One of the most common questions i receive regards which books i would recommend christians to give their nonchristian friends who they hope may become believers. We actually agree on a great many things when it comes to religion he thinks that jesus may have existed but certainly wasnt the son of god. Thus it is now a favorable moment for a new perspective on religion. No matter what you may have read before about this firstcentury rabbi from nazareth, theres a good possibility that youve been misinformed. Instead religious leaders still wear strange robes and collars and weird hats that were designed centuries ago. See all 2 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Jesus without religion christian book distributors.
What would it mean for christians to rediscover their faith not as a. In his recently released book, god without religion. We have all heard the statistics about how an increasing number of americans profess no specific religious affiliation, even if they may still identify as spiritual. Jesus, son of mary, or jesus, is the penultimate prophet and messenger of god and the messiah, sent to guide the children of israel with a new revelation. When i picked up this book, i expected to find a book about jesus, apart from religion. Simply put, if theres one book you read all year, let it be this one. I cant say that the book was poorly written, because it was not. If christians will ever once again rise to the kind of spiritual levels enjoyed by the first century christians they must cast off religion. The book is authored by former bishop john selby spong. God without religion by andrew farley escape to reality. Spirituality without religion bloomington, il meetup. Rick james takes a fresh approach in jesus without religion.
Ronald dworkins last book, religion without god, is simultaneously a blast from the past and a sign of the times. Times religion writer russell chandler, in his 1988 book understanding the new age, over 42% of americans believe that they have been in touch with someone who has died. Jesus without religion weekly messages that plow through religious teaching and misunderstandings. Questioning centuries of accepted truths by sankara saranam about the book in a groundbreaking approach to todays tough spiritual and social dilemmas, god without religion offers an intelligent and compassionate bridge from dogmatic belief systems to progressive spirituality. Despite the sanitized images of jesus, mary, and joseph we often see during the christmas season, jesus actually entered a fallen world in a dirty stable and began living a gritty life. Bishop spong presents four extraordinary lectures based on material from his book jesus for the nonreligious. Spiritual life being devoted to god human nature, overcoming god being in control living for god belonging being born again living not for the material indwelling of the holy spirit. As in the christian new testament, the quran the central religious text of islam describes jesus as the messiah. Why thomas jefferson rewrote the bible without jesus miracles and resurrection. Would the real jesus flourish without all the distracting interference of institutional religion to block his true message. Jesus plus anything, even religion, ruins everything. Andrew farley is the lead teaching pastor of church without religion and a bestselling author of six christian books. The religion of jesus does not seek to escape this life in order to enjoy the waiting bliss of another existence. Matthew paul turner, bestselling author of churched and hear no evil.
It is the complete revelation of his will for salvation and the only unfailing rule of faith and practice for the christian life. Religious rules are all about the externalnot the internaland raise human preferences to the level of gods laws. Personally i think we can be moral without religion because we probably had morality long before the current religions came along. Religion gave me a friend in god during a time when i felt so terribly alone.
He later studied jesus of nazareth in college, which led aslan to a doctorate in the sociology of religion. The stance of the book is that there is not a urantia religion that could not profitably study. Christianity without religion the christian humanist. The one that is appropriate depends on the specific philosophy and beliefs of the individual in question. These are all christian and are obviously and understandably biased in what. In the words of inigo montoya from the princess bride. Do atheists actually believe that without religion there. Several independent witnesses testify of jesus existence. Eliminating religion gets humanity one very important step closer to world peace. Historians agree that jesus was an itinerant jewish teacher who traveled and taught throughout palestine gathering disciples around him through the.
The freedom that hellenistic jews enjoyed outside palestine allowed the creation of a jewish literature written in greek, which was subsequently rejected in toto by judaism and whose remains were preserved by christianity. Jesus without religion uploaded a video 7 months ago. Jesus without religion uploaded a video 10 months ago 9. Dibelius describes the new testament as the humanly conditioned deposit of an historical event, and considers that the crucial question in the struggle over christianity is whether god made his will manifest in this event. Without jesus we can do nothing and will achieve nothing. Apparently four out of five christians define spiritual health in terms of trying hard to follow the rules in the bible. If this campaign opens up opportunities to talk with religious communities about the nonreligious life and to dispel stereotypes about nonreligious people, thats a good thing. If there was no religion, the world would be something other than it is today. It explores all topics having to do with our spiritual nature, our eternal higher selves, our relationships to the higher power, and our relationships to others on this earth plane. Oct 15, 20 we recently had the opportunity to chat with jefferson bethke about his new book jesus religion. From az, these reproducible lessons guide children through the bible, using the alphabet to help little ones focus on key points.
