



Spiritual Perspectives on Globalization (2nd Edition)
Making Sense of Economic and Cultural Upheaval
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
What is globalization anyway? What are spiritually-minded people—
on all sides of the issue—doing and saying about it?
The economic and cultural dynamic of globalization is transforming the world at an unprecedented pace. But what exactly is it? What are its origins? What is its impact on our spiritual lives?
This lucid introduction surveys the religious landscape, explaining in clear and nonjudgmental language the beliefs that motivate spiritual leaders, activists, theologians, academics, and others involved on all sides of the issue. Included are the points-of-view of:
Bah’s Buddhists Earth-based and tribal religions Hindus Jews Muslims Protestants Roman Catholics
Unlike other books on this controversial issue, this easy-to-read introduction won’t tell you what to think; it gives you the information you need to reach your own conclusions.
"As important as economics may be, it is not, as the great religions stress, the full measure of humanity. There is also connection to self, to others, to the ingrained values that have sustained cultures for generations and millennia, and to the belief in transcendence that gives it all meaning. In the end, what unnerves people most about globalization—including many in the West who may fairly be said to be on the winning side (economically, that is) of the process so far—is the threat it poses to that which is most precious to a life of satisfaction: our sense of meaning."
—from the Conclusion
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Globalization as we know it emerged in a 1944 plan for post-war economic recovery, starting with the World Bank. This first institution and indicator has multiplied in many ways over the last half-decade, and globalization has become a contentious international issue. One of the lessons of September 11 is that the time for spiritual provincialism is clearly over. Religion journalist Rifkin produces a highly readable, quick study that begins to come to terms with the global religious agendas arising within and outside our borders. The book's interesting personal narratives, sprinkled throughout, reflect a true pluralism and enliven what could be a dry, doctrinaire approach. Rifkin examines Roman Catholicism, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, the Bah ' faith, tribal and earth-based religions, and Protestantism for evidence of how they view the economic, cultural and personal aspects of globalization. Writing with balanced appraisal and astute depth, Rifkin provides readers with a sense of how the major tenets of each tradition give rise to individual perceptions and actions on globalization. His understandings of the social constructs that arise out of belief are fascinating and essential reading. Avoiding a jargon-laden treatise, Rifkin keeps the writing light and clear, using eminent support from the likes of Huston Smith and Karen Armstrong. For anyone who has asked why terrorism has come to American shores, Rifkin supplies some well-informed and quite broad answers.