Why Did Jesus, Moses, The Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road? Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World
by Brian McLaren
 When four religious leaders walk across the road, it’s not the beginning of a joke. It’s the start of one of the most important conversations in today’s world.
Can you be a committed Christian without having to condemn or convert people of other faiths? Is it possible to affirm other religious traditions without watering down your own? In his most important book yet, widely acclaimed author and speaker Brian McLaren proposes a new faith alternative, one built on “benevolence and solidarity rather than rivalry and hostility.” This way of being Christian is strong but doesn’t strong-arm anyone, going beyond mere tolerance to vigorous hospitality toward, interest in, and collaboration with the other. Blending history, narrative, and brilliant insight, McLaren shows readers step-by-step how to reclaim this strong-benvolent faith, challenging us to stop creating barriers in the name of God and learn how affirming other religions can strengthen our commitment to our own. And in doing so, he invites Christians to become more Christ-like than ever before. The hardcover edition of of the book was published on September 11, 2012. |
EXTRAS
REVIEWS and INTERVIEWS
Huffington Post, C. Christopher Smith
Huffington Post, Frank Schaeffer The Palmer Perspective, Sean Palmer Rachel Held Evans State of Belief, interview with Rev. Welton Gaddy The Sweet Spot of His Calling, podcast at Provoked to Newness |
—— Rob Bell, author of Love Wins
“Brian McLaren is at his best in this book—pastoral, practical, challenging and thoughtful. As always, he speaks the right words at the right moment, meeting us where we are, but helping us see just around the bend. For those who want to engage in productive interfaith dialog while maintaining a strong Christian identity, WHY DID JESUS, MOSES, THE BUDDHA, AND MOHAMMED CROSS THE ROAD? is an invaluable resource. It will make you think, yes. But better yet, it will make you a better Christian and a better neighbor.”
—— Rachel Held Evans, blogger, author of Evolving in Monkey Town and A Year of Biblical Womanhood
“Why bother to read this book? Within decades the American religious landscape has been transformed by the exponential growth of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. Yet, religious pluralism and freedom is under siege, threatened by exclusivism, intolerance and extremism, at home and abroad. This engaging and compelling guidebook, written by one of America’s most influential religious thinkers and spiritual teachers, is groundbreaking, redefining religious pluralism for the 21st century. It is a “must read” for Christians and followers of other faiths or no faith.”
—— John L. Esposito, University Professor and Founding Director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University and author of The Future of Islam
“A Call to every person of faith to truly examine and explore not only the TEXT but the CONTEXT…A Call to love, compassion, social justice, friendships and the celebration of the universal spirit that connects us all. A must read to enable us to stop contributing to the creation of a senseless environment of separation.
—— Soraya Deen, Muslim Mother, Peace activist, Inspirational Speaker, TV Host and author of PEACE MATTERS: 33 Powerful Actions all Mothers Can Take to Raise Peace-Conscious Children
“Brian McLaren is the most creative Christian theologian and spiritual teacher writing and preaching today in the U.S., yet his universal message is as relevant to people of all faiths and none. As a Jewish theologian, I welcome this important contribution to showing the path through which all religions can become an emancipatory force for human liberation.”
—— Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor, Tikkun, chair of the Interfaith Network of Spiritual Progressives, Author of Jewish Renewal, Spirit Matters, The Politics of Meaning, and The Left Hand of God
“With his characteristic wit and passion, Brian McLaren charts a way through the twenty-first century’s most difficult issue: How can people of different religions maintain their own faiths and yet respect the dignity of all? Join Brian as he takes you on a journey to discover a benevolent Christian faith based on hospitality instead of hostility. It will change your life. And it might just change the world.”
—— Diana Butler Bass, author of Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening.
Thank you Mr McLaren. I believe if we truly explore God’s intent and wishes and learn to love all will be understood. God’s will be done…
Love
Willard Bickford
Seattle, Wa
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts Willard.
During “conversation with God”, my morning prayer, what God had laid upon my heart were these words. “No religion has all of the truth, but all religions have part of the truth.” It is what it is and I ask anyone who seeks truth to go directly to the Source.
Cindy, thank you so much for sharing that. I agree and I think Brian would as well. We, as Christians, can be strong in our faith and identity and still edify and respect those of other faiths and traditions. God bless.
There is no one specific religion with all the answers anymore than there is one specific people chosen by God. All men of God, Allah or whatever are social activist. Social activism is the nature of God which is oneness of humanity manifested in respect if not love for humanity. I have not read the book but if it does not state that the Creator is found in the heart and mind it is a fraudulent book. The Creator is not to be found in any religious book but in the deeds of individuals who follow the spirit within which is of our Creator.
It is good that he has written this book it will hopefully bring about respect for other religious and help to eradicate religious dogma.
