Wrestling with “Manifold Witness”

OK, fans of Prebymergent. I am going to be blogging my way through John R. Franke’s Manifold Witness: the Plurality of Truth. Right off the bat, I think this is a necessary book for your ministry shelf. For those who are even slightly versed in a philosophical approach to theology, Manifold Witness delivers in it’s thesis alone: “the expression of biblical and orthodox Christian faith is inherently and irreducibly pluralist [7].” Franke, so far, has taken great care to make the topic accessible.

I think that we all live in the tension of this plurality, whether we acknowledge it or not. “There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God who is Father of all who is over all, through all and in all [Eph 4:4-6],” Paul proclaims in his call for Christian unity. He hits on “ONE” so often, you’d think it was a U2 song. Paul’s message is clear: the faith, the church is one!

But we know that’s not true, don’t we?

Central to the adherence to any one faith (or church) is the question of what is truth in its ideal and absolute sense. While I am only finished with the first few chapters, it is clear to me that Franke is opening the door to help us understand: First, why the One Church casts such a fractious shadow regarding truth,second, why we must address the issue of pluralism inherent within Christianity and our view of truth(see Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, etc…), and third, how to manage the divergence and unity of our faith without losing grip of Truth in its divine and human contexts.

Franke claims that since pluralism within the church is public (i.e how many different denominations exist within a square mile of your present location?), we have to just accept that Christianity is pluralistic. I think you’re going to have to do a bit of work on how you define pluralism if that statement ruffles your feathers. Ultimately, obviously, he’s right. We are one, but we are many. That is true even within single denominations.

The work of embracing the idea that Christianity is pluralistic is hard. It should be hard. We are taught that our version is the correct version (although that perspective is what Presbymergent types dismiss as a near credo). We have to learn to, NOT soften our beliefs, but construct a “bold humility,” as Franke concludes early in the book.

If we look to the Trinity and witness a primordial plurality (as well as unity), and we look to the Church (catholic; Nicene) and experience a similar diversity, then in order to be live into the Eph 4 paradigm, we can be bold in our understanding/proclamation of truth, but develop a necessary humility in the relational aspect as it regards dialogue/attitude [cf. Phil 2:4-8].

NEXT UP: a post on Truth.