Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief. San Francisco: Harper, 2000

304 pages. ISBN: 0060670991. Huston Smith, the most eloquent and respected world authority on religion, offers a timely manifesto on the urgent need to restore the role of religion as the primary humanizing force for individuals and society. Weaving together insights from comparative religions, theology, philosophy, science, and history, along with examples drawn from current events and his own extraordinary personal experience, Smith gives both a convincing historical and social critique and a profound expression of hope for the spiritual condition of humanity.