At a time when many despair of modern culture, this volume offers hope. Jean Bethke Elshtain, one of America's leading public intellectuals, finds amid the tensions and tragedies of our turn-of-the-century society pointers for recovering the life-affirming essence of what it means to be human.This challenging volume is at once a work of political analysis, cultural criticism, and theological engagement. Elshtain explores the true meaning of personhood, examines the dynamics of both pride and sloth, and exposes the internal and external trappings that easily lead us to forget how to be faithful to something other than ourselves. With the help of Christian exemplars drawn from history and in dialogue with such figures as Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Pope John Paul II, she shows the renewing role of faithfulness and hopefulness in contemporary life. Read Less