Death In The Secular City

First published in 1972 Death in the Secular City grapples with questions like is resurrection and immortality a meaningful concept in the age of lunar expedition, what are the appropriate symbols for renewed belief in heaven etc. in a lucid and forthright manner. Russell Aldwinckle refuses to make his problem easier by reducing immortality to a present experience in this life only. The inadequacies of such a view are clearly emphasized in a synthetic but critical analysis of the views of such men as J.A.T. Robinson, I.T. Ramsey, David Edwards, Paul Tillich, and Gordon Kaufman. The author deals with a range of topics that bear on the central theme: philosophical problems of time, the nature of biblical concepts and of religious language and symbolism, and the nature and status of man in the light of recent scientific thinking. This gives the book a wide appeal and it will be an interesting read for scholars of theology, philosophy and also for ordinary readers.

First published in 1972 Death in the Secular City grapples with questions like is resurrection and immortality a meaningful concept in the age of lunar expedition, what are the appropriate symbols for renewed belief in heaven etc. in a lucid and forthright manner. Russell Aldwinckle refuses to make his problem easier by reducing immortality to a present experience in this life only. The inadequacies of such a view are clearly emphasized in a synthetic but critical analysis of the views of such men as J.A.T. Robinson, I.T. Ramsey, David Edwards, Paul Tillich, and Gordon Kaufman. The author deals with a range of topics that bear on the central theme: philosophical problems of time, the nature of biblical concepts and of religious language and symbolism, and the nature and status of man in the light of recent scientific thinking. This gives the book a wide appeal and it will be an interesting read for scholars of theology, philosophy and also for ordinary readers.

This volume offers up-to-date arguments for God's existence and for Jesus's deity and resurrection, answers to objections to Christian theism, and discussions of four key issues.

Since its initial publication in 1965, The Secular City has been hailed as a classic for its nuanced exploration of the relationships among the rise of urban civilization, the decline of hierarchical, institutional religion, and the place of the secular within society. Now, half a century later, this international best seller remains as relevant as when it first appeared. The book's arguments--that secularity has a positive effect on institutions, that the city can be a space where people of all faiths fulfill their potential, and that God is present in both the secular and formal religious realms--still resonate with readers of all backgrounds. For this brand-new edition, Harvey Cox provides a substantial and updated introduction. He reflects on the book's initial stunning success in an age of political and religious upheaval and makes the case for its enduring relevance at a time when the debates that The Secular City helped ignite have caught fire once again.

An ethnographic exploration of technoscientific immortality Immortality has long been considered the domain of religion. But immortality projects have gained increasing legitimacy and power in the world of science and technology. With recent rapid advances in biology, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence, secular immortalists hope for and work toward a future without death. On Not Dying is an anthropological, historical, and philosophical exploration of immortality as a secular and scientific category. Based on an ethnography of immortalist communities—those who believe humans can extend their personal existence indefinitely through technological means—and an examination of other institutions involved at the end of life, Abou Farman argues that secular immortalism is an important site to explore the tensions inherent in secularism: how to accept death but extend life; knowing the future is open but your future is finite; that life has meaning but the universe is meaningless. As secularism denies a soul, an afterlife, and a cosmic purpose, conflicts arise around the relationship of mind and body, individual finitude and the infinity of time and the cosmos, and the purpose of life. Immortalism today, Farman argues, is shaped by these historical and culturally situated tensions. Immortalist projects go beyond extending life, confronting dualism and cosmic alienation by imagining (and producing) informatic selves separate from the biological body but connected to a cosmic unfolding. On Not Dying interrogates the social implications of technoscientific immortalism and raises important political questions. Whose life will be extended? Will these technologies be available to all, or will they reproduce racial and geopolitical hierarchies? As human life on earth is threatened in the Anthropocene, why should life be extended, and what will that prolonged existence look like?