Reinventing Religion

Description

Many of us, proponents and critics alike, commonly make assumptions about religion. We may presume that religion is mainly about having beliefs or being good, or that it is concerned with spiritual rather than material issues, or that religious ideas and practices are meant to be somehow timeless. Such views, Peter Moore argues, work only to obscure the truth that religion is essentially humanity's quest to become fully human. This enlightening exposition questions our very understanding of faith and contends that religions should remain open to reinventing themselves, both practically and intellectually, rediscovering neglected traditions and finding new ways forward. Written with subtlety and passion, this book gets to the heart of ongoing debates about the validity and purpose of religion.

Peter Moore is Honorary Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Kent at Canterbury. His most recent book is Where Are the Dead? Exploring the Idea of an Embodied Afterlife (2017).

"Anyone, whether a skeptic or a believer, will find stimulus in this book. It considers religion from a range of perspectives in a way that is always questioning and readable."--The Rt Revd Lord (Richard) Harries of Pentregarth, former Bishop of Oxford and honorary professor of theology, King's College London "Moore muses that this book will irritate ardent secularists and passionate believers alike. But for the many people in the middle, this volume will be deeply satisfying. Shunning dogmatism of any variety, Moore offers insights about religion that are both subtle andintuitive. He brushes away jargon and lays out a compelling way forward for speaking about religion--both inside the academy and beyond--which returns religion to its better angels."--Aaron Rosen, professor of religion and visual culture, Wesley Theological Seminary, author of Brushes with Faith and Art & Religion in the 21st Century