Description
What has Christianity ever done for us? A lot more than you might think, as Nick Spencer reveals in this fresh exploration of our cultural origins. Looking at the big ideas that characterize the West, such as human dignity, the rule of law, human rights, science, and even, paradoxically, atheism and secularism,he traces the varied ways in which many of our present values grew up and flourished in distinctively Christian soil. Always alert to the tensions and mess of history, and careful not to overstate or misstate the Christian role in shaping our present values, Spencer shows us how a better awareness of what we owe to Christianity can help us as we face new cultural challenges.
Reviews
"An excellent new book...beautifully written, too. The author believes that not everyone in the West is disenchanted with religious faith... People still want more than just freedom and choice. They want to belong, they wanted community rooted in something shared and they want to find meaning beyond themselves."
--The Economist
"Surrounded by complex issues, it is hard to understand what's going on, what the important thinkers are saying, and what a thinking Christian might make of it all. Nick Spencer carves out a clear path through this jungle, helping us to see how we got here in the first place and how we might move forward in faith and wisdom."
- N. T. Wright, Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, University of St Andrews, and author of Surprised by Hope and Simply Christian