Robert N. Bellah

Faith as a Way of Life

Church Leadership & Ministry

“Faith as a Way of Life sums up the understanding of religion in most human cultures. Only in the modern West has the idea arisen that religion is a purely private, personal matter with little relation to the rest of life. In the modern world, where society is fragmented and individuals are isolated, this understanding of religion makes sense, but at the cost of religious integrity and vitality. Christian Scharen has written a book that can help pastoral leaders and lay Christians alike to recover the deep and pervasive meaning of Christian faith even under modern conditions. He has no easy answers, but by addressing the difficulties so clearly, he helps us begin to understand what the wholeness of faith as a way of life really is.”

God’s Federal Republic

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“This book is a fascinating struggle with the central religious and political symbols of our tradition. . . . Everett has given us an analysis which is surprising, disturbing but also deeply helpful.”