The universe is on our side restoring faith in American public life Ledewitz, Bruce 1975- creator author. text bibliography Electronic books. History nyu 2022 2022 monographic eng remote 1 online resource (xiv, 213 pages) "There has been a breakdown in American public life that no election can fix. Americans cannot even converse about politics. All the usual explanations for our condition have failed to make things better. Bruce Ledewitz shows that America is living with the consequences of the Death of God, which Friedrich Nietzsche knew would be momentous and irreversible. God was this culture's story of the meaning of our lives. Even atheists had substitutes for God, like inevitable progress. Now we have no story and do not even think about the nature of reality. That is why we are angry and despairing. America's future requires that we begin a new story by each of us asking a question posed by theologian Bernard Lonergan: Is the universe on our side? When we commit to live honestly and fully by our answer to that question, even if our immediate answer is no, America will begin to heal. Beyond that, pondering the question of the universe will allow us to see that there is more to the universe than blind forces and dead matter. Guided by the naturalism of Alfred North Whitehead's process philosophy, and the historical faith of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we can learn to trust that the universe bends toward justice and our welfare. That conclusion will complete our healing and restore faith in American public life. We can live without God, but not without thinking about holiness in the universe"-- Prologue -- Introduction -- PART I. THE DEATH OF GOD COMES HOME TO ROOST -- 1. The Breakdown in American Public Life -- 2. The Spiritual Dimension of the Breakdown -- 3. The Arrival of the Death of God -- 4. Faithless American Public Life -- 5. The Age of Evasion -- PART II. RESTORING FAITH IN AMERICAN PUBLIC LIFE -- 6. Is the Universe on Our Side? -- 7. No, the Universe Is Not on Our Side -- 8. Yes, the Universe Is on Our Side -- 9. Restored Public Life -- 10. Does This Bring Us Back to God? -- Afterword -- Bibliography -- Index. Bruce Ledewitz. Includes bibliographical references and index. n-us--- Religion and politics United States History United States Politics and government 21st century Public opinion United States Politics and government History Religion et politique États-Unis Histoire États-Unis Politique et gouvernement 21e siècle Opinion publique États-Unis Politique et gouvernement Histoire Politics and government Politics and government Public opinion Religion and politics United States 2000-2099 fast BL2525 .L436 2022 322/.10973 Universe is on our side Ledewitz, Bruce, 1975- New York, NY, United States of America : Oxford University Press, [2022] (DLC) 2021032603 (OCoLC)1260292306 0197563953 9780197563960 0197563961 9780197563953 9780197563939 2021032604 http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=https://academic.oup.com/book/41159 DLC 210817 20260318163120.3 in00005695884 eng