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Do We Need Religion?
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Do We Need Religion?

On the Experience of Self-transcendence

Do We Need Religion?

On the Experience of Self-transcendence

ByHans Joas
Edition 1st Edition
First Published 2007
eBook Published 17 November 2015
Pub. location New York
Imprint Routledge
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.4324/9781315635095
Pages 164 pages
eBook ISBN 9781317261001
SubjectsSocial Sciences
Get Citation

Get Citation

Joas, H. (2008). Do We Need Religion?. New York: Routledge, https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315635095
ABOUT THIS BOOK

The old assumption that modernization leads to secularization is outdated.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.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |2 pages
Part 1: Religious Experience
chapter 1|18 pages
Do We Need Religion?
View abstract
chapter 2|16 pages
Religion in the Age of Contingency
View abstract
chapter 3|12 pages
On the Articulation of Experience
View abstract
part |2 pages
Part 2: Between Theology and Social Science
chapter 4|14 pages
Sociology and the Sacred: Key Texts in the Sociology of Religion
View abstract
chapter 5|16 pages
Sophisticated Fundamentalism from the Left? On John Milbank
View abstract
chapter 6|10 pages
A Catholic Modernity? Faith and Knowledge in the Work of Charles Taylor
View abstract
chapter 7|14 pages
God in France: Paul Ricoeur As Theoretical Mediator
View abstract
chapter 8|8 pages
Post-Secular Religion? On Jürgen Habermas
View abstract
part |2 pages
Part 3: Human Dignity
chapter 9|10 pages
Decency, Justice, Dignity: On Avishai Margalit
View abstract
chapter 10|8 pages
Respect for Indisposability: A Contribution to the Bioethics Debate
View abstract
chapter 11|16 pages
Human Dignity: The Religion of Modernity?
View abstract

The old assumption that modernization leads to secularization is outdated.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.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |2 pages
Part 1: Religious Experience
chapter 1|18 pages
Do We Need Religion?
View abstract
chapter 2|16 pages
Religion in the Age of Contingency
View abstract
chapter 3|12 pages
On the Articulation of Experience
View abstract
part |2 pages
Part 2: Between Theology and Social Science
chapter 4|14 pages
Sociology and the Sacred: Key Texts in the Sociology of Religion
View abstract
chapter 5|16 pages
Sophisticated Fundamentalism from the Left? On John Milbank
View abstract
chapter 6|10 pages
A Catholic Modernity? Faith and Knowledge in the Work of Charles Taylor
View abstract
chapter 7|14 pages
God in France: Paul Ricoeur As Theoretical Mediator
View abstract
chapter 8|8 pages
Post-Secular Religion? On Jürgen Habermas
View abstract
part |2 pages
Part 3: Human Dignity
chapter 9|10 pages
Decency, Justice, Dignity: On Avishai Margalit
View abstract
chapter 10|8 pages
Respect for Indisposability: A Contribution to the Bioethics Debate
View abstract
chapter 11|16 pages
Human Dignity: The Religion of Modernity?
View abstract
CONTENTS
ABOUT THIS BOOK

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.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |2 pages
Part 1: Religious Experience
chapter 1|18 pages
Do We Need Religion?
View abstract
chapter 2|16 pages
Religion in the Age of Contingency
View abstract
chapter 3|12 pages
On the Articulation of Experience
View abstract
part |2 pages
Part 2: Between Theology and Social Science
chapter 4|14 pages
Sociology and the Sacred: Key Texts in the Sociology of Religion
View abstract
chapter 5|16 pages
Sophisticated Fundamentalism from the Left? On John Milbank
View abstract
chapter 6|10 pages
A Catholic Modernity? Faith and Knowledge in the Work of Charles Taylor
View abstract
chapter 7|14 pages
God in France: Paul Ricoeur As Theoretical Mediator
View abstract
chapter 8|8 pages
Post-Secular Religion? On Jürgen Habermas
View abstract
part |2 pages
Part 3: Human Dignity
chapter 9|10 pages
Decency, Justice, Dignity: On Avishai Margalit
View abstract
chapter 10|8 pages
Respect for Indisposability: A Contribution to the Bioethics Debate
View abstract
chapter 11|16 pages
Human Dignity: The Religion of Modernity?
View abstract

