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Better Religion: A Primer for Interreligious Peacebuilding
In the twenty-first century, humanity faces both unprecedented existential threats and remarkable possibilities for development. While no one knows how things will unfold by century’s end, it is increasingly clear that religion will play a major role in shaping the outcomes, for better or worse. In Better Religion , philosopher and religion scholar John Barton explores how grassroots interreligious peacebuilding can help ensure the "better." More specifically, the book argues that for religion’s "better" to be realized, interreligious peacebuilding must honor and directly engage religious differences. This challenges a common assumption that religious differences inevitably lead to hostilities and must therefore be minimized or functionally neutralized for collaborative peacebuilding to be possible. Better Religion explains why such assumptions are misguided and charts a more realistic and hopeful way forward. Using a blend of data analysis, theoretical models, and real-life anecdotes, the book makes sense of global religious diversity and projects the possibilities of peacebuilding across even the most irreconcilable of differences. Written for academic and professional audiences, this "conceptual primer" will equip readers to understand religion in the twenty-first century and pursue constructive collaborations for human flourishing, all for the sake of the world we currently share and the world we want our grandchildren to inherit.
242 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2022
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December 22, 2022
It is often said by critics of religion that it fosters intolerance, bigotry, and violence. There is some truth to the accusations. Religion has been used and is being used to foster nationalism and provide cover for wars of aggression. Defenders of religion will point out that religions have also fostered compassion and articulated calls for peace. In truth, it's something of a mixed bag. The Scriptures that I hold to be sacred can espouse violence and love. God seems to be the author of both. It would seem that we who make up the religious communities have choices to make, and many of those choices are rooted in theology. The question is it possible for religious adherents to work together, despite differing theologies, in pursuit of peace on earth and goodwill to all? I surely hope so!
John Barton offers us "A Primer for Interreligious Peacebuilding" in his book "Better Religion." John serves as a Professor of Teaching in the Religion and Philosophy division at Pepperdine University, where he also serves as director of the Pepperdine Center for Faith and Learning. Before going to Pepperdine, John was Provost and Professor of Philosophy at Rochester University (Michigan), where I came to know him. Before his tenure at Rochester he and his spouse Sarah served as missionaries in Uganda. It is there that John developed his interest in interreligious issues.
This isn't a lengthy book, but it's an important one because it lays out the foundation for diagnosing the nature of religious differences and the potential for religions to engage in peacebuilding. It's not an introduction to the various religions. That is something that one must look elsewhere for. Instead, he offers it as "a toolbox of resources for thinking about religion in the twenty-first century and imagining the prospects for peacebuilding across even the most challenging of religious differences" (p. xi). Over the years John has developed important relationships that cross religious lines, such that he has participated in peacebuilding efforts. One thing he wants to convey here is that one need not give up one's religious beliefs or values to engage in dialog and peacebuilding efforts. There is a lot of symmetry between what he is doing here and what Eboo Patel has been doing in his writing and community building. He wants to make it clear that religious disagreements need not be minimized or set aside to collaborate in building peace. To get there he seeks to define what is meant by both religion and peace.
The book is broken into two parts or sections. Part 1 offers "An Aerial View of Religion" in four chapters. Here he lays out what it means to move "Toward Religion's 'Better'" (chapter 1), "Setting Coordinates for Hope" (chapter 2), and then describing (chapter 3) and observing (chapter 4) religion. Part 2 is titled "The Geography of Dissonance and Peace." Here the four chapters focus on religious identity (chapter 5), religious agency (chapter 6), religious similarity (chapter 7), and "dissonance and peace" (chapter 8).
