Re-treating Religion

Re-treating Religion

Author: Alena Alexandrova

Publisher: Fordham Univ Press

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 417

ISBN-13: 0823234649

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One of the most complicated and ambiguous tendencies in contemporary western societies is the phenomenon referred to as the "turn to religion." In philosophy, one of the most original thinkers critically questioning this "turn" is Jean-Luc Nancy. Re-treating Religion is the first volume to analyze his long-term project "The Deconstruction of Christianity," especially his major statement of it in Dis-Enclosure. Nancy conceives monotheistic religion and secularization not as opposite worldviews that succeed each other in time but rather as springing from the same history. This history consists in a paradoxical tendency to contest one's own foundations--whether God, truth, origin, humanity, or rationality--as well as to found itself on the void of this contestation. Nancy calls this unique combination of self-contestation and self-foundation the "self-deconstruction" of the Western world. The book includes discussion with Nancy himself, who contributes a substantial "Preamble" and a concluding dialogue with the volume editors. The contributions follow Nancy in tracing the complexities of Western culture back to the persistent legacy of monotheism, in order to illuminate the tensions and uncertainties we face in the twenty-first century.


Book Synopsis Re-treating Religion by : Alena Alexandrova

Download or read book Re-treating Religion written by Alena Alexandrova and published by Fordham Univ Press. This book was released on 2012 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most complicated and ambiguous tendencies in contemporary western societies is the phenomenon referred to as the "turn to religion." In philosophy, one of the most original thinkers critically questioning this "turn" is Jean-Luc Nancy. Re-treating Religion is the first volume to analyze his long-term project "The Deconstruction of Christianity," especially his major statement of it in Dis-Enclosure. Nancy conceives monotheistic religion and secularization not as opposite worldviews that succeed each other in time but rather as springing from the same history. This history consists in a paradoxical tendency to contest one's own foundations--whether God, truth, origin, humanity, or rationality--as well as to found itself on the void of this contestation. Nancy calls this unique combination of self-contestation and self-foundation the "self-deconstruction" of the Western world. The book includes discussion with Nancy himself, who contributes a substantial "Preamble" and a concluding dialogue with the volume editors. The contributions follow Nancy in tracing the complexities of Western culture back to the persistent legacy of monotheism, in order to illuminate the tensions and uncertainties we face in the twenty-first century.


Re-Treating Religion

Re-Treating Religion

Author: Ignaas Devisch

Publisher:

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13: 9780823268993

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Book Synopsis Re-Treating Religion by : Ignaas Devisch

Download or read book Re-Treating Religion written by Ignaas Devisch and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Jesus > Religion

Jesus > Religion

Author: Jefferson Bethke

Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM

Published: 2013-10-14

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1400205409

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Abandon dead, dry, religious rule-keeping and embrace the promise of being truly known and deeply loved. Jefferson Bethke burst into the cultural conversation with a passionate, provocative poem titled "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus." The 4-minute video became an overnight sensation, with 7 million YouTube views in its first 48 hours (and 23+ million in a year). Bethke's message clearly struck a chord with believers and nonbelievers alike, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged. In his New York Times bestseller Jesus > Religion, Bethke unpacks similar contrasts that he drew in the poem--highlighting the difference between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair, and hope. With refreshing candor, he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior. Along the way, Bethke gives you the tools you need to: Humbly and prayerfully open your mind Understand Jesus for all that he is View the church from a brand-new perspective Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he's not a pastor or theologian, but simply an ordinary, twenty-something who cried out for a life greater than the one for which he had settled. On this journey, Bethke discovered the real Jesus, who beckoned him with love beyond the props of false religion. Praise for Jesus > Religion: "Jeff's book will make you stop and listen to a voice in your heart that may have been drowned out by the noise of religion. Listen to that voice, then follow it--right to the feet of Jesus." --Bob Goff, author of New York Times bestsellers Love Does and Everybody, Always "The book you hold in your hands is Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz meets C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity meets Augustine's Confessions. This book is going to awaken an entire generation to Jesus and His grace." --Derwin L. Gray, lead pastor of Transformation Church, author of Limitless Life: Breaking Free from the Labels That Hold You Back


