Religion Update: What's Inside
Crucial conversations
by Lynn Garrett -- Publishers Weekly, 3/24/2003
After September 11, the number of interfaith and comparative religion books exploded, from a smattering of titles each season to a robust and significant subcategory. Suddenly it seemed urgent to understand the beliefs and practices of our neighbors, both here at home and around the world. Of course, religious pluralism in America is not new, just newly important. And although Christianity is nominally still the dominant faith, that appears to be shifting rapidly, making it all the more vital to understand all religions. The conversation needed to respect our differences and appreciate our similarities, to live in peace, side by side, church by mosque by synagogue by temple, is fed by books. And in the midst of profound change, authors and publishers are busy making their contributions to that crucial conversation.
In this issue of Update, we examine the bountiful crop of recent, new and forthcoming books on dialogue across faith boundaries, including titles on interfaith marriage and parenting and on conflicts within specific religions. We also look at books that reflect a renewed longing for rites and ritual. Perhaps these ancient practices provide a way for people of faith to preserve their distinctiveness and traditions while meeting the challenges of a more varied religious landscape.
In this issue:
The
Quest for Understanding
A growing number of books
explore religions' common threads
A
House Divided
Interfaith families cut across lines and
make religious institutions edgy
Friction
in the Family
Intra-faith squabbles produce
controversial books, but is that always good for sales?
The
Reassurance of Ritual
In uncertain times, more people
are drawn to sacred practices
Books
in Brief
Interfaith books
In
Profile
Views from inside and outside of faiths
All
Faiths Calendar
Selected observances for March,
April, and May 2003
