The Benefits of "Weaker Arguments"

Previously I've shared my concerns about the way in which Evangelicals try to share their heart-felt concerns about their religious convictions with others. Many times it takes the form of sternly presenting the doctrinal propositions of our faith, which seem all too true and reasonable to us, and coupling that with strong arguments if not attacks against others. In its most extreme forms, this takes place when "street preachers" go to Mormon General Conference, homosexual gatherings, or Muslims festivals in places like Dearborn, Michigan, but also when Evangelicals go to Mormon pageants and hold up signs and shout sermons on the sacred turf of others. More often than not, we end up confirming the truth of our own views in our minds, and those we are trying to persuade end up never ever hearing what we have to say, they become defensive and entrenched in their own positions, and in the end Evangelicals have a huge perception as well as persuasion problem.

At The World Table discussion forum I was pleased to see someone post a great essay that provides a counter-intuitive suggestion on how to be heard when we want share contrary perspectives with those that we seriously disagree with. The piece is titled "Want to Win a Political Debate?: Try Making a Weaker Argument" by Eric Horowitz from the Pacific Standard. The byline for the essay is "Gun control? Abortion? The new social science behind why you're never able to convince friends or foes to even consider things from your side." The essay is directed more toward the political end of the things, something desperately needed right now with the dysfunction in Washington, but it also has application to religion.

The foundation for the essay comes from research in psychology which indicates that people are rarely likely to find the arguments of others persuasive when they undercut those foundational ideas that contribute to their self-identity and self-worth. In fact, research shows then when shown data and arguments that strongly counter our cherished ideas, we tend to doubledown in our commitments to such ideas, even to the extreme. Horowitz calls this the "backfire effect:"

"Research by Nyhan and Reifler on what they've termed the "backfire effect" also suggests that the more a piece of information lowers self-worth, the less likely it is to have the desired impact. Specifically, they have found that when people are presented with corrective information that runs counter to their ideology, those who most strongly identify with the ideology will intensify their incorrect beliefs."

Instead, Horowitz suggests that the better way forward that will help people begin to consider our perspective is to offer a "weaker argument." He writes, "We argue like boxers wildly throwing powerful haymakers that have no chance of landing. What if instead we threw carefully planned jabs that were weaker but stood a good chance of connecting?"

As I read and continue to reflect on this essay it seems to me that it has great ramifications for our rhetorical, dialogical, and apologetic strategies. Instead of firing our apologetic salvos that we think provide the unanswerable argument that our opponents should fall over and accept in defeat, what if we softened and “weakened” this approach and presented something that others might be willing to entertain because it’s not so threatening? Such a rhetorical approach sounds similar to the Apostle Paul’s recognition of God’s strength working through his personal weakness (1 Cor. 1:2-5; 2 Cor. 12:10).  

I also think this essay has much to offer those who are tired of the frequent disconnect between people who are passionate and disagree about things like religion and politics, and who are not content with merely preaching to the choir. Take a look, give it some though, and share your thoughts here and at The World Table.

Call for Obama to Address Witchcraft Human Rights Abuses

For Immediate Release – 26^th June 2006

Call for President Obama to Demand Urgent Action to Tackle Widespread Human Rights Abuses that Take Place Throughout Africa Due to the Belief in ‘Witchcraft’

As President Obama commences his visit to Africa, we call upon him to use the tour as an opportunity to demand urgent action to tackle the widespread, and systemic, violations of human rights that take place across the Continent due to harmful practices connected to the belief in ‘witchcraft’.  Such beliefs are strongly held by many in the countries that he will visit – Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania – and they often lead to some of the most horrific human rights abuses imaginable. Vulnerable individuals and groups in society are most at risk, including older women, street children and people with disabilities.

Of many examples that have been catalogued, in April 2013 the body of the 14 year old boy, Nkhumeleni Mukhado, was discovered in a village in South Africa. His skull and genitals had been removed. His is just one of many similar tragic stories where people are killed so that their body parts can be incorporated into concoctions used in what is labelled as ‘witchcraft’. It is often believed that, through ingesting such concoctions, the receiver will gain greater wealth and power.

In Gambia, which borders Senegal, Amnesty International have documented[1] over 1000 cases of suspected ‘witches’ being rounded up by President Jammeh’s special guards who then tortured the suspects and forced to drink potions that caused them to hallucinate and behave erratically. Many were then forced to confess to being a “witch”. In some cases, they were also severely beaten, almost to the point of death.

In Tanzania, according to the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC)[2], an average of 500 people were murdered each year on suspicion of ‘witchcraft’ between 2005 and 2011, whilst numerous people with albinism have been murdered in cold blood for their body parts.

Such beliefs and practices self-evidently constitute a significant obstacle to the reputation, peace and prosperity of the region. They inhibit economic growth, investment and trade; weaken democratic institutions; and prevent hundreds of thousands of Africans from reaching their true potential. President Obama should demand that Africa’s political and faith leaders, and the wider international community, do more to put a stop to the horrific human rights abuses that continue to scar this great Continent.

