The role of the Christian community in a plural society

Abstract

This article identifies four ways in which our society is often referred to as being plural. It discusses four pluralisms and indicates several challenges associated with each one of them. It argues that the Christian community has to consider all four of these aspects of pluralism when seeking to understand its role.

It is argued that part of the role that the Christian community has to take seriously is that of maintaining and establishing institutions that will help in an open confession of Christ. This role includes that of having a vigorous and comprehensive apologetics, in the classical sense, of providing proofs for the central Christian positions, defending Christian positions by providing answers to questions that are raised, as well as offering an offensive that seeks to highlight the problems associated with non-Christian views.