Manifold Witness: The Plurality of Truth

More praise for Manifold Witness:

I am grateful to John Franke for this bracing and bold theological account of plurality and truth. It expanded my imagination, gave me words I have long been looking for, and is helping me understand God and the church better and more faithfully. Grazie mille, John.

—Lauren F. Winner, Duke Divinity School, author of Girl Meets God

An honest, passionate, engaging, and spirit-raising book! Franke's humble, bold articulation of the crux of the emerging church conversation, centered on the Bible and tradition, is confessional yet inclusive. He genuinely celebrates the gifts of the plurality of the church in diverse witnesses and the unity of the reconciling love of God in Jesus' mission.

—Andrew Sung Park, Professor of Theology at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio

I cannot think of a more important nor relevant topic than the nature of Truth, with a capital T. It shapes and influences how we think, believe, and act. In a world of competing truth claims it is easy and common to end the conversation by retreating to our own familiar tradition. John Franke wants us to do more, to think deeply and faithfully about a wonderfully provocative notion, the plurality of truth. This book will be an invaluable resource for preachers and teachers.

—John Buchanan, Pastor, Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, and Editor/Publisher of The Christian Century

"Manifold Witness will truly help Christians committed to the apostolic faith understand that a plurality of views and interpretations, rather than contradicting that faith, stands at its very core!"

—Justo L. González, author of A Concise History of Christian Doctrine and A History of Christian Thought

More titles in the Living Theology series

A COMMUNITY CALLED ATONEMENT

Scot McKnight

NATURE'S WITNESS: How Evolution Can Inspire Faith

Daniel M. Harrell

Connect and keep talking at

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(www.emergentvillage.com)

MANIFOLD WITNESS

THE PLURALITY OF TRUTH

Copyright © 2009 by Abingdon Press

All rights reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission can be addressed to Abingdon Press, P.O. Box 801, 201 Eighth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37202-0801, or e-mailed to permissions@abingdonpress.com.

This book is printed on recycled, acid-free paper.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Franke, John R.

Manifold witness : the plurality of truth / John R. Franke ; foreword by Brian D. McLaren.

p. cm. — (Living theology)

Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and indexes.

ISBN 978-0-687-49195-7 (binding: pbk., adhesive-perfect : alk. paper) 1. Church—Unity. 2. Truth—Religious aspects—Christianity. I. Title.

BV601.5.F73 2009

262.001'1—dc22

2009019816

Scripture unless noted otherwise is taken from the Holy Bible, TODAY'S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of the International Bible Society.

Scripture quotations noted NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18—10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

In memory of Stanley J. Grenz

(1950–2005)

Introduction to Living Theology by Tony Jones

Foreword by Brian D. McLaren

Preface

Do You Believe in Truth?

Plurality and Truth

The Historic Christian Faith?

Community, Tradition, and the Emerging Church

Jesus, Truth, and the Trinity

The Life of God

God Speaks

Scripture as the Word of God

Scripture as Manifold Witness

Manifold Witness and the Other

Manifold Witness and Deconstruction

Theology as Manifold Witness

The Many and the One

Notes

Subject Index

Scripture Index

Tony Jones, Series Editor

Iknow a lot of theologians, and I don't know any who want to hide theology under a bushel. No, they want to let it shine. But far too often, the best theology is hidden under a bushel of academic jargon and myriad footnotes. Such is the life of many a professor.

But in Emergent Village, we've always wanted to talk about the best theology around, and to do it in ways that are approachable for many people. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense for us to partner with our friends at Abingdon Press to produce a series of books of approachable theology—of living theology.

Our friends who are writing in this series have academic chops: they can write the 400-page monograph with 800 footnotes. But that's not what we've asked them to do. Instead, we've asked them to write something they're passionate about, something that they think the rest of the church should be passionate about too.

The result, we hope, is a series that will provoke conversation around ideas that matter to the Christian faith. We expect these books to be useful in church small groups and seminary classrooms and Emergent Village cohorts (our local incarnation). Likely, they'll raise as many questions as they answer.

And, in so doing, these books will not only tackle theological issues; they'll also promote a way of doing theology: one that is conversational, collegial, and winsome. Those of us who are involved in this series hold our own convictions, but we do so with enough humility to let contrary opinions shape us too.

It's a messy endeavor, theology. But it's also fun and, in my experience, uniquely rewarding. So we offer this series to Christ's church, with a prayer that it will draw many closer to God and further down the journey of faith.

Grace and Peace.

You're about to read a wonderful book. By wonderful, I mean full of wonders, four of which I would like to name. First is the wonder of a first-rate theologian and scholar like Dr. John Franke writing with due scholarly care yet using the kind of English that most of us can actually understand. And enjoy! For not only does John write accessibly, which would be wonder enough, but he writes beautifully too. This means that when you need to slow down and read a sentence twice, it's not because he has overloaded the sentence with technical terms like ontological or hermeneutic or hegemonic or metadiscourse—it's because there is an elegance and rhythm to his writing that deserves a second notice and a second thought, like going back for seconds at a delicious, home-cooked holiday meal.

Then there's the wonder of a white theologian writing with deep sensitivity to the hegemonic discourse (oops, sorry—the oppressive or dominating tendencies) of white theologians. Nobody is surprised when communists critique capitalism, or when non-Westerners critique the West, or when conservatives critique liberals (or vice versa). But when capitalists and Westerners and conservatives (or their counterparts) are self-critical, that's a wonder, and the same goes for white male Christian theologians.

