go: chapter 0: mature foundations, part three

it seems one of the loudest complaints that critics are raising against bdm and that portion of the emergent movement he represents has to do with his stance on religions other than christianity. specifically, whether adherents of other faiths can be saved in ways other than through the atoning life, death, and resurrection of christ. since i feel certain this will come up again in my extended evaluation of generous orthodoxy, i opt to leave it alone for now. but i do want to interact with what i think might be at least part of bdm's problem on this subject--a part that shows up in the chapter about which i am currently thinking. "A generous otrhodoxy of the kind explored in this book," writes bdm, "while never pitching its tent in the valley of relativism, nevertheless seeks to see members of other religions and non-religions not as enemies but as beloved neighbors, and whenever possible, as dialogue partners and even collaborators" (go,35). perhaps a generous orthodoxy can do this. a gracious orthodoxy, though, can not. a gracious orthodoxy can think biblically of its neighbors in other religions and non-religions as loved, but only counts other believers who have called on the name of the lord as members of the beloved. there is a difference. motivated by love, christians ought to introduce their friends of other religions and non-religions to the beloved community of faith, welcoming them into that community only based on the spilled blood of the only sacrifice for sin, jesus christ. that is gracious orthodoxy, right thinking brought about by the grace of god reaching out to others in the same spirit of grace.