A Faith for Moderns

Plot

There is no shartage of books many of them eloquent and moving that call for a return to religion. All too often, however, they ignore the new dimensions of existence in the moder age, and isnist that the tradition of the past needs only to be repeated in order to be adequate for the prsenet. This approach does not meet the need of those men and women who are seeking an understanidng of the conent of religon, but are unwilling to resign from the 20th century in process. There is much in contemporary life that is desparelty in need of reconstruction. But there is much too in the acievement of the age in the scieitific discovery, philosphic analysis, and ethical striving of our century, which modern men regard as authentic and worthwhile. Hence they find themselves unable to make the leap of faith, which they are told involves the surrendder of reason and at times even the suspension of the ethical. They are seeking an introduction, if not yet a commitment to a vital religion. The fith they seek will not be a cloak of passivity and withdrawal from the arean of conflict and struggle which is the real world, nor n isalnd of refuge for those who isnist that loss of confidence in man is the prerequisite for faith in God.

ASctually the present volume is a spritual autobigorahpy in disguise, the distillation of the insights and attidues on God and man, life and eath, the individiual and society, at which I have arrived, on the basis of my personal experience and my understanding of the religious tradition, as refined in the crucible of the scieitific and phelopsophic quest for truth. It is my hope that the record of the paths by which I have traveled and the decription of the spritual home at which I have arrived will be useful to other travelers on the same journey.

Somewhat dated this volume nonetheless remains one of the finest modern rationalists arguments for God and Judaism. For committed rationalists, the section on God will be very helpful.