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.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |2 pages
Part 1: Religious Experience
chapter 1|18 pages
Do We Need Religion?
View abstract
chapter 2|16 pages
Religion in the Age of Contingency
View abstract
chapter 3|12 pages
On the Articulation of Experience
View abstract
part |2 pages
Part 2: Between Theology and Social Science
chapter 4|14 pages
Sociology and the Sacred: Key Texts in the Sociology of Religion
View abstract
chapter 5|16 pages
Sophisticated Fundamentalism from the Left? On John Milbank
View abstract
chapter 6|10 pages
A Catholic Modernity? Faith and Knowledge in the Work of Charles Taylor
View abstract
chapter 7|14 pages
God in France: Paul Ricoeur As Theoretical Mediator
View abstract
chapter 8|8 pages
Post-Secular Religion? On Jürgen Habermas
View abstract
part |2 pages
Part 3: Human Dignity
chapter 9|10 pages
Decency, Justice, Dignity: On Avishai Margalit
View abstract
chapter 10|8 pages
Respect for Indisposability: A Contribution to the Bioethics Debate
View abstract
chapter 11|16 pages
Human Dignity: The Religion of Modernity?
View abstract
ABOUT THIS BOOK
ABOUT THIS BOOK

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.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |2 pages
Part 1: Religious Experience
chapter 1|18 pages
Do We Need Religion?
View abstract
chapter 2|16 pages
Religion in the Age of Contingency
View abstract
chapter 3|12 pages
On the Articulation of Experience
View abstract
part |2 pages
Part 2: Between Theology and Social Science
chapter 4|14 pages
Sociology and the Sacred: Key Texts in the Sociology of Religion
View abstract
chapter 5|16 pages
Sophisticated Fundamentalism from the Left? On John Milbank
View abstract
chapter 6|10 pages
A Catholic Modernity? Faith and Knowledge in the Work of Charles Taylor
View abstract
chapter 7|14 pages
God in France: Paul Ricoeur As Theoretical Mediator
View abstract
chapter 8|8 pages
Post-Secular Religion? On Jürgen Habermas
View abstract
part |2 pages
Part 3: Human Dignity
chapter 9|10 pages
Decency, Justice, Dignity: On Avishai Margalit
View abstract
chapter 10|8 pages
Respect for Indisposability: A Contribution to the Bioethics Debate
View abstract
chapter 11|16 pages
Human Dignity: The Religion of Modernity?
View abstract

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.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |2 pages
Part 1: Religious Experience
chapter 1|18 pages
Do We Need Religion?
View abstract
chapter 2|16 pages
Religion in the Age of Contingency
View abstract
chapter 3|12 pages
On the Articulation of Experience
View abstract
part |2 pages
Part 2: Between Theology and Social Science
chapter 4|14 pages
Sociology and the Sacred: Key Texts in the Sociology of Religion
View abstract
chapter 5|16 pages
Sophisticated Fundamentalism from the Left? On John Milbank
View abstract
chapter 6|10 pages
A Catholic Modernity? Faith and Knowledge in the Work of Charles Taylor
View abstract
chapter 7|14 pages
God in France: Paul Ricoeur As Theoretical Mediator
View abstract
chapter 8|8 pages
Post-Secular Religion? On Jürgen Habermas
View abstract
part |2 pages
Part 3: Human Dignity
chapter 9|10 pages
Decency, Justice, Dignity: On Avishai Margalit
View abstract
chapter 10|8 pages
Respect for Indisposability: A Contribution to the Bioethics Debate
View abstract
chapter 11|16 pages
Human Dignity: The Religion of Modernity?
View abstract
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