Peter L. Berger

After ten years of writing in other areas, Peter L. Berger returns to the problem of religion and modernity discussed in his earlier book A Rumor of Angels. In The Heretical Imperative, however, not only is the argument developed further in terms of the challenge to religion of modern secularism, but it is also argued that a new and greatly promising encounter is about to take place between the Judaeo-Christian tradition and the great religions of Asia. Berger discusses the options for religious thought in the contemporary world and suggests that out of the confrontation between different traditions may come a powerful revitalization of religious faith.

Nearly twenty years ago in the first edition of this path-breaking book, Peter Berger and Richard John Neuhaus anticipated the major worldwide project of the 1990s: the renewal of civil society. They showed that such "mediating structures" as family, neighborhood, church, voluntary associations, and civic organizations are crucial institutions, whose weakening spells disaster. They warned public policy experts, then mesmerized by promising new government programs, that these were likely to be less successful than mediating institutions. Now, many of their ideas vindicated, the authors have returned to their original argument to assess what has succeeded, what has gone wrong, and what remains to be done. For this new edition, they have invited twelve scholars to join them in pointing toward new directions for the future. With reform of the welfare state on the international agenda, this new edition of To Empower People will likely become the beacon for the next generation.

"Jacob van Buren, strangely fascinated by the supernatural; Raymond Dell, cool and cynical about religious values; Herr Karstmann, still visibly tainted by Nazism; Karpistes and Langbein, cult leaders and rival claimants to the true understanding of the ancient Gnostic secrets; their followers in their various stages of fervor, fanaticism and frustration; Riggi, aspiring journalist whose ecumenical effort to unite the rival sects proves catastrophic. This is the cast of characters Berger welds together. But far from another charade of the diabolic and mystical based on the prevailing fads of the devil, exorcism and the supernatural, they are all unique creations, idiosyncratic, irreducible to patters, with roots in their separate cultures and memories in their conflicting histories. Berger has created a radically different novel of the transcendent of demonic evil and of the fallible and fragile good." -- Dust jacket.