Subverting Global Myths: Theology and the Public Issues Shaping Our World
"The author of this fresh, well researched, and beautifully written book is a lay Sri Lankan theologian. Do we need to know that? Well, yes, we do, because the decisive difference it makes is in terms of perspective--for example on Islam, on Buddhism, on colonialism, and, even more decisively, on post-colonialism.  "Rather than subverting global myths, Ramachandra challenges liberal pieties. He takes issue with Western critics of Christianity such as Richard Dawkins, and with Third World émigrés who sneer at Christianity from their Western university chairs. Formidably well read and well informed, Ramachandra looks at six key areas--terrorism, religious violence, human rights, multiculturalism, science and technology, and post-colonialism. In each, he reviews the case against Christianity, and shows, with a good deal of humour, that it simply does not stand up.  "Towards the end of the book he notes that Christianity is now a 'global hermeneutical community,' in which the majority of Christians live in the South. Thank heavens for that. For years we have heard that voice only through liberation theology, or through theologians attempting local theologies of one kind or another. Ramachandra’s take is different. He has read as much Western philosophy and social science as any Westerner, if not more; he takes for granted the universal nature of the Church; but his perspective is unmistakeably different.  "It is this that accounts for the freshness of voice. If you come from Sri Lanka, your view of Islam is not dictated by 9/11 and all that has followed, nor by Huntingdon and his cronies, nor by scurrilously badly misinformed ideas about the Crusades, but by a quite different history. His account of current Islamic militancy is--while based on scholarship with which many of us will be familiar--profoundly illuminating.  "When discussing religious violence, he turns to Sri Lanka and to Indonesia, where we end up with a very different account of that issue from that which derives from the Enlightenment and its reaction to the European 'wars of religion.' "His discussion of multi-culturalism is rich and nuanced, and among the most helpful I have come across--perhaps a reflection of a kind of plural culture different from that with which we are coming to terms in Europe. Post-colonial himself, he is immune to the guilt-tripping of much post-colonial theory, and deeply critical of the industry, as he is also of colonialism and its impact.  "Throughout, he commends a Christianity that is radical precisely because it is 'orthodox.' No 'poor little talkative Christianity' here, but a profound engagement with what furthers our humanity, which finds the most helpful responses in the story of cross and resurrection.  "If you are depressed by Lambeth, and by the constant sniping of the secular critics, this book is a tonic. An educative, stimulating, and faith-affirming read." (Timothy Gorringe, University of Exeter)"Schooled in the reigning philosophies of both the East and the West, Ramachandra provides an intellectual handle on and qualified assessment of global issues facing the world." (Jenny McGill, Bibliotheca Sacra, July-September 2009)"I dare say that this will be one of the most significant books you will have read in recent years. Ramachandra is a Sri Lankan who earned his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of London. He is also a teacher, human rights advocate, and a fine lay-theologian. One would be hard-pressed to find a more objective and wise observer of the global landscape from a thorough-going Christian perspective." (Preaching (preaching.org), March 2009)"This is a book that will complicate your thinking, as all useful books should. You may not always agree with his analysis but you will be educated and challenged." (Bill Tammeus, Faith Matter (billtammeus.typepad.com), August 23, 2008)"I must admit, I didn't see this book coming. I didn't think I would see the sensibility and theological passion of Lewis and Chesterton combined with the rigorous (what some would consider edgy) cultural critiques of Chomsky and Zinn alongside the international and global perspectives of a Newbigin--all from a Sri Lankan nuclear physicist. The book is riveting from front to back; the content is rich, finely articulated, and well researched. We should pay it mind for its Christian prophetic import and its integrity in reminding the reader that faithfulness and hope must always be wed to the prophetic word." (Chris Keller, The Other Journal (theotherjournal.com), August 5, 2008)"A very brave and timely screening of our modern myth-making era. Reading it is not your expected apologetic myth-debunking exercise, but rather an engaging interdisciplinary participation in exploring and exploding powerful modern myths in the secular and religious mine fields of both the right and the left. With analytical precision and prophetic boldness, Ramachandra challenges progressive elites, the politically powerful, scientific communities and religious leaders everywhere to a thorough reexamination of false beliefs and faulty practices. His stellar commitments and penetrating convictions provide a much-needed ethical corrective, calling all of us to critical discernment, moral accountability, ideologically nontainted truth telling and renewal of credibility. A must-read for any thinking Christian and their skeptical friends!" (Peter Kuzmič, Evandjeoski Teoloski Fakultet, Zagreb/Osijek, Croatia)"This is a provocative and powerful piece of work, jolting us from the comfort of our ideological slumber, compelling us to critically reflect on unexamined beliefs of the age. It reads likeThe Clash of Civilizationsfrom the reverse perspective. Carl Sandburg's imagery of 'the hammer' slashing old gods and emerging idols would best capture Ramachandra's prophetic force." (Carver T. Yu, China Graduate School of Theology, Hong Kong)"Insightful in his analysis and incisive in his argument, Vinoth Ramachandra exposes the clay feet of six of the most formidable idols in the pantheon of our globalized world. Anyone interested in some of the most fundamental themes shaping public discourse today should read this book." (Robert Schreiter, author of The New Catholicity: Theology Between the Global and the Local)"Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources, Ramachandra exposes the idolatry often masked in so much of the current discourse on globalization. This is a learned and wise book written with a theological sensibility that hopefully will be read not only by those identified as Christians but also by many others. I have read few books from which I have learned more. I really hope this book will have the impact it deserves." (Stanley Hauerwas, Duke University)"Ramachandra offers us a subversive book. If you prefer not to be provoked and challenged, do not read it. Based on solid biblical and theological ground, and on a meticulous and careful reading of cultural trends, this Sri Lankan theologian helps us to identify the global myths that hold us captive and look at them from a critical Christian perspective. With this book Ramachandra sets himself  as a great Christian apologist for our time." (Samuel Escobar, Professor, Theological Seminary of the Spanish Baptist Union, Madrid, Spain)