Many authors have written on the effect technology, economics, and politics have on globalization, but few have addressed the potential impact of world religions on the future direction of globalization. McFaul's fascinating book explores what others have not: the part the world's major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—will play in bringing either greater peace and justice or hatred and hostility to the global village. Will these religions, which exert the greatest amount of influence worldwide, be a force for good or ill in the emerging global village of the 21st century? This book answers that question and more. Covering the religions to which the majority of world's population adheres, it offers insight into the commonalities, differences, and potential for coming together to create peace to be found among the major faiths. The world's seven major religions are covered, and topics such as sexuality, ethics, violence, and the tension between secular and sacred arenas are discussed for each. McFaul argues that if the leaders and laity of these religions are able to find common ground, efforts toward peace and justice in the global village can be more effective and lasting. If they accentuate their differences, he suggests, they will only produce more hatred and hostility.

This book offers a bold forecast of the year 2050 and what life will look like in the emerging global village. Is this profound new work, Thomas McFaul examines the interwoven concepts of truth and freedom in the context of the Modernist movement that has fundamentally reshaped our world. McFaul's thesis? Societies that make truth and freedom their signature values stand the best chance of prospering in the emerging global village. In The Future of Truth and Freedom in the Global Village: Modernism and the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century, McFaul relates the two cornerstone ideas of truth and freedom to the development of Modernism and its impact on science, religion, ethics, economics, and politics. This sets the stage for thought-provoking speculation as McFaul forecasts what life might be like in the year 2050, with scenarios that range from moving forward as a unified world embracing new possibilities to sliding back to the "good old days." McFaul's well-reasoned conclusion is that any society's long-term viability rests on having the freedom to adapt to changes in the modern world in new and creative ways.

In the long trek of human history, the adage that there will never be peace among the nations until there is peace among the religions has never been truer. The growing trend toward spiritually inspired violence throughout the emerging global village of the twenty-first century has taken a terrible toll on the lives of thousands of innocent victims. The primary purpose of this book is to address this issue head-on by examining the role that the earth's diverse faith communities can play in stopping the needless hatreds and hostilities that all too often arise from the search for spiritual fulfillment. At this stage of human evolution, nothing is more urgent.

Religion Seeking Justice and Peace not only highlights the values that the different religions share in their pursuit of justice and peace but also provides concrete examples of how individuals and institutions from different religious backgrounds have worked for justice and peach throughout history. The book also exposes the danger of religious extremism, religious exclusivism and other such negative traits to the struggle for justice and peace. It takes cognisance of the impact of the larger environment upon religious ideals and, at the same time, makes a plea for the application of universal values and principles embodied in the various religions to politics. Economics, culture and society. This is particularly important, some of the contributors argue, at a time like this when humanity is confronted with multiple global crises.

In a world plagued by religious conflict, how can the various religious and secular traditions coexist peacefully on the planet? And, what role does sociology play in helping us understand the state of religious life in a globalizing world? In the Fourth Edition ofGods in the Global Village, author Lester Kurtz continues to address these questions. This text is an engaging, thought-provoking examination of the relationships among the major faith traditions that inform the thinking and ethical standards of most people in the emerging global social order. Thoroughly updated to reflect recent events, the book discusses the role of religion in our daily lives and global politics, and the ways in which religion is both an agent of, and barrier to, social change.

God Is Here to Stay offers new insights into one of humankind's most profound questions: Does God exist? During the past ten years, theists and new atheists have argued to prove or disprove God's existence. Examining the pros and cons of each side leads to one overarching conclusion: The existence of God can be neither proven nor disproven with complete certainty, even though both sides draw on modern science to support their views. Drs. Thomas R. McFaul and Al Brunsting approach the question of God's existence from an entirely fresh perspective. They examine scientific knowledge in several areas ranging across the physical sciences and human experience to explain how the universe operates within very narrow and highly structured boundaries. Most importantly, they create an innovative "L-M Confidence Scale" to establish confidence levels, not proofs, on how scientific discoveries impact belief in God. McFaul and Brunsting describe the three stages of scientific evolution. In stage 1, the world's religions developed divergent pre-scientific views. Modern science started with stage 2, during which atheists predicted that science would eventually eradicate religion. In stage 3, the authors show how science, evolution, and belief in God have become increasingly integrated and mutually supportive.

From the Arab Spring to the Occupy and Tea Party movements, the "What now?" solution to economic disparity and power politics has been largely unarticulated. This work details how the Golden Rule ethic and a technology-driven global consciousness are causing epic shifts in our economic and governing systems. The evolution from nation-state capitalism to a collaborative economy with judicial governance is proving that prosperity is compatible with peace. With ten case studies of successful "Golden Rule" organizations and an innovative study of the reciprocal ethic, this book provides accessible, thought-provoking analysis of rapid worldwide change and forecasts a future of freedom, purpose and hope.