Surveys the religious landscape, explaining in clear and nonjudgmental language the beliefs that motivate spiritual leaders, activists, theologians, academics, and others involved on all sides of the issue.
Ira Rifkin
Foreword by Dr. David Little
Paperback
5½x 8½, 256 pp | 978-1-59473-045-0
What is globalization anyway? What are spiritually-minded people—on all sides of the issue—doing and saying about it?
“As important as economics may be, it is not, as the great religions stress, the full measure of humanity. There is also connection to self, to others, to the ingrained values that have sustained cultures for generations and millennia, and to the belief in transcendence that gives it all meaning. In the end, what unnerves people most about globalization—including many in the West who may fairly be said to be on the winning side (economically, that is) of the process so far—is the threat it poses to that which is most precious to a life of satisfaction: our sense of meaning.”
—from the Conclusion
The economic and cultural dynamic of globalization is transforming the world at an unprecedented pace. But what exactly is it? What are its origins? What is its impact on our spiritual lives?
This lucid introduction surveys the religious landscape, explaining in clear and nonjudgmental language the beliefs that motivate spiritual leaders, activists, theologians, academics, and others involved on all sides of the issue. Included are the points-of-view of:
Bahá’ís • Buddhists • Earth-based and tribal religions • Hindus • Jews • Muslims • Protestants • Roman Catholics
Unlike other books on this controversial issue, this easy-to-read introduction won’t tell you what to think; it gives you the information you need to reach your own conclusions.
“Ira Rifkin looks at a variety of religious traditions and shows how their values, ethics, and visions of social justice have important implications for this hotly disputed topic. Rifkin’s informative book provides a useful service because I do not think there is another book quite like it.”
—Michael Cromartie, Vice President, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, D.C.
“A book that is likely to attract the attention of many readers who are not sufficiently informed about the new cohabitation between religion and globalization. It is indeed an effective and timely guided tour into this new terrain called globalization.”
—Sulayman S. Nyang, PhD, Professor, Howard University