Signed:

All Party Parliamentary Group for Street Children   Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales
Basic Rights Counsel
Bethany Children’s Trust
Centre for Human Rights and Development
Churches Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS)
Consortium for Street Children
Greenwich Inclusion Project
Humane Africa International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) The Pagan Federation
Stepping Stones Nigeria
Street Invest
Witchcraft and Human Rights Information Network (WHRIN) Baroness Sue Miller Kirsty Brimelow QC Professor Susan Edwards, University of Buckinghamshire Dr Christina Oakley Harrington, Treadwells, London. Russell Brown MP Leo Igwe – Nigerian Humanist Movement John W. Morehead, Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy Hugh Davies OBE QC, 3 Raymond Buildings Louisa Young – Author Zoe Young – Film Maker Paul Stockley – Development Worker

---

[1] See article - http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/gambia-hundreds-accused-%E2%80%9Cwitchcraft%E2%80%9D-and-poisoned-government-campaign-20

[2] See article - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/29/tanzania-witchcraft-3000-lynchings-witches_n_1553448.html

Christian Privilege and Interfaith Relations

Rabbi Seth Goren wrote a piece for Sojourners that touches on an important topic titled "Recognizing 'Christian Privilege.'" Rabbi Goren discusses Christianity's dominance in the United States, and how this privilege is a blindspot that needs to be addressed given its impact upon interfaith relations, even when unrecognized. He writes:

"Talking about Christian privilege is challenging, but essential. For our conversations to be authentic, honest, and justice-based, we must be aware of how each of us perceives and is perceived. It’s difficult to prevent the marginalization that Christians sometimes feel without considering how inter- and intrafaith dynamics play out more broadly for members of other faiths. Moreover, neglecting this topic in intentional interfaith interactions makes it that much more difficult to address in the wider world.

"I urge us all, but especially Christians, to study and reflect on these matters individually, with coreligionists, and with partners of other faiths. We can integrate questions of religious privilege into conversations we’re already having by asking ourselves what we have that others don’t, how these dynamics affect our interactions, and how we can compensate for resulting inequities."

 This topic has surfaced in conversations between Pagans and Evangelicals related to the Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy, as can be heard in a podcast at New Wine, New Wineskins. The Pagan dialogue partners raised the issue, and it needs to considered carefully by Evangelicals in America where privilege as a blindspot is a signficant topic.

Pagan Summer Solstice Celebration in Pahokee Causes Christian Uproar

Last week I received a call from Selena Fox of the Lady Liberty League who let me know about a controversy that was brewing in Pahokee, Florida. Later this month some of the local Pagan community in the town will be celebrating the Summer Solstice. This led to an uproar at the City Council meeting last week where several local pastors and members of their churches shared their concerns about the upcoming event as summarized at The Wild Hunt:

One by one they hurled their spite on the absent Pagan menace they wished their local politicians would repel. Pastor Brad Smith called the event “an abomination,” while Rev. Raul Rodriguez said that “we don’t need this in our town. Not now. Not ever.” Bishop Jared Hines warned that the festival was “not only detrimental to our city but to our county,” and Evangelist Lillian Brown claimed that “God cannot heal our land if we have witches and warlocks violating our community.” Violating, detrimental, an abomination, and that’s only a sample from the mob that vented itself.

 Selena Fox asked if I would be willing to help if needed with the Christian community as I did previously with the Fox News Pagan controversy. I told her that I would be more than happy to help dispel misunderstanding and work toward love of neighbor. To that end, I sent emails to the Pahokee Mayor, its City Council members, and the few pastors I could track down via the email from the online news item on the story. I have also offered to fly out to present a seminar to the Christian community if I can secure a sponsor to underwrite my travel costs and a venue for the presentation.

Meanwhile, the Pagan community through the Lady Liberty League continues its own efforts at trying to defuse this unfortunate situation.

Guest Contribution at Sermons from the Mound

I recently participated in a podcast at New Wine, New Wineskins, which involved two Pagans and two Evangelicals. The discussion went very well, and covered difficult but important issues related to our two religious communities. After the podcast was published, the participants began to promote it in various places. This then led to comments by Pagans and Evangelicals. Last weekend I read these comments with great concern, and felt compelled to write a heart-felt response primarily to Pagans, but also to Evangelicals with ears to hear. After writing the essay I submitted it for publication consideration, and Christine Hoff Kraemer was kind enough to allow me to publish the work as a guest writer on her blog Sermons from the Mound at the Pagan Channel of Patheos. Christine is a scholar who does great work as a scholar in the areas of Paganism, theology, film, and other elements in popular culture. Here is her gracious introduction to my guest essay:

Today, we welcome John W. Morehead, a researcher, writer, and speaker and advocate for positive Pagan-Christian interfaith dialogue. Recently I wrote to you all about the importance of intrafaith work in the Pagan movement to bring more understanding and better communication between traditions. But my wider inspiration for that is the kind of interfaith work that John speaks of so passionately here. Think Pagans and Evangelicals have nothing to say to each other? (Confused about what the difference is between an Evangelical and a fundamentalist Christian?) Read on…

I encourage the thoughtful, informed, civil, and critical comments and interactions by Pagans and Christians.

Pagan-Christian Podcast at New Wine, New Wineskins

A new podcast is available at New Wine, New Wineskins that brings together two Pagans (Mike Stygal and Jason Pitzl-Waters), and two Evangelicals (Paul Louis Metzger and John Morehead). The hour-long discussion tackles a number of questions, including Why should Pagans and Christians be involved in dialogue?, What keeps us from dialogue?, What about the issue of evangelism for Christians as a barrier to dialogue?, and Where do we go from here? I've touched on some of these issues previously in an interview for the Alternative Religion Educational Network. (The interview starts on page 17.)

