The God Beyond Organized Religion

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The God Beyond Organized Religion

Laurene Beth Bowers
The God Beyond Organized Religion Book PDF

Author : Laurene Beth Bowers
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
Page : 158 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2016-01-05
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781498232135

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The God Beyond Organized Religion by Laurene Beth Bowers Pdf

Following the death of her best friend since high school, a religion professor re-examines her own personal beliefs about god. She realizes she doesn't want to be consoled by a 'transactional' god who exchanges 'right' belief and 'good' behavior for services upon request. She explores the concept of a 'transformative' god, one not aligned with any particular religion, who equips people to adapt to challenges and to spiritually grow from crises and traumas. Out of our experiences, something positive can emerge which helps us to be more empathic toward the suffering of others. Her story demonstrates how grief can be an opportunity to ponder the great mysteries of life and make meaning of our existence. She describes this process as a journey up the side of a mountain to explore how a concept of god both reflects and impacts the way a society approaches its contemporary social problems, such as global warming, poverty, and inequality. In doing so, she encounters a god beyond organized religion.

Finding God Beyond Religion

Tom Stella
Finding God Beyond Religion Book PDF

Author : Tom Stella
Publisher : SkyLight Paths Publishing
Page : 162 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2013
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781594734854

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Finding God Beyond Religion by Tom Stella Pdf

Do you describe yourself as spiritual but not religious? Whether young or old, church connected or not, are you spiritually restless for an authentic faith life but do not find conventional religious teachings pertinent to you? This accessible guide to a meaningful spiritual life is a salve for your soul. It reinterprets traditional religious teachings central to the Christian faith - God, Jesus, faith, prayer, morality and more - in ways that connect with people who have outgrown the beliefs and devotional practices that once made sense to them.

Divine Nobodies

Jim Palmer
Divine Nobodies Book PDF

Author : Jim Palmer
Publisher : HarperChristian + ORM
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2006-10-15
Category : Self-Help
ISBN : 9781418575557

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Divine Nobodies by Jim Palmer Pdf

What does a Hip-Hop artist, Waffle House waitress, tire salesman, and disabled girl have to do with discovering spiritual truth? What if embracing authentic Christianity is a journey of unlearning? Welcome to Jim Palmer's world! Don Miller meets Anne Lamott meets Brian McLaren in this tale of shedding religion and plunging into uncharted depths of knowing God. Jim Palmer, emergent pastor, shares his compelling off-road spiritual journey and the unsuspecting people who became his guides. "Perhaps God's reason for wanting me," writes Palmer, "is much better than my reason for wanting him. Maybe God's idea of my salvation trumps the version I am too willing to settle for. Seeing I needed a little help to get this, God sent a variety pack of characters to awaken me." For all those hoping there's more to God and Christianity than what they've heard or experienced, each chapter of Divine Nobodies gives the reader permission and freedom to discover it for themselves. Sometimes comical, other times tragic, at times shocking, always honest; Jim Palmer's story offers an inspiring and profound glimpse into life with God beyond institutional church and conventional religion. "I am tempted to say that Jim Palmer could well be the next Donald Miller, but what they have in common, along with an honest spirituality and extraordinary skill as storytellers, is a unique voice . . . Divine Nobodies is a delight to read, and it was good for my soul to read it." -BRIAN MCLAREN Author of The Secret Message of Jesus "You hold in your hands an amazing story of a broken man finding freedom in all the right places-in God's work in the lives of some extraordinarily ordinary people around him. You will thrill to this delightful blend of gut-wrenching honesty and laugh-out-loud hilarity, and in the end you'll find God much closer, the body of Christ far bigger and your own journey far clearer than you ever dreamed." -WAYNE JACOBSEN Author of Authentic Relationships

God Is Not Great

Christopher Hitchens
God Is Not Great Book PDF

Author : Christopher Hitchens
Publisher : McClelland & Stewart
Page : 322 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2008-11-19
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781551991764

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God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens Pdf

Christopher Hitchens, described in the London Observer as “one of the most prolific, as well as brilliant, journalists of our time” takes on his biggest subject yet–the increasingly dangerous role of religion in the world. In the tradition of Bertrand Russell’s Why I Am Not a Christian and Sam Harris’s recent bestseller, The End Of Faith, Christopher Hitchens makes the ultimate case against religion. With a close and erudite reading of the major religious texts, he documents the ways in which religion is a man-made wish, a cause of dangerous sexual repression, and a distortion of our origins in the cosmos. With eloquent clarity, Hitchens frames the argument for a more secular life based on science and reason, in which hell is replaced by the Hubble Telescope’s awesome view of the universe, and Moses and the burning bush give way to the beauty and symmetry of the double helix.

