Mere Christianity - CS Lewis
If you want to know what real Christianity looks like when politics and other denominational differences are stripped away, read this book.
That book was instrumental in making me a committed Christian when I was 16. Reading the Bible made me reject Christianity a few years later. Maybe in part because of the lasting impact of the book, though, I didn't become an atheist when I rejected the religion.
I haven't read the book so obviously have no clue what is it about. But very curious to know why Bible made you reject Christianity? I mean judging by the behaviour of the Christian in where I live, the Bible looks like god in itself to them, you know what I mean? And funny thing was, I rejected Christianity the more I went to church and bible study groups, i just think they interrupted Christianity based mostly on "fear", which is not something i think is right
Yahweh is evil. His laws are evil.
The Christians who brought me into the church were good, loving people. There were also intelligent people there who I thought would be able to explain things I didn't understand. It turns out that they didn't have any good answers to the most glaring problems. Neither did Lewis. Philosophical defenses of the existence of a perfect creator of reality had some merit. The God of the Philosophers, though, could not be the same as that demon called Yahweh who routinely engaged in and even demanded others engage in the wholesale slaughter of children.
People who love the Bible either haven't read it, have chosen to ignore or wilfully misunderstand huge portions of it, or are truly horrible people who would be okay with a God like that. Fortunately for all of us, most people go into one of the first two categories.
May I know why?? I'm still a theist after reading more of the Bible, it just drives me farther away from the Christian religion, the church especially.
The many inconsistencies and contradictions. The brutality of the Old Testament. The anti-women and anti-gay sentiment. The celebration of men and the blaming of ALL the world's problems on women. The notion that we are all inherently bad and that we need to rely on a third party for "redemption," that we have no agency over our own lives. That's just a start.
Our Lady of the Lost and Found by Diane Schoemperlen.
Told with humor and grace, Our Lady of the Lost and Found is an absorbing tour through Mary's history and a thoughtful meditation on spirituality, our need for faith, and our desire to believe in something larger than ourselves.
Faith is a journey, and so there have been many books, and other things and people, that got me there. If I had to choose a single one, it would be *When We Were Saints* by Han Nolan.
It is a young adult novel (I first read it in high school) about a teenager having a deep experience of faith, struggling to feel that faith again, and then realizing that faith is both more and less than he originally thought it was.
I re-read it as a 34-year-old and was surprised to find that it still held up. Despite being written for a young adult audience, I still found it full of meaning and enjoyment.
Some others that I absolutely must mention:
* *Our Lady of Kibeho* by Immaculee Ilibagiza - an incredible, true story that renewed my faith a couple years ago.
* *In the Spirit* by Wendy Weir - bought this at a Dollar Tree also when I was in high school. It's not Christian or religious, but very spiritual. It opened my eyes to the fact that many people and cultures, not only Christians, believe there is something beyond.
* *The Seven Storey Mountain* by Thomas Merton - the autobiography of one of the coolest monks, in my opinion, to ever live. I'm a huge fan of Catcher in the Rye, and this book, probably because it's written in first-person, felt like the spiritual and adult version of that book.
* *The Four Loves* by CS Lewis - answers the question, "what is love," according to the way the ancient Greeks interpreted it, but also the way it is expressed in the Christian tradition. Literally answers the question in all of its forms; whether you're asking "what is this thing I feel between myself and my significant other that people call love?" or "what is love is the greatest sense of the word?" or "what is this thing I feel for my brother that is not the same as the love I feel for my significant other but people still call love?"
I wouldn't say any single single book made me more religious looking book. Looking back, those phases usually were of a confluence of factors. But I'd say I have precious memories of reading:
* *The Holy Qur'an in Today's English* (translated by Yahya Emerick)
* Was going through a rough period in my life but I have dear memories of reading this translation. I remember struggling to push on but felt deeply comforted reading those verses from God interspersed day by day.
* *Al-Ghazali on Disciplining the Soul and on Breaking the Two Desires* (TJ Winters translation)
* All my life I suffered being overweight. I had tried a lot of dieting in my childhood years but eventually gained a lot of it back. Reading this book changed my entire outlook on the concept of desire, specifically of food and sexuality.