Book Synopsis Jesus > Religion by : Jefferson Bethke

Download or read book Jesus > Religion written by Jefferson Bethke and published by HarperChristian + ORM. This book was released on 2013-10-14 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abandon dead, dry, religious rule-keeping and embrace the promise of being truly known and deeply loved. Jefferson Bethke burst into the cultural conversation with a passionate, provocative poem titled "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus." The 4-minute video became an overnight sensation, with 7 million YouTube views in its first 48 hours (and 23+ million in a year). Bethke's message clearly struck a chord with believers and nonbelievers alike, triggering an avalanche of responses running the gamut from encouraged to enraged. In his New York Times bestseller Jesus > Religion, Bethke unpacks similar contrasts that he drew in the poem--highlighting the difference between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair, and hope. With refreshing candor, he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a works-based, fake-smile existence that sapped his strength and led him down a path of destructive behavior. Along the way, Bethke gives you the tools you need to: Humbly and prayerfully open your mind Understand Jesus for all that he is View the church from a brand-new perspective Bethke is quick to acknowledge that he's not a pastor or theologian, but simply an ordinary, twenty-something who cried out for a life greater than the one for which he had settled. On this journey, Bethke discovered the real Jesus, who beckoned him with love beyond the props of false religion. Praise for Jesus > Religion: "Jeff's book will make you stop and listen to a voice in your heart that may have been drowned out by the noise of religion. Listen to that voice, then follow it--right to the feet of Jesus." --Bob Goff, author of New York Times bestsellers Love Does and Everybody, Always "The book you hold in your hands is Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz meets C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity meets Augustine's Confessions. This book is going to awaken an entire generation to Jesus and His grace." --Derwin L. Gray, lead pastor of Transformation Church, author of Limitless Life: Breaking Free from the Labels That Hold You Back


How God Becomes Real

How God Becomes Real

Author: T.M. Luhrmann

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2020-10-27

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0691211981

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The hard work required to make God real, how it changes the people who do it, and why it helps explain the enduring power of faith How do gods and spirits come to feel vividly real to people—as if they were standing right next to them? Humans tend to see supernatural agents everywhere, as the cognitive science of religion has shown. But it isn’t easy to maintain a sense that there are invisible spirits who care about you. In How God Becomes Real, acclaimed anthropologist and scholar of religion T. M. Luhrmann argues that people must work incredibly hard to make gods real and that this effort—by changing the people who do it and giving them the benefits they seek from invisible others—helps to explain the enduring power of faith. Drawing on ethnographic studies of evangelical Christians, pagans, magicians, Zoroastrians, Black Catholics, Santeria initiates, and newly orthodox Jews, Luhrmann notes that none of these people behave as if gods and spirits are simply there. Rather, these worshippers make strenuous efforts to create a world in which invisible others matter and can become intensely present and real. The faithful accomplish this through detailed stories, absorption, the cultivation of inner senses, belief in a porous mind, strong sensory experiences, prayer, and other practices. Along the way, Luhrmann shows why faith is harder than belief, why prayer is a metacognitive activity like therapy, why becoming religious is like getting engrossed in a book, and much more. A fascinating account of why religious practices are more powerful than religious beliefs, How God Becomes Real suggests that faith is resilient not because it provides intuitions about gods and spirits—but because it changes the faithful in profound ways.


