NASHVILLE, Tenn. ñ Many Christians feel duty-bound ñ uncomfortably so ñ
to believe that salvation is closed to members of other religious
traditions, believes Vanderbilt University Divinity School professor
John Thatamanil.
During a community breakfast on Jan. 20 and a separate four-part
Relevant Religion community education class beginning Jan. 31,
Thatamanil will teach three major viewpoints on the issue, all within
the Christian tradition. Only one maintains that Christians exclusively
may attain salvation.
The community breakfast and Relevant Religion series are both titled “Dealing with Religious Difference: Christian Responses.”
“My experience is that most people don‘t want to maintain a position of
exclusive salvation for Christians only, and I can see the load being
taken off their shoulders when they‘re offered alternatives,” said
Thatamanil, assistant professor of theology. “They want the resources
to believe that salvation is open to all, but they don‘t know how to do
that biblically.”
The community breakfast will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on
Thursday, Jan. 20, at St. Ann‘s Episcopal Church, 419 Woodland Street.
Admission is $10, and reservations are required. To register or get
more information, call 615-343-3994 or click on www.vanderbilt.edu/divinity on the Internet.
The Relevant Religion class will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on
Jan. 31, Feb. 7, Feb. 14 and Feb. 21 at the Scarritt-Bennett Center,
1008 19th Avenue South. Admission is $50. To register, call
615-340-7543, click on www.vanderbilt.edu/divinity on the Internet, or e-mail spiritus@scarrittbennett.org.
Media contact: Jim Patterson, (615) 322-NEWS
jim.patterson@vanderbilt.edu