Liberating Texts?: Sacred Scriptures in Public Life

The sacred scriptures of Judaism, Christianity and Islam are not always experienced as liberating. Indeed, their influence on history and on current affairs is often seen as part of the problem and not part of the solution.In "Liberating Texts?" representatives of the three great Abrahamic faiths reflect on the use and abuse of scriptures in public life. They ask: How can sacred texts be used to encourage respectful conversation and interaction among people of different faiths? How can the scriptures be interpreted in ways that illuminate and enhance public life? How do people negotiate their religious identity in relation to the meaning of their scriptures in ways that are both faithful to tradition and open to new insight? And how can sacred texts contribute to the way we deal with the key concerns of public life - hope, liberation, justice, identity and truth?The distinguished list of contributors comprises: Dan Cohn-Sherbok, Professor of Judaism at the University of Wales (Lampeter); David Ford, Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge; John Sentamu, Archbishop of York; Ataullah Siddiqui, Director of Markfield Institute of Higher Education; Shirley Williams, former Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords; and Frances Young, Professor Emeritus at the University of Birmingham and a Fellow of the British Academy.