Listen to the podcast discussion here. Jason Pitzl-Waters discussion of this within the broader stream of Pagan dialogue participants at The Wild Hunt is helpful too.

Patheos Book Club: Do Jews, Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?

There is a new volume out that is leading to some interesting discussions on an old topic. The book is Do Jews, Christians, and Muslims Worship the Same God? (Abingdon Press), with contributions with contributions by Jacob Neusner, Baruch A. Levine, Bruce D. Chilton, and Vincent J. Cornell. Martin Marty wrote an epilogue for the volume. The book's description:

Most Jews, Muslims, and Christians are devoted and faithful. Still, on any given day, it’s difficult to avoid the vigorous and heated disputes between them, whether over the “Ground Zero” mosque, lobbying state legislatures against Sharia law, sharing worship space, dissecting the fallout of the Arab Spring, protecting civil rights, or challenging the authority of sacred texts. With so much rancor, can there be any common ground? Do they even worship the same God? And can religion, which often is so divisive, be any help at all? Four internationally known scholars set out to tackle these deceptively simple questions in an accessible way. Some scholars argue that while beliefs about God may differ, the object of worship is ultimately the same. However, these authors take a more pragmatic view. While they may disagree, they nevertheless assert that whatever they answers to these questions, the three faiths must find the will (politically, socially, and personally) to tolerate differences. Perhaps what can help us move forward as pluralistic people is ia focus on the goal – peace with justice for all.

This book is presently part of a review and discussion at Patheos, with contributions thus far from Robert Hunt, Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, and Bruce Epperly. One aspect of the volume has generated some interesting discussion, a paragraph by Jacob Neusner in the volume, where he writes:

“Interfaith dialogue is made possible by monotheism, which defines the common ground on the foundations of which debate can take place. Polytheism defines dialogue out of existence, making provision, rather, for an exchange of opinions in a spirit of tolerance.”

Hunt seems to agree with Neusner, whereas Herschfield disagrees. In my experience in interreligious dialogue with adherents of many different religious traditions, including Pagans, monotheism is not a necessary foundation. What is needed is the willingness of the participants to dialogue and to be in agreement as to the type and format of dialogue through which the conversation will develop. Hunt responds in the comments to Herschfield that

For conversation to be fruitful we do need to know what we are talking about. Let’s take “faith” as in “interfaith.” The hidden assumption in interfaith dialogue is the modern, Schleiermachian, assumption of a universal human faith in something. That faith is understood to be refracted through various religious (and sects, and personal beliefs) which, with varying degrees of adequacy (or complete equality if you wish) point toward that “Something” that is (however obscured) the universal object of faith. What Neusner’s comment points us toward is the possibility that no such universal “faith” exists. Put another way he is asserting that dialogue depends on having a common object of investigation and discussion. And he is suggesting that at least with regard to faith polytheists don’t believe that there exists a common faith to be the object of investigation and discussion and therefore can’t enter into real inter-faith dialogue. Of course polytheists will need to speak for themselves about whether that is true.

Again I disagree with Hunt, and if he understands Neusner correctly, then I disagree with him as well. Human beings have profound disagreement about what "faith in something" entails, and broad based assumptions or agreements about the nature of the transcendent as "an object of investigation and discussion" are not necessary before dialogue can begin. Indeed, these are some of the pressing disagreements that must be worked through by the dialogue process, not as a prior commitment before dialogue takes place. I hope this review and discussion at Patheos invites lots of input and commentary. I'd especially like to see my fellow FRD members, and my Pagan colleagues, provide comments on Hirschfeld's and Hunt's review essays.

Parallelling the Enemy?: A Consideration of the Pagan Countercult

In past years I was a part of the evangelical countercult community. This segment of evangelicalism exists as a boundary maintenance and apologetic function for the borders of evangelicalism in terms of what it perceives as spiritual danger in terms of "cults" or new and minority religious movements. An examination of the websites of some of these groups reveals certain patterns which includes quotations from group leaders so as to warn the faithful of heresy. In countercult thinking, to the extent that certain evangelicals may get to close to "false prophets" in these groups these evangelical leaders are then viewed as dupes who are contributing to the problem of the false teachers who want to come in by stealth whenever possible to deceive the elect.

I find this interesting in that I just found a pagan parallel in a website titled egregores. Although it does not devote its complete energy to exposing non-pagan dangers, it has created posts that warn the pagan community about certain evangelicals, including little ol' me. Interested readers can click here, here, here, and most recently here, to find posts about me and my work in paganism and in other areas of new religions, missiology, and dialogue. As you read note how this parallels with the evangelical countercult organizations as I've sketched it in the paragraph above.

I contacted the website and asked that one misrepresentation be removed, and it was, an attribution of work to me that was not my own. This was an unfortunate error that should have been more carefully fact checked by the author. In addition, the tone is unfortunate in both the author's posts and some of the comments by fellow pagans. The worst possible motives are assumed on the part of myself, and fellow pagans who "work with" me are considered unfortunate dupes who don't realize that I am trying stealth evangelism. I recognize that many pagans are suspicious of evangelicals and dialogue. That's fine. Many evangelicals are just as suspicious. But let's be fair about it.

