“Students aim to bridge theological gap”
Deseret Morning News
by Carrie A. Moore
As Mitt Romney tells people that his religion won’t dictate his political policy decisions and an occasional Christian pastor warns publicly that Romney’s religion is a “cult,” some are looking to bridge the cultural gap that divides evangelical Christians and Latter-day Saints.
More than 300 scholars and students on both sides of the gulf recently spent two days in Salt Lake City talking about the meaning of Christianity – including the definition of grace and injunction by Jesus to “love one another” despite the differences in theology….
Jerry Root, adjunct professor of Christian formation and theology at Wheaton College, told participants that one benefit of the pursuit of truth should be “spiritual maturity,” that considers the beliefs of others and is not afraid to ask deep questions about one’s own or another’s faith.
That pursuit recognizes that “truth is not reality, but truth is what I think about reality” and must be distinguished from opinion, which is “based on probability rather than certainty … I must not be afraid of honest doubt that accompanies debate and discussion.”
Failure to have doubts about faith “may mean I’m on the threshold of delusion,” the former pastor said, adding “spiritual formation is a process of maturity.” Click here to read more.
