CHRISTIAN AWARENESS OF THE NEED OF INCULTURATION

Abstract

The attitude of one religion towards another will vary according to the growth of its own self-understanding and the consequent right of understanding the other. An infantile faith lacks self-understanding and hence the proper understanding of other faiths. It developes itself with the continual repetition of a particular credal formulation without probing into its content and context. This shallowness breeds fanaticism in impetuous temperaments. "The tone for the Western Christian approach to unbelivers, " writes Paul Gregorios- "was perhaps set by Augustine of Hippo". And he quotes Augustine's words to Nectarius of Calema : "The virtues of pagans were but splendid vices." If the great Western theologian's mature judgement were this, he would come under this classification. But the great Doctor of the Church was greater than this as we shall see below.