Christianity and World Religions by Derek Cooper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars In Christianity and World Religions, Derek Cooper discusses six of the primary world religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism and Islam) and then offers two sections on Christian responses to those religions. Each chapter explores the beginning of the faith (especially its creation stories) and the historical origins with a brief overview of the development of the religion over time. Then, Cooper goes on to discuss the sacred texts, central beliefs, and distinct worship practices. He ends each chapter by pointing out what (he has found) the best way to reach people of those faiths from the Christian experience (essentially, asking how we begin to talk to people of other faiths about Christianity). After surveying those faiths (the so-called “the six rival stories to Christianity” (p. 172), Cooper goes on to analyze what or who these gods of other faiths may be, suggesting they could be demons. He gives a myriad of (especially Old Testament) references in support of this position, meaning that the gods are real, but demons; and they were given dominion for a time over various regions of the world. But rather than ruling as they ought, they demanded worship, and so people gave them that worship (138-9). The final chapter deals with salvation. Cooper outlines five Christian views of salvation for those “outside” the faith: inclusivism, exclusivism, pluralism, universalism, and particularism. While Copper does not advocate for any one position, he does suggest that both inclusivism and exclusivism have a more solid Biblical foundation than the others (168). He concludes by exhorting his readers to the mission field, suggesting that the mission field is coming even closer to home (174). If anyone is looking for a brief introduction to the world’s major religions from a Christian perspective, this is a great place to get started. Of course, it is impossible to replace the value of reading the original source material. But what makes this book so valuable is its high level of scholarship in an incredibly accessible style. View all my reviews
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