Wednesday, 3 February 2016

Seeing Judaism Anew: Christianity's Sacred Obligation,
Ed. Mary C. Boys, Rowman and Littlefield, 2002
Chapter 11, "Jesus as the Universal Saviour", 127-137, page 133

Going from one step to another, Phan's fifth element pushes the boat out still further:

Religious plurality, then, is not just a matter of fact but also a matter of principle. That is, Judaism and other non-Christian religions should be seen as part of the plan of divine providence and endowed with a particular role in the history of salvation. They are not merely a "preparation" for, "stepping stones" toward, or "seeds" of Christianity and thus destined to be "fulfilled" by it. Rather, they have their own autonomy and their proper role as ways of salvation, at least for their adherents.

What I find most distressing about this is the equivalence between Judaism and "other non-Christian religions." It seems to be a basic flaw is his logic: if Judiasm and Christianity have a special relationship, if Judaism is both the cradle and progenitir of Christianity, if Judiasm is a valid religious expression, then in exactly the same way as Christianity is completely different and distinct from any other religion, so is Judaism. Phan cannot privilege Judaism and equate it to "other non-Christian religions" at the same time.