As I said in a comment which may or may not be approved on the site, let me clarify. I am not involved in stealth evangelism. Christianity is a missionary religion, and as a disciple of Christ I take just as seriously his command to love my neighbor as myself as I do to share the gospel. However, this is not done in every instance in pagan contexts or otherwise. If the context is inappropriate, or there is no interest, and most of the time there isn't, then there is no sharing. My relationships with pagans and my dialogue work are authentic and stand by themselves and are not pragmatic uses of individuals and relationships as the means to the end of evangelism. (See the interview with me at the Alternative Religions Educational Network for more thoughts from me on this.) Had egregores not assumed the worst in my ethics and motives, and been willing to more fairly assess my work in pagan studies and dialogue, perhaps at least the form of these posts would have been different.

Unfortunately, no mention was made about my critical reviews of evangelical books and approaches to paganism. Neither was there any commentary on the many pagans who have been interviewed at this blog and allowed to express themselves freely on the subject matter under discussion, including the difficult topic of Christian mission. The egregores selection and portrayal of material in representing my views thus exhibits the "pagan countercult" perspective that underlies them.

At any rate, I find it interesting that there is a pagan version of the evangelical countercult. Pagans have unfortunately been misrepresented by countercult apologists over the years (see my reviews of various evangelical books on Paganism as in this example) so it is a pity to see the pagan version of this surface within this fine religious community.

Interview by Alternative Religions Educational Network

An interview with me has just been published by the Alternative Religions Educational Network in their newsletter ACTION. It appears in the Litha 2012 edition which can be read in our online browser at this link on pages 17-23. The interview is reproduced below:

The Foundation for Religious Diplomacy.

Interview with researcher, writer, and speaker on intercultural studies, John W. Morehead

By Christopher Blackwell

It started with a sloppily written editorial by Rob Kerby, Senior Editor of Beliefnet, “What can the Third World teach the “civilized” world about witchcraft?”

http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Home-Page-News-and-Views/What-can-the-Third-World-teach-us-about-witchcraft.aspx?p=1#ixzz1uVAGkTE2 

That was followed up by an detailed review of it by Jason Pitzl-Waters “Beliefnet News Conflates Paganism and Harry Potter with Witchcraft Killings”

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2012/04/beliefnet-news-conflates-paganism-and-harry-potter-with-witchcraft-killings.html

But what perhaps surprised me most was a guest editorial on the Wild Hunt on May 3, 2012, entitled  Guest Post: “Hunt for Charity and Sound Arguments, Not Witches” by Paul Louis Metzger and John W. Morehead that defended the right of the Pagans and Wiccans to be upset about the beliefnet article. 

Why was I surprised? Only because it came from a most unlikely sources, from two Evangelical Christians who also suggested the value of serious dialogue between Pagans and Evangelical Christians, among others, though the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy. 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2012/05/guest-post-hunt-for-charity-and-sound-arguments-not-witches.html

Now normally you could not find two separate groups more at loggerheads then Evangelical Christians, and Pagans, so I was curious to learn more about this and contacted John Morehead who agreed to give this interview. 

As he stated in response to my inquiry, “I doubt many Pagans would be interested in a discussion of Christianity per se, but my work in dialogue with Pagans, and my call for Pagans to consider putting together a chapter in our Foundation for Religious Diplomacy, might be of interest to a larger segment of your readers.” Here’s the interview:

Christopher:  I would imagine in some ways both of us may have a bit of a feeling of being Daniel in the lion’s den, to use the Christian metaphor, in dealing with the other side. So how did you become interested in contact with other religions, while being within the Evangelical side of Christianity?

John: Thanks for the interest in discussing this with me in your publication, Christopher. I’m glad we were able to find a facet of this issue that might be of interest to some of your readers.

I have always been interested in the diversity of practices and beliefs in the world’s religions and spiritualities. I think in part it’s a personality thing. But in my academic studies as well as my personal life, I have been interested in diversity of perspectives, various angles of understanding in my work, like religious studies, sociology of religion, anthropology of religion, and other perspectives, all with an eye toward developing a better understanding of religion past and present. But I think part of understanding involves moving beyond reading about the religion of another, and actually engaging those in other religious traditions. If at all possible this is best done through ongoing relationships, and over the years I have been able to spend time talking with people about their religious commitments, and developing relationships with such people too. My areas of dialogue focus have been in the areas of Islam, Mormonism, and Paganism.

As to Daniel in the lion’s den, there is certainly a level of distrust and anxiety about me in Pagan circles, and some of this comes through in the comments section of The Wild Hunt essay you introduced this interview with. But by and large, once we are able to talk, and initial fears are addressed, and people hear my views on topics, then there is greater openness to continued conversation. Some Pagans even express appreciation for my work from time to time, believe it or not.

Christopher: Could you tell us something of your areas of study and training that lead to this?