Questioning centuries of accepted truths by sankara saranam about the book in a groundbreaking approach to todays tough spiritual and social dilemmas, god without religion offers an. If youve been thinking the bible is a book about how to live our daily lives youre wrong. Andrew farley offers us a clear, more joyfilled, and peaceful route to god, without religion. It will engage many, especially young people, who have been hurt by or given up on the church. Now aslans controversial new book about jesus is about to make him a bestselling. Would the world have been betteroff without religion. Jesus without religion includes an appendix that would seem out of place except for the fact that the book is intended as an evangelistic tool not just for reaching seekers but also for helping confused believers sort out the contradictory images of jesus that have appeared in the secular media in recent years. When jefferson bethkes video went viral in early 2012, what impressed me even more than his spoken word poetry was how he responded to his critics. If you join a particular religion, youre told what to believe and how to behave. He claims to be religious and atheist in a manner that has some parallels in religious humanism from the middle of last century. God without religion is brave, genius, and full of the best kind of hope. Large selection and many more categories to choose from. Christianity without religion paperback november 21, 2007.
Throughout jesusreligion, jefferson does a great job of pointing the reader to a true picture of who jesus by referring to biblical texts unfortunately he does close the book with the messages version of matthew 11. You soon realize jeffs entire life isnt filled with sainthood. And his likewise book jesus without religion reflects both, as rick joins his concern for biblical substance with a care for style, humor, and metaphor. For religious people, reading the books of their faith can help them through times of. Its a good book that seeks to drive a wedge between the old life weve all grown up with and the new life god wants us to have. In the good book that so many people love to quote, there are moments, stories, tales, anecdotes, testaments, epics, and, of course, interventions of spirit, especially by jesus, the son of a carpenter, but the son of god, or man. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of christ, does not have god. The old assumption that modernization leads to secularization is outdated. The most detailed record of the life and death of jesus comes from the four gospels and other new testament writings. When we take the trouble to look for confirmation of the bible.
Some people say that the world is bad with religion. The expresident bent over the book, using a razor and scissors to carefully cut out small squares of text. Sep 06, 20 what you read in this book now will save you a lot of if only i knew then what i know now thoughts. Jesus without baggage exists to assist and support those questioning beliefs they have been taught in fundamentalist, traditional evangelical, and other groups. We believe that the bible is the verbally inspired word of god and without mistakes as originally written.
Yet the certainty that religion is an anthropological universal that can only be suppressed by governments is also dead. Christianity without religion regardless of their religious faith there is no serious doubt among contemporary historians that jesus was a real person who lived in palestine in the first century. Everywhere we look, its been the cause of some awful human tragedies. Pdf download why we need religion free unquote books. Fuller, many people especially in western cultures. David gregory, bestselling author of dinner with a perfect stranger and the rest of the gospel god without religion is brave, genius, and full of the best kind of hope. Christianity without jesus the greatest man who never lived. The list is grouped by date, and sorted within each group except for the very earliest works alphabetically by name of author. Jun 15, 2011 andrew farley has written things i wish i had said a long time ago. Nov 14, 20 please pardon the enormous non working microphone. According to the pluralism project, an individual with no religion is most commonly called atheist, agnostic or spiritual. This book starts off with the various malodies of christian religion and the harms that these malodies caused. Why thomas jefferson rewrote the bible without jesus. Can it really be this simple, he has tackled something that has troubled me for decades.
Carse is a is a poet, a pilgrim, a practitionertheologian and a peace activist. Jesus is harsh with the religious people because they are wolves who close their eyes to the light, make rules for god, want praise for themselves, and defend their idols. A few mere mentions of jesus is not evidence that he was gods son or god himself. He knows that i am a nontheist and recommended jesus for the non religious. Religion is one of the most damaging and detrimental manifestation of ignorance. Israel shahak, jewish history, jewish religion, p51. The religion of jesus provides the joy and peace of another and spiritual existence to enhance and ennoble the life which men now live in the flesh. This book was prepared for religion online by richard and sue kendall. The world needs new spiritual truth that provides modern men and women with an intellectual pathway into a personal relationship with god. Hellenized judaism in the cities of the eastern mediterranean fused a multiplicity of themes. Why he is so much better than trying harder, doing more, and being good enough by jefferson bethke releases october 7, 20. In jesus, the one and only, bestselling author and bible teacher beth moore invites you to know christ personally. Jesus never mentioned gays or abortion but focused on the. It is certainly safe to say there is no evidence of his miracles and godlike attributes anywhere.
