The old assumption that modernization leads to secularization is outdated. Yet the certainty that religion is an anthropological universal that can only be suppressed by governments is also dead. Thus it is now a favorable moment for a new perspective on religion. This book takes human experiences of self-transcendence as its point of departure. Religious faith is seen as an attempt to articulate and interpret such experiences. Faith then is neither useful nor a symptom of weakness or misery; but an opening up of ways of experience. This book develops this basic idea; contrasts it with the thinking of some leading religious thinkers of our time; and relates it to the current debates about human rights and universal human dignity.
#1072431 in Books 2005-03-28Format: UnabridgedOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .68 x 5.19l; .49 #File Name: 1593082835272 pages
Review
63 of 65 people found the following review helpful. for they allow us to gain a better understanding of how far our society has comeBy JayahThis autobiography was assigned to me when I was a junior in high school. Three years later; as a sophomore in college; I was asked to read the book again for my class on Black Thought and Literature. I wish that I had taken the time to slow down and analyze Frederick Douglass' narrative from a literal; analytical; and figurative perspective. Had I done that the first time around—as opposed to treating the book as another required reading that I needed to speed-read through—I believe that my understanding would have been more in-depth and meaningful. The emotion and conviction with which the author writes is not only poetic and moving; but captivating as well. The imagery; combined with Douglass' views on religion's role in the enslavement of black bodies; masterfully paints a story that (in combination with other narratives) has; unfortunately; been lost throughout time. In fact; many Black writers during this period refused to publish their experiences for fear that they will be caught and returned to slavery. In other cases; some writers used pen names to add some anonymity to their experiences. Nevertheless; such works should be cherished and valued; for they allow us to gain a better understanding of how far our society has come; and how much more needs to be done to ensure a future where everyone is equal (in the truest sense of the word).0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. What a Heart-breaker!By Donna KelleyI marvel that someone could have endured such deprivations and abuses of slavery and yet lived to tell it. I did not care for the long; run-on sentences which seem to be typical of that period in history. The poem at the end perfectly encapsulated the woes of slavery. I found the book so poignant that I could not have read it all in one sitting. My empathy could not withstand the mistreatment of the main character for long reading sessions. .0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Please read or rereadBy CustomerAlthough there is difficulty in typing that a work like "Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass; An American Slave" was enjoyable; I feel more humane after reading this text. And I enjoy the idea of this progression. With the types of difficulties we have today being American; there is also a feeling of reward accompanying the finishing of a text where ingenuity and the pursuit of learning are not portrayed as traits of the vain; but as the talents of those with the will to exist. Fredrick Douglass' narrative is uniquely American and inherently African American and anyone who feels pride belonging to one or both of these groups should read or reread this book.
