United Methodists Start “Multi-Faith” Seminary
- Posted on June 14, 2010
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According to PewForum.org: In a bow to the growing diversity of America's religious landscape, the Claremont School of Theology, a Christian institution with long ties to the Methodist Church, will add clerical training for Muslims and Jews to its curriculum this fall, to become, in a sense, the first truly multi-faith American seminary.
The transition upends centuries of tradition in which seminaries have hewn not just to single faiths but often to single denominations within those faiths. Eventually, Claremont hopes to add clerical programs for Buddhists and Hindus.
Huh?
Why?
Is it a money thing to keep the 'seminary' alive?
Is it a politically correct thing?
Where is the United Methodist Church in all of this? (According to Wikipedia, Claremont is one of 13 approved seminaries affiliated with the United Methodist Church... Claremont's website seems to back that up).
Here's what the Claremont website says about the change:
Affiliated with The United Methodist Church, Claremont School of Theology has a long history of educating religious leaders. Founded in 1885, the School embraced an ecumenical vision upon its move to Claremont, California, in 1957. Today, it is making a similar adjustment of vision, to meet the cultural and religious demands of a world in transition.
While maintaining a strong School of Theology to prepare Christian ministers, Claremont is developing other schools to prepare teachers, counselors, scholars and community leaders for the interreligious realities of the 21st Century. We call this plan the University Project.
Also from the Claremont website:
We envision a model of theological education in which students are educated rigorously and intensively in their own religious traditions and in contact with the other religious traditions that are thriving throughout our society. We aim to instill our students with a strong sense of their own religious identities and the integrity of the religious traditions that they represent, while simultaneously teaching them to recognize the legitimacy and integrity of the other religious traditions which they will encounter at Claremont and the world beyond.
According to Jerry Campbell, President of the school:
Some times, change seems glacial in its pace. And at others, it hits like an avalanche. Today, I am invigorated by the rush of change coming to Claremont, and we're running as fast as we can to keep one step ahead of it all!
Your thoughts?
Todd
Comments
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Peter Hamm on Tue, June 15, 2010
CS, the unequally yoked passage is rarely used in a proper context. I think this is it.
I understand about “tearing down walls of hatred” and I approve. But this is something different. Quite simply, it’s universalism.
Randy Willis on Wed, June 16, 2010
FYI, as I understand it, back in January 2010, the UMC’s University Senate put Claremont on public warning and froze funding, pending an investigation. The results of that investigation will determine if the school remains a UMC-related institution.
Source: http://www.umportal.org/main/article.asp?id=6447
As a United Methodist, I’m very interested in seeing how this plays out. I’d need a lot of convincing to see this as a positive thing.
The mission of the UMC is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” It seems to me they’d need to make the case that this change in their institution’s mission somehow helps fulfill our mission.
San Diego DUI Lawyer on Mon, October 11, 2010
I think this wonderful. So many conflicts are these days are still religious battles, it is archaic. I think it is great that a christian seminary can embrace the multicultural aspect of the world and endeavor to educate people across faith lines and to instill an understanding of other religions in the religious leaders of tomorrow. It is a great step toward understanding for a school like this to be built and frankly, this should have happened a long time ago in this country. One of America’s founding principles was for all people of this nation to be able to worship freely whatever religion they wish. Even though that is one of our main tenets, you still see religious animosity all over the U.S. I am all for this multi-religious school.
just me on Thu, October 21, 2010
Worshipping Other gods
Take care in choosing a church to attend. Some churches disregard the Lord�s word and teach apostasy. Some will tell you that all religions, or �paths� as they call it, lead to God. This is a false belief. Satan tries to trick people using their sense of compassion for others.
The one-world-faith movement is one such trick. Tony Blair, former UK Prime Minister, is one leader in this movement. Here are some of his words, �But this, in a sense, is the dark side of strong belief. People who hold deep convictions about life and its purpose necessarily can be prone to holding those views to excess or to the point of prejudice. That danger is inherent in faith.�
�So though we may disagree with those of another faith, though we hold true to our own faith we should not have the arrogance merely to tolerate a person whose faith is different; but instead respect them as an equal.�
His first quote he mentions that strong faith can lead to prejudice. Read this as: If you are a Christian and speak against apostasy and false gods or just speak God�s truth you can be persecuted. An example is: In New Hampshire, a 12 year old home schooled girl was ordered into public school because her religious beliefs were too ‘sincere’ and ‘rigid’. The girl is Christian and a social worker thought she should attend school to learn �other ideas�.
You can also expect laws to be used for persecution such as being arrested for a hate crime such as in this case: �A police community support officer ordered two Christian preachers to stop handing out gospel leaflets in a predominantly Muslim area of Birmingham (UK). The evangelists say they were threatened with arrest for committing a �hate crime� and were told they risked being beaten up if they returned.�
Blair�s second quote tells you that we should respect all points of view (religions) as being the same. This is saying false gods/goddesses, idols, and even satan is the same as our God. I think not!
A good church will teach against sin, teach repentance and obedience to the Lord, and teach Jesus is the only way to Heaven, and not teach against scripture.
Isaiah 44:6 “This is what the LORD says�Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
Deuteronomy 13:1-4 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.
Deuteronomy 13:6-8 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him.
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