The Media Center will periodically post reviews of resources that we have available for borrowing. When you borrow resources from us, you may receive a form to fill out that lets us know how the resource worked or didn’t work for you. Some of these reviews may be posted on this site if you give your permission. One such user review is posted below following the librarian’s review. An online form for user reviews is also available. Just click on Reviews under Blog Topics on the left to access all of our resource reviews.
Christianity and World Religions
By Adam Hamilton
http://thewell.cor.org/christianity-and-world-religions.html
I particularly appreciate Adam Hamilton’s studies on other faiths because he emphasizes what we can learn from others. There is a clear lack of judgment. Never does he say, “This faith is wrong because . . .” Instead, he shows us what the differences are from our own faith, and then he does something radical. He invites us to learn from them. Whether it is devotion or knowledge of their faith or reverence, Hamilton sees opportunities for us to grow as Christians by learning about non-Christians. Along the way, he challenges us to be ambassadors of our own faith. He gives us examples of what to say and how to say it, and it not-so-subtly makes us question, “How do I make Christianity appear to those who are not Christians?” By understanding other faiths, we can talk with non-Christians from an educated perspective that puts mutual respect at the center of our conversation and opens up dialogue that we would not entertain without it. Hamilton makes sure we understand that this is just an introduction to other faiths, and that if we are to truly engage in witnessing to non-Christians, then we need to be open to understanding where they are coming from if we have any hope of them wanting to understand about Jesus and His love.
The book looks at Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. With the introductory chapter, there are seven sessions. Each session has a video portion that features Hamilton’s sermons on these faiths and interviews with faith leaders.
This kit can be borrowed from the Media Center – DVD46 and ROM4.
User Review by Frances Shannonhouse, Riverside United Methodist Church in Elizabeth City, NC:
“Thank you very much. This is an excellent study. My Sunday School class spent two weeks on each lesson and really got a lot out of it. We learned a lot!”
User Review by Phil Wong, Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church in Raleigh, NC:
“Adam Hamilton doesn’t try to force you to believe what he believes but rather presents a lot of info on other religions and lets you hear from people of other faiths about what they believe and how they practice their faith. Adam does a great job showing how other religions share common beliefs/practices but how they differ from Christianity. He ends by giving his opinion why other religions do not lead to salvation, but he never judges . . . he preaches love, understanding, and respect for all people of all religions . . . just as Christ would expect us to treat others. You can’t witness to others with a closed fist.”