The Practice of Altruism: Caring and Religion in Global PerspectiveCambridge Scholars Press, 2006 - 209 pages The study of altruism and altruistic behavior has caught the attention of social scientists especially in recent years. What motivates individuals to cultivate attitudes and actions that promote the wellbeing of others at the expense of, or at the risk of negative consequences for their own? In our contemporary global society marked by conflict and violence among different sectors of the population in various regions of the world, and wherein religion can be a factor that exacerbates such conflict and violence, harnessing the power of religion towards directions of reconciliation, creativity, and altruistic action, remains a crucial task for humankind. This volume addresses a question especially relevant in our day: do people who profess religious commitment or affiliation in a particular religious community tend to nurture altruistic kinds of attitude and action more than others? Social scientists present results of their empirical studies on Japanese society, as well as on North American, European, Indian, and Thai societies, to focus on this issue and offer insightful reflections on the relationship between religion and society. |
From inside the book
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... kind of volunteer work . He also argues that the best environment to nurture the helping impulse is the religious setting . Altruism , however , cannot be attributed solely to the effects on members ' attitudes of the teachings and ...
... kind of " clash of civilizations . " I believe that both of these points have become even more important since the destruction of the World Trade Center in 2001. Already in the 1970s and 1980s , when nuclear weapons were at the center ...
... kind of retaliatory attacks . P V F a C The perpetrators of such criminal deeds should be dealt with to the full extent of the law . Nevertheless , it is our sincere belief that extreme retaliatory means should not be used in settling ...
Contents
Altruism in New Religions in Japan | 12 |
Kamagasaki Ecumenical Network | 43 |
Japanese Buddhist Responses to Terrorism | 60 |
Copyright | |
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Other editions - View all
The Practice of Altruism: Caring and Religion in Global Perspective Ruben Lf Habito,Keishin Inaba No preview available - 2008 |