Virtuous Pagans

Gandhi was a good man. He certainly may have had his flaws, but he provided an example of what a life lived openly for the benefit of others looks like. He, of course, is not the only example, but he is an example nonetheless. Yet, despite his deep love and the goodness he brought about, many Christians would condemn him to hell. They need not. Though contemporary Christians practice rigid exclusivism, it was not always so. Justin Martyr, for example, writing in the second century, even called the ancient Greek Philosophers Christians because they lived reasonable lives. While we should not necessarily call them Christians, Justin's general line of thinking is both accessible and applicable.

If God is the Source of all Goodness through which all kinds of goodness originate, then nothing good either is or occurs apart from God. This is something I believe all Christians can agree on. How this can be applied is much more controversial. This means that there is no virtue apart from God, and that, therefore, the virtuous, whether pagan, atheist, or agnostic, participate in God through living virtuously, as Paul says in Romans 2. This does not mean that virtue causes one to participate in God, but because one cannot be separated from God by the nature of their very existence--since we exist in God, and God through us--virtue is what occurs when we either consciously or unconsciously assent to the Goodness that God is. When we seek Goodness, we find God, even if we don't acknowledge God as such.

What does this mean? God does not belong to the Church alone. Though I would maintain that the Christian faith is unique in that it is founded upon the teachings and life of the One we believe is God come to us (Emanuel), this same God that became Jesus was not devoid of work elsewhere. Both the Psalms and the New Testament witness to the idea of God's revelation in nature—a nature common to us all no matter which part of earth we may reside in. This makes sense if Christ truly is the Logos/Sophia, the wisdom of God, the reason or rationale behind the universe, and the ordering principle of creation. If God is the Source of reason and wisdom (both of which are forms of goodness), then no reason or wisdom is spoken or thought apart from God. Searching the scriptures of other religious traditions, this should become clear. There is much overlap, such as the Golden rule. This is not to say that all revelation is equal. It certainly is not. But to say that certain theological ideas are mistaken, unclear, or even distorted is different than saying that a religious tradition is devoid of God or even founded by demons. While there may in fact be demonically inspired rituals, any ideals that contribute to love, peace, and justice should be attributed to God and God's Spirit working through people to make God''s kingdom a reality. This doesn't mean that the Spirit's words aren't misunderstood at times. They certainly are. The Church's life, unfortunately, is full of such mistakes.

So what does this ultimately mean for the Christian concept of soteriology? It means that God is more gracious than we are. Though spiritual healing and eternal life are only available through Christ, Christ is present in more than Jesus. And though Jesus is the highest form of the revelation of God, there are still things to be learned from other faith traditions, and even non-traditions as we encounter people who do not hold to an overarching system of spirituality or morality, and yet still maintain the highest moral standards. Where there is love, God's purposes and plans are coming to fruition. Where there is love God is at work, and people are responding to God's call, even if they are unaware that such a call is being made.