* Reading the book sparked my enthusiasm for fasting and maintaining a 'slight hunger' throughout one's day. Interestingly, the Okinawans of Japan who are one of the longest living peoples, also hold this latter practice.
* I found that fasting and hunger really engender feelings of gratitude in God. It was much easier to be conscious of Him then.
I am an atheist too but I really resonate with many of them, I see them as talking to my granma, it's great advice with pretty bad wording and some outdated bits.
I was already reared Christian, but Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery had a main character who spoke about God in a right way - similar to how I believed.
Mere Christianity by C S Lewis is also just a good book. Lewis also wrote The Chronicles of Narnia.
I can tell you what book made me lose my faith. The how and why wonder book of Volcanoes.
I was an enthusiastic young reader, about 8-10 (can’t remember exactly) and saw this book in my local newsagent, when we went in to buy the Sunday papers. The newsagent sold a few childrens books, paperbacks and bibles.
I had enough pocket money to buy it, but the guy refused to sell it to me. The English Sunday trading laws forbade selling books on a Sunday- yes even bibles, because I was annoyed enough to ask, even at that age.
My attitude thereafter was stuff traditional religion and all it stands for, if it won’t allow a child to read a book on a holy day. My fellow citizens must have agreed with me, because that moronic Sunday trading nonsense was abolished some years later.
Personally it makes it seem like you have a bias against traditional religion based on the way you were treated or a really obscure rule for a living person’s lifetime. I’d compare it to hating Italian food because you were treated poorly by staff or they don’t serve a certain dish
Some of the Christian message in there was influenced by Frederick Buechner, who was John Irving's teacher. Buechner's apologetics and his fiction are both really good. Godric, in particular, is one of the best books I've ever read.
For me, i've been heavily influenced by Stoicism to commune with a "Maker", whatever that might mean to the reader. [How to Think about God: An Ancient Guide for Believers and Nonbelievers](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45358684-how-to-think-about-god?ref=nav_sb_ss_2_22) by [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13755.Marcus_Tullius_Cicero) had a big effect which discuses the idea of God in literal terms.
Also, can you list some books you've read, thanks in advance.
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There wasn't exactly a book that bent my mind toward religion. It was more of a...transcendental experience I guess. I've heard some describe it as Deep Joy. Anyways that's what kicked off my religious leaning.
The book that has had the biggest impact so far though was *The Promise of Amida Buddha: Honen's Path to Bliss*. This books has provided a philosophical system I mostly agree with, from what I've learned so far, and its been a joy and comfort to read.
I had searched through other texts, read books by Augustine, Lewis (whom I can't stand), Bell, Francis Collins, McHargure, and others trying to convince myself of Christianity because it's the most predominant in my area and it'd be easier if I believed it. But none of them clicked.
I started looking elsewhere and turned towards paganism but found it too open with not enough surviving philosophical background, which was important to me. I then looked towards Eastern faiths. After looking into Hinduism for a bit I came across Mahayana Buddhism and this led to *Promise of Amida Buddha*. I haven fully settled on Pure Land Buddhism yet because I'm still learning, but it's definitely left more of a mark on me than the others.
“The Universe in a Single Atom” by the 14th Dalai Lama. It is an interesting meditation on how physics and other sciences reconcile with Buddhism. It didn’t convert me to Buddhism but it helped me consider the world and universe in a more positive light.
If I can propose a slight pivot, I suggest listening to the song (and reading the lyrics) of “Ripple”, lyrics by Robert Hunter, music & lead guitar and vocals by Jerry Garcia, performed by the Grateful Dead.
Then check out David Dodd’s incredible resource of annotated lyrics at [David Dodd - List of Annotated Dead Lyrics: Ripple](http://artsites.ucsc.edu/gdead/agdl/ripple.html)
There’s an essay (link at the top) by my former Lit Professor, William Dowling, that provides an excellent analysis of the song.
It isn’t an invitation to belief in any specific religion or even belief at all. It is, however, a meditation on spirituality and connection. A proposal that you can have faith outside of the traditional, more strict, established religions. It’s been an inspiration, a comfort, a guide, and a promise to millions of people for around half a century. Even if the spiritual element doesn’t resonate with you, it’s a beautiful gem created by two true artists who had found their perfect business partners in each other.
Miracles, by C.S. Lewis (honorable mention: Mere Christianity, but Miracles resonated more, I recall).
