There are a few books on the (fake) NYT bestseller list these days that either defend or question the role of religion in today’s hyperspeed cyberspace world.
One of them is Christopher Hitchens’ “God is Not Great” which is about the evil done by God or done in his name. Then there’s “The God Delusion.” Then there’s Dinesh D’Souza’s defense of God.
One problem with such works is that the question is almost always mis-stated. They go for out-dated punchlines. Debates to prove the existence of God? C’mon. There’s not a lot of creativity on either side. (Not coincidentally, creativity relates to a fresh look at and maybe a way out of the conundrum.)
The bestselling status of books like these indicates an apparent nudge in the direction of widespread reflection on these matters. However, the NYT list is bogus, so there’s that to consider. Books are put on the list by a few puppeteers before readers have bought a copy. Furthermore, their persistance on the list neglects returned copies. But maybe there’s something to be said about these ideas after all…
For folks who do wonder what to make of religion in light of such modern ideas as psychology and materialism and existentialism and…drumroll…postmodernism. These have all helped us to better see the mind. And there’s no going back. For instance, postmodernism tells us things we need to know about image and name which in turn relate to the (shaky) substance of our whole American culture to the extent it depends on consumerism and advertising. These are not lightweight inputs to our old ideas about religion. They have changed us forever. We keep changing. While staying the same. We change in quality. So…the question is… Where to next?
Religion says something about idolatry. But reality today says something in reply about image, name and meaning. Something important results. Who is willing to discuss it?
Clearly, old ways can’t wear modern clothes. We have to judge ideas while not changing our eyewear. One way to do this that’s fair and changes no ground-rules is to look at religious ideas in a new way and to view modern realities likewise in a new way. That is, we focus on quality not quantity. We let the quantities stand. It’s the meaning of religion and the meaning of modernity that matter.
Meaning is explored in many classics. But rarely in contemporary work. And even more rarely without an ax to grind. Yet I think if the quest for actual meaning was good enough for Socrates it should be good enough for us. Questioning and self-questioning are great ways to expose what things mean to us.
For instance, we say we do sports for our health yet questioning reveals that sports often causes us sickness and injury. We clearly don’t do them for health. Then we admit we do them for fun. But what’s fun? Questioning leads us on to ever better answers.
But one can’t run an academic department or publish conference white-papers on such a basis, so it’s not done.
Who to look to?
Give Puhek a try! : )
This subject is of course a perfect fit for OYB, or at least for an ancillary division of our empire. The credentialed establishment is two-faced about this stuff, by definition: they don’t pursue these ideas for their own sakes but only if they can advance a career. So folkways and indy undergrounders are—big surprise!—where you have to turn for quality, relevance and sincere insight into things like meaning and questing. Fun is BIG in the world of OYB, people!
I published the books of the Fifth Way Press (an imprint of OYB) specifically because they help the modern mind to deal with religious and spiritual questions without abandoning its faculties. (Feel free to make suggestions about other work that you’ve found that does this, too!) Again, I haven’t found books that even try to consider the problem in such a light. Exploring meaning isn’t on anyone’s radar. Except for yours.
So if you check out Hitchens or D’Souza and you feel something is still lacking, give the Fifth Way books by Ron Puhek a try.
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