A God of One's Own: Religion's Capacity for Peace and Potential for Violence

by Ulrich Beck, Rodney Livingstone (Translator)

Religion posits one characteristic as an faith. Compared to faith, all other social distinctions and sources of conflict are insignificant. The New Testament 'We are all equal in the sight of God'. To be sure, this equality applies only to those who acknowledge God's existence. What this means is that alongside the abolition of class and nation within the community of believers, religion introduces a new fundamental distinction into the world the distinction between the right kind of believers and the wrong kind. Thus overtly or tacitly, religion brings with it the demonization of believers in other faiths. The central question that will decide the continued existence of humanity is How can we conceive of a type of inter-religious tolerance in which loving one's neighbor does not imply war to the death, a type of tolerance whose goal is not truth but peace? Is what we are experiencing at present a regression of monotheistic religion to a polytheism of the religious spirit under the heading of 'a God of one's own'? In Western societies, where the autonomy of the individual has been internalized, individual human beings tend to feel increasingly at liberty to tell themselves little faith stories that fit their own lives to appoint 'Gods of their own'. However, this God of their own is no longer the one and only God who presides over salvation by seizing control of history and empowering his followers to be intolerant and use naked force.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Philosophy

264 pages, Hardcover

First published May 19, 2008

About the author

Ulrich Beck was a German sociologist. He coined the term risk society and was a professor of Sociology at Munich University and the London School of Economics.

Reviews

[Antonio Fanelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un saggio sulla religiosità del terzo millennio non può che essere interessante, se poi l'autore, che pure è un sociologo, si sforza di usare un linguaggio il più razionale possibile, è ancora più interessante.
Purtroppo non va oltre le tre stelle, perché chi scrive è pur sempre un sociologo e deve usare termini ridicoli, perifrasi auliche, intorcinamenti logici e via così.
Apprezzo lo sforzo.
Altra pecca è il focalizzarsi sull'Europa e il cristianesimo riformato, riservando alle altre religioni e agli altri continenti un paio di capitoli.
Troppo poco per un argomento così pervasivo.

[Adam84 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Domnívám se, že se autorův pojem vlastního Boha, nejvíce hodí právě na českého člověka, který na otázku víry nejčastěji odpovídá: "nepotřebuji církev ani kostely, ale v něco věřím, něco, co mě přesahuje" a "kutilsky" si tak tvoří - ač možná často nevědomě - onoho vlastního Boha.
Ulrich Beck v tomhle mění zorný úhel pohledu na náboženství, sekularizace náboženství nezničila, ale transformovala (individualizovala).
Je to už třetí kniha kterou jsem od něj přečetl a tak jako u těch předchozích (Co je to globalizace a Riziková společnost), jsem měl pocit, že čtu kus poctivé sociologie.

[Tucker]

Dense German theology/philosophy/sociology in English translation. Parts of the author's argument I caught: Religion is individualized once when people split it into denominations, and individualized a second time when it becomes so private that everyone seems to have a god of his or her own. Following one's own conscience rather than the dictates of a communal religion can have a positive or negative effect on one's behavior, depending, it seems, on whether one is a good or bad person to start with. Following one's own intellect allows one at least to consider other religions, heresies, atheisms, etc. Religious bodies bid for people's hearts and minds by announcing inclusive, universalist trends. Unfortunately, they are never perfectly inclusive; someone is always left out and treated as "other", and this can have dangerous effects.

This book is in Lesley University's new Divinity School library, where I read it while marooned for 90 minutes. Aside from what I described, it went over my head.

[Michelle Hoogterp]

It is good, scholarly, intelligent, even thought-provoking. But I was looking for something more theological and less philosophical.

[Vadim]

I honestly don't know how to rate this book, because it was just too smart for me. It might be right for you if you're into philosophy.