Beyond the Impasse: Toward a Pneumatological Theology of Religions

by Amos Yong

From the outset, cultures and neighboring faith traditions have influenced the development of Christian theology. This process continues even today, as Christians in the West are encountering a whole host of other believers, including Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. As people of all faiths come together, Christians have begun asking some important questions: How does Christianity differ from other faiths? Can Christians learn from other religions? And if so, can other religions learn from Christianity?

Many Christians have looked to other religions and wondered whether Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus can be saved. But according to Amos Yong, Christians should rather seek to understand the role and purpose of religions in the overall providential plan of God. While not ignoring questions about salvation through other religions, Yong asks Christians to focus on the work of the Holy Spirit, which is both universal and particular. In other words, God creates human beings by breathing his spirit into them, and yet the Spirit is sent by Jesus to a particular group of people. Recognizing the various understandings of the Spirit in Scripture helps Christians to take seriously the variety of world religions and consider that dialogue with these religions might well spark a renaissance of Christian theology in the twenty-first century. Beyond the Impasse will appeal to pastors, students, and laypeople interested in formulating a robust, biblical, and comprehensive Christian theology of religions.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Religion

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Amos Yong is the J. Rodman Williams Professor of Theology and Director of the Ph.D. in Renewal Studies program at Regent University Divinity School in Virginia Beach, VA. He is the Co-editor of Pneuma, the journal of the Society of Pentecostal Studies.

Reviews

[Wouter · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're not pentecostal, and want to keep your prejudices regarding pentecostalism intact, then I advise you not to read this book.
Amos Yong is one of the leading pentecostal theologians of our time, with an impressive academic output (a nightmare for those who want to study his thought, for he writes faster than one can read).
In this work, he lays the groundwork for a pneumatological theology of religions.
This work is not only for pentecostals (or evangelicals), but all involved in theology of religions and comparative theology will benefit from reading this work.

[Connor Felty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intense theological read with good insights and heavy usage of technical language.

[Ben Talbot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yong’s work adds a powerful and fresh voice to our global Christian conversation on religions. His thesis and the persuasive biblical, historical and theological support behind it are a pioneering work, much of the development of a Pneumatological theologia religionum remained previously untapped. With Beyond The Impasse Yong has begun to illuminate the way for other theologians and thinkers to continue expanding and exploring this Pneumatological theology of religion.

Beyond the Impasse will be enriching to pastors, students, and members of congregations. On a level of comprehension, however, Yong writes to an academic audience and the lines of logic and rigorously comprehensive theological vocabulary make this book better suited to undergraduate level students or professionals in the field of religion or theology.

[Colin Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad, but certainly a conversation starter rather than anything definitive.