The Soul of Christianity

Huston Smith, author of the bestselling classic The World’s Religions, examines Christianity in his most personal book yet. Smith presents the essential teachings of Christianity as clearly and concisely as he has addressed other faiths in his many books. But in The Soul of Christianity, Smith speaks on a more personal level; as a life-long Christian, he writes about what his religion means to him and how it has shaped his life and beliefs. Smith writes about why religion still matters today in a mostly secular world. In contrast to the misguided course of culturally rigid and intolerant evangelical and fundamentalist Christianity on the one hand, and the non-transcendent liberal Christianity of Marcus Borg, John Shelby Spong, et al. on the other, Smith presents a passionate and convincing argument for a vital alternative that is a deeper, authentic Christian faith that is tolerant, respectful of people’s religious differences, and still substantial. The Soul of Christianity is a valuable resource both for those who are learning about Christianity for the first time, as well as Christians who would like to take a new look at their faith in this modern age. “True to the noble calling which has distinguished his work for decades, Huston Smith points the way toward a profoundly metaphysical grasp of the classic Christian tradition, showing us as always what it means to live the life of faith in light of the highest and most universal principles.”-- James S. Cutsinger, Professor of Theology and Religious Thought, University of South Carolina " These mistakes have all but banished faith in transcendence and the Divine from mainstream culture and pushed it to the margins. Though the situation is grave, these modern misapprehensions can be corrected, says Smith, by reexamining the great tradition of Christianity's first millennium and reaping the lessons it holds for us today. This fresh examination of the Christian worldview, its history, and its major branches provides the deepest, most authentic vision of Christianity—one that is both tolerant and substantial, traditional and relevant.