Hospitality, Service, Proclamation

In Hospitality, Service, Proclamation: Interfaith Engagement as Christian Discipleship, Tom Wilson provides a Christian theological framework for engaging with other religious adherents, which goes hand in hand with one’s discipleship journey. Wilson's central thesis is that hospitality, service, and proclamation are three Christian interreligious practices that are to be held in “creative tension” (23) undergirded by two fundamental Christian commitments, “an uncompromising commitment to the exclusive Lordship of Jesus Christ; and . . . to love those who reject that Lordship” (141). Wilson lays out the argument using scriptural analysis and personal experiences of interreligious work from the British setting.

The six-chaptered book begins with the question: Why engage in interfaith work? While Wilson highlights factors such as fear, apathy, and shortage of time as standing in the way of Christians from engaging with other religious believers, Wilson’s reflection on personal experiences demonstrates that interreligious engagement can be vital for one’s discipleship process. The chapter concludes with the argument that interreligious work is best done as a congregational matter where the community of believers embodies love, joy, and hope in interreligious relations.

In chapter 2, Wilson situates the discussion within the historical development of the theology of religion paradigm by raising the question, who engages in interfaith relations? Although Wilson understands the limitation of the three-fold typology of the theology of religion (pluralism, inclusivism, and exclusivism), Wilson uses the typology as a “pedagogical device” (28) to provide an overview of the contemporary debate. Wilson discusses twelve approaches and categorizes the thoughts of (1) Michael Amalados, Kenneth Cracknell, John Hick, and Perry Schmidt-Leukel in pluralism; (2) Michael Barnes, Stephen B. Bevans, Roger P. Schroeder, Richard Sudworth, and Amos Yong in the inclusivism camp; and (3) Dewi Hughes, Harold A. Netland, Andrew Smith, and Daniel Strange under exclusivism. However, for Wilson, irrespective of the particular theological position one holds, the critical question to consider is: “how can you fulfill the two great commandments to love God and love your neighbour in relation to engagement with people of other faiths?” (54). According to Wilson, hospitality, service, and proclamation are three practices that will enable Christians to hold the two great commandments in balance.

Therefore, in chapter 3, while responding to the question, what does the Bible say? Wilson discusses ten Bible passages (five from the Old Testament and five from the New Testament) to demonstrate the intertwining nature of these three practices. Wilson’s objective is to point out that, while there are scriptural passages that reinforce the importance of proclamation of the Christian faith, there are also several passages that "support the importance of offering hospitality to people of all faiths and none, and of acts of selfless service" (85).

In chapter 4, Wilson responds to the question, when and where does interfaith engagement take place? From the British context, Wilson identifies four common places for Christians to genuinely engage with people of other faiths extending hospitality and service: in churches, schools, homes and in other places of worship. In this discussion, Wilson is mainly concerned about highlighting interfaith interactions that are “not formally labelled as” interreligious dialogues, instead, the kind of engagement that is “spontaneous, spur of the moment and responsive” (90). At the same time, these interactions are initiated through various public events. For example, at other places of worship, Christians are welcome to join in during their open days, festivals, and times of tension to learn more about the other and build relationships with them (101–106).

In chapter 5, Wilson tackles the final question, how can interfaith engagement take place? and takes the conversation regarding the nature of interreligious engagement from a spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment kind to a more theological one. Wilson identifies five methods of engagements: through personal friendships, organized church or small group initiatives, bilateral groups, reading of sacred texts, and social actions. Although Wilson expounds on all these five areas, a substantial portion of the chapter is dedicated to discussing bilateral groups and reading of sacred texts with ample case studies from the United Kingdom modeling interreligious projects that enable growth in “friendship and understanding” (136).

In chapter 6, as a way of conclusion, Wilson recalls that hospitality, service, and proclamation are equal facets in Christian interfaith engagement that enables a Christian to be committed to the exclusive lordship of Jesus Christ whilst extending love to those who reject that lordship (141). Therefore, according to Wilson, Christians should hold these practices together without prioritizing one at the expense of the others (139). Wilson also recalls that interreligious work is a form of Christian discipleship as it forces Christians "out of ourselves” (142) to think of ways to engage with the religious other who believes that Holy Spirit is at work in other faith systems.

As an interreligious engagement discourse, Hospitality, Service, Proclamation makes a unique contribution, as it brings together the practical aspects and theological reasonings in a balanced manner, making it a more enjoyable read for anyone—from a beginner to a scholar. Within interreligious studies, as Wilson is more concerned with the relational attitudes of Christians, the whole discourse can be situated in the realm of the theology of interreligious relations, as opposed to the paradigm of the theology of religions or comparative theology, which often restricts the interfaith interaction to an intellectual realm.

However, one of the drawbacks of the book is its lack of engagement from an overt Christian discipleship perspective. Readers drawn to the book by its subtitle, interfaith engagement as Christian discipleship, may be disappointed as Wilson’s association of interfaith engagement with discipleship is more subtle than a direct and detailed exposition on how interreligious interaction could be formative for a Christian. Although in parts of chapters 1 and 6 Wilson mentions how interreligious engagement could be pivotal for a Christian's discipleship journey, the formative dimension is missing from the remainder of the book. Nonetheless, the book itself provides space for the readers to engage in a reflective journey. Every section of the book ends with helpful reflective questions for the readers to pause and take stock of their assumptions regarding interreligious engagement. In such a manner, the book is a vital tool for Christian discipleship. If any avid reader of interfaith would like to delve further into Christianity's relations with various religions, Wilson's well-annotated appendix section would also be a valuable resource.

Allan Varghese is a PhD student at Asbury Theological Seminary.

Allan Varghese

Date Of Review:

July 24, 2021