How can we tell others about Christ and the truth of Christianity, especially in our multicultural and multireligious world? In Humble Confidence, Benno van den Toren and Kang-San Tan present a model for interfaith apologetics.
What immediately stood out to me was the authors’ view that religious pluralism is closely related to cultural pluralism. In other words, religious outlooks deeply shape cultures. This gives Asian Americans much to untangle as we navigate Western and Eastern religious philosophies. The book explains that “particular religious traditions can be expressed in different, cultural forms.” Therefore, a theology of apologetics is needed, still, for a universal relevance of the gospel.
Apologetics is embodied in community and dialogue, and it may play out differently depending on the culture. The authors write that the ability to learn “a second first language” is helpful in overcoming any divides. That means you strive to learn the language so well that it’s as if you grew up speaking it.
Establishing Common Ground
And just like how you can learn a second first language, you can also learn a second first culture. When you do so, different customs and traditions will no longer appear “ridiculous,” and you know you are reaching a better understanding of how a person thinks and behaves.
The central truth of Christianity – the resurrection of Christ – is the heart of this book. The authors make a case that some worldviews might not even see the credibility of witnesses to the resurrection as important. Some might say that it’s “too good to be true,” while others might have hurts that prevents them from believing. The element of trust in the messenger as well as in the message is instrumental for others to come to faith, and it is the Holy Spirit who can help make this happen.
Establishing common ground is crucial, and it is important to have winsome representatives of Christ and Christians in the public sphere. The second half of the book plays to this fact, examining a contextual apologetic witness to particular audiences. The book takes on three religions: Hindu, Buddhism, and Islam.
Win Others Over
In regards to Buddhism, this book shows that there is a radical difference between Christian and Buddhist understandings of reality as well as the human condition. Common ground can be found in that reality exists beyond our own interpretations and projections. When encountered with the dilemma of taking responsibility in rebirths, Paul Williams (a Christian convert from Buddhism) wrestled with this question: “What do I do when I am constantly thrown back on my own responsibility to save myself and, in the process, I am only discovering my inability to do so?” It is here where the reality of God in Christ can find a foothold.
The book ends with chapters on unmasking secular idols, where a cultural hermeneutic is needed to be developed in order to expose idols that hide in the culture. It also includes a chapter that discusses inner tensions in late-modern spiritualities.
Humble Confidence concludes with a chapter that acknowledges that while apologetics can also be seen as a battleground for one intellectual system to win over another, there is another way. Christians can provide a space for dialogue where we can offer a reason for the hope that is within us. This dismantles our use of religion for power and prestige, and allows us to win others over for Christ.
Author’s Note: I received a media copy of Humble Confidence, and this is my honest review.