Between Eden and Armageddon: The Future of World Religions, Violence, and Peacemaking

by Marc Gopin

Book Overview

Recent years have seen a meteoric rise in the power and importance of organized religion in many parts of the world. At the same time, there has been a significant increase in violence perpetrated in the name of religion. While much has been written on the relationship between violence and religious militancy, history shows that religious people have also played a critical role in peacemaking within numerous cultures. In the new century, will religion...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195157257
• ISBN13: 9780195157253
• Release Date: November 2002
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

This is good, Presses you Ideas

A very unusual book. As much as many people desire to have a knowledge of the future, whether based on their religious belief or scientific preference, this book will enhance you. There is a wealth of education here, this book is in fact a bank of information both general and focused on the future. I'd have to say the direction of the book is highly biased and many readers may even be heavily critical, however the material presented allows you to draw reasonable conclusions of your own. The title of the book does in fact reveal the background of the author.I suggest reading a book that covers this in a very broad scope, from our beginnings to our key to survival, even predicted the terrorist attack, other specific and surprising events, SB 1 or God by Karl Mark Maddox.

Ancient Secrets , Modern Solutions

Although this book is categorized under Religion, I was impressed with the SECULAR UNIVERSALITY of the guidelines and paradigms.THIS IS A ROADMAP FOR WORLD PEACE; it should be recognized and utilized as such. Compassion in life is ethically and spiritually based. Using ancient religious ethics to solve modern conflicts is the art of using ancient wisdom to create our future, and to keep humanity alive. The alignment of ecumenical leaders for the purpose of global conflict resolution is just the tip of the iceberg. The guidelines for 'listening compassionately' to another person, or to an entire culture, and its needs, in a conflict situation are the basis of survival of the human species. When people pray for peace, there are no diffences in their hearts. When people can "see","understand",and "feel" recognition of and respect for the "core being", conflict cannot exist,and polarities dissolve. This book and excerpts from it should be utilized and taught in all arenas of our lives--homes,workplaces,school,governmental facilities,places of worship. The guidelines are here to stop children from killing children in our schools.These same paradigms are applicable to stopping the senseless global conflict that we view everyday of "man's inhumanity to man". These paradigms are the antidote to the fear that creates conflict.