John: I received an MA in intercultural studies from Salt Lake Theological Seminary, where I wrote my thesis on Burning Man Festival and approached that subject matter from sociological and theological perspectives. For many years now I have been involved in the academic study of new religious movements, including Paganism, and have written on these topics in journals and books, including those wherein my work has been critiqued not only by other scholars, but also by those in the religious traditions I’ve written about. So for example, I was asked to write an essay summarizing Paganism for a forthcoming book by an Evangelical publisher. After drafting my piece I ran it by two Pagans, Gus diZerega and Jason Pitzl-Waters, asking for their feedback and critique. This self-critical and dialogical approach helps me do a better job at understanding, representing, and relating to others.

Beyond my academic training and ongoing research and writing, I have also been involved for many years in inter-religious dialogue. It began in northern California where I’m originally from, and has continued with my move to Utah for graduate studies. In California I was involved in Muslim-Christian studies, whereas in Utah I have been involved in dialogue with Mormons and Pagans. As a result of the latter work I was able to serve as editor of a book by Philip Johnson and Gus diZerega, Beyond the Burning Times: A Pagan and Christian in Dialogue (Lion, 2008). This brought together a Christian in Australia, and a Pagan in the United States, who talk about various issues related to our respective religious traditions and the public square.

Christopher: What is in it for Christians to have this dialogue?

John: I think there’s something of benefit in dialogue for everyone, regardless of one’s religious or irreligious convictions. We all benefit from understanding, accurate representation of the views of another, civility, relationships, tension-reduction, and peacemaking.

But beyond this for the Christian community dialogue gives us an opportunity to follow the practice of Jesus. In the Evangelical subculture we have long talked about “What Would Jesus Do?”, and yet this question has largely not been asked in relation to Jesus and other religions. But if Evangelicals revisit the Gospels and look at Jesus and his interactions with Gentiles and Samaritans, we can see what kind of approach he used which can then be applied to our own engagement with those in other religions today.

Some Christians do this, of course, but many times they come away with a negative approach. They look at passages in the Bible where Jesus denounces the religious leaders of his day, and they assume this is how we should engage other religions. Renounce in the name of truth! However, the Gospels reveal something very different. Jesus does use harsh language at times, but its against the religious leaders of Judaism who abused their power and privilege. He does not do this among rank and file Jews. Perhaps even more surprising for some, if we look at how Jesus engaged Gentiles and Samaritans we see that he often engages in ways which seek understanding, operates on an informed basis of their culture and religion, and involves two-way communication - a dialogue. Interested readers can pursue this in depth in Bob Robinson’s new book Jesus and the Religions. But the point is, that one of the benefits for Christians is that they can be involved in dialogue as a way of following the teachings and example of Jesus. Of course, there are many other reasons as well, but desiring to emulate Christ surely must top the list for Christians.

Christopher: What is in it for the Pagans to have this dialogue?

John: Well, I’d point to the same general benefits as I mentioned for everyone else, regardless of religion, for starters. Beyond this, there still remains a great deal of misunderstanding and misrepresentation of Paganism in popular culture. One way Pagans can address this is to have a place at the table of religions in dialogue. This allows Pagans to describe their own religion, and to put personal faces on an otherwise abstract array of practices and beliefs. It is far easier to misunderstand and demonize an abstract system of thought than it is a person or group of people. Pagans can help prevent much of the misrepresentation if they describe themselves in relationships and conversations with others. This in turn will hopefully lead to less persecution and civil rights abuses so that future Pagans don’t have to go through litigation so that deceased service members can have Pagan symbols used as grave markers, and so that those falsely labeled as Pagans or “devil worshipers” won’t become the victims of false imprisonment for alleged satanic crime.

I know that the preference for many Pagans is simply to be left alone to practice their pathway in peace. I appreciate this, but for those willing to take the risks involved in inter-religious dialogue there are many practical benefits for everyone.

Christopher: Pagans might wonder how does this become something more than just another attempt to be evangelized?

John: Hopefully my thoughts a moment ago painted a broader picture for dialogue than merely as another form of evangelism. Beyond this, dialogue can include evangelism, but must not be reduced to only this or any other single element, in my view. But the question of the relation between dialogue and evangelism is an important one that must be discussed. In recent years the Christian community has been more aware of problems in this area where concerns of colonialism, identity theft, and coercion have been leveled against Christian missionaries. Some organizations, such as the World Council of Churches, have set forth statements which warn against these unethical forms of proselytism, yet also leave the door open for ethical forms of sharing of faith concerns.

This is one of the major concerns expressed by Pagans, and it needs to be on our agenda as Christians and Pagans move forward in dialogue. It is a sticking point for Pagans and Christians, arising for both groups out of the values of religious identity and freedom, but very different conclusions are reached. For Pagans, they don’t want to be evangelized, as previously mentioned, they just want to be left along to practice their Pagan pathway. For Christians, they feel an obligation to share the story of Jesus as persuasively as possible. How do our religious communities move beyond this impasse? It is true, that dialogue can include evangelism, however, Christians must recognize that evangelism can only proceed as part of dialogue if the dialogue partner expresses an interest in such matters. If not, then evangelism should not be practiced. Christians must be sensitive to the concerns of some, including Pagans, that evangelism is seen as a form of coercion and identity theft by those in other religious traditions. I believe it is possible to be fair to everyone’s convictions and religious traditions so that Christians and Pagans can come to the dialogue table together, allowing Christians to retain evangelism as an essential part of their religion, and yet for the Christian to concede that this is largely unwelcomed by Pagans, and therefore it should not be part of the dialogue agenda.