Book Synopsis How God Becomes Real by : T.M. Luhrmann

Download or read book How God Becomes Real written by T.M. Luhrmann and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-10-27 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The hard work required to make God real, how it changes the people who do it, and why it helps explain the enduring power of faith How do gods and spirits come to feel vividly real to people—as if they were standing right next to them? Humans tend to see supernatural agents everywhere, as the cognitive science of religion has shown. But it isn’t easy to maintain a sense that there are invisible spirits who care about you. In How God Becomes Real, acclaimed anthropologist and scholar of religion T. M. Luhrmann argues that people must work incredibly hard to make gods real and that this effort—by changing the people who do it and giving them the benefits they seek from invisible others—helps to explain the enduring power of faith. Drawing on ethnographic studies of evangelical Christians, pagans, magicians, Zoroastrians, Black Catholics, Santeria initiates, and newly orthodox Jews, Luhrmann notes that none of these people behave as if gods and spirits are simply there. Rather, these worshippers make strenuous efforts to create a world in which invisible others matter and can become intensely present and real. The faithful accomplish this through detailed stories, absorption, the cultivation of inner senses, belief in a porous mind, strong sensory experiences, prayer, and other practices. Along the way, Luhrmann shows why faith is harder than belief, why prayer is a metacognitive activity like therapy, why becoming religious is like getting engrossed in a book, and much more. A fascinating account of why religious practices are more powerful than religious beliefs, How God Becomes Real suggests that faith is resilient not because it provides intuitions about gods and spirits—but because it changes the faithful in profound ways.


Praying for a Cure

Praying for a Cure

Author: Peggy DesAutels

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 168

ISBN-13: 9780847692637

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When the children of Christian Scientists die from a treatable illness, are their parents guilty of murder for withholding that treatment? How should the rights of children, the authority of the medical community, and religious freedom be balanced? Is it possible for those adhering to a medical model of health and disease and for those adhering to the Christian Science model to enter into a meaningful dialogue, or are the two models incommensurable? DesAutels, Battin, and May engage in a lucid and candid debate of the issues of who is ultimately responsible for deciding these questions and how to accommodate (and, in some cases, constrain) Christian Science views and practices within a pluralistic society.


Book Synopsis Praying for a Cure by : Peggy DesAutels

Download or read book Praying for a Cure written by Peggy DesAutels and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 1999 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the children of Christian Scientists die from a treatable illness, are their parents guilty of murder for withholding that treatment? How should the rights of children, the authority of the medical community, and religious freedom be balanced? Is it possible for those adhering to a medical model of health and disease and for those adhering to the Christian Science model to enter into a meaningful dialogue, or are the two models incommensurable? DesAutels, Battin, and May engage in a lucid and candid debate of the issues of who is ultimately responsible for deciding these questions and how to accommodate (and, in some cases, constrain) Christian Science views and practices within a pluralistic society.


Religious Freedom and the Constitution

Religious Freedom and the Constitution

Author: Christopher L.. Eisgruber

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 346

ISBN-13: 0674023056

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Religion has become a charged token in a politics of division. In disputes about faith-based social services, public money for religious schools, the Pledge of Allegiance, Ten Commandments monuments, the theory of evolution, and many other topics, angry contestation threatens to displace America's historic commitment to religious freedom. Part of the problem, the authors argue, is that constitutional analysis of religious freedom has been hobbled by the idea of "a wall of separation" between church and state. That metaphor has been understood to demand that religion be treated far better than other concerns in some contexts, and far worse in others. Sometimes it seems to insist on both contrary forms of treatment simultaneously. Missing has been concern for the fair and equal treatment of religion. In response, the authors offer an understanding of religious freedom called Equal Liberty. Equal Liberty is guided by two principles. First, no one within the reach of the Constitution ought to be devalued on account of the spiritual foundation of their commitments. Second, all persons should enjoy broad rights of free speech, personal autonomy, associative freedom, and private property. Together, these principles are generous and fair to a wide range of religious beliefs and practices. With Equal Liberty as their guide, the authors offer practical, moderate, and appealing terms for the settlement of many hot-button issues that have plunged religious freedom into controversy. Their book calls Americans back to the project of finding fair terms of cooperation for a religiously diverse people, and it offers a valuable set of tools for working toward that end.