All formats available for pc, mac, ebook readers and other mobile devices. Lets get creative and redefine the meaning of religion. Religion always seems behind the times no consideration for science or technology or 21st century knowledge. Oct 24, 20 the books title and content are inspired by his spokenword video, why i hate religion, but love jesus, which has been viewed 26 million times. With refreshing candor, he delves into the motivation behind his message, beginning with the unvarnished tale of his own plunge from the pinnacle of a worksbased. Whether or not youre a believer, theres no doubt that religion has inspired some serious acts of kindness. This sixsession bible study for all students is based on jefferson bethkes book by the same name. In fact, maybe youve been wrong from the start about the most amazing man who ever walked the surface of the. The result is a strikingly new and different portrait of jesus of nazaretha jesus for the nonreligious.
Now aslans controversial new book about jesus is about to make him a bestselling author. Do other nonbiblical sources confirm jesus christs. No religious bigotry, no righteous judgement, no cruelty in the name of god, no holy wars, no honor killings, and no shame in just being yourself. One puzzle of the world is that religions often dont resemble their founders. Jesus is not religious religion has become the new evil of our age. If you want to dump the religious burden and live in the true freedom and joy of christ, god without religion is for you. Filled with jeffersons own story, the book is raw and authentic. Can one believe in the existence of god without following any. Lets imagine what the world would be like without religion. There are more opinions of mine in my book before the manifestation of existence part 2. This book takes human experiences of selftranscendence as its point of departure. Aug 01, 20 author defends controversial new book on jesus.
Yet when comparing religious views and secular views as the basis for. Watch and listen as he breaks up a funeral by raising the dead, confronts conniving religious leaders of his day, teaches on a galilean hillside, or walks on the waves and calms the storm. Heres some of what you can learn when you embrace jesus without religion. The book harmonizes history, science, and religion into a philosophy of living that brings new meaning and hope into your life.
Religion without god by ronald dworkin the new york. Jesus never mentioned gays or abortion but focused on the sick and the poor, yet. The book is aimed largely as the spirituallyhungry nonchristian, hoping to open their eyes not to christianity, but to the real thing that matters, jesus the true biblical jesus, that is. Though often perceived as the religion of the book, christianity is only rightly understood as an ontological relationship with the person of jesus christ who is the word of god.
Free of creeds, quarrels and specialized theologies, he speaks of jesus. If you know someone who might find jesus without baggage helpful, feel free to send them this introductory page. In this book, john shelby spong puts flesh onto the bare bones of bonhoeffers radical thought. James employs the powerful tools of sarcasm, wit and irreverence, as well as a deep understanding of the context of firstcentury palestine and how it collides with our 21stcentury world. These broadly either follow after either sankara or ramanuja an example of a nontheistic passage might be the supreme brahman is without any beginning. No evidence for jesus outside bible the church of truth.
How could the cave man have explained the meaning of life without religion. Rick james answers these questions and more in this talk about his book jesus without religion. Spirituality without religion and religion without. To follow jesus means to personally share his religious faith and to enter into the spirit of the masters life of unselfish service for man. Waal says there is an experiment going on in northern europe. This is a bibliography of works with information or interpretations of the life and teachings of jesus. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Truly, the world would be a better place without religion, wouldnt it. Jesus is greater than religion jefferson bethke book. When children go to faith schools, they may have very little contact with children from other faiths, as has happened in northern ireland, which leads to a lack of understanding, even hatred. After all, thats the title and the supposed basic premise of the book, right. For a start, religion can be divisive christians against muslims, catholics against protestants, and so on. They will see that freedom and true joy is only found in the grace of jesus and resting in a relationship with him. Religion gave me, a depressed and suicidal twentyyearold, the belief that there was some meaning to my existence.
Its a system of beliefs embodied in a being or beings. The root cause of not having world peace is ignorance manifested in many ways. The familiar stark divide between people of religion and without religion is too crude. The cast from a palm sunday passion play in wisconsin.
Given this reality, its instructive to ponder what it might look like were there to be a day without religion in the united states. May 21, 20 religion is often organized in terms of a god, or gods. In jesus religion, bethke unpacks the stark contrasts that he drew in the poemcontrasts between teeth gritting and grace, law and love, performance and peace, despair and hope. The urantia book is a spiritual, philosophical, and religious book that originated in chicago. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a page. Neither jesus nor any of the people after whom its books were named had any idea that what they said or wrote would become part of the bible. From the popular instant bible lessons series, enjoy this fully reproducible lesson book for preschoolers ages 35. And it is simultaneously a worldwide phenomenon that has promoted evil, unhealthy, immoral behavior. I got this figure from andrew farleys recent book, god without religion.
In this videoenhanced study, bethke will help students understand that following jesus isnt about rulesbased religion, which only leaves you empty and unsatisfied. Generally, the book as a whole has been interpreted by some who see it as containing a primarily nontheistic message, and by others who stress its theistic message. How to live as a christian without having to believe the. This meetup focuses on spirituality without religion, also called secular spirituality.