Wide Open Spaces

Jim Palmer
Wide Open Spaces Book PDF

Author : Jim Palmer
Publisher : Thomas Nelson
Page : 223 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2007-12-02
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781418537548

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Wide Open Spaces by Jim Palmer Pdf

Jim Palmer's critically acclaimed Divine Nobodies was only half the story - the deconstruction and shedding of a religious mentality that hindered his knowing God. In his next book, Jim takes the reader along into the wide open spaces of exploring and experiencing God beyond religion. Jim writes, "It is no secret that God can be lost beneath the waving banner of religion. Divine Nobodies is my story of how this happened to me. Sometimes you have to disentangle God from religion, even Christ from Christianity, to find the truth. With the help of some unsuspecting nobodies, I uncovered a new starting line with God. As I've put one foot in front of another, I've experienced God in ways that are deeply transforming." Each chapter revolves around a central question related to knowing God on fresh terms: Is God a belief system? Is the Bible a landing strip or launching pad? Can what we're feeling inside be God? Are we too religiously minded to be any earthly good? Brian McLaren wrote, "I am tempted to say that Jim Palmer could well be the next Don Miller, but what they have in common, along with an honest spirituality and extraordinary skill as storytellers, is a unique voice." The Library Reviews said of him, "Jim Palmer's casual, yet compelling writing style cuts through the religious rhetoric and gets to the real issues...readers will love this author! His sense of humor is alternately mixed with shocking sentences and poignant moments. Laced throughout is a refreshing honesty that ties his ideas together with a ribbon of reality...each turn of the page strips away a little more of the contrived mystery of Christianity until the simplicity and sincerity of it stands in realistic splendor." More and more people seek a deeper spirituality beyond status-quo religion. Others are left empty and weary from a shallow and narrow pop-Christianity. Palmer says that God's kingdom of love, peace, and freedom can be a present reality in any person's life. He proclaims that God is indeed in the process of birthing something deep and wide among unlikely people in unconventional ways, which is changing the world...one "nobody" at a time.

The God Con

Lee Moller
The God Con Book PDF

Author : Lee Moller
Publisher : FriesenPress
Page : 248 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2017-06-28
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781525506826

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The God Con by Lee Moller Pdf

The crucifix is in! You can fool most of the people most of the time. In The God Con, Lee Moller, a life-long atheist and skeptic, looks at organized religion through the lens of the con. Organized religion has been selling an invisible product, that it never has to deliver, for thousands of years. It has given us bigotry, rampant pedophilia, terrorism, and bloodshed beyond imagining. And its acolytes have, in turn, given organized religion power over their bank accounts, their reproduction, and their very “souls”.

On the Outside Looking Up

Elizabeth Massie
On the Outside Looking Up Book PDF

Author : Elizabeth Massie
Publisher : Valley House Books
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2016-06-16
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 0692731423

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On the Outside Looking Up by Elizabeth Massie Pdf

An increasing number of people are leaving their established religions behind. Some embrace atheism or agnosticism. Others, a more "New Age" spiritual pathway. Then there are those who have discovered their own personal God-centered religions that speak deeply yet don't necessarily match up to what they were taught within their houses of worship. These are the un-churched believers. They are out there. We are out here. And our love for God and our understandings of the Divine are as meaningful and beautiful as that of the churched. On the Outside Looking Up is part spiritual memoir, part musings on issues that religions tend to tackle, and part extended hand to un-churched believers to assure them they are not the only ones. Elizabeth Massie shares how the basic truth of God - that He Loves and it is His Will that we also love - is the Light that illuminates every topic and struggle we face and is available to all. On the Outside Looking Up invites un-churched, churched, and non-believers alike to give the word "religion" a break and encourages us to take on the profound task of finding our commonalities and loving one another. Elizabeth Massie is no minister, theology scholar, or spiritual leader. She's an ordinary, wondering-wandering un-churched believer who felt a Tap on her shoulder and decided not to ignore it. She has authored a wide variety of works including the Stoker-winning Sineater, the Scribe Award-winning The Tudors: Thy Will Be Done, the mainstream novel Homegrown, the meditative collection Night Benedictions, and more.

Living Beyond Belief: The God of No Religion

N.B. Singh
Living Beyond Belief The God of No Religion Book PDF

Author : N.B. Singh
Publisher : N.B. Singh
Page : 82 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2024-04-25
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Living Beyond Belief: The God of No Religion by N.B. Singh Pdf

"Living Beyond Belief: The God of No Religion" explores spirituality beyond traditional religious confines, advocating for a personal connection with the divine that transcends dogma. Through introspective reflections and philosophical insights, the book invites readers to embrace a liberated and inclusive approach to spirituality, emphasizing the universal essence of human connection and the limitless potential for personal growth outside the boundaries of organized religion.

