(ed.) Angus Morrison, Tolerance and Truth: The Spirit of the Age or the Spirit of God? (Rutherford House, 2007), 177pp. (with thanks to Rutherford House for review copy)
One of Gordon Brown's buzz words when describing Britishness is 'tolerance'. In this book, Paul Helm begins his chapter by suggesting that 'we may, currently, be facing a situation in which it seems that toleration is the only virtue, and in which scant regard is paid to truth' (p.57). Being tolerant means not pushing your beliefs or claims to truth on others. This is a collection of papers from the 1999 Edinburgh Dogmatic Conference, held bi-annually by Rutherford House, Edinburgh. Tolerance and Truth, as it's title suggests, is concerned with how Christians can talk about truth in a pluralistic age. The collection of theologians gathered here together is impressive: the late Colin Gunton, John Webster, Trevor Hart, David Fergusson, Stephen Williams, Paul Helm, Michael Northcott, Henri Blocher and J. Andrew Kirk. Most of the leading British Reformed theologians. The collection of essay is diverse - including Gunton writes on what do Christians know and how do they know, Williams on the unique and universal Christ, Hart on the doctrine of the Spirit, Webster on theology in postmodernity, Northcott on theology and human rights.
The essays vary in readability, but every one is relevant, even eight years after the conference. The place and role of theology is still contested (some argue that its being pushed out of English universities in favour of religious studies). Northcott asks whether we should be engaged in the human rights debate and argues (I think rightly) that '[l]ove not rights, is the law which is to prevail amongst Christians' (p.136). Webster, in his typical way, claims that
Theology's task in other words, is neither apologetic nor revisionary, but exegetical and dogmatic, busying itself quietly and confidently with its proper concerns, not in order to sidestep the exigencies of whatever its host culture may be, but precisely so as to be able to address them with the right kind of Christianity specificity, determination and hope (p.79).
Fergusson argues that church is a counter-cultural community. Helm argues on epistemological grounds for a doctrine of religious toleration (personally I prefer Luke Bretherton's notion of 'hospitality' over 'tolerance').
This book brings to the fore the choices the Christian church and theology has before it. As both become more marginal (if they have not already), they will need to decide how they are to engage and witness with a 'tolerant' and 'pluralist' society. This is not a bad book, but equally its not a great one, which is disappointing because of its topic of conversation. The essays collected here sadly don't represent the best work from their authors. They all feel a bit safe or at least lacking in something. (This I think is partly sometimes a problem of style in reformed theology.) Its not that don't make important theological points, but they are lacking some punch and earthed engagement. It would be interesting to see another conference on this topic post-9/11.
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