Spirituality For The Skeptic

By examining the ideas of great thinkers from Kafka to Socrates, this text arrives at an alternative vision of spirituality, one that is non-dogmatic and practical, that should appeal to many seekers looking to make sense of the human condition.

By examining the ideas of great thinkers from Kafka to Socrates, this text arrives at an alternative vision of spirituality, one that is non-dogmatic and practical, that should appeal to many seekers looking to make sense of the human condition.

This book is a revolutionary text for revolutionary spiritual times. Facing imminent global financial collapse and great adversity for the foreseeable future, people will need a powerful faith in God just to survive. But who can have great faith if they don’t know anything about God and how he works in our lives—or if he even exists? God reveals spiritual knowledge to mankind not in an even, continuous flow, but in rare bursts or quantum leaps forward. The last such spiritual burst in Christianity occurred almost 2000 years ago, with the teachings of the New Testament. Since then, virtually no progress has been made in terms of spiritual insight into the Bible. Even worse, scholars today don’t understand very well God’s lessons from the last burst. That’s why you’ll find even prominent Christian teachers still debating such basic spiritual concepts as the following: • Can non-Christians be saved? • What is the role of science—and especially evolution—in relation to the Bible? • What roles do free will and predestination play in our lives and salvation? Unfortunately, while Christian spirituality has remained stuck in the past, mankind has pushed ahead into the twenty-first century. With the explosive growth of knowledge, science, and global communications, Christianity must improve the way it addresses people’s spiritual concerns or face irrelevance and eventual extinction. This book represents a revolution in spiritual understanding that takes Christianity into the twenty-first century and beyond. It is the latest burst of spiritual insight—2000 years in coming. Mankind’s oldest and most vexing spiritual questions are answered here in full accord with logic, science, and reason. In addition, the reader will find new insights into understanding the Bible, living a spiritual life, and—for the first time ever—a new vision of Bible prophecy and the end of the world. There is no book like this.

Acknowledging that the scientific and the spiritual communities are increasingly split, Raymo builds strong bridges between them. He ilustrates his arguement with an array of thought-provoking stories, such as the remarkable migratory flight of a small bird called the Red Knot; the long, glorious glide of the Comet Hyakutake across the night sky; a hilarious alien abduction that didn't happen. Together, they are compelling evidence that religion should embrace the reliable knowledge of the world that science provides, while at the same time science should respect and nourish humankind's need for spiritual sustenance. 'Miracles are explainable, ' Raymo paraphrases the writer Tim Robinson, 'it is the explanations that are miraculous'. For anyone drawn to reflect on life's meaning and purpose, Chet Raymo's uncomprimising skepticism and reverence for mystery will affirm and inspire.

Is it possible to grow in our Christian faith without engaging the doubter or the skeptic? And if growing in our faith means growing closer to the doubter, how do we do that without compromising what we believe to be true?

Do you believe that there is more to this world than can be perceived and experienced with your five senses? Well, Britt didn’t. She liked facts, reality, science and things she could explain. Although, somewhere deep down, she did always have a gut feeling that there was more to life than the daily routine of wake, work, eat, sleep, repeat. One day, after almost two decades of clinical depression and anxiety, Britt was suddenly bowled over by an unexpected spiritual awakening and her attitude towards life changed overnight. Years of debilitating depression melted away. It was as if the cover had been removed from her eyes and she was suddenly able to see that there is so much more to life and this world than we can possibly perceive. It was not easy for Britt, a complete cynic and skeptic, to go from thinking it was all a bunch of nonsense to embracing her spiritual ‘woo’ side. This book traces Britt’s life through her depression, her awakening and her on-going journey as she tries to reconcile her new-found wisdom and spirituality with her utter skepticism for anything alternative or non-scientific, not to mention with her long-held traditional Jewish beliefs.

