Indivisible faith
From the Revd John H. Bishop.
Sir: The reviewer of Vedanta for the Modern Man (September 8) is less than plain. He is fully entitled to express his liking of Vedanta, the teachings of the Ramakrishna Order and of "a new syncretism of the religions of the world." I have no quarrel with his desire that we of the West may learn much from the insights of the East. But to go on to say that the study of Vedanta helps "inestimably in the interpretation of Christianity" is just another way of saying that Christ may be revered as one ot the great religious teachers of the world, but no more, which is the teaching of the Ramakrishna Order. The Christian faith is not this and never has been. Faithful to Christ and His teaching (for instance in John 14,6 "1 am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes unto the father but by me.")' the early Chri§tian refused to acknowledge "other gods" and so were persecuted. This exclusiveness has always been to some a scandal (see 1 Cor. 1,23); but it is there, right at the heart of the Christian faith. To pretend otherwise is less than plain and is ut'terly misleading.
John H. Bishop ,Singleton Rectory, Chichester.
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