How can the Christian community engage in authentic dialogue with other traditions in search of the mutuality so necessary for civil society and yet remain true to the particular truth claims of the Christian faith? This paper attempts an answer to this question by setting forth a Trinitarian model of authentic dialogue, one that pursues mutuality while preserving the particularity of the Christian truth claims. It is even argued that the Christian community is called and enabled to pursue such mutuality because of the particularity of the Trinitarian faith. The essay concludes with insights regarding the nature of dialogue. Dialogue assists those from diverse traditions persuade one another to go more deeply into their respective traditions in view of what they can learn from one another in search of sources that will advance further a compassionate form of shared existence.
The Institute for Cultural Engagement, an official program of Multnomah University and Biblical Seminary