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Robert Traer,
Faith, Belief, and Religion
A PenMark Press
Book
Dr. Traer
begins his book with two examples of how scholars talk about
religion, belief and faith in order to see our choices more clearly.
He follows with an examination of the historical development of
these key words and and considers the implications of changes in
their meanings over time. The book then explores understandings of
faith in the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim
traditions in order to demonstrate that the personal language of
faith allows us to see not only the diversity of these religious
traditions, but also what they have in common. Finally, he suggests
that speaking personally about religion, faith and belief may help
us in choosing how to live our lives more faithfully.
Contents
Preface
Chapter One —
Choices
Exploring Religion; Religion Alive; Religion and Faith
Chapter Two —
Religion
History of “Religion”; Modern Conception; Other Religious
Traditions;
Diversity; Choices
Chapter Three —
Belief
Believing; Better Beliefs
Chapter Four —
Faith
In English; New Testament Parable; Secular Faith
Chapter Five —
Hindu Faith
Sraddha; Believing; That Thou Art; Gandhi; Being
Chapter Six —
Buddhist Faith
Attitude;
Act;
Gift;
Saving;
Ordinary Life
Chapter Seven —
Jewish Faith
Covenant People;
Jesus of Nazareth;
Jewish Scripture;
Hasidic Examples;
Judgment;
New Israel
Chapter Eight —
Christian Faith
New Testament;
Paul;
Synoptic Gospels;
Gospel of John;
Doctrine;
Communities of Faith
Chapter Nine —
Muslim Faith
Imam;
Knowing the Truth;
Creed;
Religions;
El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz;
Common Living
Chapter Ten —
Choosing
Our Language;
Shared Inquiry;
Living Truth
Notes
Reviewers' comments
“…lively,
intelligent and accessible […] moves us away from religion as a set
of doctrines or institutions into a sense of the personal,
experiential and practical. The book should have wide appeal.”
— Robert N. Bellah (co-author of Habits of the Heart and The Good
Society)
“…appealing and lucid […] gives both epistemological precision and
spiritual depth to the words ‘belief’ and ‘faith’ […] [his] accurate
and sensitive exploration of ‘faith’ in a wide range of religious
traditions makes this an admirable teaching tool or basis for group
discussion.”
— Dr. John B. Taylor
(formerly Secretary General of the
World Conference on Religion and Peace/International).
“… unique in its genre […] a remarkable contribution to those who
are struggling to make sense of living faithfully in a religiously
plural world.”
— S. Wesley Ariarajah (Professor of Ecumenical
Theology, Drew University School of Theology)
Author
From 1990-2000 Robert Traer led the International
Association for Religious Freedom. Dr. Traer is a minister in the
Presbyterian Church (USA). He is engaged
in human rights research sponsored by the Center for Ethics and
Social Policy of the Graduate Theological Union. In January, 2002 he
was a scholar at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute for Theological
Studies near Jerusalem. Dr. Traer also manages an online ministry at
http://christian-bible.com, and his books and essays on human rights
are available at http://religionhumanrights.com. Dr. Traer has a PhD
from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, a JD
from the School of Law of the University of California at Davis, and
a DMn from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago.
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