Women Beyond Belief

Karen L. Garst
Women Beyond Belief Book PDF

Author : Karen L. Garst
Publisher : Pitchstone Publishing (US&CA)
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2016-10-01
Category : Self-Help
ISBN : 9781634310833

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Women Beyond Belief by Karen L. Garst Pdf

Women have made great strides toward equal rights over the past hundred years, especially in the West. But when considering the ongoing fight over reproductive rights and equal pay—and the prevalence of sexual violence and domestic abuse—it is clear that a significant gap still exists. With scripture often cited as justification for the marginalization of women, it is time to acknowledge that one of the final barriers to full equality for women is religion. Much has been written about the great strides humankind has made in knocking down many long-held religious beliefs, whether related to the age of the earth or the origin of the species. But religion's negative impact on women has been less studied and discussed. This book is a step toward changing that. Twenty-two women from a variety of backgrounds and Judeo-Christian traditions share their personal stories about how they came to abandon organized religion, and how they discovered life after moving away from religious and supernatural beliefs. Their words serve both as a celebration of all who have taken similar steps under the weight of thousands of years of religious history—and as a source of inspiration for those individuals, especially women, who have deep doubts about their own belief traditions but who don't yet know how to embrace life without falling back on religion.

The Enoch Factor

Stephen B. McSwain
The Enoch Factor Book PDF

Author : Stephen B. McSwain
Publisher : Steve McSwain
Page : 260 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2010
Category : Spirituality
ISBN : 1573125563

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The Enoch Factor by Stephen B. McSwain Pdf

Never before has this country-indeed this world-faced such a need for a book that unites people, a book that reassures those disillusioned by faith that they can navigate their way back to God and even experience a profound spiritual awakening. For author and entrepreneur Steve McSwain, such an epiphany transformed his life. In The Enoch Factor, readers discover a kindred spirit in an author who understands how religion can subvert a spiritual life. His story will help them navigate their own spiritual journeys. More than a personal odyssey, The Enoch Factor is also a testimonial to the innate dangers of fundamentalist thinking. It is a persuasive argument for a more enlightened religious dialogue in America, one that affirms the goals of all religions-guiding followers in self-awareness, finding serenity and happiness, and discovering what the author describes as "the sacred art of knowing God." Unapologetic and moving, McSwain's take on The Almighty is sure to ignite spirited debate. Full of wisdom, humor, and truth, The Enoch Factor bridges the gap between secular and Christian book titles on spirituality, setting a new standard in both.

We Are The Post-Theological

Stephen Joseph Reilly
We Are The Post Theological Book PDF

Author : Stephen Joseph Reilly
Publisher : Polymath Publishing
Page : 144 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2020-11-08
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1735063819

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We Are The Post-Theological by Stephen Joseph Reilly Pdf

After a millennium of checkered existence, religion as we know it is finally running out of gas... thank god.Today, the number of people who affiliate themselves with a specific religious denomination is declining across the globe. This trend is gathering speed and broad-based growing with the global population regardless of race, gender, religion, or economic status. We are realizing that the simple answers provided by the Iron Age beliefs of our faiths no longer adequately address the more complex questions raised by our expanding knowledge of the universe.Wikipedia mistakenly refers to us as Irreligion or the "nones" while Pew Research calls us the Unaffiliated for lack of a better word. Compounding the confusion, the media struggles to define our growing horde as evident by their tendency to lumps us into the same pigeon-hole as atheists (which we find abhorrent) and agnostics (which we are definitely not). The phrase "spiritual but not religious" has been drained of any relevance due to the masses inability to articulate any basic beliefs or orthodoxy. The purpose of this book is to give name to the growing numbers of us who no longer believe in organized religion but have a deep faith in a divine purpose. The term for this spirituality without religion is "Post-Theological."Post-Theological faith is the unshakeable belief in a unifying extra-universal spirituality or force that is the source of all (call it god, if you must). Critical to Post-Theological faith is understanding that this astral force is extra-universal, meaning that he/she/it exists outside of our observable, quantifiable universe and therefore beyond human ability to comprehend. This makes any attempt to describe or define it useless - even to argue whether it exists or not is pointless, let alone think we can know which day of the week it wants us to go to church.