In that first section, John invites us to imagine ourselves on the International Space Station looking down at the earth. This is the aerial view he offers here. It's a macro-level look at religion, where he offers us a look at broad patterns while seeking to minimize essentialism. In that first chapter, he suggests that the fate of the world is linked to religious life and activity. He pushes back against the suggestion that religion is on the decline, arguing that the relevance of religion in the world is on the increase (to ignore that reality is to fail to recognize what is going on in the world. So, if our future as a world is impacted by religious forces, then it would imperative that we work toward a better religion. That is because religion provides for great numbers of humans with a sense of meaning and purpose. In chapter 2, he sets "coordinates for hope," and as he does so he confesses that he's not optimistic about the project due to the steady stream of bad news when it comes to religion. Nevertheless, he has hope, which is different. That hope is rooted in the promises of God, which he sees as offering an invitation to participate in efforts at peacemaking. One of the elements he draws on is the contrast between thin religion, which allows itself to be hijacked by ingroup agendas, and thick religion, which offers "expansive moral visions that transcend in-group politics, and it provides powerful motivations and resources for intergroup peacemaking, genuine kindness, and concern for strangers and even enemies." (p. 31). He believes that in the thick form of our various religions, there are overlapping elements that provide the foundation for peacebuilding. So, what is religion? That is the topic of chapter 3, where he finally provides definitions so we know what we're talking about going forward. In this chapter, he not only offers a definition of religion but also of peace. To this point, John has laid out the foundations for what is to come. Then in chapter 4, where he offers his observations on religion, he lays out the statistics and demographics of religion. Here he highlights the complexity of religion, including where it's growing and declining. Perhaps, as he suggests the reality here is not that religion is declining, but that religious consensus is declining, such that we're seeing a cacophony of new beliefs and practices and communities.
In part 2, John looks at what he calls the "Geography of Dissonance and Peace." Here he focuses on not only locations but interactions between people, places, and ecosystems, along with the "meanings attached to those interactions." What he offers then is a series of "conceptual maps" using analogies between physical and conceptual landscapes. He begins in chapter 5 with a chapter titled "Silos, Sheilas, and Sets," where he lays out ways of understanding religious identity. Silos, of course, refer to focusing on individual religious systems in isolation. Thus, we can speak of world religions, especially the big five (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). But what about all the others such as Sikhism, Jainism, and many others? Where do they fit? Then there are what sociologists of religion call the Sheila model, in which a person known to Robert Bellah, speaks of Sheilism -- her own cafeteria-style religion. Here the emphasis is on rampant individualism. Finally, he uses the anthropological concept of centered sets to identify sets of religious families. here, following Paul Hiebert, he speaks of bounded, fuzzy, and centered sets to organize religious identity. In the end, all three models have value in understanding the way in which religion functions in our world. From there we move in chapter 6 to religious agency, which he speaks of in terms of "Magnets, Markets, and Fields." Here he focuses on the ways in which religious identities are formed and the roles they play in social conditioning and personal agency. One of the big questions in conversations about collaboration has to do with religious similarities. If we're to collaborate, even if our religions are quite different, there has to be some overlap so that conversation can take place. But what is the nature of that similarity? John notes that one answer is called perennialism, which assumes that while there are differences in form, all religions spring from the same spiritual essence. That vision is often spoken of in terms of there being "many paths, one mountain." In other words, religions are all going in the same direction from different points. Thus, to get to collaboration we have to separate out the essentials from the nonessentials, with the latter being the religious distinctive. But is this possible? Must we set aside our distinctive in order to cooperate and build peace? John offers a helpful critique of that vision, but at the same time notes that what it does is speak to the possibility of there being universals that can provide the foundation for cooperation. One of those similarities is found in the prevalence of something akin to the Golden Rule. I will note here that I have on my study wall a framed poster given to me when I completed my tenure as President of the University Religious Center at UCSB with different forms of the Golden Rule. That rule is key to our efforts of working together toward peace.
Finally, in chapter 8, which John titles "Bubbles, Bombs, and Bridges<' he brings the conversation about dissonance and peace to a close. Here he draws together his thoughts on what divides and what unites us when it comes to religion. As noted, what unites isn't always good and what divides isn't always bad. We can unite around very bad things. Consider the defenses of slavery by Christian theologians. Political movements can unite for good or for bad and the same is true of religions. Here he offers us several diagnostic models to look at the ways in which we look at religions as they address human questions from different vantage points. Here he notes the possibility of organizing religion into sets, like mountain ranges. Thus, we might speak of Indian Religions, Abrahamic religions, and Primary religions. We might even add to this conversation a naturalistic/secularist range. Here again, he brings into the conversation the Golden Rule as a way of organizing the conversation toward peacebuilding.