Book Synopsis Religious Freedom and the Constitution by : Christopher L.. Eisgruber

Download or read book Religious Freedom and the Constitution written by Christopher L.. Eisgruber and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Religion has become a charged token in a politics of division. In disputes about faith-based social services, public money for religious schools, the Pledge of Allegiance, Ten Commandments monuments, the theory of evolution, and many other topics, angry contestation threatens to displace America's historic commitment to religious freedom. Part of the problem, the authors argue, is that constitutional analysis of religious freedom has been hobbled by the idea of "a wall of separation" between church and state. That metaphor has been understood to demand that religion be treated far better than other concerns in some contexts, and far worse in others. Sometimes it seems to insist on both contrary forms of treatment simultaneously. Missing has been concern for the fair and equal treatment of religion. In response, the authors offer an understanding of religious freedom called Equal Liberty. Equal Liberty is guided by two principles. First, no one within the reach of the Constitution ought to be devalued on account of the spiritual foundation of their commitments. Second, all persons should enjoy broad rights of free speech, personal autonomy, associative freedom, and private property. Together, these principles are generous and fair to a wide range of religious beliefs and practices. With Equal Liberty as their guide, the authors offer practical, moderate, and appealing terms for the settlement of many hot-button issues that have plunged religious freedom into controversy. Their book calls Americans back to the project of finding fair terms of cooperation for a religiously diverse people, and it offers a valuable set of tools for working toward that end.


Prayer, Faith & Healing

Prayer, Faith & Healing

Author: Kenneth Winston Caine

Publisher: Rodale Books

Published: 2000-05-19

Total Pages: 544

ISBN-13: 1609612639

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Tap the power of prayer and faith to heal whatever ails you. Prayer and faith can be potent cures for a whole host of emotional and physical problems. Hundreds of scientific studies prove it! But how do you access this hidden strength? Prayer, Faith, and Healing will show you how with: * Advice from more than 160 of America's top religious leaders, counselors, doctors, and scientists * More than 500 tips for handling anger, addiction, depression, divorce, grief, stress, infidelity, financial problems, and over 40 other conditions * Plus, nearly 30 ways to build a more meaningful prayer life The most complete, most compelling advice ever gathered on how to heal yourself with prayer.


Book Synopsis Prayer, Faith & Healing by : Kenneth Winston Caine

Download or read book Prayer, Faith & Healing written by Kenneth Winston Caine and published by Rodale Books. This book was released on 2000-05-19 with total page 544 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tap the power of prayer and faith to heal whatever ails you. Prayer and faith can be potent cures for a whole host of emotional and physical problems. Hundreds of scientific studies prove it! But how do you access this hidden strength? Prayer, Faith, and Healing will show you how with: * Advice from more than 160 of America's top religious leaders, counselors, doctors, and scientists * More than 500 tips for handling anger, addiction, depression, divorce, grief, stress, infidelity, financial problems, and over 40 other conditions * Plus, nearly 30 ways to build a more meaningful prayer life The most complete, most compelling advice ever gathered on how to heal yourself with prayer.


Faith Versus Fact

Faith Versus Fact

Author: Jerry A. Coyne

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2016-05-17

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 0143108263

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“A superbly argued book.” —Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion The New York Times bestselling author of Why Evolution is True explains why any attempt to make religion compatible with science is doomed to fail In this provocative book, evolutionary biologist Jerry A. Coyne lays out in clear, dispassionate detail why the toolkit of science, based on reason and empirical study, is reliable, while that of religion—including faith, dogma, and revelation—leads to incorrect, untestable, or conflicting conclusions. Coyne is responding to a national climate in which more than half of Americans don’t believe in evolution, members of Congress deny global warming, and long-conquered childhood diseases are reappearing because of religious objections to inoculation, and he warns that religious prejudices in politics, education, medicine, and social policy are on the rise. Extending the bestselling works of Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens, he demolishes the claims of religion to provide verifiable “truth” by subjecting those claims to the same tests we use to establish truth in science. Coyne irrefutably demonstrates the grave harm—to individuals and to our planet—in mistaking faith for fact in making the most important decisions about the world we live in. Praise for Faith Versus Fact: “A profound and lovely book . . . showing that the honest doubts of science are better . . . than the false certainties of religion.” —Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith


