Between One Faith and Another

How do we make sense of the world's different religions? In today's globalized society, religion is deeply intertwined with every issue we see on the news. But talking about multiple religions can be contentious. Are different faiths compatible somehow? And how can we know whether one religion is more true than another? In this creative thought experiment, Peter Kreeft invites us to encounter dialogues on the world's great faiths. His characters Thomas Keptic and Bea Lever are students in Professor Fesser's course on world religions, and the three explore the content and distinctive claims of each. Together they probe the plausibility of major religions, from Hinduism and Buddhism to Christianity and Islam. Along the way they explore how religions might relate to each other and to what extent exclusivism or inclusivism might make sense. Ultimately Kreeft gives us helpful tools for thinking fairly and critically about competing religious beliefs. If the religions are different kinds of music, do they together make harmony or cacophony? Decide for yourself.



Peter J. Kreeft (Ph.D., Fordham University) is professor of philosophy at Boston College where he has taught since 1965. A popular lecturer, he has also taught at many other colleges, seminaries and educational institutions in the eastern United States. Kreeft has written more than fifty books, including The Best Things in Life, The Journey, How to Win the Culture War and, with Ronald Tacelli, Handbook of Christian Apologetics.

Introduction


1. What Is Religion? The Problem of Definition


2. Primitive Religions: The Sense of the Religious


3. Hinduism: The Claims of Mystical Experience


4. Buddhism: The Logic of Nirvana


5. Zen: The Transformation of Consciousness


6. Confucianism: The Structure of Social Success


7. Taoism: The Power of Nature's Way


8. Judaism: Human Culture or Divine Revelation?


9. Islam: Is Surrender Fundamentalism or the Heart of Religion?


10. Christianity: The Most Believed (and Most Unbelievable) Claim Ever Made


11. Comparative Religions: Can Contradictories Both Be True?


Postscript

"Scholars, seekers, and ordinary saints will be challenged by this book, and that is a good thing. It probes and questions—always accessibly and playfully—and the result is that every reader will learn."



"With the wisdom and wit we expect from Professor Kreeft, this delightful 'imaginative exploration' guides us in thinking about differences and similarities in the major religious traditions today. Thoughtful, informative, and provocative, this 'trialogue' takes us to the heart of some central issues in comparative religion."



"No one else could have written this remarkable book. Peter Kreeft has employed his personal gift for lively and erudite dialogue to present some of the most difficult issues in the philosophy of religion in a way that will charm, entice, and instruct even readers who are completely new to the subject."



"The book affords an engaging, informative, and edifying read if the reader is committed to the intellectual rigor necessary to follow implications at the theoretical and existential level."



"I would recommend this book to anyone trying to reach this postmodern millennial generation. Yet, this recommendation comes with a caveat: Be prepared to be challenged in your own thinking about how the three dimensions of theology, morality, and liturgy all function Between One Faith and Another." weniger anzeigen expand_less