Reverence for Life: The Ethics of Albert Schweitzer for the Twenty-First Century
Albert Schweitzer's (1875-1965) system of ethical mysticism is  based primarily upon Christ's injunction, "Love the Lord thy God  first and thy neighbor as thyself." He writes, "I can do no  other than be reverent before everything that is called life.  That is the beginning and foundation of all ethics." Assembled  by Meyer (Bible & Christian studies, Chapman Univ.) and the late  Bergel (emeritus, Chapman Univ.), founder of the Albert  Schweitzer Institute, this eclectic collection of essays is  intended as both an appreciation of Schweitzer and a critical  review of his ethics and metaphysics. Included here are papers  from the 1999 conference "Albert Schweitzer at the Turn of the  Millennium," snippets of letters from Schweitzer and his  wife-to-be, as well as a sermon, a childhood memoir, and several  important essays by Schweitzer. The book also contains an  introduction to Jainism (owing to its related ethic of  nonviolence and reverence for life) and several undergraduate  essays. Those without an in-depth understanding of Schweitzer's  pacifistic yet sometimes sentimental and subjective processes  will struggle with the many dissonant voices here, but  Schweitzer scholars might find a few items of merit. Buy only  where Schweitzer scholarship warrants.Sandra Collins, Duquesne  Univ. Lib., PittsburghCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.