Third, there's the wonder of a scholar of the Reformed tradition who actually takes seriously the Reformation ideal of semper reformanda—to be always reforming. At a time when many who cherish the label Reformed seem to be freezing if not fossilizing in a kind of theological retrenchment, John stays true to the best in the Reformation tradition by continuing the Reformers' essential and ongoing work. He does so not simply by endlessly repeating the Reformed tradition's sixteenth- or seventeenth- or twentieth-century formulations, nor by critiquing everyone who is not Reformed, but by subjecting the Reformed tradition and the larger Christian tradition alike to a kind of loving scrutiny. This isn't the scrutiny of a fault-finder, but rather the scrutiny of an oncologist investigating his own mother's X-ray for signs of malignancy.

And finally, there's the wonder of the book's thesis itself: that for human beings, truth is inherently plural. John asserts this, not because it is fashionable (it's the very opposite among his guild in the theological academy), but rather because he believes it is true, and is willing to suffer the scorn of some of his peers for this truth as he sees it. He asserts the plurality of truth, not as a capitulation to non- or anti-Christian thought, but rather as an expression of profoundly Christian thought—and specifically, of emergent, missional, and trinitarian Christian thought. In so doing, he gently implies that the dominant alternative view—that white, modernist, Western Christian scholars and institutions have a monopoly on truth—is actually a capitulation to modes of thought and power that have betrayed the life and gospel of Jesus Christ.

Put these four wonders together and you have a wonderful book indeed. It will be interesting to see how it is received. Will some line up exactly as we might expect, to reactively dismiss John's thesis on the basis that it doesn't conform to their privileged monologue about truth as flat, proprietary, and common-sense (meaning obvious to people like themselves)? Probably. But I think that John's clear logic and irenic spirit in these pages will get through to many who up until now have been put off by the various generative conversations emerging around the margins of the Christian community. I think they'll read John's book and say, Ah, now I get it. Why didn't somebody explain it this clearly before? This isn't heresy. This is an exciting new dimension of the generous orthodoxy that has always been at the heart of Christian tradition.

For those of us who have been struggling for some time with the important issues raised by this book, I believe Manifold Witness will eliminate a lot of static and fear, and clear the way for more and more truth-seekers to be welcomed to the theological table for a rich banquet.

This banquet will feature good and healthy foods from many cultures. It will kindle joyful fellowship and spirited dialogue rather than rancorous debate. It will stimulate and strengthen all who participate to love and good works, and to justice, compassion, and humility in the Spirit of Jesus Christ and to the glory of God the Father.

For the truth as John explores it in this book isn't simply an outline of objective statements that invites assent; it is a person who issues a summons to repent and follow. When we do so, we find ourselves in the company of a vast assembly from every tribe and nation, a multitude that no one can count, sharing a thousand bona fide perspectives on the manifold grace and glory of God. To God be all glory.

Brian D. McLaren

Laurel, Maryland

January 2009

Iwould like to thank Tony Jones, the general editor of this series, for his invitation to write this volume and for his work on behalf of Emergent Village over the past several years. Tony has been a major catalyst for the emerging church conversation and he will continue to be an important voice as he moves into a new phase of life and ministry. His extensive comments on the first draft of this manuscript have made it a much more readable book. I also benefited from the comments of the Baltimore and Twin Cities Emergent cohort groups. Tim West at Abingdon Press has been particularly helpful in carefully editing the manuscript and offering many useful suggestions.

A number of friends and colleagues have engaged me in conversation around the themes of the book and some have kindly taken the time to read various portions and drafts along the way, in one form or another. Their commentary and insight have been invaluable in helping me better address the issues raised in the book. I particularly wish to thank the following: Scot McKnight, Brian McLaren, David Dunbar, Todd Mangum, Sam Logan, David Lamb, Phil Monroe, Mabiala Kenzo, Don Thorson, David Williams, and my colleagues in the faculty cluster of the Reforming Ministry project. All of these friends probably wish I had incorporated more of their suggestions and concerns than I have.

I have had the opportunity over the past several years to present this material in various forms at a number of colleges, seminaries, and conferences in which I appreciated warm hospitality and stimulating conversation. I particularly wish to express my thanks to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary, Westminster Theological Seminary, Whitworth University, St. Mary's College at the University of St. Andrews, Highland Theological College, and Taylor University College. I would especially like to thank my students at Biblical Seminary who have listened to these ideas for several years in lectures and classes and have been a constant source of wisdom and encouragement. I also want to express my gratitude to my former teaching assistant Stephanie Lowery for her work during the 2007–2008 academic year in enabling me to work on this book. Thanks, Steph; I couldn't have done it without you.

I dedicate this volume to the memory of my friend and mentor Stanley Grenz. I once told Stan that whatever I went on to write, even where I disagreed with him, would always be indebted to his influence. I hope he would be pleased with this book. I think he would be.

Do You Believe in Truth?

Istill remember the first time I was asked the question: Do you believe in truth?

The person posing the question looked at me earnestly with an expression of grave concern etched on his face. The tone of his voice made it clear that his statement was as much an accusation as it was a question: You don't believe in truth, do you?

I was genuinely surprised and startled. I had never had a question like this posed to me before. I had always been an advocate of truth, not one of its detractors. I thought to myself: O f course I believe in truth. I believe in God. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

O n top of all that, I have been involved in the church all of my adult life and thought, somewhat cynically, that I certainly wouldn't be