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Religious Perspectives on Religious Diversity. Edited by Robert McKim. Boston: Brill, 2017. 258 pages. $138.00.

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Religious Perspectives on Religious Diversity. Edited by Robert McKim. Boston: Brill, 2017. 258 pages. $138.00.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 May 2020

Maureen L. Walsh*
Affiliation:
Rockhurst University
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Abstract

Type
Book Reviews
Copyright
Copyright © College Theology Society, 2020

Robert McKim's introduction to his edited volume Religious Perspectives on Religious Diversity opens with thirty questions that draw the reader into a conversation already long in progress. The queries “What are insiders to a religious tradition to say about outsiders?” and “What are insiders to a religious tradition to say about other religious traditions?” are points of departure within the series of questions, which teases apart—very carefully and very precisely—the theological issues at stake in light of the reality of religious diversity. The question series leaves the reader pondering just how complicated these issues are and eager to see the proposals offered within the volume.

In addition to the questions, the opening chapter offers a rich summary of each essay included the book. The summaries are so detailed, in fact, that it feels like one is getting a taste of every dish on the book's menu, and from there, may decide how to proceed with the meal. One may, however, be inclined to sample the whole lot because each essay is a meal in and of itself.

One strength of this book lies in the diversity of perspectives represented among the volume's contributors. Multiple essays from Jewish and Muslim authors challenge the notion that the theology of religions is a conversation and concern only among Christians. Moreover, these essays demonstrate that there is no single Jewish or Muslim approach to the issue, just as there is no one Christian theology of religion.

Of particular note is the way that each chapter approaches age-old issues with new eyes. The authors are well aware of the historical baggage unavoidable in theologies of religions conversations. Yet, they bring fresh perspectives and offer new insights, even when making what are essentially inclusivist arguments. As McKim observes, the essays are genuinely appreciative of religious traditions and religious others. Many also remain fairly traditional in their overall outlook regarding the importance of particular truth claims that are rooted in the religious traditions from which the scholars emerge. Although the volume does not revolutionize the field, it does show that the conversation, on which many have placed a moratorium, is not dead, and that fruitful work in the area is still being done by committed scholars.

The essays are suitable for graduate students and scholars engaged in work in religious pluralism, theologies of religion, and comparative theology. As with all collaborative volumes, the contributions are variable in terms of quality and depth, but on the whole, they are well worth consideration. The strength of the diverse perspectives discussed herein may pose a challenge for some readers not well versed in the scholarship of all the Abrahamic traditions included in the book. Still, there is much to be gained from reading the chapters representing less-familiar traditions (i.e., for a given individual) for the sense of perspective almost certainly developed through de-centering one's own tradition, even if only for a short while.