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maximum_moxie's review against another edition
4.0
An absolutely fascinating look at the history of theology, philosophy, and religious practice. My main critique--the author makes many claims about how people in the past thought, claims almost too intimate for this reader to believe. However, it made me reconsider my own attitudes toward faith, science, and the "other" beyond human experience.
grace2age's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
5.0
Should be required reading for all who want to be spiritual leaders and teachers, especially within the religion of Christianity, but not exclusively.
Not a book of apologetics, but a book of history.
Not a book of apologetics, but a book of history.
grace2age's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
This should be required reading for all who work in the field of religion, especially western religion.
ensara's review against another edition
3.5
Very insightful. It took me a while to get into it; after the first 20% I finally got into it. I’m not sure what else is missing, but overall I did enjoy it, and whether you’re knowledgeable on world religions or not, this is a good starting place. It’s a solid resource.
I will say, she might have made any other mistakes I missed, but I certainly noticed when she claimed Muslims see the Prophet Muhammad saws as the perfect person, etc etc. Muslims don’t deem any human as perfect, so little things like that bother me personally.
I will say, she might have made any other mistakes I missed, but I certainly noticed when she claimed Muslims see the Prophet Muhammad saws as the perfect person, etc etc. Muslims don’t deem any human as perfect, so little things like that bother me personally.
ovenbird_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Lots of great things to think about but too dense to read straight through. A bit overwhelming.
laila4343's review against another edition
Could NOT get into it! Maybe I just don't have the focus for this right now - I was hoping for more persuasive argument, but instead was given a LOT of dense historical religious information.
jaredfields's review against another edition
2.0
The first 2/3 of the book seems like religious reductionism from the 19th and early 20th century with all the issues that brought that sort of scholarship to an end. The last third was a decent recitation of the philosophical approach to religion. The discussion about the problems surrounding the New Atheism and the lack of their understandings of theology was insightful.
kimball_hansen's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. This was too long and not too interesting. What if religion was all individual based? I need to explore that.
The word mystery means clarification.
We're used to the idea that religion provides us with information. Is there a God? How did the world come into being? Religion was never supposed to answer questions that lie within the reach of human reason.
In the past people were called atheists when society was in transition from one religious perspective to another. I like the idea of cleansing your religious pallets by partaking in atheism (Not what the modern definition of atheism means) when transitioning from one belief to another. Much like in restaurants you eat a sorbet to clean your pallet after a strong dish to taste the next dish properly.
The word mystery means clarification.
We're used to the idea that religion provides us with information. Is there a God? How did the world come into being? Religion was never supposed to answer questions that lie within the reach of human reason.
In the past people were called atheists when society was in transition from one religious perspective to another. I like the idea of cleansing your religious pallets by partaking in atheism (Not what the modern definition of atheism means) when transitioning from one belief to another. Much like in restaurants you eat a sorbet to clean your pallet after a strong dish to taste the next dish properly.
tgh124's review against another edition
5.0
What a find! I picked up this book for free at the local General store where you can leave a book/take a book. But I had to push through. How can a person (The author) have read so much philosophy, theology, history?
Can this aerial view filter down? Today, the atheist just is. The agnostic isn't looking for anything, the church goer believes what they are told, or what they think but can't utter. How can i reach Enlightenment? Carry water, carry water, carry water.
Can this aerial view filter down? Today, the atheist just is. The agnostic isn't looking for anything, the church goer believes what they are told, or what they think but can't utter. How can i reach Enlightenment? Carry water, carry water, carry water.
kwheeles's review against another edition
4.0
Dense, erudite, deft and nuanced historical view of (mostly) Judeo-Christian concept of God. Did you expect it to be simple? If in search of simple answers, look elsewhere. If in search of definitive answers, this is not the book - it evokes the mystery, the unknowable aspects of the topic. Discusses distinction between logos, rational understanding, and mythos, things beyond our human conceit of intellect. For those of us who encounter discouragement at times with specific features of pre-packaged institutional religion, this is a hopeful book by reminding us of the varieties of thought on the topic - the more nuanced, metaphorical interpretations that have been shared by many others over time.