jaej

I am very interested in reading about religion and things of that nature. I just wondered if anyone had any books they would recommend.

Thanks!

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debdodd

The Da Vinci Code .... just kidding!

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"Ubi dubium ibi libertas."

"We are all lone souls. It pays to know humility, lest the delusion of control, of mastery, overwhelms. And indeed, we seem a species prone to that delusion, again and ever again ....."

debdodd

have you read Thomas Payne's Age of Reason? Journeyman would be a great resource for religous reading ... he seems to have an awesome amount of knowledge in that area. He suggests some books in his replys to threads. Deb

__________________
"Ubi dubium ibi libertas."

"We are all lone souls. It pays to know humility, lest the delusion of control, of mastery, overwhelms. And indeed, we seem a species prone to that delusion, again and ever again ....."

Vinterland

I am interested as well. I looked up reviews written for the books you listed, Debdodd, and they are all very good reviews. One book I have meaning to get is "Religious Experience" by Wayne Proudfoot.

Reviews:
Amazon.com: Religious Experience: Books: Wayne Proudfoot

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And on we walked. Suddenly we heard a voice crying, "This is the sea. This is the deep sea. This is the vast and mighty sea." And when we reached the voice it was a man whose back was turned to the sea, and at his ear he held a shell, listening to its murmur.
And my soul said, "Let us pass on. He is the realist, who turns his back on the whole he cannot grasp, and busies himself with a fragment."
—Gibran Khalil Gibran, “The Greater Sea.”

debdodd

Vinterland;

Og, usually recommends Joseph Campbell ... too tired right now to think but I'll give you a shout out tomorrow about some that a like, Thomas Payne's book can be read or downloaded from the Net. Deb

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"Ubi dubium ibi libertas."

"We are all lone souls. It pays to know humility, lest the delusion of control, of mastery, overwhelms. And indeed, we seem a species prone to that delusion, again and ever again ....."

Og

Yah,

Go get "The Power of Myth" on DVD from borders or best buy or something. It's an amazing intro to Campbell's work.

Also, "The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God" by Carl Sagan/Ann Druyen is what I'm reading now.

I'd stay away from stuff by daniel dennett or richard dawkins or other loud athiests. They tend to just be like pundits on political shows... Nothing without a religion to yell at.

Sagan truly captures wonder and is educated about the many religious traditions of the world. Campbell makes this realization of the commonalities across religions accessible for everyone.

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Vi veri veniversum vivus vici. (By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe)
The self is not a fixed entity but a dynamic process of relationships
You & I, no distinction. - Tat Tvam Asi
Become Who You Are

Grant

Try C.S. Lewis.

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Hey.

Astreja

The Poetic Edda - I prefer the Carolyne Larrington translation, but there are online versions available at the Internet Sacred Text Archive (*Lots* of reading material there.)

Be sure to read the Buddhist Dhammapada and the Daoist classic Daodejing (or "Tao te Ching").

Most recently I've been working on Why Christianity Must Change or Die by John Shelby Spong and The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins. Dawkins' writing is definitely science-oriented rather than religious, but it does provide some thought-provoking alternate explanations of Life, the Universe and Everything.

Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World is a must-read, IMO.

And if anyone knows of a full online English translation of the Cautio Criminalis by Friedrich Spee von Langenfeld, please let me know... At this point I'll even settle for a copy in Latin.

Og

I will second Sagan's "The Demon Haunted World"

That's an amazing book

Carl Sagan: The Dragon In My Garage

An exerpt

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Vi veri veniversum vivus vici. (By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe)
The self is not a fixed entity but a dynamic process of relationships
You & I, no distinction. - Tat Tvam Asi
Become Who You Are

R3NNiS

CS lewis I recommend for several reasons. He writes incredibly well. His thoughts are extremely well conceived but his logic is not difficult to understand at all. Also his background is one of extreme skepticism so his writing often covers bases other christian thinkers may overlook. Lastly, and to specify the book i would recommend, in his book "Mere Christianiy" he begins by building logical but down to earth arguements from morality to theism and finally to christianity at is basic level-stripped down to avoid all fo the religious baggage that often acompanies it.

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True Love teaches love, and practices grace, but if necessary is unafraid to instill fear in the immature.-me