In Agnostic at the Altar, former Catholic priest and psychologist John Van Hagen engages the voices of the ancient Jewish prophets in an effort to find something of a universal voice that speaks to all people. He builds upon the work of Scripture scholars, religious writers, and his own experiences to pave a path by which readers can engage in religion, while at the same time defending against harmful religious claims and practices. The prophets, who first appeared in Palestine in the Axial Age, translated their experience of the transcendent into magnificent stories that began with a time of intimacy with their God, a later time of betrayal and turmoil, and a future reconciliation at the end of time. Later, Christians adopted these themes as their own. Their stories emphasize justice and right worship as a way toward a meaningful and peaceful future. Their insights into a spiritual dimension of reality brought purpose to millions of lives. In this uncertain time of increasing global tension and strife, they could do the same for us. Agnostic at the Altar makes a compelling case that the ancient prescriptions for a just way of living together are not only historically significant, but in perfect keeping with an evolutionary-based desire that all people live in harmony.

"Altar Boy to Atheist: Giving Up God" is as much a random collection of thoughts about the world as it is the story of someone discovering themselves anew throughout different periods of their life. Ryan Bedell grew up Catholic, and now he's not. The book tries to explain why and how Ryan went from youth group leader to an agnostic atheist, and his stories of different religious experiences around the world will resonate with readers from any background.

How we feel is as vital to our survival as how we think. This claim, based on the premise that emotions are largely adaptive, serves as the organizing theme of Why We Need Religion. This book is a novel pathway in a well-trodden field of religious studies and philosophy of religion. Stephen Asma argues that, like art, religion has direct access to our emotional lives in ways that science does not. Yes, science can give us emotional feelings of wonder and the sublime--we can feel the sacred depths of nature--but there are many forms of human suffering and vulnerability that are beyond the reach of help from science. Different emotional stresses require different kinds of rescue. Unlike secular authors who praise religion's ethical and civilizing function, Asma argues that its core value lies in its emotionally therapeutic power. No theorist of religion has failed to notice the importance of emotions in spiritual and ritual life, but truly systematic research has only recently delivered concrete data on the neurology, psychology, and anthropology of the emotional systems. This very recent "affective turn" has begun to map out a powerful territory of embodied cognition. Why We Need Religion incorporates new data from these affective sciences into the philosophy of religion. It goes on to describe the way in which religion manages those systems--rage, play, lust, care, grief, and so on. Finally, it argues that religion is still the best cultural apparatus for doing this adaptive work. In short, the book is a Darwinian defense of religious emotions and the cultural systems that manage them.

The union of classical agnosticism and traditional Christianity has produced a more contemporary "middle of road Christianity." This book presents numerous facts about history and theology in an easy to understand manner. It also re-introduces us to the badly misunderstood theology of agnosticism and introduces us to Contemporary Agnosticism. Presented are Jesus' teachings after intense historical and scientific analysis. Contemporary agnostics consider Jesus a great visionary and wandering sage but no more the son of God than any of us. With that in mind, the reader is urged to appreciate various contemporary religious principles, not because they'll go to a mythical hell if they don't, but because of its positive effect on the individual and society. Christian history and theology are candidly scrutinized providing the reader with a tremendous amount of reference material. TABLE OF CONTENTS PROLOGUE CHRISTIAN HISTORY & DOCTRINE OF THE UNIVERSE The New Testament & Its History Classical Christian Doctrines about God and the Universe Popular Religious Virgin Births Prior to & During Jesus' Lifetime CLASSICAL AGNOSTICISM (History & Definition of) CONTEMPORARY AGNOSTIC PRINCIPLES ANTHROPOMORPHISM & THE FEAR OF GOD LITTLE KNOWN BIBLICAL DEMANDS That It's Important to Respect the Slave Owner Women are to be Submissive Foods You're Not Allowed to Eat Forbidding Marriage to Another Race or Religion How Bad Lending or Borrowing Money With Interest Is Having Sex During A Woman's Menstrual Period PARABLES FROM THE HISTORICAL JESUS PRAYER & THE AGNOSTIC BELIEVER Brief History of the "Black Death" (Worst Ever Plague) LIFE AFTER DEATH Popular Religious Resurrections Prior to & During Jesus' Lifetime Afterlife From the Standpoint of Science JESUS & THE APOCALYPSE Brief Summaries of Famous Apocalyptic Groups The Slaughter of the Cathars of Lanbuedoc USURY OTHER NOTABLE PEOPLE RELATED TO AGNOSTICISM APPENDIX 1: The Inquisitions APPENDIX 2: Persecution of Witches APPENDIX 3: Major World Religions GLOSSARY