In this plenary session from Theology Beer Camp 2024, John Thatamanil explores the future of religious identity in an increasingly pluralistic America, arguing that multiple religious participation will be the defining feature of North American religious life. Drawing from his personal journey as an Indian Christian immigrant who also practices Hinduism, and Wilfred Cantwell Smith's provocative question about how Christians explain the existence of other scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, Thatamanil challenges "Christian supremacy" and its colonial legacy. He distinguishes between harmful forms of religious mixing (particularly the worship of both God and capitalism) and life-giving forms that promote justice and liberation, proposing that the real theological problem isn't practicing Buddhism alongside Christianity, but trying to serve both God and mammon in a capitalist society. The talk culminates in a call for "fluid and dynamic integrity" rather than impossible homogeneity, suggesting that being "spiritually fluid" - like being gender fluid - represents a faithful response to divine truth revealed across traditions.

Dr. Thatamanil is Professor of Theology & World Religions at Union Theological Seminary in NYC.

Previous Podcasts with Thatamanil

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TIL 449: Biblical Counseling Journeys (feat. Cheryl Bell)