Do you believe that there is more to this world than can be perceived and experienced with your five senses? Well, Britt didn't. She liked facts, reality, science and things she could explain. Although, somewhere deep down, she did always have a gut feeling that there was more to life than the daily routine of wake, work, eat, sleep, repeat. One day, after almost two decades of clinical depression and anxiety, Britt was suddenly bowled over by an unexpected spiritual awakening and her attitude towards life changed overnight. Years of debilitating depression melted away. It was as if the cover had been removed from her eyes and she was suddenly able to see that there is so much more to life and this world than we can possibly perceive. It was not easy for Britt, a complete cynic and skeptic, to go from thinking it was all a bunch of nonsense to embracing her spiritual 'woo' side. This book traces Britt's life through her depression, her awakening and her on-going journey as she tries to reconcile her new-found wisdom and spirituality with her utter skepticism for anything alternative or non-scientific, not to mention with her long-held traditional Jewish beliefs.

You are not happy. You may enjoy periods of relative happiness and you may be happier than other people that you know, but you are not as happy as you'd like to be or as happy as you can be. How do I know? First of all, if you were completely satisfied with your life you wouldn't be holding this book in your hands right now. Second, it is very rare to find people that are in touch with certain realities regarding their existence that lead to lasting happiness. Spiritual Realism works in two ways. First, it will challenge the way you think about yourself and your personal reality construct, or in simpler terms, what you think is real. Your illusions need to be shattered in order to achieve the bliss that you desire, yet has been eluding you for so long. Second, this book will teach you a series of techniques that will make you happier and more content with your life if you practice them sincerely over an extended period of time. Spiritual Realism works. It cannot fail to work. Good luck! IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have strong religious beliefs you will likely find views in this book disturbing.

This book presents a broad philosophical study of the nature of spirituality and its relationship to human well-being, addressing an area of contemporary philosophy that has been largely underexplored. David McPherson brings together a team of scholars to examine the importance of specific spiritual practices (including prayer, contemplation, and ritual observance) and spiritually informed virtues (such as piety, humility, and existential gratitude) for 'the good life'. This volume also considers and exemplifies how philosophy itself, when undertaken as a humanistic rather than scientistic enterprise, can be a spiritual exercise and part of a spiritual way of life. Clarifying key concepts, and engaging with major religious traditions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Confucianism, this book will appeal to students and scholars from various disciplines, including theology, sociology, and psychology, as well as to philosophers, ethicists, and other readers who are interested in modern spiritual life.

Sculpting the Self addresses “what it means to be human” in a secular, post-Enlightenment world by exploring notions of self and subjectivity in Islamic and non-Islamic philosophical and mystical thought. Alongside detailed analyses of three major Islamic thinkers (Mullā Ṣadrā, Shāh Walī Allāh, and Muhammad Iqbal), this study also situates their writings on selfhood within the wider constellation of related discussions in late modern and contemporary thought, engaging the seminal theoretical insights on the self by William James, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Michel Foucault. This allows the book to develop its inquiry within a spectrum theory of selfhood, incorporating bio-physiological, socio-cultural, and ethico-spiritual modes of discourse and meaning-construction. Weaving together insights from several disciplines such as religious studies, philosophy, anthropology, critical theory, and neuroscience, and arguing against views that narrowly restrict the self to a set of cognitive functions and abilities, this study proposes a multidimensional account of the self that offers new options for addressing central issues in the contemporary world, including spirituality, human flourishing, and meaning in life. This is the first book-length treatment of selfhood in Islamic thought that draws on a wealth of primary source texts in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Greek, and other languages. Muhammad U. Faruque’s interdisciplinary approach makes a significant contribution to the growing field of cross-cultural dialogue, as it opens up the way for engaging premodern and modern Islamic sources from a contemporary perspective by going beyond the exegesis of historical materials. He initiates a critical conversation between new insights into human nature as developed in neuroscience and modern philosophical literature and millennia-old Islamic perspectives on the self, consciousness, and human flourishing as developed in Islamic philosophical, mystical, and literary traditions.

