When Faiths Collide

By Martin E. Marty

Book Overview

In the face of the growing threat from collisions of faith world-wide, this manifesto is a call to embrace religious pluralism. Martin E. Marty is a renowned commentator on religious matters, the author of over 50 books, winner of the National Book Award, and the recipient of 74 honorary doctorates Demonstrates that citizens, religions and identities can survive in radically pluralist settings Accessibly written, it tackles people's fears of religious pluralism Argues that those involved in collisions of faith need to risk hospitality towards one another, as opposed to the conventional plea for tolerance Pays particular attention to the conflicts that affect or occur within those nations whose politics can be called republican, open, democratic, liberal, or free - particularly the UK, the US, and Western Europe.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1405112239
• ISBN13: 9781405112239
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Length: 193 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Classic Marty, worth a look

There is a fine distinction between a review and a response, and I want to walk that line. This book is a valuable contribution to the current discussion on how religions relate to each other. As is characteristic of Marty, he marshalls studies, reports, and personal anecdotes to make his point. In brief, that point is that tolerance preserves the problems of intolerance. By tolerating, I retain my hold on the truth, and reduce to other to an image I understand and control. Marty's "manifesto" here is that we should "risk hospitality" in relating to the "other/stranger." This hospitality, according to his "domestic analogy," involves inviting the stranger into my home, but not altering the religious articles and icons I display. I invite the other without changing. Marty describes hospitality as engaging the other, feeding him/her, talking, and most of all sharing stories. The experience may or may not change me. While I admire this effort, I wonder if Marty's description of hospitality really goes far enough. The risk, to me, seems minimal. If we compare his definition of hospitality to that of Jacques Derrida in "Philosophy in a Time of Terror," or anywhere he discusses his concept of cosmopolitanism, Marty seems to fail to escape the realm of tolerance. For Derrida, the risk of hospitality must risk everything, putting no conditions on who may arrive, or what may happen. Nevertheless, Marty's book is well worth reading and an important contribution to interfaith conversation. May we risk more.

Dealing with pluralism

In the contemporary context, when conflicts between people of different faiths abound, we must deal with pluralism. Due to many different factors, the faiths of the world are colliding more now than ever. Moreover, they are coming into conflict not only in the internationl arena, but also down the block and within families. There are many ways to deal with the issue of pluralism, ranging from isolation and hostility to relativism. Dr. Marty suggests that we address civic pluralism by offering hospitality to the stranger. Rather than tolerance, where the "belonger" retains power over the "stranger," hospitality forces people of faith to risk opening themselves to the other. This book is wonderful first step. It does not argue for a utopian pipedream, but rather a practical means through which we can get along. Through hospitality we will find that faiths do not lose their distinctiveness, but are strengthened by both external and internal critique.