The Life of Meaning: Reflections on Faith, Doubt, and Repairing the World (Hardcover)

~ Bob Abernethy (Author), William Bole (Author), Tom Brokaw (Introduction)
Key Phrases: memorial process, United States, Jesus Christ, The Meaning Makers (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Faith and doubt stand in loving tension in this splendid collection edited by Bole, a religion writer, and Abernethy, founder and host of the PBS program Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly. The book draws from the extensive interviews the series has conducted with religious luminaries and writers, some of whom appear more than once. The interviews are loosely arranged into themes of prayer; suffering and the problem of evil; encountering religious pluralism; preparing for death and the afterlife; and the varieties of religious practice. Not all of the contributors describe themselves as religious ("You know what an agnostic is?" asks the agnostic near-centenarian Studs Terkel. "A cowardly atheist"). Most of those profiled, however, have walked a long path of religious devotion, including Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Dalai Lama, Anne Lamott, William Sloane Coffin, Martin Marty, Frederica Mathewes-Green and Phyllis Tickle (PW's former contributing editor in religion). With such an amazing cast of characters, it's practically impossible to go wrong, and this collection doesn't miss a step. The section on suffering is particularly perceptive ("I know that where there is no suffering, nothing happens," novelist Madeleine L'Engle says). This is a rich feast of accumulated wisdom. (Apr. 3)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

Praise for the PBS Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly show:

“Finally something intelligent on TV about religion.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“The best spot on the television landscape to take in the broad view of the spiritual dimension of American life as well as insightful glimpses of developments abroad.”—The Christian Science Monitor

In this thoughtful collection, extraordinary people who have been guests on the celebrated PBS show Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly describe how faith is possible amid the tragedy and senselessness of contemporary existence. Their insights on community, prayer, suffering, religious observance, the choice to live with or without a god, and the meanings that are gleaned from everyday life form an elegant meditation that acknowledges the desire to search for something beyond what we can see and measure.

Features over sixty contributors, including Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu, Studs Terkel, Madeleine L’Engle, Chris Hedges, Marilyn Robinson, Rabbi Harold Kushner, Thomas Lynch, Reverend Barbara Brown Taylor, Phyllis Tickle, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and Dr. Francis Collins.

Bob Abernethy is the executive editor and host of Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, which he developed and created for PBS in 1997. Before launching the series, he had served as a correspondent for NBC News for more than four decades, reporting from Washington, Los Angeles, London, and Moscow.

William Bole is a freelance journalist whose articles have appeared in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Commonweal magazine, and other outlets. He is also a research fellow of the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Seven Stories Press (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158322758X
• ISBN-13: 978-1583227589
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #580,637 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Survey of First Rate Religious Thinkers' Thoughts on Meaningful Life, May 18, 2007

By	M. C. Spradling (Charleston, WV United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Beautifully written, skillfully edited...Provides intelligent insights from a variety of religious thinkers regarding elements of a meaningful life in today's society. Would be outstanding for book reading clubs. Abernethy's interviews on his public television show always ask the questions I would want to ask the authors if given the opportunity. Now the insights are available in the written word. Thanks to Bob Abernethy for the stimulating, intellectually honest exploration of such a relevant subject.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful and Engaging, July 23, 2008

By	Happy Cook ""Lydia Marie"" (Macon, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Life of Meaning: Reflections on Faith, Doubt, and Repairing the World (Paperback)

An inspiring collection of 59 essays to help us make sense of the chaotic and painful world we live in. It is spiritual but not preachy, a book that I can pick up, read a passage, reflect upon, and feel better.

I particularly liked the essay devoted to Desmond Tutu entitled "Redeeming The Devil". Profound stuff.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging, June 1, 2007

By	Deborah Rahman (Snowmass CO USA) - See all my reviews

One of those rare books that really makes you think...not only while you're reading it, but long after you put it down.