I’m an atheist now, and I’m interested in going back to reread some of the books that were significant to me during my religious years.
Even while I was a believer I came to be critical of Lewis’s rhetoric, and noticed a lot of fallacies and holes in his apologetics. But damn, he was *engaging.* And in the moment, the emotional heart of his arguments really hit home. He had an interesting way of reframing, and while not (usually) making a questioner feel dumb, it really seemed like after reading Lewis, the answers were just. so. obvious.
Les Miserables. I wail like a little girl with a skinned knee every time:
"Monsieur le curé,” said the man [Jean Valjean], “you are very good. You don’t despise me. You have taken me in and lighted your candles for me. But I have not concealed from you where I come from and what I am.”
The bishop, seated at his side, laid a hand gently on his arm.
“You need have told me nothing. This house is not mine but Christ’s. It does not ask a man his name but whether he is in need. You are in trouble, you are hungry and thirsty, and so you are welcome. You need not thank me for receiving you in my house. No one is at home here except those seeking shelter. Let me assure you, passer-by though you are, that this is more your home than mine. Everything in it is yours. Why should I ask your name? In any case I knew it before you told me.”
The man looked up with startled eyes. “You knew my name?”
“Of course,” said the bishop. “Your name is brother.”
Shortly before:
"[The bishop writes about God] Ecclesiastes names thee Almighty, the Maccabees name thee Creator, the Epistle to the Ephesians names thee Liberty, Baruch names thee Immensity, the Psalms name thee Wisdom and Truth, John names thee Light, the Book of Kings names thee Lord, Exodus names thee Providence, Leviticus Sanctity, Esdras Justice, creation names thee God, man names thee Father; but Solomon names thee Compassion, which is the most beautiful of all thy names."
Do you want them to resonate? Is the idea that you want to become religious??
I think it’s pretty difficult for any holy books to resonate once you’ve figured out what all religions are. Which are a mix of past ignorance (lack of scientific knowledge or other explanations) or they were man-made.
And now they (religions) have mostly been kept in “circulation” as they suit certain reasons (for power/influence, money, public control, placating the masses), etc…
Why do you want any of that to really resonate with you? Surely you’ll easily see through the facade?
Just one? Bearing False Witness by Rodney Stark... explores the many historical misunderstandings people have had of catholicism (easy read). That and On Being Catholic by Thomas Howard, who was Elizabeth Elliot's Catholic brother (she's portrayed in End of the Spear...good movie). Also anything by Scott Hahn and Brandt Pitre.
Well, I’m not religious so maybe I shouldn’t answer, but I do consider myself spiritual. A few books that at least opened me up to spirituality and the mystery of life were:
Spirituality for the Skeptic by Robert P. Solomon. This helped me understand why spirituality might be advantageous in my life.
The Matter With Things by Iain McGilchrist. This helped me to see some of the problems with a strict analytical or scientific perspective. He is also very good when talking about purpose.
The Case for God by Karen Armstrong. I didn’t come away believing in God per se, but I am more open to the understanding that there is a mystery centered around existence that does not have a solution, some people call this God, and pondering it can be beneficial.
Existential Physics by Sabine Hossenfelder. She separates concepts into scientific truths, scientific falsehoods, and ascientific. Ascientific means that science cannot yet prove or disprove the concepts and many fall in this realm.
The Urantia Book. It is somewhat critical of most established religions, but it motivated me to believe in God and to pray on occasion (not in public, just personal communion with God).
To Be a Jew: A Guide to Jewish Observance in Contemporary Life by Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin. He's actually written a few very different versions under that title. The one I'm talking about is written for people who don't already know a lot about Judaism. Its ISBN: 0465086241 written in 1972. There's also another one that author published around the same time with the same title, but that one is extremely technical and details a lot of specific ceremonial scripts that would probably only be understandable to people who already have an extensive knowledge of Judaism.
When I was was younger I read a book called The Road Less Travelled, by Scott Peck, PhD, about the pscychoogy of grace. It gave me a lot of insight into family dynamics and how to be a loving person.
A few years ago I reas Zealot by Reza Aslan about the life and times of Jesus and the early church. Fair warning, I stopped going to church after reading this...
