Roger Gottlieb’s new book, Engaging Voices: Tales of Morality and Meaning in an Age of Global Warming, is the latest feature in the Patheos Book Club. This highly imaginative collection of philosophical short stories by prolific author and philosophy professor Gottlieb invites us into a compelling series of conversations between people of very different world-views. Be it inside prison walls or around the family dinner table, Gottlieb’s vibrant characters argue passionately, and at times quite eloquently, about hot-button issues such as the value of nature, animal rights, the roles of science and religion in environmentalism, politics, and the meaning of life.
As we’re drawn into these fictional yet familiar characters’ lively discussions like a hungry fly on the wall, we can’t help but consider our own opinions and judgments as vicarious participants in the debates. Each chapter opens up a new scenario for dialogue, and for differing points of view, and ultimately asks the question: How can we live together, and talk together, with people who think completely differently?
For the next two weeks, we’ll be discussing this book and featuring a variety of our own “engaging voices” from scholars and activists across the theological spectrum. We hope you’ll engage with us as well on Gottlieb’s themes, characters, and the very real and relevant issues debated and considered in his new book. What character do you most identify with? Find most compelling? Find most discouraging? How would you respond in such a conversation? Please leave a comment on the post of your choice, and join the discussion. In this here conversation, all voices are warmly welcome!
To read an excerpt from the book, or watch a video of Gottlieb reading Chapter One, return to the Patheos Book Club here.
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