The Meaning and End of Religion

Wilfred Cantwell Smith, maintained in this vastly important work that Westerners have misperceived religious life by making "religion" into one thing. He shows the inadequacy of "religion" to capture the living, endlessly variable ways and traditions in which religious faith presents itself in the world.

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LibraryThing member aitastaes

It is not surprising that this book, THE MEANING AND END of RELIGION, has become an authoratative source for students and scholars in their study of religion and spiritual matters.

Because of the limited, restricted and narrowing thought that is imposed upon us by embracing our own religion, whether

it is Christian, Hindu, Baptist, Lutheran, or any other sect the author suggests that we discontinue using the term "religion" itself, and replace it with a Universal conception of God that embraces all of humanity, not of just one separate religious sect. The author questions why the loving father of all humankind favors only the Christians,the Methodists, the Baptists, the Jews, or any others, as his "chosen few".

The importance of learning about the History of other religions, as well as our own, is strongly recommended by the author. The chapter "The Special Case of Islam" opened my eyes to my own narrow, prejudiced conception of "those other guys".

The chapter on "Faith" is thoughtful enough to have been written in a book by itself.

"THE MEANING AND THE END OF RELIGION" is a classic in the area of spiritual thought. It will undoubtedly remain a classic for many years to come.

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