Risking Openness Toward the Other

Respond to Scripture’s call to risk engagement with those who are “other” to each of us.

We are witnessing a new “borderization” of the world—and of individual lives. Political and social ideologies based on race, nationality, and identity view anyone who is “other” with suspicion or even hatred. And many Christians have succumbed, choosing to build cultural fortresses to “protect” themselves.

But this, says noted Catholic Scripture scholar Anne-Marie Pelletier, is inconsistent with the faith Christians profess. She begins in the creation stories of Genesis, which emphasize the common humanity of all people—even though it would have been tempting for the author, in their cultural context, to emphasize some fundamental original difference between Israelites and Gentiles. From there, Pelletier takes us on a journey through Scripture with an eye toward the question of how to relate to the other, showing us the Bible’s irresistible impulse toward openness and inclusion. She demonstrates that, while it is easy to cherry-pick a few (in)famous passages that seem to run contrary, the deeper, more consistent message of Scripture is a call to risk relationship and engagement with those who are “other” to each of us.

Anne-Marie Pelletier is a scholar of Scripture and biblical hermeneutics, as well as linguistics and comparative literature. She has taught at several universities in Paris. In 2014, she was awarded the prestigious Ratzinger Prize for her scholarly achievements. At the invitation of Pope Francis, she composed the text of the 2017 papal Way of the Cross meditations at the Colosseum. She frequently serves as a retreat leader for monastic communities and other groups.