A worthwhile call to action for those determined to reach out to other religions.
Niebuhr (Religion/Syracuse Univ.) briefly explores interfaith relations in the United States and finds the glass half full.
Grandson of Christ and Culture author H. Richard Niebuhr and great-nephew of famed theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, the author covered religion for the New York Times for several years and is well acquainted with his subject. In post-9/11 America it is easy to find examples of religious tension and even violence, Niebuhr acknowledges. However, he argues that an undercurrent of interfaith cooperation is growing, while largely unnoticed. This trend, he demonstrates, is nothing new. Pointing to such early examples as George Washington’s letter to Touro Synagogue in 1790, the author explains that the need to survive has caused Americans of varying religious traditions to tolerate each other, though certainly better at some times than at others. For today, Niebuhr argues, society must find a way to move beyond “tolerance,” which implies a certain degree of inequality and unwilling coexistence. Instead, he argues on behalf of dialogue, an exercise that “provide[s] the glue that nourishes social relationships.” Though dialogue in which ideas and points of view are shared is a good thing, the author is particularly enthusiastic about dialogue that leads to concrete action. He points to Eboo Patel’s Interfaith Youth Core as an example of an organization that brings people of different religions together to interact and take part in social action. He also describes the Festival of Faiths in Louisville, Ky., an event that invites people to experience the arts, culture and lifestyles of a world of religions. However, the city’s Southern Baptist seminary does not participate in the festival, and Niebuhr’s discussion with the seminary’s president about the reasons for its absence makes it clear that not everyone is ready for interfaith dialogue.
A worthwhile call to action for those determined to reach out to other religions.Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-670-01956-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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