Judaism’s Critique of Idolatry and the Beginning of Liberative Religion

Around the globe religion is under attack. Humanists, secularists and atheists depict believers as deluded and dangerous. The aim of this book is to challenge this perception. Sensible Religion defends the validity and emphasises the excitement of the religious quest across the faiths. It demonstrates that the practice of sensible religion is often a courageous path pitted against religious extremism and secularism. Written by committed believers from the major world's faiths, the book endorses the term 'sensible' as expressing religious reasonableness as well as sensitivity to criticism and new insights. Followers of the different traditions live ordinary lives in the mainstream of the world. This volume therefore addresses beliefs and the manner in which these convictions relate to social, political and ethical action. Countering the argument that religion is at root extremist and irrational, Sensible Religion brings together thoughtful and critical reflections by leading thinkers about humanity's spiritual quest.Contents: Foreword, Peter Vardy; Preface, Dan Cohn-Sherbok and Christopher Lewis; The religious quest, Christopher Lewis; A sensible Judaism of love, Michael Lerner; Judaism’s critique of idolatry and the beginning of liberative religion, Melissa Raphael; Islam, Tim Winter; Retrieving the equilibrium and restoring justice: using Islam’s egalitarian teachings to reclaim women’s rights, Sara Khan; Reclaiming jihad, Dawoud el-Alami; The reasonableness of Christianity, Keith Ward; Christianity and sensible religion: a feminist approach, Mary Grey; The ecosystem of religions: a Hindu perspective, Rita D. Sherma; Hinduism: true (satyam), good (shivam) and beautiful (sundaram), Anantanand Rambachan; Is Buddhism sensible?, Dharmachari Subhuti; Buddhism: sense and sensibility, Hozan Alan Senauke; Sikhi(sm) and the 21st century Sikh diaspora, Opinderjit Kaur Takhar; African Traditional Religion, Nokuzola Mndende; Conclusion: sensible religion matters, Dan Cohn-Sherbok; Index