Multi-faith, multi-races, multi-whatever are all figments of the imaginations created by egoes and nothing more. There are only individuals making up the body of humanity like cells making up the human body. Like diseased cells in the human body we have diseased and parasitic human beings. Until we realize this nothing we do will bring about an end to war, hunger, poverty and the like. Nothing is more obvious if we look at the world today which was created by our Creator and is being destroyed by ourselves. It is mind boggling to watch people destroy the earth while reading their religous books for any spiritual person/being. It is sad and disheartening to watch so called religions divide humanity and feed off of humanity as a parasite would it’s host and expect to live forever once it’s host is dead. Diversity is the beauty of oneness
and reason to celebrate not destroy.
What happened to Jesus’ proclamation: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. Should we not rather listen to what Jesus said than what people say about Jesus or other religions?
My friend Phil Snider responded well to this in my Banned Questions book series. He said:
“A lot of people think this verse means that only those who accept Jesus into their heart as their personal Lord and Savior will go to heaven, but if you read the gospels closely you’ll see that Jesus never mentions this as a requirement. I tend to think that faith in Jesus should make us more inclusive of others, rather than less. While people are quite good at building walls of exclusion, it’s the upside-down kingdom of God announced by Jesus that knocks them down time and again, precisely because Jesus’ way – in stark contrast to our own – is ‘the truth and the life.’ Accordingly, heaven can be viewed as that place and time (no matter which side of the grave you happen to be on) in which God’s love reigns supreme, not petty human acts of exclusion.”
Well spoken Christian Piatt. It’s sad that conservative, bible preaching, born again christians and christians who are not open-minded, fail to recognize that they have become Pharises themselves. They didn’t care for seniors, sinners, the sick and those who were so piously presented in one of Mitt Romney recent speeches.
Patty, I don’t think you can ever lump a group of people together like that. There ARE conservative, fundamental Christians who care for the sinners, and the poor, etc. Your characterization is so unfair. Look at Mother Theresa, Damien of Molokai, Father Flanagan of Boys Town, St. Vincent dePaul, or the Little Sisters of the Poor. Did you know that the largest charitable organization in the world is the Catholic Church. Enough of labeling and condemning unless you really know for sure. I personally know several conservative friends who have GIVEN their lives to the service of others.
“No one comes to the Father except through me” IS a requirement. How do you see it differently? You didn’t explain.
Truth by definition is exclusive. Something cannot be all thinks and still be truth, unless of course, “it’s a new or higher view of truth.” Sounds like neo-gnosticsm? A higher level of truth than the “conservative” dummies espouse. After all, 2000 years of church history was all wrong – right? So, glad we live in 2012 and we have finally figured out what was all wrong the whole time.
I like Christian Piatt’s response. Richard, I also like the way Frederick Buechner addressed your question. In his book, Wishful Thinking, he wrote of Jesus: “He didn’t say that any particular ethic, doctrine, or religion was the way, the truth and the life. …He didn’t say that it was by believing or doing anything in particular that you could ‘come to the Father.’ He said that it was only by him–by living, participating in, being caught up by, the way of life that he embodied, that was his way. Thus it is possible to be on Christ’s way and with his mark upon you without ever having heard of Christ, and for that reason to be on your way to God though maybe you don’t even believe in God.” In my own experience of travel and study on five continents, I have met many people who embody Christ’s way, even though they don’t call themselves Christians.
What i see in all the current thinking and writing is a move ‘back to the future’, shrugging off the unhelpful accretions of centuries of mere human empire-building, masquerading as ‘church’ with all its patriarchal do’s and don’ts stultifying movement of the Spirit. Back to Jesus.
Yes, Jesus is the way, truth and life and present in any God experience which can be interpreted in definitions other than Christian.
Jesus, Buddha and Mohammad crossed the road to try to wake us up!!!!!!
Embrace the living God!
When you write about patriarchal “do’s and don’t” I think of someone who hasn’t understood holiness or sanctity. There are reasons why we Do somethings and DON’T do others. How can we ever get away from Do’s and Don’ts? Is there a specific Do or Don’t that you have in mind?
I am wondering why Christians might not begin by taking the creed of Jesus defining God seriously. Are we convinced that the Shema approved by Jesus (Mk 12:29) can possibly align with a Trinitarian God? If Jesus is taken to heart, can his teachings be ignored? What if we the Church echoed Jesus, and agreed with his creed in Mk 12:29? At present Christianity appears to be the onl world religion which begins by discarding its own founder’s creed.
Anthony, the point of Mk 12:29 is that we love the Lord, our God with all our heart, mind, and soul; our focus on God is first and foremost. In the Bible, reference is made to God the Father and Creator, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Thus, three persons, one God. Haven’t you heard of the Council of Nicaea in 325 a.d? ALSO — “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
–Jesus, Matthew 28:19
It’s my belief that only Jesus was able to walk across the road because He is ” alive ”
and well Moses died before seeing the Promised Land and is waiting on Jesus and then you have Buddha and Mohammed a couple of phony false religion guys who are still deceiving people :” the blind leading the blind “.
That is a great perspective Selah. Thanks so much for sharing.
Associating Jesus with Buddha, Moses and Mohammed recalls Peter’s error in wanting to build shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Enough said.
AMEN!