This is a primer. It's not a book that covers in-depth every element of the process. It doesn't offer us a how-to manual. But it raises important questions and points us toward possible answers that can lead to cooperation and thus peacebuilding. Most importantly, at least in my mind as one who has been participating in grassroots interfaith work for a quarter of a century, these efforts make a difference. Thus, while there is much to argue against optimism, there is hope for peace among the religions. That requires the pursuit of "Better Religion." Here is an excellent starting point as we work toward that goal.
John Barton offers us "A Primer for Interreligious Peacebuilding" in his book "Better Religion." John serves as a Professor of Teaching in the Religion and Philosophy division at Pepperdine University, where he also serves as director of the Pepperdine Center for Faith and Learning. Before going to Pepperdine, John was Provost and Professor of Philosophy at Rochester University (Michigan), where I came to know him. Before his tenure at Rochester he and his spouse Sarah served as missionaries in Uganda. It is there that John developed his interest in interreligious issues.
This isn't a lengthy book, but it's an important one because it lays out the foundation for diagnosing the nature of religious differences and the potential for religions to engage in peacebuilding. It's not an introduction to the various religions. That is something that one must look elsewhere for. Instead, he offers it as "a toolbox of resources for thinking about religion in the twenty-first century and imagining the prospects for peacebuilding across even the most challenging of religious differences" (p. xi). Over the years John has developed important relationships that cross religious lines, such that he has participated in peacebuilding efforts. One thing he wants to convey here is that one need not give up one's religious beliefs or values to engage in dialog and peacebuilding efforts. There is a lot of symmetry between what he is doing here and what Eboo Patel has been doing in his writing and community building. He wants to make it clear that religious disagreements need not be minimized or set aside to collaborate in building peace. To get there he seeks to define what is meant by both religion and peace.
The book is broken into two parts or sections. Part 1 offers "An Aerial View of Religion" in four chapters. Here he lays out what it means to move "Toward Religion's 'Better'" (chapter 1), "Setting Coordinates for Hope" (chapter 2), and then describing (chapter 3) and observing (chapter 4) religion. Part 2 is titled "The Geography of Dissonance and Peace." Here the four chapters focus on religious identity (chapter 5), religious agency (chapter 6), religious similarity (chapter 7), and "dissonance and peace" (chapter 8).
In that first section, John invites us to imagine ourselves on the International Space Station looking down at the earth. This is the aerial view he offers here. It's a macro-level look at religion, where he offers us a look at broad patterns while seeking to minimize essentialism. In that first chapter, he suggests that the fate of the world is linked to religious life and activity. He pushes back against the suggestion that religion is on the decline, arguing that the relevance of religion in the world is on the increase (to ignore that reality is to fail to recognize what is going on in the world. So, if our future as a world is impacted by religious forces, then it would imperative that we work toward a better religion. That is because religion provides for great numbers of humans with a sense of meaning and purpose. In chapter 2, he sets "coordinates for hope," and as he does so he confesses that he's not optimistic about the project due to the steady stream of bad news when it comes to religion. Nevertheless, he has hope, which is different. That hope is rooted in the promises of God, which he sees as offering an invitation to participate in efforts at peacemaking. One of the elements he draws on is the contrast between thin religion, which allows itself to be hijacked by ingroup agendas, and thick religion, which offers "expansive moral visions that transcend in-group politics, and it provides powerful motivations and resources for intergroup peacemaking, genuine kindness, and concern for strangers and even enemies." (p. 31). He believes that in the thick form of our various religions, there are overlapping elements that provide the foundation for peacebuilding. So, what is religion? That is the topic of chapter 3, where he finally provides definitions so we know what we're talking about going forward. In this chapter, he not only offers a definition of religion but also of peace. To this point, John has laid out the foundations for what is to come. Then in chapter 4, where he offers his observations on religion, he lays out the statistics and demographics of religion. Here he highlights the complexity of religion, including where it's growing and declining. Perhaps, as he suggests the reality here is not that religion is declining, but that religious consensus is declining, such that we're seeing a cacophony of new beliefs and practices and communities.