Christopher: So how does this lead to Foundation for Religious Diplomacy? Who all is involved?

John: Thankfully, my work in inter-religious dialogue led me to the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy. This organization is the brainchild of Charles Randall Paul, FRD’s founder and president. Randall recognized years ago that dialogue needs to take place, and he has created a non-profit organization with chapters based in differing religious traditions. So there is not only an Evangelical Chapter, but also a Mormon one, as well as a Mahayana Buddhist Chapter, two chapters in Islam, and a Jewish chapter. These chapters are facilitated by people who are respected in their religious traditions who work within their religious community’s to train them for dialogue. There is a Board of Directors and Senior Advisory Fellows. I sit on the former, and also serve as the Director of the Evangelical chapter. Those interested can learn more about FRD by visiting the website at http://www.fidweb.org

Christopher: What other chapters are forming and what chapters are there that might yet form?

John: You can see from the list of existing chapters that more need to be formed. In fact, depending upon the diversity of a given tradition, several chapters may need to be formed within an overall tradition. So for example, there are both Shia and Sunni Islam chapters, and the Jewish and Buddhist traditions may need to expand in their areas. I head up the Evangelical chapter, and my hope is that this can also serve Mainline Protestants, but certainly a separate chapter for the Roman Catholic tradition would need to be explored. Also, I have had some conversations with Pagans in the U.S. and U.K. about the possibility of creating a Pagan chapter of FRD. There seems to be some interest, and I hope this possibility is seriously explored so that a more formalized and centralized dialogue venue can be created for the Pagan community.

Christopher: What does dialogue do and how does one go about it without it falling into the name calling and shouting that talking about religion often ends up in?

John: That kind of question would take a book to adequately address it. There are a lot of concerns about “dialogue” with all of its historic baggage. It’s suspect even in Evangelicalism. I prefer to talk about inter-religious relationships and conversations. Dialogue is just the practice of getting to know people and how to talk to them about some of their deepest convictions, doing so without compromise, and sharing in civility. What we can do is learn and teach various habits and skills about listening, two-way conversation, fairness in representation of the other, trying to understand another as they understand themselves (or as closely as we can get as outsiders), civility in our conversations, and the ability to agree to disagree agreeably. We tend to demonize the opposition and do little other than reinforce our boundaries and trounce the opposition. We do this in politics as well as religion. There is a different and better way forward which can be learned and then taught to others in order to make our post-9/11 world a better place to live in.

Christopher: Are there any examples of this kind of religious dialogue people can see for themselves?

John: I’d recommend the book I mentioned earlier, Beyond the Burning Times, for an example of a Pagan and Christian doing this. Beyond that, at FRD we are finalizing a website platform titled the World Table of Religions. It is a forum where people will sign up, create a profile, watch people engage in peer-reviewed and rated dialogue, and then get involved in the process themselves if they want. These dialogues are then archived so people can learn about good dialogue processes. The website is a prototype now so I can’t give out the website address yet, but will go live this summer. It’s going to be a big deal, and a great forum so people can see this and learn to do it themselves.

Christopher: If any Pagans should prove interested in setting up some form of chapter themselves, how do they go about it? Are there any costs involved? Are there any ground rules they might need to know about?

John: I’ve touched on some of this above, but those Pagans interested in being part of a potential chapter would need to be in agreement with the principles of the FRD as discussed on the website. They would also need to determine whether one or several chapters would need to be created to serve the needs of the Pagan community. What would those look like and who would head these up? Once these foundational questions are answered then I can work with Randy Paul and any interested Pagans in exploring how the chapter would be formed and launched.

Christopher: Where can people learn more about the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy?

John: They can visit the website at http://www.fidweb.org and learn much more. Our contact information is there. There is also an article from The Deseret News in Utah. Take a look and get in touch with us with further questions. Hopefully some of your readers will want to get involved.

Christopher: Do you find  yourself in any controversy within the Evangelical movement for  your wiliness to be in dialog with non-Christian religions.

John: At times, yes. For some Evangelicals the assumption is that to become involved in dialogue involves compromise. Or that I will inappropriately combine Christianity with aspects of the religions of my dialogue partners (syncretism). I think there are many fears underlying some of this, and I recognize these fears, but I don’t think they’re insurmountable or push dialogue beyond the boundaries of being an acceptable Christian practice. Indeed, I would argue that it needs to be not just a practice, but also an emotion or attitude toward others that is part of a lifestyle that one lives in relation to those in other religions. So while I do receive a lot of controversy from Evangelicals, dialogue is too important to let such critique stand in the way.

Christopher: Don’t you also have some other intercultural interests?

John: Yes, I am fascinated by religion in popular culture. In particular, I am interested in hype-real religions, those spiritualities and social identities that come as a result of the intersection of the fantastic and religion. This includes religions like Jediism (based upon the Star Wars mythology), Matrixism (based upon the Matrix films), the Otherkin, and vampires as a few examples. This phenomenon fascinates me, and a new book came out, Handbook of Hyper-real Religions (Brill, 2012) with my essay on Matrixism. I also research and write on the religious and cultural aspects of horror, science fiction, and fantasy in pop culture, and the paranormal is an area of great research interest as well. I’ve written for various websites and my own blog on these topics, and I’m co-editing a few books on it, including (with Kim Paffenroth) The Undead and Theology (Wipf & Stock, forthcoming), and (with Tony Mills and James Ryan Parker) Joss Whedon and Religion (McFarland, forthcoming).

