Landscapes of the Soul

Almost all Americans believe in God. But, shows Porpora, this belief has little impact on our lives. Quoting extensively from in-depth interviews with a cross-section of Americans, he finds them unable to see any meaning in life, lacking any heroes, and without a compelling moral vision. He argues that the cause of this modern malaise is our emotional estrangement from God and the sacred. In terms of emotion, he says, we are not as religious as we seem.