Religions Today - Their Challenge to the Ecumenical Movement (Paperback)

Analyses the place of faith communities in the contemporary world and the continuing impact of religions on modernity. Building on research by such scholars as Jose Casanova, Philip Jenkins and S N Eisenstadt, this anthology examines the interplay of traditional religion with the process of modernisation, and the influences that each of these forces exerts on the other. For over six years, the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland, has sponsored a study process on religious life in todays world and its challenges to the ecumenical movement. Participants from various Christian traditions and regions of the world have drawn on this experience in 'Religions Today'. The authors goals include: contributing to a better understanding of religious life throughout the world; confronting modern issues raised in the context of religion; acknowledging the complexity of related problems and the various responses to them; exploring the possibilities of an ecumenical approach to inter-religious dialogue, while recognising many weaknesses and failings that have been exposed through past experience. Addressing topics ranging from secularisation to religious fundamentalism, the authors weigh the potential of Christian churches and the ecumenical movement in addressing the realities of our time.