Book Description

A monumental collection--essential for academic and seminary libraries and highly recommended for public libraries as well. Library Journal An important new voice in contemporary philosophical- theologial discourse, this book highlights a number of issues that have been of particular concern to scholars, religious leaders, politicians, and the general public since the end of World War II. The contributors' purpose is to force a reexamination of basic concerns in religion, religious beliefs, and religious studies -- and to encourage both a reshaping of entrenched attitudes and a continuation of meaningful dialogue among different religious groups. To this end, they address a wide range of topics, from the perplexing problem of relativism and the issue of feminism in the church to questions of Muslim identity and Hindu-Christian dialogue. Divided into two principal parts, the book begins by exploring a broad spectrum of religious issues. Norbert Samuelson analyzes theism and atheism in Western religious philosophy, Ernest Stoeffler focuses on the parallel trends of conservatism and liberalism in American Protestantism; Gustavo Benavides examines religion and modernization in Latin America. Additional papers address a universal theology, Christianity and sociopolitical thought, postwar neo-Confucian philosophy, among other topics. In the second section, the contributors turn to interreligious dialogues, examining the ways in which various religions have attempted to forge deeper mutual understanding -- often in the face of rising sociopolitical tensions. Taken together, these essays offer an eloquent testimonial to the critical importance of interreligious dialogue in contemporary society. Religious Issues and Interreligious Dialogues will be an important addition to the reading list for studies in world religions, contemporary religious issues, and comparative religion.