Synopses & Reviews
A bracing rejoinder both to religious fanaticism and to recent books decrying religion The United States is the most religiously diverse nation in the world and the most religiously diverse collection of people in history. And even in this age of increasing religious violence, there is a growing movement of cooperation: thousands of devout worshippers who are willing to take a gamble on people of radically different faiths.
In this insightful, deeply felt examination of the nature of community and religion, former New York Times religion reporter Gustav Niebuhr traces the roots of religious freedom in America and the setbacks and triumphs it has encountered along the way. From Hindus and Quakers in Queens to Catholics and Jews in Baltimore, to black Baptists and Catholics in Louisville, to Catholics and Buddhists in Los Angeles, Niebuhr focuses on the ways people build ties between groups. He looks at why this movement is a particularly American endeavor and how it can save us all. Beyond Tolerance is a handbook for religious cooperation in our fractured times.
Review
"Gustav Niebuhr's remarkable and absorbing
Beyond Tolerance comes at a time when religious fanaticism, with its perversion and violence, has emerged as a threat to civilization. Anyone involved or at least interested in dialogue among individuals, communities, and nations, will benefit from its wisdom and humanity."
Elie Wiesel
Review
" Anyone . . . interested in dialogue among individuals, communities, and nations will benefit from
Beyond Tolerance's wisdom and humanity."
-Elie Wiesel
" He has the careful scholarship of an academic, but the communication expertise of a journalist skilled at getting to the personal heart of a story."
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Synopsis
In this insightful, deeply felt examination of the nature of community and religion, former "New York Times" religion reporter Niebuhr traces the roots of religious freedom in America and the setbacks and triumphs it has encountered along the way.
Synopsis
At a time when religious conflict and violence seem to dominate the media, distinguished religion journalist Gustav Niebuhr set off across America to find people who are building, not burning, the bridges between faiths. As he travels across the country-from Queens and Baltimore to Louisville and Los Angeles-he finds Buddhists, Catholics, Jews, Baptists, Muslims, and Episcopalians reaching out to one another to find common ground between their faiths. This insightful and deeply felt exploration of the nature of community and religion is a tribute to their efforts and a boost of much-needed optimism that reminds all Americans of their common goals, no matter their faith.
About the Author
Gustav Niebuhr, former Religion reporter for the New York Times, is the Associate Professor of Religion at Syracuse University. Over his twenty-year career as a journalist, he’s also worked for The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Atlanta Journal/Constitution, and has established a reputation as a leading writer about American religion. His work has been published in anthologies, magazines and on the internet. He’s a frequent commentator on religion for NPR’s "All Things Considered."