In our postmodern world, the question 'What's the difference?' is quite relevant, as it defines the nature of the postmodern mind. For the postmodern, there is no difference in worldviews, religions, ethics, etc. All are equally valid. This slippery thinking has started to creep into the church as well, with some Christians saying that there is no difference between Christianity and other religions, because they all point to the same God. Not only does this exhibit a misguided notion of the God of the Bible, it also shows an equally misguided understanding of the unique claims of other religions. Of the two, at least according to Ridenour, the first is more dangerous. We must, as Christians, understand the uniqueness of the claims made by Christ about who He is and what He came to do. That is why Ridenour first published So What's the Difference? and why he has now revised it (2001). He wants to make sure that Christians understand the worldview they are living, and the differences between that worldview and those of the primary world religions or philosophies.
In particular, Ridenour emphasizes the importance of understanding the biblical worldview that Christians hold, as seen in the various branches of Christianity (Catholicism, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodox). He goes on to then compare the Body of Christ (defined as the true believers from among all of Christianity's branches) to the major religions of the world: Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Ridenour then compares Christianity to cults, new religions, and the occult, focusing on the origins of cults in general, and major cults like the Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism and the New Age movement. And if that were not enough, Ridenour also looks at several worldviews which undermine, challenge or attack biblical Christianity, including Bahá'í, Christian Science, Evolutionism, Freemasonry, Hare Krishna, the International Churches of Christ, Secular Humanism, Postmodernism, Unification Church (the Moonies), Unitarianism and Wicca (witchcraft, neopaganism). Thus, he is able to offer a comprehensive and compelling look at the major differences between Christianity and the top twenty worldviews of our time.
Of course, in the end, one must choose for oneself which worldview to live by. It is Ridenour's hope that readers will choose the Christian worldview after reading So What's the Difference, that they will see that no other worldview can really compete with the unique answers that Christianity provides. And for those who have already chosen Christianity, it is Ridenour's hope that they will use the information in this book to reach out to those holding other views, to reach out with the viable and livable truth of God in Christ.
