Beyond Secular Faith

“A brilliant collection of essays from an array of international scholars. Whether engaging the Western construction of Islam, Chaucer, sex, Flannery O’Conner, secularization, Dorothy Day, beauty, Charles Taylor, political sovereignty, Dostoevsky, economy, German Idealism, John Paul II, the Eucharist, contemporary Gnosticism, or Von Balthasar, each chapter yields surprising insights into human aspirations for freedom, morality, economy, democracy. What unites them is the realization that there can be no freedom, indeed, no self to be set free, without Love. A rich and rewarding read!”


—Daniel M. Bell Jr., Lenoir-Rhyne University





“The authors address various manifestations of the current cultural crisis in the fields of politics, economics, literature, philosophy, and theology. Their inquiry deepens in the anthropological and metaphysical roots of postmodernity, and opens, with wisdom and realism, a horizon of hope for the renewal of our time. In the face of false dilemmas, reduced perspectives, and ideological obstinations, the book is highly recommended for those who seek an integrating, suggestive, and well-founded vision of reality.”


—Salvador Antuñano-Alea, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria





“Though many of these essays are critical of modern patterns of thought and practice, what animates the volume as a whole is not nostalgia or resentment, but rather the conviction that a Christ-centered life is a joyful life. The authors find in the death of Christendom an opportunity for renewal. From a variety of perspectives and dealing with a variety of themes, the essays bring forth the riches of Christian traditions for a more hopeful future.”


—William T. Cavanaugh, DePaul University





“Beyond Secular Faith reminds as much as it enacts, the radical epoche that Christian theology entails: that to serve God is to serve humankind, the converse also, because a proper metaphysics rests in the infinite generosity of the divine hypostatic union. . . . The level of sophistication, and creativity, on display in these essays is of an extremely high order, whilst, concomitantly, reminding us to think again; to abandon that most childish of postures, that of the grown-up. I cannot recommend the delight of this invitation enough.”


—Conor Cunningham, author of Darwin’s Pious Idea