The Many Paths of Religion, and the
One God of Faith (Part 2)
John Michael Talbot

In Many Paths, Part I, we reflected upon the Interfaith experience from the perspective of my Inaugural Prayer Luncheon experience in Washington DC. We looked at the more objective aspect of Christian involvement in interfaith activities. Let us now look at the mystical.

All religions teach some form of objective truth about faith and morality. There is great common ground between the faiths on this level, but there are also significant differences. Furthermore, most religions are somewhat exclusive. They obviously believe they have something unique to offer, or they would not exist, and no one would bother to devote themselves to it. It is on the level of the wisdom of mystery where we begin to converge and find real unity.

Using a Christian anthropology of spirit, soul, and body, it is on the level of spirit that we also find experiential common ground with the mystical practitioners of other faiths. It is here that we come together in mystical experience.

On the level of soul, or mind and thought, there are great differences between the faiths. We simply believe radically different things about God, or the Ultimate Reality, and the nature of the universe. Hinduism believes in a human soul, and an ultimate Supreme Being. Buddhism does not. Confucianism emphasizes goodness and intentional right action. To the contrary, Taoism emphasizes stillness and noncontrived action. Christianity emphasizes the role of Jesus as the ultimate Incarnation of God to complete all that is good in other faiths. Even other mid eastern faiths like Judaism and Islam do not share this view.

On the level of the body's senses there are also great differences. The physical rituals of the various faiths all indicate their unique belief system, and are, for the most part, mutually exclusive. The clergy of a particular faith are normally excluded from being ordained as part of the clergy of another faith simultaneously.

It is on the level of spirit that we find mystical common ground.
The realm of spirit, or pure spiritual intuition beyond all images, forms, or concepts, is where we all begin to experience the Ultimate Reality beyond all thought, emotion, or sensual perception. Yet, this ultimate experience completes all else in a way that enlivens them all. We may call this Reality by different objective names, but the Reality does not change.

This realm of spirit is found in breakthrough through the use of paradoxes beyond all logic, image, or form. Most great religions go beyond the objective things to the things of paradox and mystery in order to go beyond all dualities of self and other to find perfect oneness and communion. What are these paradoxes? Finding life in death, your true self through the renunciation of self, wealth in voluntary poverty and simplicity, God's word in silence, or His action in stillness, and the like. Granted, these things are seen most beautifully in the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus. But, Christianity is not totally unique in these teachings by themselves.

All religions use paradox to mystically break through to the Reality beyond logic, to the Image beyond form, and to the Truth beyond concepts. Yet we all know that these Realities are a deeper, and more profound truth than what can ever be expressed through ideas, words, emotions, or forms. They take us beyond mere dualistic ideas about mysticism to intuitive spiritual union and communion through the experience itself. For the Christian this Ultimate is ultimately found most perfectly through the Incarnation and Paschal Mystery of Jesus, who through this simply Being actually IS the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

What is unique is that in Jesus we do not just teach this way. Jesus actually IS this way, in a way beyond all dualities of " I and Thou." He simply IS, and we simply are these realities when we live in Him. This takes us beyond teachings about going beyond the beyond to actually being there in Christ.

A comparison between the Buddha and the Christ might be helpful. The Buddha said not to look to him, for he is only a "finger pointing to the moon." We are to look at the moon. In Jesus' humanity he certainly would share in the Buddha's statement, otherwise he would be arrogant and proud. Yet, in His divinity we believe that Jesus is not just a finger pointing to the moon. He is the Sun who illumines the moon. In fact, it is the Church, typified by Mary, who is the moon, who reflects the Light of the Son. So, in Jesus we share with the Buddha in all that points to the moon, while we cannot deny that it is also Jesus who is the Son who illumines the moon. This is the delicate balance of the Christian faith as it relates to the other paths of great faith upon the earth.

So it is true that no one comes to the Father except through Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life. But the mystics of other faiths also share the Ultimate paradox that constitutes this way. In this we find great compliment and common ground, while also believing in the uniqueness, and completion of all else in Jesus.

John Michael Talbot