Skeptical but drawn to spirituality? Explore the best of both worlds. A former evangelical seminarian and ex-Roman Catholic, Barrett A. Evans is an agnostic who has retained a fascination with contemplative spirituality. Building on what he learned in his divinity, counseling, and historical studies, the author draws on hundreds of religious and secular sources in an effort to combine honest doubt with the best of contemplative experience. Presented in a "devotional" format, The Contemplative Skeptic is meant to be an exploration into the value of skepticism, a source of solace from harmful forms of religious indoctrination, and a stimulus for more peaceful, authentic, and compassionate living. While openly discussing the inherent problems with dogmatic faith, efforts are also made to retain the best parts of spirituality--especially a sense of focus and purpose, an encouragement to live for others, and the consolation of certain contemplative and psychological disciplines. The author's rather iconoclastic approach is meant to appeal to agnostics, deists, pantheists, atheists interested in spirituality, and other non-traditional thinkers. In this book, you'll find: A frank exploration of the dubious and harmful aspects of traditional religious belief. An invitation to acknowledge the unverifiable, the improbable, and the unknown. Meditations and exercises for those seeking to enlarge their sense of purpose, wonder, compassion, and contentment. Select wisdom from a variety of religious traditions to help soften those who have an overly negative view of religion or religious people. Suggestions for utilizing a conservative religious past in a positive way. The Contemplative Skeptic is a journey into the nexus of doubt, wisdom, and healthy contemplative practice. If you find value in spirituality but are weary of the fearmongering and appeals to credulity that so often accompany traditional dogmatic approaches, then you'll love this book.

The authors provide a spiritual journey for those who may have given up on Church, but not on God.

About the Book During my formative years, I realized that questions pertaining to God and Jesus were not merely abstract philosophical questions. These beliefs constitute the core of one's worldview. As such, their pervasive influence as to how we lead our lives is relevant and consequential. All my life I've been haunted by this burning question: Is physical reality all there is? This book is an attempt to engage in a rational inquiry into the very heart of spirituality. To be sure, questions about Jesus and God are metaphysical in nature. And as such, science cannot enter this domain. Rather, as the great philosopher Immanuel Kant admonished, any individual pursuit must push to the epistemological limits of science. Any remaining gap is to be filled with faith. This is my journey! I welcome you, fellow traveler. About the Author Vince Procopio was born in a small village in Italy and came to the United States at the age of seven. By the age of thirteen, Vince began his life-long passion of weight lifting, which he continues to the present day. He dropped out of high school to volunteer in the United States Marine Corps in 1968. After serving a one-year tour in Vietnam and under the auspices of the GI Bill, Vince became a full-time student through the summers from 1970-1983. His greatest passion has been learning and trying to understand the miracle of life.

As Judy Gruen walked down the aisle and into her Orthodox Jewish future, her bouquet quivered in her shaky hand. Having grown up in the zeitgeist that proclaimed, “If it feels good, do it,” was she really ready to live the life of “rituals, rules, and restraints” that the Torah prescribed? The Skeptic and the Rabbi is a rare memoir with historical depth, spirituality, and intelligent humor. Gruen speaks with refreshing honesty about what it means to remain authentic to yourself while charting a new yet ancient spiritual path at odds with the surrounding culture, and writes touchingly about her family, including her two sets of grandparents, who influenced her in wildly opposite ways. As she navigates her new life with the man she loves and the faith she also loves—surviving several awkward moments, including when the rabbi calls to tell her that she accidentally served unkosher food to her Shabbat guests—Gruen brings the reader right along for the ride. Reading this wry, bold and compelling memoir, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and when you’re finished, you may also have a sudden craving for chicken matzo ball soup—kosher, of course.

In the 1920s, Mexican composer Julián Carrillo (1875-1965) developed a microtonal system he metaphorically called El Sonido 13 (The 13th Sound). Although his pioneering role as one of the first proponents of microtonality gave him a cult figure status among European avant-garde circles in the 1960s and 1970s, his music and legacy have remained largely ignored by scholars and critics. This book explores his ideas not only in relation to the historical moments of their inception but also in relation to the various cultural projects that kept them alive and resignified them into the 21st century.

