Exclusion & Embrace

Reading Report


LDR 701/SFM 701 The Transformational Leader
Date of course:
January 10-21, 2005
Student
Ross Rohde
Book
Volf, Miroslav. Exclusion & Embrace. Abingdon Press, Nashville, TN, 1996 Read 192 of 192 pages.

I. What is the main idea or thesis of the author?

As the title of the book implies Miroslav Volf, in his book Exclusion & Embrace highlights the human need for identity and how our rejection of “otherness” creates human conflict. Humans strive to deal with conflict of otherness by arranging society under various models. Volf suggests that we should concentrate on what kind of “selves” (people) we need to be in order to live in harmony in the face of otherness. He is asking the questions: How Should people think about their identity? How should they relate to the other? How should they go about making peace with the other? His answer is self donation through the imitation of Christ. This is a scandal. It will not only be a potential source of healing but a source of danger. There is the danger that we will be further violated, there is the danger we will be misunderstood, there is the danger that we will be mocked. But our goal should not be the absence of danger but rather the pursuit of peace as Christ demonstrated it.

II. What is my interpretation of the author’s thesis?

Christianity has always been paradoxical, particularly when compared with human society’s way of dealing with issues. Christ’s behavior was scandalous. His views of society, man’s relationship with God, leadership, man’s relationship with others was and continues to be counter intuitive. To donate oneself to those who are the source of pain and violation in order to achieve peace is counter intuitive. It not only seems counter intuitive, it seems idealistic and naive. Yet this is what Jesus did and what Jesus taught. This adequately deals with Jesus’ teaching on turning the other cheek. This adequately deals with considering others as more important than ourselves. This reflects Jesus’ teaching on loving our enemies. This also reflects Jesus’ propitiatory death on the cross. These are all teaching that we struggle with and often try to avoid in one way or another. Yet, if we are Christian, we are to be little Christs. We are to live in imitation of Him. While this seems idealistic and naive, Volf demonstrates this teaching in his own life being a Croatian yet offering himself as a donation of peace to Serbs.

Volf never claims this will always work or that we won’t be taken advantage of or that we won’t be wounded or killed in the process. This is dangerous behavior, not merely behavior that appears to be dangerous. Yet it is Christ’s model for peace, and it is the only thing that can create lasting peace.

III. What would a serious application of this book look like?

Volf uses Jesus’ story of the prodigal son as an example of what this could look like in real life situations. The father donated himself to his estranged son and received him back into the household. This after the son had “unsoned” himself. While the son’s behavior separated him from the family relationally and physically the father never let go of the relationship between them. There was always room for forgiveness with the father. There was always room for reestablishment of relationship. This is not dependant on relational performance but rather grace, which by definition is unmerited.

Further, Volf would advocate a pacifistic political stance as Christians and extensive effort to find peace among religions. This does not mean that we say that all religions are right or true, but rather we pursue peace and dialog with them instead of merely pointing out where we feel we are correct and they are not.