John is the co-editor and contributing author for A Charitable Orthopathy: Christian Perspectives on Emotions in Multifaith Engagement, and Encountering New Religious Movements: A Holistic Evangelical Approach, and the editor of Beyond the Burning Times: A Pagan and Christian in Dialogue. John has also provided expertise to the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization issue group on "The Church and the New Spiritualities." He has been involved for many years in multifaith relationships and conversations in the contexts of Islam, Mormonism, Paganism, Satanism and several others. His ongoing research in interreligious conflict involves bringing social psychology and neuroscience into conversation with a theology of love of religious neighbors. Areas of interest include emotions and orthopathy, the psychology of trust building, and the cognitive science and biocultural study of religion.

Work of the Chapter:

American Christianity is experiencing decline in areas such as mainline Protestantism, and even among conservative evangelicals where losses are seen among Millennials, as well as some of the most committed members of congregations. While Christianity still retains majority status numerically, Christianity has lost its hold as the religiously defining center of America, and the growing multiplicity of religious faiths in America is clear. Various religions are asserting their presence in the public square, and increasingly Christians are encountering their adherents not only on the internet, but also in workplaces, neighborhoods, and sometimes even families as the number of interfaith marriages continues to rise. This brings evangelicals into daily contact with a multifaith world. Our neighbors are Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Latter-day Saints, Pagans, Atheists, the “Nones,” and the Spiritual But Not Religious, and more. 

Of course, the challenges posed by strong religious disagreements are not limited to America. Across the world the presence of religious differences cause tension, violence, contribute to terrorism, fuel the international refugee crisis, and pose a threat to religious liberty for all. A positive evangelical engagement of a multi-faith world is desperately needed.

Yet in the face of this need, evangelical perceptions of other religions are many times negative. In a 2011 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life global survey of evangelical leaders, two findings are especially important in this regard. First, evangelical feelings about other religions were largely unfavorable. Pew states, “Of the evangelical leaders who express opinions on other religious groups, most say they hold generally unfavorable views of Hindus (65%), Buddhists (65%) and Muslims (67%).” Second, Pew also considered evangelical assumptions about how other religions act toward them. The world religions are viewed as significantly unfriendly with Hindus at 41%, Buddhists at 39%, Muslims at 69%, and the non-religious at 45%. Perhaps it’s not surprising that evangelical leaders would hold unfavorable views about those in other religious traditions with whom they fundamentally disagree. In one sense “unfavorable” might refer to concerns about the truth claims related to alternative beliefs and practices, or concerns about beliefs related to the eternal destinies of adherents of non-Christian religions. However, this lack of favor is also apparent in stereotypical and negative attitudes toward the adherents themselves. It is our conviction that evangelicals must work hard to address such attitudes.

To address the challenges of a multifaith world, Multifaith Matters helps evangelicals fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandments (love of God and neighbor) while maintaining faithfulness to evangelical convictions. 

Our approach is grounded in the teachings and example of Jesus who said his disciples were to love their neighbors (Mark 12:30-31), as well as their enemies (Matthew 5:44). This is the basis for Jesus' teaching in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), and it was demonstrated in his life as he interacted with Gentiles, such as with the Samaritan woman (John 4:1-26), and his participation in table fellowship and hospitality with outcasts and Gentiles (Luke 15:1-2). Jesus’s disciples should also be involved in peacemaking (Matthew 5:9; Romans 12:18).

Multifaith Matters engages in several activities in support of its mission. This includes:

• telling the stories of Christians loving their multifaith neighbors,

• developing and identifying resources,

• consulting on multifaith possibilities,

• sharing ministry events and opportunities,

• and building a network of Christians doing the work of engaging peoples of other religions.

To explore the Evangelical Chapter further visit https://www.multifaithmatters.org/ .