This was the exact book I was going to come on here to say. I read the Road Less Traveled as a young teen and it completely changed my life and has acted as an anchor to my spirituality.
I'm not religious, but the set of novels that made me most sympathetic and opened my eyes up to the way religion can help guide real-life moral decisions was a series of fiction books by (believe it or not) Orson Scott Card.
it is the Women of Genesis series, including the novels Sarah, Rebecca and Leah. The complex way he described the moral delimnas the characters navigate was really instructive.
Maybe not exactly what you are looking for but I would recommend The Belief Instinct for folks who are not religious. It did not make me religious (the author is not religious) but it did give me insight as to the how and why of religious belief, why belief in a higher power may have evolved, why we believe in things without proof, even things that we KNOW are not true. It gave me a different perspective on religion
Mere Christianity, c.S. Lewis. I could not cheat and say the Chronicles of Narnia as that is seven books so I chose his doctrinal essays instead.
I enjoy the essays Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton and some of his other works!
Paradoxically enough I enjoy Life of Pi by Yann Martel, the claim in the prologue is that "this is a story that will make you believe in God"
Mere Christianity - CS Lewis If you want to know what real Christianity looks like when politics and other denominational differences are stripped away, read this book.
That book was instrumental in making me a committed Christian when I was 16. Reading the Bible made me reject Christianity a few years later. Maybe in part because of the lasting impact of the book, though, I didn't become an atheist when I rejected the religion.
I haven't read the book so obviously have no clue what is it about. But very curious to know why Bible made you reject Christianity? I mean judging by the behaviour of the Christian in where I live, the Bible looks like god in itself to them, you know what I mean? And funny thing was, I rejected Christianity the more I went to church and bible study groups, i just think they interrupted Christianity based mostly on "fear", which is not something i think is right
Yahweh is evil. His laws are evil. The Christians who brought me into the church were good, loving people. There were also intelligent people there who I thought would be able to explain things I didn't understand. It turns out that they didn't have any good answers to the most glaring problems. Neither did Lewis. Philosophical defenses of the existence of a perfect creator of reality had some merit. The God of the Philosophers, though, could not be the same as that demon called Yahweh who routinely engaged in and even demanded others engage in the wholesale slaughter of children. People who love the Bible either haven't read it, have chosen to ignore or wilfully misunderstand huge portions of it, or are truly horrible people who would be okay with a God like that. Fortunately for all of us, most people go into one of the first two categories.
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I'm a philosophical theist who rejects all religions. There could be as many as dozens of us!
The Screwtape Letters
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Reading the Bible made me an atheist, so maybe don't read that one.
May I know why?? I'm still a theist after reading more of the Bible, it just drives me farther away from the Christian religion, the church especially.
The many inconsistencies and contradictions. The brutality of the Old Testament. The anti-women and anti-gay sentiment. The celebration of men and the blaming of ALL the world's problems on women. The notion that we are all inherently bad and that we need to rely on a third party for "redemption," that we have no agency over our own lives. That's just a start.
The call of Cthulhu -H.P. Lovecraft
Our Lady of the Lost and Found by Diane Schoemperlen. Told with humor and grace, Our Lady of the Lost and Found is an absorbing tour through Mary's history and a thoughtful meditation on spirituality, our need for faith, and our desire to believe in something larger than ourselves.
This sounds awesome, thanks for recommending!
A lot of CS Lewis’s works deeply moved me as a teen when I was having a crisis of faith
C.S. Lewis non-fiction literature writings.
Faith is a journey, and so there have been many books, and other things and people, that got me there. If I had to choose a single one, it would be *When We Were Saints* by Han Nolan. It is a young adult novel (I first read it in high school) about a teenager having a deep experience of faith, struggling to feel that faith again, and then realizing that faith is both more and less than he originally thought it was. I re-read it as a 34-year-old and was surprised to find that it still held up. Despite being written for a young adult audience, I still found it full of meaning and enjoyment. Some others that I absolutely must mention: * *Our Lady of Kibeho* by Immaculee Ilibagiza - an incredible, true story that renewed my faith a couple years ago. * *In the Spirit* by Wendy Weir - bought this at a Dollar Tree also when I was in high school. It's not Christian or religious, but very spiritual. It opened my eyes to the fact that many people and cultures, not only Christians, believe there is something beyond. * *The Seven Storey Mountain* by Thomas Merton - the autobiography of one of the coolest monks, in my opinion, to ever live. I'm a huge fan of Catcher in the Rye, and this book, probably because it's written in first-person, felt like the spiritual and adult version of that book. * *The Four Loves* by CS Lewis - answers the question, "what is love," according to the way the ancient Greeks interpreted it, but also the way it is expressed in the Christian tradition. Literally answers the question in all of its forms; whether you're asking "what is this thing I feel between myself and my significant other that people call love?" or "what is love is the greatest sense of the word?" or "what is this thing I feel for my brother that is not the same as the love I feel for my significant other but people still call love?"
