Abstract

Spiritual belief is, in Weaver's view, a personal matter, not to be imposed doctrinally, and religion is a social construct with the critical role of providing structures within which communities can prosper. We need religion to survive in order to fulfil its true purpose of providing a social structure and rules for communal behaviour, he argues, but this will only happen if the existing religious claims to infallibility and exclusivity are eliminated. Many millions of people who no longer believe in a spiritually ordered life are rejecting religion without recognising its intrinsic value as the guardian of our communal values and the rightful authority for the maintenance of social order. The one thing that religion is not, Weaver believes, is the owner of our spiritual beliefs."--Back cover.