This is a book that is devoted to helping inquiring spiritual thinkers find a path of genuine spirituality that leads them into spiritual growth and true harmony with the Divine. Three imaginary characters intensely and passionately debate questions concerning the reliability of Judeo-Christian scriptures, questions about whether the concept of original sin (in the Garden of Eden) is a viable concept for the twenty-first century, etc. Intense debates flare over questions about sexual morality, whether Pauline theology can be regarded as credible in our age of scientific knowledge, whether Heaven and Hell are real, and numerous other issues that are of vital concern to spiritual seekers. The three debaters in these dialogues are: 1) An independent spiritual seeker, 2) A Christian apologist -- devoted to a defense of mainstream Christianity, and 3) A devoted skeptic who questions all things religious or spiritual. If you are a spiritual seeker, one who finds that the materialist/secularist scientific paradigm for all reality leaves you cold, this book can engagingly point you in the direction of ever-deepening spiritual insights that will enable you to progressively advance toward genuine harmony with Ultimate Reality -- the Creator and Ruler of our wondrous universe. This book can show you that you need never to abandon intelligence, logic, science, or clear and rational thinking in order to attain a profound spirituality. True spirituality need not be imprisoned in the straitjackets of dogmatic or narrow thinking about reality. The Divine whom you can learn to serve faithfully and devotedly does not demand of you a repudiation of your God-given intellect, and God is never scared of humble and earnest questions. It was not stated flippantly nor erroneously that in regard to true spirituality, "Seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you". Many of the claims made in this book incorporate the conviction that one must not necessarily buy into the theology of any extant organized religion, but can have a "direct line" to the Creator, receiving thereby inspiration, encouragement, empowerment, inner peace, and growth toward spiritual perfection. For many in our "scientifically enlightened" age, religion is pushed into the "backwaters", and passionate devotion to spirituality is regarded as passe. This need not be so, because the Divine permeates every atom in this universe, and the energy that sustains the universe is also highly willing to inspire, direct, and guide your life. We need not settle for science as the "new god", because powerful though it is as a wonderful instrument, it is nevertheless constrained by the limitations of human powers and our relatively puny intellects. Your life can transcend what science has to offer, because science is bereft of powers to master the mind and the spirit of humanity. By availing yourself of the hints and guidelines offered in this book, you can discover a glorious path of growing inner peace and joys that transcend the powers of human understanding. Freedom of your will opens for you the door to genuine choice -- a choice that could (potentially) have the significance of Heaven versus Hell.

Integrating Christian theology and aboriginal spirituality, this book tells the story of Michael Hardin's journey from seminary to ministerial burnout and finally to redemption discovering the shamanic path of Stalking Wolf (Grandfather). It details his experiences at The Tracker school led by world renowned tracker Tom Brown Jr., his skepticism and eventual coming to terms with the wholeness of life. Hardin is an internationally known author, speaker and theologian.

About the Book During my formative years, I realized that questions pertaining to God and Jesus were not merely abstract philosophical questions. These beliefs constitute the core of one's worldview. As such, their pervasive influence as to how we lead our lives is relevant and consequential. All my life I’ve been haunted by this burning question: Is physical reality all there is? This book is an attempt to engage in a rational inquiry into the very heart of spirituality. To be sure, questions about Jesus and God are metaphysical in nature. And as such, science cannot enter this domain. Rather, as the great philosopher Immanuel Kant admonished, any individual pursuit must push to the epistemological limits of science. Any remaining gap is to be filled with faith. This is my journey! I welcome you, fellow traveler. About the Author Vince Procopio was born in a small village in Italy and came to the United States at the age of seven. By the age of thirteen, Vince began his life-long passion of weight lifting, which he continues to the present day. He dropped out of high school to volunteer in the United States Marine Corps in 1968. After serving a one-year tour in Vietnam and under the auspices of the GI Bill, Vince became a full-time student through the summers from 1970-1983. His greatest passion has been learning and trying to understand the miracle of life.