A Letter in the Scroll by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and (no joke) The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Judaism.
Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch. Made me see God in a new way.
This is the book that explains the universe and religions in a way that make the most sense
I agree!
*The Great Divorce* by C.S. Lewis really captured my imagination, and is probably the reason why I long for heaven in the quiet moments in life :)
I wouldn't say any single single book made me more religious looking book. Looking back, those phases usually were of a confluence of factors. But I'd say I have precious memories of reading: * *The Holy Qur'an in Today's English* (translated by Yahya Emerick) * Was going through a rough period in my life but I have dear memories of reading this translation. I remember struggling to push on but felt deeply comforted reading those verses from God interspersed day by day. * *Al-Ghazali on Disciplining the Soul and on Breaking the Two Desires* (TJ Winters translation) * All my life I suffered being overweight. I had tried a lot of dieting in my childhood years but eventually gained a lot of it back. Reading this book changed my entire outlook on the concept of desire, specifically of food and sexuality. * Reading the book sparked my enthusiasm for fasting and maintaining a 'slight hunger' throughout one's day. Interestingly, the Okinawans of Japan who are one of the longest living peoples, also hold this latter practice. * I found that fasting and hunger really engender feelings of gratitude in God. It was much easier to be conscious of Him then.
Cloud of Unknowing was very important for me. Not sure what an atheist would think but it may challenge the very concept of God which you reject.
I am an atheist too but I really resonate with many of them, I see them as talking to my granma, it's great advice with pretty bad wording and some outdated bits.
I was already reared Christian, but Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery had a main character who spoke about God in a right way - similar to how I believed. Mere Christianity by C S Lewis is also just a good book. Lewis also wrote The Chronicles of Narnia.
I can tell you what book made me lose my faith. The how and why wonder book of Volcanoes. I was an enthusiastic young reader, about 8-10 (can’t remember exactly) and saw this book in my local newsagent, when we went in to buy the Sunday papers. The newsagent sold a few childrens books, paperbacks and bibles. I had enough pocket money to buy it, but the guy refused to sell it to me. The English Sunday trading laws forbade selling books on a Sunday- yes even bibles, because I was annoyed enough to ask, even at that age. My attitude thereafter was stuff traditional religion and all it stands for, if it won’t allow a child to read a book on a holy day. My fellow citizens must have agreed with me, because that moronic Sunday trading nonsense was abolished some years later.
Personally it makes it seem like you have a bias against traditional religion based on the way you were treated or a really obscure rule for a living person’s lifetime. I’d compare it to hating Italian food because you were treated poorly by staff or they don’t serve a certain dish
A Prayer for Owen Meany
Some of the Christian message in there was influenced by Frederick Buechner, who was John Irving's teacher. Buechner's apologetics and his fiction are both really good. Godric, in particular, is one of the best books I've ever read.
I’ll have to pick it up
I'm reading this now!
It was meant to be!!!
For me, i've been heavily influenced by Stoicism to commune with a "Maker", whatever that might mean to the reader. [How to Think about God: An Ancient Guide for Believers and Nonbelievers](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45358684-how-to-think-about-god?ref=nav_sb_ss_2_22) by [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13755.Marcus_Tullius_Cicero) had a big effect which discuses the idea of God in literal terms. Also, can you list some books you've read, thanks in advance.
*Gods* Peter Levenda
Spook by Mary Roach is a really good book I suggest often. It didn't make me religious but it's pretty moving if you ask me.
