"From the author of City Poet, the biography of Frank O'Hara, now comes an account of thriving forms of spirituality in what is being called a "post-denominational" age." "As the nineties were drawing to a close, Brad Gooch set out on a journey to explore traditional and nontraditional forms of spirituality that took him across America and to India. Gooch's quest - partly personal and partly investigative - took him to Chicago to read the mysterious Urantia Book; to Goa and La Jolla to experience the talks and treatments of Deepak Chopra; to Ganeshpuri and South Fallsburg, New York, to listen to the charismatic leader Gurumayi Chidvilasananda; to Bardstown, Kentucky, to observe the quiet solitude of the Trappists and to Dubuque, Iowa, to see the Trappistines; to Dallas to worship with the members of the gay congregation of the Cathedral of Hope; and to New York to talk with Muslims and Sufis. As Gooch proceeded on this unique spiritual odyssey - from fringe to mainstream - he witnessed diverse movements and religions and their strong appeal to a broad spectrum of followers." "Brad Gooch has written a revealing, richly detailed document of our time. In Godtalk, character, dialogue, and setting come together in an irresistible, fast-paced narrative that is both engaging and informative about the unexpected nature of spirituality in America today."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

A New York Times Notable Book A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2012 A bold approach to understanding the American evangelical experience from an anthropological and psychological perspective by one of the country's most prominent anthropologists. Through a series of intimate, illuminating interviews with various members of the Vineyard, an evangelical church with hundreds of congregations across the country, Tanya Luhrmann leaps into the heart of evangelical faith. Combined with scientific research that studies the effect that intensely practiced prayer can have on the mind, When God Talks Back examines how normal, sensible people—from college students to accountants to housewives, all functioning perfectly well within our society—can attest to having the signs and wonders of the supernatural become as quotidian and as ordinary as laundry. Astute, sensitive, and extraordinarily measured in its approach to the interface between science and religion, Luhrmann's book is sure to generate as much conversation as it will praise.

In this New York Times bestseller, join Newt and Callista Gingrich on a walking tour of Washington, D.C. and learn about the great people, events, and ideas that shaped the religious founding of America. Explore the architecture and beauty of America's capital with Newt and Callista Gingrich. You'll tour Washington, D.C. to view the nation's monuments and memorials, including the United States Capitol and the National Archives, where Thomas Jefferson's immortal words jump off the page. But this is not just a walking tour; this is a tour of American history -- of the patriotic founders who were shaped by the fervent belief that America is one nation under God. With this guide, you'll rediscover the soul of our country and find a profound path of discovery and renewal.

The provocative and authoritative history of the origins of Christian America in the New Deal era We're often told that the United States is, was, and always has been a Christian nation. But in One Nation Under God, historian Kevin M. Kruse reveals that the belief that America is fundamentally and formally Christian originated in the 1930s. To fight the "slavery" of FDR's New Deal, businessmen enlisted religious activists in a campaign for "freedom under God" that culminated in the election of their ally Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. The new president revolutionized the role of religion in American politics. He inaugurated new traditions like the National Prayer Breakfast, as Congress added the phrase "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance and made "In God We Trust" the country's first official motto. Church membership soon soared to an all-time high of 69 percent. Americans across the religious and political spectrum agreed that their country was "one nation under God." Provocative and authoritative, One Nation Under God reveals how an unholy alliance of money, religion, and politics created a false origin story that continues to define and divide American politics to this day.

In this groundbreaking study, Anthony B. Pinn challenges the long held assumption that African American theology is solely theist, arguing that this assumption has excluded a rapidly growing segment of the African American population - non-theists. Rejecting the assumption of theism as the African American orientation, Pinn poses a crucial question: What is a non-theistic theology?

In God Doesn't Whisper, Pastor Jim Osman examines the assumptions, practices, and Scriptural citations of those who promote Hearing the Voice of God theology. This book provides a thorough examination of the Scriptures often used to promote the practice of listening for the voice of God. What is the still small voice? Does God speak through signs? What about open doors, dreams, and "feeling led"? What is the biblical model for decision-making? Scripture is clear: God Doesn't Whisper.

Whether Christian or not, many people have unusual experiences, conditions, or encounters that have left them wondering, Is God trying to tell me something? The truth is, God does communicate with us all the time. We just need to learn how to hear his voice. Using stories and examples from people throughout history and today, Herringshaw and Schuchmann show readers how they can better tune in to God's voice—everywhere and every day.