The Universe Next Door by James W. Sire

The Universe Next Door

A Basic Worldview Catalog

James W. Sire

InterVarsity Press · Print & ebook · August 4, 2020

Over 400,000 Copies Sold!

Buy on Amazon

We earn from qualifying purchases.

Who it’s for
A clear guide to competing worldviews, the questions behind them, and their place in Western thought.
Themes
Comparative worldviews, Western intellectual history, Core beliefs and commitments
Pacing
Reflective

About this book

Over 400,000 Copies Sold! 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.

Continue reading

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 - Islam Intertwined 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.

Ideas in Context

A clear guide to competing worldviews, the questions behind them, and their place in Western thought.

Come here for

  • Compare ten influential worldviews through eight recurring questions
  • Trace how intellectual history shaped today’s Western culture

Expect

  • Readable analysis that weighs each worldview on its own terms
  • Charts, sidebars, and discussion questions in the sixth edition

Where it sits

Religion & Philosophy57%
Christian Apologetics54%
Comparative Religion53%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Comparative Religion
  • Religion & Philosophy
  • Christian Apologetics
Authors
James W. Sire
Publisher
InterVarsity Press
Published
August 4, 2020
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Comparative worldviews · Western intellectual history · Core beliefs and commitments
Reading lane
Comparative Religion