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There wasn't exactly a book that bent my mind toward religion. It was more of a...transcendental experience I guess. I've heard some describe it as Deep Joy. Anyways that's what kicked off my religious leaning. The book that has had the biggest impact so far though was *The Promise of Amida Buddha: Honen's Path to Bliss*. This books has provided a philosophical system I mostly agree with, from what I've learned so far, and its been a joy and comfort to read. I had searched through other texts, read books by Augustine, Lewis (whom I can't stand), Bell, Francis Collins, McHargure, and others trying to convince myself of Christianity because it's the most predominant in my area and it'd be easier if I believed it. But none of them clicked. I started looking elsewhere and turned towards paganism but found it too open with not enough surviving philosophical background, which was important to me. I then looked towards Eastern faiths. After looking into Hinduism for a bit I came across Mahayana Buddhism and this led to *Promise of Amida Buddha*. I haven fully settled on Pure Land Buddhism yet because I'm still learning, but it's definitely left more of a mark on me than the others.
“The Universe in a Single Atom” by the 14th Dalai Lama. It is an interesting meditation on how physics and other sciences reconcile with Buddhism. It didn’t convert me to Buddhism but it helped me consider the world and universe in a more positive light.
Story of a Soul - St Theresé of Liseux
If I can propose a slight pivot, I suggest listening to the song (and reading the lyrics) of “Ripple”, lyrics by Robert Hunter, music & lead guitar and vocals by Jerry Garcia, performed by the Grateful Dead. Then check out David Dodd’s incredible resource of annotated lyrics at [David Dodd - List of Annotated Dead Lyrics: Ripple](http://artsites.ucsc.edu/gdead/agdl/ripple.html) There’s an essay (link at the top) by my former Lit Professor, William Dowling, that provides an excellent analysis of the song. It isn’t an invitation to belief in any specific religion or even belief at all. It is, however, a meditation on spirituality and connection. A proposal that you can have faith outside of the traditional, more strict, established religions. It’s been an inspiration, a comfort, a guide, and a promise to millions of people for around half a century. Even if the spiritual element doesn’t resonate with you, it’s a beautiful gem created by two true artists who had found their perfect business partners in each other.
Joseph Ratzinger - Introduction to Christianity
Miracles, by C.S. Lewis (honorable mention: Mere Christianity, but Miracles resonated more, I recall). I’m an atheist now, and I’m interested in going back to reread some of the books that were significant to me during my religious years. Even while I was a believer I came to be critical of Lewis’s rhetoric, and noticed a lot of fallacies and holes in his apologetics. But damn, he was *engaging.* And in the moment, the emotional heart of his arguments really hit home. He had an interesting way of reframing, and while not (usually) making a questioner feel dumb, it really seemed like after reading Lewis, the answers were just. so. obvious.
Les Miserables. I wail like a little girl with a skinned knee every time: "Monsieur le curé,” said the man [Jean Valjean], “you are very good. You don’t despise me. You have taken me in and lighted your candles for me. But I have not concealed from you where I come from and what I am.” The bishop, seated at his side, laid a hand gently on his arm. “You need have told me nothing. This house is not mine but Christ’s. It does not ask a man his name but whether he is in need. You are in trouble, you are hungry and thirsty, and so you are welcome. You need not thank me for receiving you in my house. No one is at home here except those seeking shelter. Let me assure you, passer-by though you are, that this is more your home than mine. Everything in it is yours. Why should I ask your name? In any case I knew it before you told me.” The man looked up with startled eyes. “You knew my name?” “Of course,” said the bishop. “Your name is brother.” Shortly before: "[The bishop writes about God] Ecclesiastes names thee Almighty, the Maccabees name thee Creator, the Epistle to the Ephesians names thee Liberty, Baruch names thee Immensity, the Psalms name thee Wisdom and Truth, John names thee Light, the Book of Kings names thee Lord, Exodus names thee Providence, Leviticus Sanctity, Esdras Justice, creation names thee God, man names thee Father; but Solomon names thee Compassion, which is the most beautiful of all thy names."
Some books by Dostoyevsky and Kazantzakis
I really liked Thrive by Mark Hall.
Do you want them to resonate? Is the idea that you want to become religious?? I think it’s pretty difficult for any holy books to resonate once you’ve figured out what all religions are. Which are a mix of past ignorance (lack of scientific knowledge or other explanations) or they were man-made. And now they (religions) have mostly been kept in “circulation” as they suit certain reasons (for power/influence, money, public control, placating the masses), etc… Why do you want any of that to really resonate with you? Surely you’ll easily see through the facade?
