In a groundbreaking book which imperatively calls on the world’s religions to immediately look at what they have in common, noted author and scholar Brian Lepard offers hope to a world community that has become dangerously fractionalized by economic, social, religious, and political differences. In Hope for a Global Ethic,the author postulates that different societies have much more in common than they might otherwise think, beginning with a profound historic and lasting belief in religion, and that our fearful and often suspicious view of other people may be overcome by exploring what is shared in these religions.

Hope for a Global Ethic moves significantly beyond ideology to discuss the values that all people have shared through the faiths of the world. It is these values that offer hope in our fearful, disordered, and terrorized world. In language that is accessible and very easy to understand, this book provides guidance that we can all relate to. While it offers solutions, it more importantly promotes critical discussion by demystifying religion and simplifying intellectual thought and complicated political and social matters to levels of common understanding. The book is an essential call to action for citizens of the world.

Reviewing selections from the sacred texts of seven world religions – Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam, and the Bahá’í Faith – Lepard identifies numerous common threads, such as: kindness; generosity; unselfishness; peaceful resolution of disputes; freedom of religion and conscience; the right to life, physical security, and subsistence … These are just a few of the basic principles that all religions share and which can lead us to a global ethic. History shows that human beings desire faith. The author's careful reading and close analysis of scripture conveys that all religious belief systems have similar roots, goals, and values. Instead of living in fear and ignorance, why not look to these systems as a source of dialogue and understanding? Lepard offers a practical and affirming view of how this might be done.