Christopher:  Haven’t you had some books published? 

John: I’m the co-editor of Encountering New Religious Movements (Kregel Academic, 2004), the editor of the previously mentioned Beyond the Burning Times, and the author of Burning Man Festival: A Life Enhancing, Post-Christendom, "Middle Way".

Christopher: Where can people learn a bit more about you?

John: They can read my bio at at the Evangelical Chapter FRD website, and get to know me through dialogue!

Hunt for charity and sound arguments, not witches

by Paul Louis Metzger and John W. Morehead

*This essay was first published as a guest post at The Wild Hunt Blog, courtesy of Jason Pitzl-Waters.

 

Rob Kerby, Senior Editor at beliefnet, wrote a recent article titled “What can the Third World teach us about witchcraft?.” This has resulted in the concern of and critique by Pagans, but it should also interest those in other religious communities. We are practicing Evangelical Christians, and we are very interested in what Christians and Pagans have to say about one another in hopes of light being shed on our respective spiritual pathways. Unfortunately, misunderstanding, misrepresentation, and hostility have been characteristic traits of our exchanges throughout history. In our minds, Kerby’s article only intensified this problem.

After reading the Kerby article, we are left wondering what the piece teaches us about witchcraft. While we did not necessarily learn anything about witchcraft from his essay, we did learn that he believes witchcraft in all its forms does great damage to civilization in the “Third World” and elsewhere, and that strong measures should be taken to eradicate it from the West. In addition to other problematic features, we were deeply concerned that Kerby claims that witchcraft is a capital offense in Saudi Arabia, punishable by beheading. Why did he make this claim? Is this something the “Third World” can teach us about witchcraft, or is this one of many sensational claims by Kerby?

Those in Pagan circles have responded strongly to the piece, and with good reason. Kerby provides no solid substantiation for his claims, demonstrates a lack of familiarity with the spiritual practices and beliefs he critiques, and as a result, the piece creates fear and suspicion of witchcraft (and broader Paganism as well). While Christians have often accused Paganism of superstition, the irony is that the Christian community has often approached Paganism superstitiously. Kerby’s piece only adds to the superstition and suspicion, made worse by the stereotypes and fears that often underlie such representations.

What we learned from reading Kerby’s essay and the responses to it from Pagans is that we have a long way to go in pursuit of charity and sound argumentation in our post-Christendom and pluralistic public square. We are charter members of the Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy. Our chapter aims to develop interreligious relationships and conversations in civility and without compromise with those of other religious and spiritual traditions. Our work in the chapter represents a new movement in Evangelicalism. The chapter seeks accuracy and fairness in understanding, and embodies a relational and dialogical approach, while addressing substantial differences in practice and belief between various religious and spiritual communities. Two examples of this approach are the books Beyond the Burning Times: A Pagan and Christian in Dialogue (written by Philip Johnson and Gus diZerega, and edited by John Morehead; published by Lion, UK, April 2009), and Connecting Christ: How to Discuss Jesus in a World of Diverse Paths (Paul Louis Metzger; Thomas Nelson, May 2012—this work includes an article on Paganism and a response by Gus diZerega). We have been very grateful for our charitable and constructive engagements in reasoned argumentation with Dr. diZerega (who mentioned our exchanges in his beliefnet post on Kerby’s article). We welcome other opportunities for such collaboration. We also encourage Evangelicals to get involved in our FRD chapter and for Pagans to form their own FRD chapter so as to have a place at the table with other religions and spiritual paths. Over time, such collaboration may help mitigate against depictions like Kerby’s.

In our post-Christendom, pluralistic public square, Christians must learn to show respect for other belief and praxis systems by substantiating our claims and criticisms and arguing for the cogency of our own convictions on level ground also occupied by others. We must also seek to demonstrate that our Christian convictions promote the common good and pursue conversations with others from varying viewpoints who would do the same. One person self-identified as “unap” wrote in a comment posted in response to the Kerby article: “Crimes against humanity - death, torture, sacrifice, grave robbing and mutilation - are crimes pretty much everywhere. They need no special pleading for more punishment because you think those crimes are belief based.” Solid argument on level ground in civility.

We encourage both Evangelicals and Pagans to enter into sustained dialogue, with the former through our chapter, and the latter through the formation of a FRD chapter. The only way we will move beyond witch hunts and superstition is if we enter into public square discourse with level heads in search of charity and sound arguments.

Paul Louis Metzger, Ph.D. is Professor of Christian Theology and Theology of Culture at Multnomah Biblical Seminary/Multnomah University; Charter Member, Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy. John W. Morehead is Director, Western Institute for Intercultural Studies; Director, Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy.

Forthcoming Book on Pagan-Christian Dialogue

I am pleased to announce a new project that I have been privileged to work with serving as editor and project coordinator. The project is a forthcoming book by Christian author Philip Johnson and Pagan author Gus Dizerega, titled Beyond the Burning Times: A Pagan and Christian in Dialogue (Lion Publishing).