Book Synopsis Faith Versus Fact by : Jerry A. Coyne

Download or read book Faith Versus Fact written by Jerry A. Coyne and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016-05-17 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A superbly argued book.” —Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion The New York Times bestselling author of Why Evolution is True explains why any attempt to make religion compatible with science is doomed to fail In this provocative book, evolutionary biologist Jerry A. Coyne lays out in clear, dispassionate detail why the toolkit of science, based on reason and empirical study, is reliable, while that of religion—including faith, dogma, and revelation—leads to incorrect, untestable, or conflicting conclusions. Coyne is responding to a national climate in which more than half of Americans don’t believe in evolution, members of Congress deny global warming, and long-conquered childhood diseases are reappearing because of religious objections to inoculation, and he warns that religious prejudices in politics, education, medicine, and social policy are on the rise. Extending the bestselling works of Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens, he demolishes the claims of religion to provide verifiable “truth” by subjecting those claims to the same tests we use to establish truth in science. Coyne irrefutably demonstrates the grave harm—to individuals and to our planet—in mistaking faith for fact in making the most important decisions about the world we live in. Praise for Faith Versus Fact: “A profound and lovely book . . . showing that the honest doubts of science are better . . . than the false certainties of religion.” —Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith


Hijacked

Hijacked

Author: Steffen Führding

Publisher: Equinox Publishing (Indonesia)

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9781781797266

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This volume discusses the nature of this issue and its practical ramifications, demonstrating how scholars can analytically critique "good/bad religion" rhetoric as it appears in scholarship today.


Book Synopsis Hijacked by : Steffen Führding

Download or read book Hijacked written by Steffen Führding and published by Equinox Publishing (Indonesia). This book was released on 2020 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume discusses the nature of this issue and its practical ramifications, demonstrating how scholars can analytically critique "good/bad religion" rhetoric as it appears in scholarship today.


Toxic Faith - Liberal Cure

Toxic Faith - Liberal Cure

Author: Dr. Daniel C. Bruch

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2006-07-19

Total Pages: 153

ISBN-13: 1465317589

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Toxic Faith: Liberal Cure is an answer to those who claim that liberalism is immoral and is somehow destroying the values of this country. It also seeks to provide a careful and rational response, in a specifically Judeo-Christian context, to many of the most vocalized and divisive current issues: patriotism, war, abortion, homosexuality, poverty, and the environment. Reviews "Liberal" is not a four-letter word. We are living in a time where "moral values" receive much play in the popular press. Rarely, if ever, however, do the discussions about "moral values" (meaning primarily Judeo-Christian values in our culture) include any serious discussion of what the Jewish and Christian Scriptures actually say about the primary conflicted issues of this day. The authors address if and how Judeo-Christian moral values may be related to liberal values within the context of selected social issues. This book is an answer to those who claim that liberalism is immoral and is somehow destroying the values of this country. It also seeks to provide a careful and rational response, in a specifically Judeo-Christian context, to many of the most vocalized and divisive current issues: patriotism, war, abortion, homosexuality, poverty, and the environment. Using quiet, confident scholarship and reason, the authors seek to restore and energize a more informed Christian faith. It is designed to be read by everyone who is alarmed about the political encroachments of the religious right: liberals who are Christians, liberals who arent Christians, secularists, and moderates who are concerned about religious freedom and the separation of church and state. "a reasoned, serious analysis of some of societys most contentious issues. Again, conservatives may not buy (the) arguments in the end, but at least (theyre) speaking in a language conservatives will understand." -Alston B. Ramsey, National Review Online, February 15, 2006 "Having trouble coming up with responses to the religious right on critical issues of the day? This book is a scholarly, yet down-to-earth discussion of topics such as patriotism, war, poverty, abortion, homosexuality and the environment. Each chapter includes talking points that can raise your comfort level in responding to the uninformed or biased rhetoric of the right." MiniMe, Illinois "This book offers valid perspectives on crucial issues that are dividing our country. I love that each chapter concludes with suggestions for positive action and discussion points. Very worthwhile!" J. Powers "In our sound byte-addicted world of attack-journalism, I'm amazed that a book can find its way into publication that thoughtfully addresses the most difficult moral issues of our time without name-calling and political posturing. Don't let the title fool you - this is not an outlet for liberals to counter-attack the extreme-right. This book addresses the most contentious issues of our time from a background of faith that helps the reader look at their own beliefs and gain empathy for others' beliefs." R. Andersen, Washington, DC "This book is the only one that directly and concisely addresses some of the most difficult religious issues that are discussed in the public arena these days. It includes obvious choices such as abortion and homosexuality, but it also gives thoughtful consideration to poverty, the environment and the war. In language that is understandable by almost everyone, the authors present significant research from the Judeo-Christian Scriptures and the historical record that set straight many of the misconceptions of the religious right. It also provides very helpful talking points and suggestions for personal actions related to the topics." Canuck "Freedom of religion me


