Wiley-Blackwell Questions of Faith: A Skeptical Affirmation of Christianity (Religion and Spirituality in the Modern World)

Does God exist? What was so special about Jesus? How can one be Christian in a pluralistic society? These are among the fundamental questions addressed by leading religious and cultural commentator, Peter Berger, in this engaging exploration of faith in modern times. The book is structured around key phrases from the Apostles' Creed, which the author uses to explore the basics of Christian belief. Drawing on both the Christian theological tradition and the work of other relevant thinkers from Freud through to Simone Weil, he negotiates between traditional and modern, liberal and orthodox views. Throughout the book, Berger takes the position of an open-minded skeptic, not bound by any traditional authority, be it church, scripture, or personal experience. At the same time he explores his own beliefs, indicating why, in the end, he does have faith. Review "This book gives us the mature reflection of a really major contributor to issues of faith in our contemporary situation. Peter Berger is a master of the art of communication who educates his readers by including them in his own inner conversation in all its honesty and with repeated flashes of clarification and illumination. Once again his is a voice that has to be attended to." David Martin, Emeritus Professor, London School of Economics "[T]his is a lively work of apologetic that will be found valuable by believers and open-minded seekers alike." Church of England Newspaper From the Back Cover Does God exist? What was so special about Jesus? How can one be Christian in a pluralistic society? These are among the fundamental questions addressed by leading religious and cultural commentator, Peter Berger, in this engaging exploration of faith in modern times. The book is structured around key phrases from the Apostles Creed, which the author uses to explore the basics of Christian belief. Drawing on both the Christian theological tradition and the work of other relevant thinkers from Freud through to Simone Weil, he negotiates between traditional and modern, liberal and orthodox views. Throughout the book, Berger takes the position of an open-minded skeptic, not bound by any traditional authority, be it church, scripture, or personal experience. At the same time he explores his own beliefs, indicating why, in the end, he does have faith. About the Author Peter Berger is the Emeritus Professor of Religion, Sociology and Theology at Boston University. Professor Berger previously taught at the New School for Social Research, at Rutgers University, and at Boston College. He has written numerous books on sociological theory, the sociology of religion, and Third World development, which have been translated into dozens of foreign languages. Among his more recent books are Many Globalizations: Cultural Diversity in the Modern World (OUP, 2002), The Social Construction of Reality (Penguin, 1991), The Sacred Canopy (Doubleday, 1990), The Desecularalization of the World: Resurgent Religion and World Politics (Eerdmans, 1999), Modernization and Religion ESRI, 1981), The Limits of Social Cohesion (Westview, 1999), (Redeeming Laughter: The Comic Dimension of Human Experience (1997); Modernity, Pluralism and the Crisis of Meaning (with Thomas Luckmann, 1995); The Capitalist Revolution: Fifty Propositions About Prosperity, Equality and Liberty (1988); and The War Over the Family: Capturing the Middle Ground (with Brigitte Berger, 1983). In 1992, Professor Berger was awarded the Mannes Sperber Prize, presented by the Austrian government for significant contributions to culture. Since 1985, Professor Berger has been Director of the Institute for the Study of Economic Culture. The institute is a research center committed to systematic study of relationships between economic development and sociocultural change in different parts of the world.