The Beginning and the End of Religion

The common view that religion is something quite separate from politics, art, science, law and economics is one that is peculiar to modern Western culture. In this book Professor Lash argues that we should begin to question seriously that viewpoint: the modern world is ending and we are now in a position to discover new forms of ancient wisdom, which have been obscured from view. These essays explore this idea in a number of directions, examining the dialogue between theology and science, the secularity of Western culture and questions of Christian hope. Part One examines the dialogue between Christianity and Hinduism, while Part Two considers the relations between theology and science, the secularity of Western culture, and questions of Christian hope, or eschatology.

• Freshness of suggestions for relationships between religious traditions • Combines broad range of topics treated with sharpness of focus • Nicholas Lash is a very well-known British theologian

Part I. A Meeting Place for Truth: 1. The beginning and the end of ‘religion’?; 2. Prophecy and peace; 3. Reality, wisdom and delight; Part II. Emerging from Modernity: 4. Observation, revelation and the posterity of Noah; 5. On what kinds of things there are; 6. Contemplation, metaphor and real knowledge; 7. When did the theologians lose interest in theology?; 8. Anselm seeking; 9. Creation, courtesy and contemplation; 10. Hollow centres and holy places; 11. Hoping against hope, or Abraham’s dilemma; 12. Eagles and sheep: Christianity and the public order beyond modernity; 13. Incarnation and determinate freedom; 14. Beyond the end of history?; Index.