By Naomi Meints ’25

Why are we so hesitant to talk about mixed religious identities? As we have great conversations about diversity and race, gender, and sexuality equality, we rarely have productive conversations around religious diversity. With a rise of religious diversity and it becoming more common to identify with more than one faith tradition, why is it still considered taboo for Christian communities to acknowledge others? I am a firm believer in multicultural education and the idea that we as Christians should learn from other denominations and faith traditions. It is important to explore these in order to analyze, contextualize, and strengthen our beliefs and spiritual lives. Often, I find that learning about these teachings doesn’t contradict our beliefs, but instead, compliments them. 

Though I do not identify with an interfaith identity in the traditional sense (belonging to one or more religion or faith tradition) I do believe strongly in learning about these experiences. Additionally, identities are not simple. Everyone’s spiritual life is unique and evolving, and it is often influenced by their experiences, childhood, and other aspects of their identity. But, as I once heard my pastor say, “culture does not equal Christianity”. A Christian can be anyone from anywhere. There are no barriers to a relationship with God. Therefore, we should celebrate Christians of all backgrounds, including those who still carry other faith traditions in their identities and practices. Additionally, we should not shy away from how the teachings of other religions have the potential to bring us into a closer relationship with God and those around us. I will share with you some of my experiences trying to educate myself on and implement interfaith teachings. 

Last spring I attended a class on Native American spirituality with Dr. Kelly Sherman Conroy, a Lakota theologian. The core of her teachings is her identity as both indigenous and Christian, and educating others about that experience. Much of what I have learned in this class is some of the indigenous American conceptions of God (as indigenous theologies are numerous and diverse), and how they are compatible and complementary to Chrisitianity. It focused a lot on her own combination of Christian teachings and Lakota spiritual teachings. Some of the teachings that resonated particularly with me are those of the preciousness of life and interconnected nature of everything. A good example of this is the medicine wheel, a sacred symbol I had seen before but never been educated on its true meaning. It represents the different steps one can take to choose a good and holy life, as well as emphasizing the interconnected nature of everything, spiritual and physical. Ultimately, God is in the world, and God is active, even if we see him in different ways. 

“Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ”, a common Lakota prayer, translates about to “all are related” or “I am related to all there is”. Again, a common concept that we have often lost in generalized Western Christian theology is connectedness and awareness of the holiness of the earth and each other. With modern American culture having such a focus on individualism, we often lose sight of the true meaning of being a church community. Additionally, our churches too often get lost in these common held, industrial ideals of modern Western culture. Not only individualism, but a separation between humans and nature, a dedication to an “in group”. These ideas often go unanalyzed and accepted as a part of life and work, and are rarely challenged by the church. However, these ideas are less rooted in Biblical teachings as they are our modern economic culture. The Bible continually promotes community and forgiveness. Genesis has a particular emphasis on humans as the stewards of the earth, and the New Testament is filled with Jesus’s teachings of selflessness, community, and compassion. Through Jesus’s sacrifice, he broke down any barriers keeping one from God. He encourages us all to be one community before God. We can see that “all are related” is very much a useful concept for all Christians to meditate on. It is true and Biblical, whether it be the connection between us and the holiness of God’s creations on earth or our connectedness through the family of Christ. 

Comparative theology is a branch of study which analyzes the different beliefs of religions. It takes the theologies and practices of different religions and compares and contrasts them. It is known for being a very difficult study, yet I believe that the practice can be very useful for everyday spiritual growth. The ability to acknowledge and respect other religions’ beliefs not only makes us more educated and understanding, but also allows us to open our mind to critically analyze and grow within our own faith. I recently listened to a speech by another St. Olaf student and former Nourishing Vocation Project fellow, the very talented Keerthana Babu, on comparative theology. She compared certain beliefs of the Christian and Hindu faith, where they differ but also where they can complement each other. 

She emphasized self care in the speech. Like the connectedness of Lakota teachings, this idea is indeed Biblically sound yet often neglected in Christian teachings. While self care is a relatively modern term, the ideas we strive to practice today have existed in religious texts for thousands of years. The Hindu texts presented emphasized a focus on having a healthy self and understanding and preserving your own inner peace. Many practices can go into this, but a central goal was having a healthy spiritual life for one’s self in addition to being good to others. While most Christians would agree that having a healthy spiritual life is important, it is often lost among other teachings. With the Christian emphasis on service and selflessness, the health of the self can go unnoticed. While an emphasis on the service of others is fantastic, Jesus also understands and loves all of us, and we all deserve to have a full and happy life in Christ. With the hustle and bustle of American life and mental health issues on the rise, productive teachings on self care are needed in our churches. Based on a recent project I led with the Nourishing Vocation Project, most Christians report that talking about mental health is stigmatized in the church and many wish for more accessible resources. Serving God and others can coexist with loving oneself. We should not be so hyper focused on one way of serving others that we neglect the self love and care God calls us to participate in. To quote philosopher and theologian Søren Kirkegaard: “to love God is to love oneself truly”. 

All identities are valid, and I am by no means immune to the critiques of American Christianity I have presented. As a white American Christian, I often view my faith through this lens with which I was raised, and that’s not wrong. However, the issue comes when we exclusively look at our faith through our own cultural context and shun other interpretations. This can overshadow the teachings and place the emphasis on fitting it to the culture (again, for example, American individualism). It is an act of humility to admit that your own view of the faith may not be the only one, or that there is not one inherently right way to worship God. By embracing the study of other faith traditions and staying curious about other teachings, we can often see how it can open up our minds to parts of Christianity that we can often neglect or forget.

One can be Christian and indigenous. One can be Christian and Hindu. One can be Christian and whatever their unique identity is. My pastor phrased it as “we are all Christian… and something”. God has created us all and that diversity is a holy gift. Therefore, we should strive to embrace this and learn from the traditions and teachings of other cultures. Additionally, we should acknowledge the diverse range of identities a Christian can have, and celebrate this fact as a crucial part of God’s family.