Clashing Symbols (New and Revised Edition): An Introduction to Faith and Culture

by Michael Paul Gallagher SJ

Faith and Culture has become a field of crucial importance in recent years. Clashing Symbols breaks new ground in presenting a wide area of reflection on the relationship between faith and the powerful cultural contexts surrounding believers today. Michael Paul Gallagher introduces readers to the main insights, theories, and controversies being discussed by individuals and church bodies. Early chapters discuss the many meanings of culture, then specifically religious responses to culture, focusing on Vatican II and resolutions from the World Council of Churches. Themes concerning modernity and postmodernity are explored in detail, especially from a religious point of view. The final four chapters deal with more pastoral the challenges of inculturation, discernment, youth ministry and the outlines of a spirituality for today's culture. Drawing on the work of some of the leading thinkers in the field, this clearly written work is a natural for specialists and academics. It will also be valuable for anyone who wishes to understand the increasing relevance of culture for theology and for religious commitment today. In addition, it will also help "ordinary" Christians to understand the realities and challenges of contemporary culture with wisdom, with confidence, and in the light of faith. †

Genres: Theology

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 1997

Reviews

[Earl]

I just think that this book by the late Fr. Paul Gallagher is a must-read for every priest today, most especially to those who are going to assigned to far-flung areas and situations which are foreign to day. In the end, what is striking is that his whole commentary on the encounter between the Gospel and human culture moves on the spirit of healthy discourse and discernment. In itself, reading it is quite fulfilling

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Balanced view contrasting modernism, postmodernism, and postmodernity. He claims that there is a new strand of postmodernity that doesn't simply dismiss everything to a postmodern relativism and nihilism. Instead, the new postmodernity looks back to modernity with a discriminating eye, finding good tempered with the limits postmodern thinking has encouraged.