We live in a very pluralistic society today. There are Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, atheists, Roman Catholics, Evangelical Christians, and Christians like me. There are a wide variety of religious expressions in this country. I think they all must be treated with respect and none of them must be given priority in the public arena.

Hysterical fundamentalism is not the way into the future; it is the last gasp of the past.

I know that Arnold Toynby, the great historian, said he had always hoped the religions of the world would evolve until they began to bring the very best of each tradition into one tradition. He hoped that Christianity would be the one religion that finally incorporated the values of Hinduism and Buddhism, and enriched itself with them.

The church is like a swimming pool. Most of the noise comes from the shallow end.

I go where I'm invited. And all I can tell you is if we accepted every invitation we had, I'd be away every day of my life.

The great danger... in believing yourself especially chosen is that it becomes easy to view those who are not your people as God's especially unchosen.

The virgin birth, understood as literal biology, makes Christ's divinity, as traditionally understood, impossible.