The Universe Next Door

Your Trusted Introduction to the Worldviews That Shape the Western World For more than forty years, The Universe Next Door has set the standard for a clear, readable introduction to worldviews. Using his widely influential model of eight basic worldview questions, James Sire examines prominent worldviews that have shaped the Western world: - theism - deism - naturalism - Marxism - nihilism - existentialism - Eastern monism - New Age philosophy - postmodernism - IslamIntertwined with this analysis, he presents an overview of intellectual history giving insight into the current state of Western thought and culture. Critiquing each worldview within its own frame of reference and in comparison to others, Sire encourages readers to wrestle with life's biggest questions and examine the core beliefs and commitments on which they are building their lives The sixth edition, updated by Sire's longtime editor Jim Hoover, features new explanatory sidebars, helpful charts comparing worldviews and illustrating their historical flow, and a chapter on challenges to a Christian worldview in the twenty-first century. New discussion questions will help readers reflect more deeply on the ideas in each chapter. The Universe Next Door has been translated into over a dozen languages and has been used as a text at over one hundred colleges and universities in courses ranging from apologetics and world religions to history and English literature. In a world of ever-increasing diversity, The Universe Next Door offers a unique resource for understanding the variety of worldviews that claim the allegiance of mind and heart.

James W. Sire (Ph.D., University of Missouri), formerly editor of InterVarsity Press and frequent lecturer throughout the U.S. and Europe, is the author of numerous books, including The Universe Next Door, which has sold over a quarter-million copies in four editions. He is also the author of Naming the Elephant, Why Should Anyone Believe Anything at All? and Habits of the Mind.