Globalization is a reality in today's world, and with it comes the universalization of the influence of certain Powers and Authorities. These Authorities--Education, Law, Medicine, Technology--distance people from, and sometimes override the duties of, familial and religious connections and have generated new spheres of loyalty and practice that are touchstones for modern life as a whole.

The contributors claim that the Authorities of modernity depend upon spiritual themes and insights. However, they note, these authorities lack a conscious moral rudder because they are not only...