Gathering Fragments

Christianity, Buddhism and Islam – some books from July 10 Sermon July 11, 2011

As part of the summer series at Saint Paul, I am preaching two sermons on how Christians should regard people of other religions.  I’m making some observations on the question in general, then giving some attention to Buddhism and Islam in particular.

In my sermon yesterday I stated the premise “that we can walk the Path of Jesus without denying the legitimacy of other paths God may provide for humanity.  I believe we can be thoroughly faithful, devout Christians and still recognize that other religions have validity.”

I am indebted for this wording to Eric Elnes in The Phoenix Affirmations: A New for the Future of Christianity.  I also found Brian McLaren’s book, A New Kind of Christianity, to be helpful and an inspiration.

Another book that I didn’t mention but is very worth reading is Relating to People of Other Religions: What Every Christian Needs to Know, by Thomas Thangaraj.

There are many books on Buddhism.  The Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh has written prolifically.  I mentioned Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers; his book Living Buddha, Living Christ is good, too.  I have also appreciated The Miracle of Mindfulness.

In Happiness Here and Now: The Eightfold Path of Jesus Revisited with Buddhist Insights, Elizabeth West looks at ways Jesus’ Beatitudes resonate with Buddhist teachings. Very interesting!  And I found Steve Hagen’s little book, Buddhism Plain and Simple, to be helpful.

Next Sunday I’ll talk about Islam.  As with Buddhism won’t attempt a systematic review of the religion, but simply give the briefest description,  identify some values we share, attempt to correct some misperceptions and offer a few observations on things I appreciate.

Stephen Griffith