Moving Beyond Christian Exceptionalism
The time has come for Christianity to become less dualistic and move beyond exclusivism and exceptionalism in order to embrace and embody a more inclusive gospel. Without a more inclusive and universal orientation, I can’t see Christianity doing much to contribute to a more just, equitable, and peaceable world. This is, however, a daunting challenge to overcome. Our Christian exceptionalism is deeply entrenched and often feeds upon American exceptionalism, which our political leaders use to justify all sorts of intrusive polices and actions, such as drone strikes in other countries. A case in point: The Coca-Cola ad that ran during the Super Bowl sparked a wave of controversy for featuring diverse voices singing America , the Beautiful, in languages other than English. The implication being that true Americans speak English. Many Christians believe that God’s true people speak only the language of Christian faith. But surely God is larger than that and can speak to o...