Between Relativism and Fundamentalism: Religious Resources for a Middle Position

The current religious scene is dominated by two extremes -- relativism and fundamentalism. Neither is desirable: relativism claims that all questions of truth are irrelevant, whereas fundamentalism insists on sole possession of absolute truth. Internationally renowned sociologist of religion Peter Berger has gathered a group of scholars to consider how, from out of different traditions, one can define a middle position between both extremes. After an extensive introductory overview, three essays ("sociological descriptions") give an objective picture of how relativism and fundamentalism play out in today's world. In the second part ("theological directions") authors from several different Christian traditions and one conservative Jewish tradition flesh out a normative middle ground that is neither relativist -- they affirm specific truth claims -- nor fundamentalist -- their affirmations include tolerance of the claims of others.

Peter L. Berger (1929–2017) was a renowned sociologist and theologian. Over the course of his career, he taught at The New School for Social Research, Rutgers University, and Boston University, where he directed the Institute for the Study of Economic Culture. In 2010, he was awarded the Dr. Leopold Lucas Prize by the Faculty of Protestant Theology at the University of Tübingen. Berger was the author or editor of numerous books, including The Social Construction of Reality (coauthored with Thomas Luckmann), Dialogue between Religious Traditions in an Age of Relativity, and The Many Altars of Modernity: Toward a Paradigm for Religion in a Pluralist Age.