The Goal Of Spiritual Life Is Not

I Come From A Missionary Family - I Grew Up In China - And In My Case, My Religious Upbringing Was Positive. Of Course, Not Everyone Has This Experience. I Know Many Of My Students Are What I Have Come To Think Of As Wounded Christians Or Wounded Jews. What Came Through To Them Was Dogmatism And Moralism, And It Rubbed Them The Wrong Way.

I Think It Matters Almost Infinitely That We Practice One Of The Authentic Religions. But If You Mean Does It Make Any Difference Which. The Answer Is No, As Long As Each Is Followed With Equal Intensity, Sincerity, Dedication.

At The Center Of The Religious Life Is A Peculiar Kind Of Joy, The Prospect Of A Happy Ending That Blossoms From Necessarily Painful Ordeals, The Promise Of Human Difficulties Embraced And Overcome.

Not Only Is The Destiny Of The Individual Bound Up With The Entire Church; It Is Responsible For Helping To Sanctify The Entire World Of Nature And History.

It Is Commonly Said And Known That Each Civilization Has Its Own Religion. Now My Claim Is That If We Look Deeper, The Different Civilizations Were Brought Into Being By The Different Revelations.