A new discussion group has been created in Facebook for readers to discuss the volume once it becomes available (scheduled for year's end). In the discussion group I recently posted the following background and description:

The historical relationship between Christians and Pagans has not been a very good one, whether in the past or the present. Pagans have many justifiable reasons for being wary of Christians. They have often been persecuted by the Church in Europe and North America. In addition, several Christian books about contemporary Paganism misrepresent and distort it. This problematic history has led to acts of bigotry and confrontation between these spiritual communities, as when Christians held a series of Witchcraft trials that still linger in the minds of Pagans and other Witches today, a time they refer to as “the Burning Times.” With the resurgence of Paganism in the West the Church needs to understand this spiritual phenomenon, and to be more effective witnesses, all in an effort to move Beyond the Burning Times.

There is a great need for understanding between Christians and Pagans. In the past, representatives from Christianity and Paganism have written about each other’s spiritual paths, and in one case, a Pagan author attempted to present a Pagan and Christian in dialogue in book form, but the Pagan represented both sides of the discussion. There is a desperate need for Christians and Pagans to talk to each other, which is a point that can be confirmed anecdotally by several Pagans I have met. Beyond the Burning Times addresses this need in a way that has not been done before. It brings together qualified and responsible representatives of the Christian and Pagan communities to dialogue on key spiritual topics (outlined below). As the dialogue participants work through the issues they will provide clarification and understanding, and discover not only areas of disagreement, but areas of agreement as well. Pagans will gain a balanced understanding of the Christian message presented in ways that speak meaningfully to them. Christians will gain a balanced understanding of Paganism, and will come to understand that Paganism has something serious to say and offers some significant theological challenges to the Church. Other interesting features of this book include the contributions of qualified Christian and Pagan respondents, and a guest foreword.

Evangelicals have dialogued with representatives of other religious traditions in the past, such as Mormonism (How Wide the Divide?: A Mormon & Evangelical in Conversation by Craig Blomberg and Stephen Robinson [IVP, 1997]), but this has never taken place with Paganism. Gus diZerega, wrote the book Pagans & Christians: The Personal Spiritual Experience (Llewellyn, 2001) that attempted to provide a dialogue between these spiritual communities. We appreciate the attempt that was made by a member of the Pagan community, and believe the book is important, but there are distinct advantages to a genuine dialogue between qualified representatives of these two spiritual communities. Genuine dialogue provides the benefits of interaction and genuine understanding, and it also provides an example for what respectful dialogue can look like. To our knowledge, nothing like this book has been attempted before.

Book Outline

Guest Forewords by Dr John Drane and Dr Michael York

Topical dialogue chapters – Philip Johnson and Gus diZerega (alternating expositions)

1. The Nature of Spirituality
2. The Divine
3. Nature
4. Humans and the Divine
5. Spirtual Authority
6. Paganism, Christianity and the Culture Wars
7. Conclusions
8. Critical Responses Summing Up the Dialogue by Michael York and John Smulo

Suggested Readings
Paganism
Christianity

Index

Style

The book will be written in a style that is accessible by a popular audience that is literate, but not necessarily academic. It will follow basic academic conventions with respect to endnote documentation. The premise of the book is to engage in real dialogue rather than debate, and for the principal contributors to engage in real discussion on the issues in terms of a description of their views and response to those of the other. With this intent in mind, the respondents would not treat the dialogue exchange as a debate with a winner and loser, but instead, would comment on the merits of the exchange, and what the differing spiritual communities might learn as a result.

Target Audiences

There are several target audiences for this book, including a popular Christian audience, Christian academics, and Pagans.

For the popular Christian audience, this book will provide a balanced introduction to a growing and increasingly popular expression of spirituality. Christians be able to learn about the beliefs and practices of Paganism in a fashion that is unavailable in evangelical apologetic treatments of the topic. In addition, the dialogue and response format of the book will also provide an example of an informed, respectful, and biblically faithful interfaith dialogue.

For Christian and Pagan academics, this book will serve as an important resource for this rapidly growing area of study. It will provide an understanding contemporary Paganism in contrast with Christianity, and the dialogical format of the book will provide learning opportunities not found in traditional expositions of Paganism. For Christian academics the book will also be useful in providing information for seminary, university, and Bible college students, relevant to a variety of study perspectives, including missiology, theology, “cults” and new religions, as well as religion and popular culture. For Pagan academics the book will serve as an example of a balanced exposition of Christianity in contrast with Pagan spirituality and may serve as a textbook for university courses.

For the Pagan community the book will be of interest for at least three reasons. First, many Pagans come to their path after unpleasant experiences in the Christian church. Encountering fair-minded discussions of the two faith traditions will help them better clarify their own beliefs, more sympathetically understand those of good Christians, and see the points of similarity as well as difference between the two. Moving beyond defining themselves by what they are not (their image of Christianity) is an essential step in developing who they really are. Second, many Pagans are very active in interfaith communities. A book such as this could be a major assistance to the increasing numbers of Pagans working with Christians in these contexts. Finally, this volume could become a valuable book for Pagans to give to family members and friends who are concerned about their spiritual beliefs.

Interested readers can sign up through Amazon.com to be notified as to when pre-orders can be secured, and pre-orders are already available at Amazon.co.uk.