Book Synopsis Toxic Faith - Liberal Cure by : Dr. Daniel C. Bruch

Download or read book Toxic Faith - Liberal Cure written by Dr. Daniel C. Bruch and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2006-07-19 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Toxic Faith: Liberal Cure is an answer to those who claim that liberalism is immoral and is somehow destroying the values of this country. It also seeks to provide a careful and rational response, in a specifically Judeo-Christian context, to many of the most vocalized and divisive current issues: patriotism, war, abortion, homosexuality, poverty, and the environment. Reviews "Liberal" is not a four-letter word. We are living in a time where "moral values" receive much play in the popular press. Rarely, if ever, however, do the discussions about "moral values" (meaning primarily Judeo-Christian values in our culture) include any serious discussion of what the Jewish and Christian Scriptures actually say about the primary conflicted issues of this day. The authors address if and how Judeo-Christian moral values may be related to liberal values within the context of selected social issues. This book is an answer to those who claim that liberalism is immoral and is somehow destroying the values of this country. It also seeks to provide a careful and rational response, in a specifically Judeo-Christian context, to many of the most vocalized and divisive current issues: patriotism, war, abortion, homosexuality, poverty, and the environment. Using quiet, confident scholarship and reason, the authors seek to restore and energize a more informed Christian faith. It is designed to be read by everyone who is alarmed about the political encroachments of the religious right: liberals who are Christians, liberals who arent Christians, secularists, and moderates who are concerned about religious freedom and the separation of church and state. "a reasoned, serious analysis of some of societys most contentious issues. Again, conservatives may not buy (the) arguments in the end, but at least (theyre) speaking in a language conservatives will understand." -Alston B. Ramsey, National Review Online, February 15, 2006 "Having trouble coming up with responses to the religious right on critical issues of the day? This book is a scholarly, yet down-to-earth discussion of topics such as patriotism, war, poverty, abortion, homosexuality and the environment. Each chapter includes talking points that can raise your comfort level in responding to the uninformed or biased rhetoric of the right." MiniMe, Illinois "This book offers valid perspectives on crucial issues that are dividing our country. I love that each chapter concludes with suggestions for positive action and discussion points. Very worthwhile!" J. Powers "In our sound byte-addicted world of attack-journalism, I'm amazed that a book can find its way into publication that thoughtfully addresses the most difficult moral issues of our time without name-calling and political posturing. Don't let the title fool you - this is not an outlet for liberals to counter-attack the extreme-right. This book addresses the most contentious issues of our time from a background of faith that helps the reader look at their own beliefs and gain empathy for others' beliefs." R. Andersen, Washington, DC "This book is the only one that directly and concisely addresses some of the most difficult religious issues that are discussed in the public arena these days. It includes obvious choices such as abortion and homosexuality, but it also gives thoughtful consideration to poverty, the environment and the war. In language that is understandable by almost everyone, the authors present significant research from the Judeo-Christian Scriptures and the historical record that set straight many of the misconceptions of the religious right. It also provides very helpful talking points and suggestions for personal actions related to the topics." Canuck "Freedom of religion me