Flourishing
Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Yale University Press
Published:2nd May '17
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
A celebrated theologian explores how the greatest dangers to humanity, as well as the greatest promises for human flourishing, are at the intersection of religion and globalization
More than almost anything else, globalization and the great world religions are shaping our lives, affecting everything from the public policies of political leaders and the economic decisions of industry bosses and employees, to university curricula, all the way to the inner longings of our hearts. Integral to both globalization and religions are compelling, overlapping, and sometimes competing visions of what it means to live well.
In this perceptive, deeply personal, and beautifully written book, a leading theologian sheds light on how religions and globalization have historically interacted and argues for what their relationship ought to be. Recounting how these twinned forces have intersected in his own life, he shows how world religions, despite their malfunctions, remain one of our most potent sources of moral motivation and contain within them profoundly evocative accounts of human flourishing. Globalization should be judged by how well it serves us for living out our authentic humanity as envisioned within these traditions. Through renewal and reform, religions might, in turn, shape globalization so that can be about more than bread alone.
"Volf brilliantly weaves several strands of argument into an ambitious brief for the positive functions of religion in today’s global village, where the negative consequences of religion are too often written in the blood of innocents."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A stimulating work on a topic of major importance."—Paul Richardson, Church of England Newspaper
"Volf convincingly tackles one of the most important issues of the twenty-first century: how we can have a peaceful religious pluralism together with healthy globalisation. He not only gives the facts and analyses the situation perceptively, he also has the depth of understanding of a range of religions to produce a practical way forward that is both realistic and attractive."—David F. Ford, University of Cambridge
"Miroslav Volf's prophetic voice brings a new perspective to the question of what it means to live the good life in a world shaped by globalization."—John J. DeGioia, Georgetown University
"In Flourishing, Miroslav Volf offers us an enthralling analysis of the mutual interplay between globalization and the world’s great religions, along with an inspiring vision of how great faiths can be enlarged rather than threatened by diversity. An outstanding and timely work by one of the great theologians of our time."—Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
"The contemporary globalized world offers a bewildering scene: horrifying acts of religious hatred and cruelty exist alongside zones where people of different religions live in unprecedented mutual respect, even friendly exchange. Digging deep into the sources of his own, Christian faith, Volf offers an insightful and penetrating answer to both these questions."—Charles Taylor, McGill University
ISBN: 9780300227130
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 386g
304 pages