Why Religion: A Personal Story

Why is religion still around in the
twenty-first century? Why do so many still believe? And how do various
traditions still shape the way people experience everything from
sexuality to politics, whether they are religious or not? In Why Religion? Elaine Pagels looks to her own life to help address these questions.

These
questions took on a new urgency for Pagels when dealing with
unimaginable loss—the death of her young son, followed a year later by
the shocking loss of her husband. Here she interweaves a personal story
with the work that she loves, illuminating how, for better and worse,
religious traditions have shaped how we understand ourselves; how we
relate to one another; and, most importantly, how to get through the
most difficult challenges we face.

Drawing upon the
perspectives of neurologists, anthropologists, and historians, as well
as her own research, Pagels opens unexpected ways of understanding
persistent religious aspects of our culture.

A provocative and deeply moving account from one of the most compelling religious thinkers at work today, Why Religion? explores the spiritual dimension of human experience.