In part 2, John looks at what he calls the "Geography of Dissonance and Peace." Here he focuses on not only locations but interactions between people, places, and ecosystems, along with the "meanings attached to those interactions." What he offers then is a series of "conceptual maps" using analogies between physical and conceptual landscapes. He begins in chapter 5 with a chapter titled "Silos, Sheilas, and Sets," where he lays out ways of understanding religious identity. Silos, of course, refer to focusing on individual religious systems in isolation. Thus, we can speak of world religions, especially the big five (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). But what about all the others such as Sikhism, Jainism, and many others? Where do they fit? Then there are what sociologists of religion call the Sheila model, in which a person known to Robert Bellah, speaks of Sheilism -- her own cafeteria-style religion. Here the emphasis is on rampant individualism. Finally, he uses the anthropological concept of centered sets to identify sets of religious families. here, following Paul Hiebert, he speaks of bounded, fuzzy, and centered sets to organize religious identity. In the end, all three models have value in understanding the way in which religion functions in our world. From there we move in chapter 6 to religious agency, which he speaks of in terms of "Magnets, Markets, and Fields." Here he focuses on the ways in which religious identities are formed and the roles they play in social conditioning and personal agency. One of the big questions in conversations about collaboration has to do with religious similarities. If we're to collaborate, even if our religions are quite different, there has to be some overlap so that conversation can take place. But what is the nature of that similarity? John notes that one answer is called perennialism, which assumes that while there are differences in form, all religions spring from the same spiritual essence. That vision is often spoken of in terms of there being "many paths, one mountain." In other words, religions are all going in the same direction from different points. Thus, to get to collaboration we have to separate out the essentials from the nonessentials, with the latter being the religious distinctive. But is this possible? Must we set aside our distinctive in order to cooperate and build peace? John offers a helpful critique of that vision, but at the same time notes that what it does is speak to the possibility of there being universals that can provide the foundation for cooperation. One of those similarities is found in the prevalence of something akin to the Golden Rule. I will note here that I have on my study wall a framed poster given to me when I completed my tenure as President of the University Religious Center at UCSB with different forms of the Golden Rule. That rule is key to our efforts of working together toward peace.
Finally, in chapter 8, which John titles "Bubbles, Bombs, and Bridges<' he brings the conversation about dissonance and peace to a close. Here he draws together his thoughts on what divides and what unites us when it comes to religion. As noted, what unites isn't always good and what divides isn't always bad. We can unite around very bad things. Consider the defenses of slavery by Christian theologians. Political movements can unite for good or for bad and the same is true of religions. Here he offers us several diagnostic models to look at the ways in which we look at religions as they address human questions from different vantage points. Here he notes the possibility of organizing religion into sets, like mountain ranges. Thus, we might speak of Indian Religions, Abrahamic religions, and Primary religions. We might even add to this conversation a naturalistic/secularist range. Here again, he brings into the conversation the Golden Rule as a way of organizing the conversation toward peacebuilding.
This is a primer. It's not a book that covers in-depth every element of the process. It doesn't offer us a how-to manual. But it raises important questions and points us toward possible answers that can lead to cooperation and thus peacebuilding. Most importantly, at least in my mind as one who has been participating in grassroots interfaith work for a quarter of a century, these efforts make a difference. Thus, while there is much to argue against optimism, there is hope for peace among the religions. That requires the pursuit of "Better Religion." Here is an excellent starting point as we work toward that goal.
May 25, 2023
This was such an informative book. I learned so much from this book and I have so many good takeaways. The narrative is accessible and interesting, something that very few religious scholars achieve. Barton is able to talk about religion from a place of knowledge and experience that is unparalleled in this industry. I'm a very big fan. Thank you Dr. Barton.
August 2, 2023
This is a tremendously helpful book for anyone interested in questions of interreligious peace building. The book is conceptual more than practical offering way to think about the reality of interreligious peace building rather than concrete methods for actually practicing it, but rest assured that John Barton’s heart for the concrete messy work of interreligious peace building shows through in every page. With humor and brilliant depth of insight Barton walks through first an “aerial view of religion” and then “the geography of dissonance and peace.” I think the full implications of his book are still yet to be fully realized. I know I will be pondering it for years to come and plan to revisit it frequently.
December 27, 2022
I read over the very final draft of this book before it got sent to print. I am so proud of and impressed with my father-in-law for writing this important, accessible, compassionate book. A must-read for anyone who is committed to loving their neighbor, regardless of their particular faith commitments, if any.
April 24, 2023
A well-supported, thoroughly considered tool for hope.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews