Religion is becoming an increasing source of tension in the world. Fundamentalism is on the rise. Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, believers and non-believers are speaking to each other less and distrusting each other more. A clash of civilisations has been predicted. Future conflicts promise to be fought along lines of faith.But it need not be so. "The Story of Virtue" argues that the world's major faiths share much in common - more than many religious leaders will freely admit. Drawing upon core morality tales in Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and Confucianism, as well as western secular philosophy, this important work identifies a universal plea for people to be good.The book speaks to religious believers, and those belonging to no organised faith, pointing the way to a shared human ethic - a common set of virtues on which everyone can agree and to which everyone can aspire.Accessible and enlightening, "The Story of Virtue" unearths a wealth of inspiring fables and sacred parables from across the world, thereby filling a gap in understanding between religions.
This is a book for anyone who cares about the future of inter-faith relations, and for anyone wishing to answer in his or her own life that perennial question, "How should I live?"