Understanding As The First Step In An Evangelical Approach To World Religions: Some Methodological Considerations -- By: Robert N. Minor

Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 19:2 (Spring 1976)
Article: Understanding As The First Step In An Evangelical Approach To World Religions: Some Methodological Considerations
Author: Robert N. Minor


Understanding As The First Step In An Evangelical Approach To World Religions: Some
Methodological Considerations

Robert N. Minor*

Edmund Perry in The Gospel in Dispute1 proposes to undertake the study of other religions in order to convert adherents of other faiths to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Perry recognizes the preliminary step to such a witness to be the need to understand the religions of the people confronted in order to facilitate one’s communication of the gospel to them in the realities of their existence. He also says that the man who has committed himself to Christ prior to the study of other religions has a settled conviction that makes him “the best possible prospect for accomplishing an impartial scientific investigation of religions.”2 This scientific investigation is committed to “analyzing and describing things as they are in contrast to what we might presuppose, imagine, or wish them to be.”3 It is not predicated on the absence of a prior cotnmitment, but only attempts to understand what other people believe—that is, to construct propositions that state their beliefs and practice accurately.

The Christian is committed to such an attempt to understand others because the most accurate representation of these other religions is required in order to be able to approach their followers as they are.4 Yet the evangelical corninfinity has often approached others without understanding their beliefs. Missionaries have gone into the field with an idea of “Hinduism” or “Budrthism” and have found that Buddhists know little or nothing about the “Buddhism” that exists in the mind of the missionary. It seems clear that something is wrong with our present approach. Understanding, as a goal of students of other religions, is not our problem only. It is one that faces any historian of religion whose goal is historical traderstanding.5

It is time, however, that someone from the evangelical community began to think about method in the understanding of other religions.

*Robert N. Minor is assistant t)roi:essor of the history of religions at Allegheny Cnllege, Meadville, Pennsylvania.

When apology then begins it will not be arguing with straw men, and missionaries can improve their effectiveness because they will be dealing with people’s actual belief systems.

An example of an argument with straw men was sent to me a few years ago by a stud...

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