Martin Marty's Challenge to Me

Last week, I wrote about Albert Mohler's attack on the Religious Institute's new report, "Religion and Sexuality 2020" but his agreement that evangelical churches and leaders must do more to prepare themselves to address sexuality issues.

I volunteered to help him evaluate his seminary and their training program. I'm not surprised to report back that I didn't hear from him.

But, Martin Marty, the esteemed religious historian, took note of our report and Rev. Mohler's response. If you don't know Rev. Dr. Marty, the New York Times just recently called him "the unofficial dean of American religious historians." He is an emeritus professor at the University of Chicago, past president of the American Association of Religion and the American Society of Church History. He's also one of the most lovely people I know, and I'm happy that I've had the chance to get to know him and his wife Harriet.

Marty writes in his February 22, 2010 Sightings column. He writes, "the Institute to its credit does not narrow its attention to the usual trinity of homosexuality, contraception, and abortion, but focuses more on justice issues and pastoral needs that often get overlooked in the debates and proposals."

In noting Albert Mohler's response, Marty imagines that Mohler and I sit down to "carry on honest, open, text-based dialogues toward depolarizing ends and human good, beginning with churchly good?...What if the matters were approached more through conversation and less through argument."

Dr. Mohler, I'm ready and open for that dialog. Name a time and place. Marty, maybe you can join us!