Discussion of theology brings out a crowd

It's not often that discussions on religion pack the house. Theologian Marcus J. Borg packed Barton College's Howard Chapel Monday night and delivered a profound and enlightening lecture, peppered with humor, on what it means to be a Christian.

The gist of Borg's lecture was that Christianity is not about salvation, which is how most Christians view their faith. Rather, he said, Jesus' message — and the message of Paul — was about the Kingdom of God (or, in Matthew, the Kingdom of Heaven). What does this mysterious term mean? Borg makes a convincing argument that Jesus and Paul saw the Kingdom of God as not some spiritual afterlife but rather the reign of God on Earth brought about through the actions of the faithful. I have not read his "The Heart of Christianity," but after hearing him speak last night, I want to read it.

Perhaps more interesting than Borg's liberal theological viewpoint is the fact that a religious lecture could attract such a large crowd. About two-thirds of those present last night had also attended Borg's afternoon lecture. Both were part of the Allan R. Sharp lecture series. Many in the audience last night were Barton students in the religion and philosophy department. Many others were Disciples of Christ ministers. Many others were merely Christian lay people who find such heavy topics challenging and stimulating. If there is an audience for such discussions — and Borg proved there was — then there is hope yet for intellectual pursuits, the most challenging of which is understanding mankind's relationship to God.