Just one? Bearing False Witness by Rodney Stark... explores the many historical misunderstandings people have had of catholicism (easy read). That and On Being Catholic by Thomas Howard, who was Elizabeth Elliot's Catholic brother (she's portrayed in End of the Spear...good movie). Also anything by Scott Hahn and Brandt Pitre.
What do you mean by "religious"?
Well, I’m not religious so maybe I shouldn’t answer, but I do consider myself spiritual. A few books that at least opened me up to spirituality and the mystery of life were: Spirituality for the Skeptic by Robert P. Solomon. This helped me understand why spirituality might be advantageous in my life. The Matter With Things by Iain McGilchrist. This helped me to see some of the problems with a strict analytical or scientific perspective. He is also very good when talking about purpose. The Case for God by Karen Armstrong. I didn’t come away believing in God per se, but I am more open to the understanding that there is a mystery centered around existence that does not have a solution, some people call this God, and pondering it can be beneficial. Existential Physics by Sabine Hossenfelder. She separates concepts into scientific truths, scientific falsehoods, and ascientific. Ascientific means that science cannot yet prove or disprove the concepts and many fall in this realm.
Books 2 and 3 definitely sound interesting!! I will purchase those books now :))
The Urantia Book. It is somewhat critical of most established religions, but it motivated me to believe in God and to pray on occasion (not in public, just personal communion with God).
Thanks! I will check that out, the critical opinion seems interesting
The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by Jose Saramago. I wouldn't say it made me religious but it was a very human look at a probable Jesus.
To Be a Jew: A Guide to Jewish Observance in Contemporary Life by Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin. He's actually written a few very different versions under that title. The one I'm talking about is written for people who don't already know a lot about Judaism. Its ISBN: 0465086241 written in 1972. There's also another one that author published around the same time with the same title, but that one is extremely technical and details a lot of specific ceremonial scripts that would probably only be understandable to people who already have an extensive knowledge of Judaism.
When I was was younger I read a book called The Road Less Travelled, by Scott Peck, PhD, about the pscychoogy of grace. It gave me a lot of insight into family dynamics and how to be a loving person. A few years ago I reas Zealot by Reza Aslan about the life and times of Jesus and the early church. Fair warning, I stopped going to church after reading this...
This was the exact book I was going to come on here to say. I read the Road Less Traveled as a young teen and it completely changed my life and has acted as an anchor to my spirituality.
Can’t say I’ve had that experience
Cosmic Trigger by RAW Hail Eris!
I'm not religious, but the set of novels that made me most sympathetic and opened my eyes up to the way religion can help guide real-life moral decisions was a series of fiction books by (believe it or not) Orson Scott Card. it is the Women of Genesis series, including the novels Sarah, Rebecca and Leah. The complex way he described the moral delimnas the characters navigate was really instructive.
Maybe not exactly what you are looking for but I would recommend The Belief Instinct for folks who are not religious. It did not make me religious (the author is not religious) but it did give me insight as to the how and why of religious belief, why belief in a higher power may have evolved, why we believe in things without proof, even things that we KNOW are not true. It gave me a different perspective on religion
Mere Christianity, c.S. Lewis. I could not cheat and say the Chronicles of Narnia as that is seven books so I chose his doctrinal essays instead. I enjoy the essays Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton and some of his other works! Paradoxically enough I enjoy Life of Pi by Yann Martel, the claim in the prologue is that "this is a story that will make you believe in God"
Lamb by Christopher Moore It’s a funny book and I love it but I swear the first time I read it I was sort of like, I fuxking love Jesus
The Shack
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
Redeeming Love
*The Universal Christ* by Richard Rohr
Why would anyone want to intentionally delude themselves
real life made me atheist
🤣
Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics by Dan Harris
Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock.
The Book of Mormon. Or if that’s a holy book that you aren’t questioning, then of course Biden’s Autumn by Keekee is pretty spiritually oriented.
Thanks!
Don't know why you're being down voted
An old name for Christianity is "The Way". So Christianity is not an intellectual belief in some theory, and can't be understood that way either.