Pictures of the World

What is real? What is the foundation of right and wrong? How can we know? There are many ways to answer these questions--Western religious views in which humanity is part of God's creation, Eastern religious views in which delusion traps humanity in a cycle of reincarnation, and secular views in which humanity evolved as part of the material universe driven by nothing other than the impersonal forces of evolution.

Each of these views paints unique and comprehensive pictures of the world to convey their vision. These pictures are as different from each other as if they were of three different lands separated from each other by patrolled borders. The border between Eastern and Western religions is guarded by arguments over the nature of the divine and rational versus experiential approaches to salvation. Both of these territories are separated from the land of scientific atheists who deny the existence of any supernatural reality and see the scientific method as the sole valid arbiter of truth.

This book presents all three views for non-specialists, enabling readers to enter them imaginatively. It then compares these approaches on different contemporary topics. This book is for anyone who wonders why people believe what they do.

"This refreshing book combines intellectual rigor with a generous openness to other ways of seeing reality. These two Catholic theologians are firmly rooted in their own tradition, but eager to learn from others even when there is profound disagreement. In a world which people with different views are often dismissed, this book is a model of how intelligent conversation can take place. In our intolerant world, it is much to be welcomed."

--Timothy Radcliffe, OP, former Master of the Dominican Order

"The most interesting questions for any worldview can only arise when it is juxtaposed with another, very different worldview. This book raises incredibly rich questions for Christians, Buddhists, and naturalistic atheists to ponder, that could only have come from an encounter with each other; questions that will challenge and profoundly inform readers, no matter what their worldviews."

--John Makransky, Boston College

"A Catholic monk (Aquinas), a Tibetan monk (Tsongkhapa), and an atheist (S. Pinker) walk into a bar--and have a surprisingly frank and fruitful conversation. That's what happens in this book. It represents comparative theology/philosophy at its boldest."

--Paul F. Knitter, Union Theological Seminary.

Scott Steinkerchner, OP, is a traveling preacher and a theology professor based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His previous books are Beyond Agreement (2011) and Watching Clouds (2009). Peter Hunter, OP, teaches philosophy at Blackfriars, Oxford, England. Both are members of the Order of Preachers.