopped sharing about his father and the kingdom. I will continue to share Jesus with others and disciple whoever will listen. Wherever Jesus went, he was loving others and sharing with them the news of the kingdom. Jesus loved the marginalized, included those who were outcasts, and shared life with them. Even if they never received him as Lord, Jesus remained in the company of many who did not believe. People whose hearts became hardened had excused themselves from Jesus’ presence, but he continued to disciple those who remained and had not been converted. I’m making disciples when I share Jesus’s message with Muslims, even if they have never received Jesus. A disciple doesn’t have to be converted. Discipleship and conversion are two interrelated, yet separate things.

I would like to make a few points about evangelism, discipleship, and conversion.

In his book, “Understanding Christian Mission: Participation in the Suffering and Glory”, Dr. Scott Sunquist says that “Evangelism is an intimate form of communication that seeks a response” (325). The first point in his statement is evangelism is intimate. Intimacy requires relationship which builds trust and authenticity. Second point is that evangelism communicates a message (gospel message). Third, through intimacy, we are communicating a message that reaches the heart where it evokes a response. Either there is a hardening of the heart (Hebrews 3:7-11), or there is belief (Romans 10:8-12). I believe this happens as God wills it to happen. The third point is conversion (the response). Sunquist says that conversion is a one-time event AND something that happens again and again. I understand it as the one-time event being the moment when we are saved, and the event that happens again and again as spiritual transformation; being transformed into the likeness of Jesus, which is a progression from “glory to glory” (2^nd Corinthians 3:18).

I’m going to take an excerpt from this scripture and highlight my understanding as it relates to my point.

“But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed (one-time). Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another (again and again). For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2^nd Corinthians 3:16-18).

Now, Sunquist makes two points that struck me: one, being that we are called to make disciples, not convert; which both words are two separate, yet interrelated things. I believe that conversion is something that God alone can do. We can disciple and share the gospel, but it is God who saves or causes one to believe. I conclude from scripture that only God can convert.

The second point is that evangelism in a pluralistic context requires “radical acceptance of the marginalized” (328). Discipleship and conversion are two different concepts that are interrelated. This radical acceptance may require great patience on our part as a disciple learns about Jesus. In the Bible, not everyone who were disciples were converted. The strongest argument for this is the disciple Judas. Jesus knew his depraved heart, yet kept him in his inner circle and continued to disciple and teach him about the kingdom. Also, many disciples followed Jesus, but later left because his message was too hard for them to accept.

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him (John 6:60-71).

Evangelism in the pluralistic society means that I can disciple Muslims who may not have been converted. I don’t know if they will be transformed into the likeness of Jesus, but it is my hope and prayer that they will be. This requires “radical acceptance of the marginalized” (328). When we talk about the marginalized, we mostly think of the poor, or oppressed. The marginalized are simply those who are outside looking in. These are people who don’t belong or are not accepted by the dominant culture. In the United States, particularly in the south, Muslims are greatly marginalized. I do not love Muslims to convert them. I love Muslims because I’ve been converted. I share Jesus with them because I love God with everything in me and I love them as I love myself. Even if my Muslim friends never accept Jesus, I will continue to love them and be their friend. I will continue to support their right to believe and practice their faith. Can you be an evangelical and remain in the company of those who do believe differently? Yes, I believe to truly be evangelical is to love your neighbor as yourself and to love God with everything in you.