The universe is on our side : restoring faith in American public life / Bruce Ledewitz.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ledewitz, Bruce, 1975- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Religion and politics--United States--History.

Religion and politics.

Politics and government.

History.

Public opinion.

United States.

United States--Politics and government--21st century--Public opinion.

United States--Politics and government--History.

Politics and government--Public opinion.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xiv, 213 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York, NY, United States of America : Oxford University Press, [2022]

Summary:

"There has been a breakdown in American public life that no election can fix. Americans cannot even converse about politics. All the usual explanations for our condition have failed to make things better. Bruce Ledewitz shows that America is living with the consequences of the Death of God, which Friedrich Nietzsche knew would be momentous and irreversible. God was this culture's story of the meaning of our lives. Even atheists had substitutes for God, like inevitable progress. Now we have no story and do not even think about the nature of reality. That is why we are angry and despairing. America's future requires that we begin a new story by each of us asking a question posed by theologian Bernard Lonergan: Is the universe on our side? When we commit to live honestly and fully by our answer to that question, even if our immediate answer is no, America will begin to heal. Beyond that, pondering the question of the universe will allow us to see that there is more to the universe than blind forces and dead matter. Guided by the naturalism of Alfred North Whitehead's process philosophy, and the historical faith of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we can learn to trust that the universe bends toward justice and our welfare. That conclusion will complete our healing and restore faith in American public life. We can live without God, but not without thinking about holiness in the universe"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: pt. I THE DEATH OF GOD COMES HOME TO ROOST

1. The Breakdown in American Public Life

2. The Spiritual Dimension of the Breakdown

3. The Arrival of the Death of God

4. Faithless American Public Life

5. The Age of Evasion

pt. II RESTORING FAITH IN AMERICAN PUBLIC LIFE

6. Is the Universe on Our Side?

7. No, the Universe Is Not on Our Side

8. Yes, the Universe Is on Our Side

9. Restored Public Life

10. Does This Bring Us Back to God?.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Ledewitz, Bruce, 1975- Universe is on our side

ISBN:

9780197563939

0197563937

OCLC:

1260292306

Publisher Number:

99989445943