This man read every religious book

Reflection

The idea of someone reading every major religious book before reaching a conclusion is appealing, since it suggests a fair, thorough search rather than an inherited or lazy assumption. Genuine comparative study of world religions is a worthwhile exercise, and many people who have undertaken it seriously have found their view of Christianity sharpened rather than dismissed, precisely because of its distinctive claims about grace, incarnation and resurrection. Most religious systems describe paths of human effort towards the divine, various ladders of merit, discipline or enlightenment. Christianity's claim is unusual by comparison: that God came down rather than waiting to be reached, taking on human flesh and bearing judgement himself. Ephesians describes salvation as a gift, not from works, so that no one can boast. Whether or not anyone has genuinely read every religious text in existence, the exercise of comparing Christianity's core claims honestly against its alternatives is one worth doing rather than assuming the answer in advance.

Questions to sit with

• Have you ever compared the core claims of different faiths side by side?
• What do you think is most distinctive about Christianity's claims when set against other paths?
• Would genuine, patient study change how firmly you hold your current views?

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