How Much Religion is Good for Us?
If Religion Were a Game
1st Edition
Published on 1. August 2024
210 pages
978-1-040-10298-5 (ISBN)
Description
How Much Religion is Good for Us? is a provocative book which examines parallels between play and religion from a philosophical, theological, and anthropological perspective.
Understanding "religion as a game" in the context of secular culture, it explores the "playful" patterning of spiritual and religious belief in modern societies. Drawing on the Nietzschean concept of a dead but powerful God, the book depicts modern civilizations as players treading a secular age in which the spirit of religion unconsciously survives. It argues that the spirit of religion is preserved in cultures in the form of a spiritual game, distilling moral precepts and imperatives much like poetry and works of art do. Comparative in scope, it references Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Sufism, and Daoism.
This interdisciplinary volume is an outstanding resource for students and scholars of Religious Studies, Islamic Studies, Cultural Studies, Philosophy, and Anthropology.
Understanding "religion as a game" in the context of secular culture, it explores the "playful" patterning of spiritual and religious belief in modern societies. Drawing on the Nietzschean concept of a dead but powerful God, the book depicts modern civilizations as players treading a secular age in which the spirit of religion unconsciously survives. It argues that the spirit of religion is preserved in cultures in the form of a spiritual game, distilling moral precepts and imperatives much like poetry and works of art do. Comparative in scope, it references Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Sufism, and Daoism.
This interdisciplinary volume is an outstanding resource for students and scholars of Religious Studies, Islamic Studies, Cultural Studies, Philosophy, and Anthropology.
More details
Edition
1. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
1 Tables, black and white; 1 Line drawings, black and white; 1 Illustrations, black and white
ISBN-13
978-1-040-10298-5 (9781040102985)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
08/2024
1st Edition
Routledge
€61.00
Shipment within 10-20 days
Book
08/2024
1st Edition
Routledge
€207.40
Shipment within 10-20 days
Person
Thorsten Botz-Bornstein is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Global Studies Center at the Gulf University for Science and Technology, Kuwait.
Content
Introduction 1. Art, Play, and Faith 2. The Leap into the Game 3. The Unbearable Lightness of Religion 4. The Sacred, the Secular, and the Spiritual 5. The Spiritual and the Worldly 6. Play, Religion, and Society 7. "Thank God, I am an Atheist": Gianni Vattimo's "Half-Belief" 8. Kitsch and Kenosis 9. Cultural Secularism 10. Can Religion be "Interesting"? Conclusion: How Much Religion is Good for Us? Bibliography Index
