Edition |
First edition. |
Descript |
xv, 235 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
Note |
Nonfiction. |
Bibliog. |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 217-223) and index. |
Contents |
Introduction -- Why religion? -- Love and work -- A lifetime -- Going on -- Unimaginable -- Life after death -- Wrestling with the Devil -- Listening to thunder. |
Summary |
"Why does religion still exist in the twenty-first century? And why do so many people -- even, and especially, those who challenge religion -- continue to argue about the questions it raises? What purpose does it serve in our lives? These questions took on a new urgency for Pagels when she was dealing with unimaginable loss: the death of her young son, followed a year later by the shocking loss of her husband. Here she interweaves her personal story with the work she loves -- illuminating how, for better and worse, religious traditions have shaped how we understand ourselves; how we relate to one another; and, most important, how we get through our most difficult challenges. In the process, Pagels opens up unexpected ways of understanding this stubbornly persistent aspect of our culture. A provocative and deeply moving memoir from one of the most compelling religious thinkers at work today, Why Religion? explores the spiritual dimension of human experience"--Provided by publisher. |
Subject |
Pagels, Elaine H., 1943-
|
|
Religion historians -- United States -- Biography.
|
|
Religion and sociology.
|
Genre |
Autobiographies.
|
ISBN/ISSN |
0062368532 |
|
9780062368539 |
|