Here is the text that I submitted for "analysis" (it is from the post An Orthodox theologian explains what he means by "Inclusivism" and "Tolerance"):
Rev. Dr. George C. Papademetrious is a prominent Orthodox theologian who is especially noted for his involvement in inter-faith dialogue (see his official biography at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America website). Father Papademetrious is a highly educated and exceptionally articulate man. When he writes about the relationship between Christianity and other religions he is not satisfied with glib, politically correct catch-phrases. Where he finds simplicity, he does not shy away from stating things plainly, even bluntly. And where he finds complexity, he insists on giving that complexity it's full due.
As far as I can see, there is no reason to doubt that Father Papademetrious has a genuine personal commitment to religious tolerance, and an abhorrence of all religious violence and persecution regardless of who the victims (or perpetrators) are. And he also possesses a clearly demonstrated interest in and sympathy for non-Christian religious traditions and their adherents.
But while Father Papademetrious' intelligence and humaneness shine through in his writings, this only makes it all the more jarring when one realizes the unambiguous import of what he believes to be the truth about all non-Christian religions. In particular, he insists that Christianity alone offers "salvation" and contains "saving truths". But somehow he makes this claim in the name of "tolerance" and "inclusiveness" (and also in the name of rejecting "exclusivism"). But Father Papademetrious is not here engaging in any deception or sophistry. He states very clearly what he means by "exclusivism", "inclusivism" and "tolerance". On close inspection, his definitions turn out to be rather counterintuitive, but they are not completely unreasonable, and they are presented in a very forthright and even well-reasoned manner, so there is no excuse for misunderstanding him.
3 comments:
Damn. Turns out, I write like Dan Brown. Gack! I checked it twice, with two separate pieces of text.
Dan Brown? In that case you should be a rich and famous author of best-selling fictionalized redactions of occult conspiracy theories!
One writer, whose result was "Edgar Allen Poe" decided to do a test, and submitted some actual prose by Poe to "I Write Like", which promptly announced that Edgar Allen Poe wrote like ... Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Then person who blogged the above story (about a friend of hers), submitted her blog entry, and was told that she now writes like the author of the Stainless Steel Rat stories, Harry Harrison (whereas it originally told her that, like her friend, she writes like Edgar Allen Poe).
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/i-write-like-yeah-right/
I tried out five short non-fiction pieces I've written and was likened to, depending on the piece, Margaret Mitchell, Gertrude Stein, Isaac Asimov, Leo Tolstoy, and J.R.R. Tolkien.
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