Twenty-first Century Confronts Its Gods

Maintains that the secular West has its gods—such as market capitalism—and that veneration of these contributes to the cultural and religious unrest of our time.

This book penetrates the assumptions of Western technological society and exposes the powers that govern it. The contributors argue that it is a mistake to think that religion and belief have been relegated to the private sphere and are no longer important in the public and political domains. They assert that the twenty-first century has a set of new godsthe powers of globalization, technology, the market, and military mightthat reign alongside those of traditional religions. These are the forces to which the modern era has granted ultimacy. This book looks at how major religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism play an important role in politics and society on both the global and local levels. The new gods of technology, globalization, and war are shown to exacerbate the existing cultural divisions and religious strife that mark our time. By understanding the importance of that which is held sacred, whether traditional belief or modern practice not acknowledged as belief, the contributors help us to comprehend our present situation and challenges.

David J. Hawkin is Professor of Religious Studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the author of The Johannine World: Reflections on the Theology of the Fourth Gospel and Contemporary Society, also published by SUNY Press.