Faith in a Pluralist Age

Most academics agree with Peter Berger that pluralism theory appears more accurate than secularization theory in accounting for the societal changes that accompany modernization. Yet Berger's earlier book Many Altars of Modernity gives limited attention to the implications of the pluralist paradigm for religious discourse, in particular for evangelicals. According to Berger--who wrote the first chapter in this book--while pluralism leads to less certainty about faith and creates ""secular spaces,"" it also, more positively, clarifies the importance of trust in God, highlights the nature of religious institutions as voluntary associations rather than birth rights, and challenges Christians to know what they believe in. Subsequent chapters respond to the first. Four responses are theoretical (e.g., challenging the concept of secular spaces, exploring social constructionism) and four are contextual (e.g., describing anti-pluralist forces in India, challenging feminists to pluralism, examining women's responses to pluralism, and exploring values in Brazil and China). The ideas are easily accessible to the lay reader and are intended to initiate a much-needed conversation about the implications of pluralist theory. We conclude that pluralism is challenging for Christian faith but, as Peter Berger says, in most ways it is ""good for you.""

""With a skilled blend of appreciation and criticism, Faith in a Pluralist Age engages Peter Berger's celebrated declaration that pluralism, not secularity, is modernity's companion. From the risks posed by cognitive contamination of immigrant value-systems, to the 'gender bargain' faced by evangelical women in Brazil, contributors engage Berger and the pluralist conditions he theorizes. Christians grappling with a world in which 'everyone is disestablished' will be well served by this timely volume.""
--Timothy Sherratt, Professor of Political Science, Gordon College, Author of Power Made Perfect? Is There a Christian Politics for the Twenty-First Century?

""Kaye Cook brings together a robust and much-needed debate about the implications of pluralism for Christian engagement in today's world. For Christians who find themselves in a social environment that increasingly resembles that of the early church, this volume provides a refreshing perspective. The overall discussion is particularly relevant to China, where a growing Christian community continues to negotiate the terms of its engagement in a society that struggles between pluralism and politically imposed orthodoxy.""
--Brent Fulton, President, China Source

Kaye V. Cook is Professor of Psychology at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. She is the author of Man and Woman, Alone and Together (1992) and Chaotic Eating: A Guide to Recovery (1992).