Matthew Kaemingk, Christian Hospitality and Muslim Immigration in an Age of Fear

Abstract

Is truth incompatible with hospitality? This is one of the questions that Kaemingk takes on in his substantial and thoughtful ethical study of Christianity and Islam. And the answer is a resounding no. Instead, Kaemingk argues that ‘Christian pluralism’ is an affirmation of Christianity (indeed, Kaemingk identifies with a version of exclusivism) that seeks to form women and men who thrive and celebrate diversity. The argument is set against the backdrop of the Netherlands. And this works nicely. The country has indeed been a hub for European attempts to absorb significant numbers of Muslims. Liberal values (of self-expression and sexual liberation) have clashed dramatically with Islamic values. We had the movie Submission, which resulted in the murder of the director Theo van Gogh, which, in turn, led to the vandalism of 40 mosques and churches. In a nice touch, Kaemingk tracked down the story of the Revd Kees Sybrandi, who was a conservative pastor who had zero theological or cultural sympathies with Islam, but stood guard in front of his neighbours’ mosque as the attacks went on around him. The sociological description of the Muslim immigration to Holland and the subsequent political and cultural responses is done well. The theological hero is Abraham Kuyper, who creates the Christian pluralism option. An entire section is devoted to a summary of Kuyper’s engagement with pluralism. Grounded in Kuyper’s Christology, we have an approach to pluralism that obligates a constructive engagement with religious diversity. To distinguish himself from his hero, Kaemingk complains that two areas (he claims three, but two and three are clearly linked) are problematic: the exclusive focus on Christology and the lack of analysis around the formation of a person committed to the need and importance of pluralism.