Even though it's during the political debate season, the discussion at the Eden Resort Inn and Suites this week won't be a debate.
"We're trying to move beyond" debate, said Dr. Jon Hoover, one of the panelists who will be addressing the difficult topic of "Islamic Monotheism and the Trinity" on Thursday, Oct. 30, with Dr. Yahya Michot, a professor of Islamic studies and Christian-Muslim relations at Hartford Seminary, Hartford, Conn.
The "interfaith theological lecture" is sponsored by Eastern Mennonite Seminary at Lancaster, Evangelical Theological Seminary of Myerstown, Lancaster Bible College & Graduate School and Lancaster Theological Seminary.
Hoover, an assistant professor of Islamic studies at the Near East School of Theology, Beirut, Lebanon, will address the core Christian doctrine of the Trinity during the forum, which begins at 7 p.m. at the Eden, 222 Eden Road.
Michot was the director of the Centre for Arabic Philosophy at the University of Louvain, Belgium, and was a fellow in Islamic studies in the Faculty of Theology, Oxford University, before moving to Hartford Seminary earlier this year.
The concept that one God exists in three persons — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — remains a stumbling block in Christian-Muslim relations.
Hoover, a native of Lancaster County and an ordained minister in the Mennonite Church USA, said Muslims vary in their approach to the Trinity, with some, "more generous," understanding the reasoning and others accusing Christians of tritheism, or worshiping three gods rather than one.
"Even generous Muslims are not trinitarian at core," Hoover said. Their critique is that "Christianity is somehow not fully monotheistic."
Muslims worship Allah as one and do not believe Jesus Christ was divine, as Christians do. For some Muslims, the doctrine of the Trinity means "Christians are guilty of associating a creature with God, which is a very serious sin."
Even some Christian scholars differ in their approach to the Trinity, Hoover noted, with some emphasizing the "threeness" to focus on the mutual love among the persons of the Godhead and others emphasizing God's sovereignty.
At the forum, Hoover said, he will be pointing out that "when we speak about God as Christians, and as Muslims as well, we are talking about a being that is different from the world. Everything we say about God is about a being who is categorically different from creation."
Flawed human beings will not be able to speak with full accuracy about God, but "God has come into this world and made himself known in Jesus Christ, and so has established a firm connection with creation. And has come into this world to save and liberate. The God who is other than creation has established a connection with creation. So there is this dialectic, this tension.
"We can't say [that] what we're saying is exactly what God is like."
But Christians affirm that their experience of salvation and redemption is "at the hand of God," Hoover said.
One important point he makes in dialogue with Muslims, Hoover said, is that "Christians do not confess Jesus Christ to be fully divine because they have a need to make a being divine. Rather, Christians confess Christ to be fully divine not to say we are saved by something less than God.
"We wouldn't be giving full credit to God as God."
The forum is free and open to the public. For information, call 397-5190.
Helen Colwell Adams is a Sunday News staff writer. E-mail her at hcolwell@lnpnews.com.
