Religious Inventions

Many scholars assume that all genuine religions are basically similar and that it is possible to define the sphere of religion in terms of the "sacred." In his latest book, Max Charlesworth argues that we must take the diversity of religions as a primary fact. Any religion is an active response to a revelation of the divine, and human beings receive these revelations, interpret them and develop them in a variety of ways. Charlesworth illustrates his thesis with examples ranging from Australian Aboriginal religion, to twentieth-century Roman Catholicism.

Charlesworth is one of Australia's leading philosophers. He co-founded the Australian Bioethics Association and is a member of the Monash University Centre for Human Bioethics.