Amid concern about the changing world order, the post-Cold War anatomy of war and conflict, and the destruction of the ecological basis of all life, secular analysts and Christian theologians have collaborated to present this collection of essays reflecting on global problems.

Part 1: the challenge of ecology - environmental security and threats to survival, Gwyn Prins; the challenge of politics - overcoming realist myopia, implementing rooted utopianism, Richard Falk; the challenge of economics - will the poor always be with us?, Aruna Gnanadason; the challenge of peace - militarism or the peace economy?, Paul Rogers; the challenge of conflicting world views - transcendent or immanent, hard or soft?, Johan Galtung; the challenge of science - limited knowledge or a new high priesthood?, Mary Midgley; the challenge of philosophy - it's hard to think clearly when you're going under, Susan Khin Zow. Part 2: faith in creation, Anne Primavesi; faith in politics, Konrad Raiser; faith in justice, Julio de Santa Ana; faith in peace, Roger Williamson; faith in the faiths, Alan Race; faith in purpose, John MacDonald Smith; faith in embodiment, Sallie McFague.