Faith Beyond Belief

Margaret Placentra Johnston
Faith Beyond Belief Book PDF

Author : Margaret Placentra Johnston
Publisher : Quest Books
Page : 314 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2012-12-13
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780835630450

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Faith Beyond Belief by Margaret Placentra Johnston Pdf

Faith Beyond Belief gives a much-needed voice to the “good” people who have left their church but whose spirituality continues to mature. Johnston uses first-person stories as well as known spiritual authorities in describing various stages of religious growth. Some of these real-life accounts are by nonbelievers; others are by those among the growing numbers of the “spiritual but not religious.” All are thoughtful people with too much integrity to live what they consider a lie. The stories of the nonbelievers-including an ex-Catholic, a former Mormon, and a clandestine Muslim apostate who left his community after the attacks of 9/11-show how complete confidence in human reason can lead away from literal religious interpretation. But, while that step is a necessary one on the spiritual path, it is only intermediate. Her second set of stories are of people at the “mystic” level who can tolerate paradox and see truth and reality as multidimensional. Johnston’s book will help doubters to see things in a new light as well as those who are struggling to clarify their own spiritual vision. It also points beyond the atheist/believer controversy wrecking such divisive havoc in our culture today.

Of Gods and Minds

James Heisig
Of Gods and Minds Book PDF

Author : James Heisig
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 222 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 2019-03-30
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1092151850

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Of Gods and Minds by James Heisig Pdf

The five lectures that make up this book were delivered at Boston College in 2019 as the Duffy Lectures in Global Christianity. In them the author begins from the assumption that if the Christian God is to have global significance, it will not merely be a matter of Christianity accepting cultural and religious diversity and retreating from its mission of converting the entire world to its own way of thinking about God. The conversion to tolerance and hospitality towards other modes of belief and practice marks a watershed for Christianity, but only as a transition to straighten out its past in the face of a graver, commoner concern: the care of an earth abused by human civilization and devalued by organized religion. The author approaches this question from a broader consideration of the origins and functions of gods in minds and from there suggests grounding metaphors of the divine and its relationship to the natural world in a nothingness beyond being and becoming.

How God Works

David DeSteno
How God Works Book PDF

Author : David DeSteno
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 46,7 Mb
Release : 2022-09-06
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9781982142322

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How God Works by David DeSteno Pdf

Drawing on a wealth of new evidence, pioneering research psychologist David DeSteno shows why religious practices and rituals are so beneficial to those who follow them—and to anyone, regardless of their faith (or lack thereof). Scientists are beginning to discover what believers have known for a long time: the rewards that a religious life can provide. For millennia, people have turned to priests, rabbis, imams, shamans, and others to help them deal with issues of grief and loss, birth and death, morality and meaning. In this absorbing work, DeSteno reveals how numerous religious practices from around the world improve emotional and physical well-being. With empathy and rigor, DeSteno chronicles religious rites and traditions from cradle to grave. He explains how the Japanese rituals surrounding childbirth help strengthen parental bonds with children. He describes how the Apache Sunrise Ceremony makes teenage girls better able to face the rigors of womanhood. He shows how Buddhist meditation reduces hostility and increases compassion. He demonstrates how the Jewish practice of sitting shiva comforts the bereaved. And much more. DeSteno details how belief itself enhances physical and mental health. But you don’t need to be religious to benefit from the trove of wisdom that religion has to offer. Many items in religion’s “toolbox” can help the body and mind whether or not one believes. How God Works offers advice on how to incorporate many of these practices to help all of us live more meaningful, successful, and satisfying lives.

Is Organized Religion a Sham

Ed Sepernik
Is Organized Religion a Sham Book PDF

Author : Ed Sepernik
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 415 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2004-06
Category : Religion
ISBN : 1413444555

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Is Organized Religion a Sham by Ed Sepernik Pdf

IS ORGANIZED RELIGION A SHAM? Delivers a well-researched treatise on the origins of various religions, their effects on mankind, and takes into account aspects of history, theology, and sociology. The text is an accumulation of facts from primitive man's first practice of animism to today's televangelism. Through this historic detail, the book focuses on the religious righteous and their manipulation of theology to control the masses. Clearly not everyone will agree with my provocative conclusions, however, een the most devout practitioner of any religion will find it difficult to argue with the historical accuracy of the research. I begin with how primitive man conceived gods. The early chapters hinge on specific moments in history and bibical accounts, such as Moses' first encounter with Yahweh. Following this is a survey of Jesus, the man, and how Christianity started. In chapter five I focus on the beliefs and obligations of Islam and in subsequent chapters move on to Hinduism and Buddhism. I Cover religious cults and discuss televantelist figures, Jerry Falwell, Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart. In chapter twelve, I lay out crimes committed in the name of God and in chapter fifteen I have juxtaposed both the creationist and evolutionist arguments for existence. Overall my contribution is designed to enlighten and provoke thought, as well as to participate in what may be viewed as an ongoing debate.