I’d Like to Visit Your Group (online, of course!)
Hi, friends -
"If anybody still reads my books in fifty years, I think this is one they will still read."
That's what I told my wife the other day after spending a week recording the audiobook for Faith After Doubt.
As I've poured my heart into this book over the last two years, I have had the sense that it was getting to some deep core issues I had been digging toward for my whole career.
The book comes out January 5. Of course, you can order it now.
Normally, I would get out on a speaking tour to help launch a new book, but this time, that's impossible. So here's what I'd like to try - with your help, of course.
If you can recruit ten or more friends to order the book and begin reading it, I would like to show up for an an online Q & R session with you.
We can do it via Zoom, Google Hangout, Skype, whatever you prefer. We can do it on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday night, or possibly at a different time that we can make work, in January, February, or March.
If possible, I'd like to go deep in one or two chapters each week. So here's a rough schedule. Obviously, I'll be happy to respond to any question ... but it would be of special interest to me if we could dig deeper according to the following schedule:
Week of - Focus
January 5 - Permission to Doubt Preface/Introduction
January 10 - Doubt as Loss, Doubt as Loneliness (1 - 2)
January 17 - Doubt as Crisis, Doubt as Doorway (3-4)
January 24 - Doubt as Growth (5)
January 31 - Doubt as Descent and Dissent (6-7)
February 7 - Doubt as Love, a Human Problem (8-9)
February 14 - Doubt, Beliefs, Revolutionary Love (10)
February 21 - Communities of Harmony (11)
February 28 - Theologies of Harmony (12)
March 7 - Spiritualities of Harmony for the Rising Generation (13)
March 14 - Harmony as a Survival Strategy, A Civilization in Doubt (14-15)
March 21 - Before Simplicity, Spirituality Through the Stages (Appendices)
Are you interested? It's really easy!
- Fill out a quick form here.
- You'll hear back from us by December 11.
- Start recruiting!
You might be interested in the Publisher's Weekly starred review, here.
Here's that link again to schedule a virtual visit with your group, class, fellowship, etc.
I'm looking forward to seeing you soon!
Brian
Here's the Table of Contents:
Preface: Permission to Doubt
Introduction: Moments of Terror
Part 1. Your Descent Into Doubt
Chapter 1. Doubt as Loss
Chapter 2. Doubt as Loneliness
Chapter 3. Doubt as Crisis
Chapter 4. Doubt as Doorway
Chapter 5. Doubt as Growth
Part 2. All in Doubt
Chapter 6. Doubt as Descent
Chapter 7. Doubt as Dissent
Chapter 8. Doubt as Love
Chapter 9. A Human Problem
Chapter 10. Doubt, Beliefs, and Revolutionary Love
Part 3. Life After (and With) Doubt
Chapter 11. Communities of Harmony
Chapter 12. Theologies of Harmony
Chapter 13. Spiritualities of Harmony for the Rising Generation
Chapter 14. Harmony as a Survival Strategy
Chapter 15. A Civilization in Doubt
Appendices: Before Simplicity, Spirituality Through the Stages
I look forward to visiting your group!
0 Comments4 Minutes
Christmas Giving – Discount and More!
Hearts and Minds Books is a one-of-a-kind. I have such great respect for Byron Borger and the whole H & M team. They are offering my new book Faith After Doubt at a 20% discount, and they will include a signed bookplate with each order received by year's end.
I hope you'll consider ordering from Hearts and Minds - here's the link.
0 Comments1 Minute
Faith After Doubt: Podcast with Faith Without Fear Podcast
I think you'll enjoy this 27-minute conversation -
Part 2 coming soon!
0 Comments1 Minute
My New Book – What You Should Know!
I'm thrilled to announce that Faith After Doubt will release on January 5 -- in hardcover, e-book, and audio formats. You can preorder now.
If you'd like to give a signed copy of the book as a Christmas/holiday gift, you can go to this site after you've preordered the book, and we'll provide you with 1) a signed bookplate to insert in the book when it arrives and 2) a note you can print out to give on Christmas morning (or whenever you exchange gifts). Here's where you can sign up.
Faith After Doubt is for you if you have doubts about God, Christianity, the Bible, Jesus, church, or religion in general.
If you don't have doubts of any kind -- even secretly, Faith After Doubt isn't for you. But it may be a good gift for you to share with one of your kids, grandkids, friends, relatives, or coworkers who do struggle with doubt. Your pastor may even find it helpful, because it presents a four-stage approach to faith development that not only makes room for doubt -- it sees doubt as essential to a growing and healthy faith.
This may be my most helpful book for seminarians to read ... to help them prepare themselves to guide and support future parishioners who struggle with doubt.
Science, politics, history, archeology, bad experiences with religious leaders and communities ... there are so many good reasons for doubts to arise in the minds and hearts of honest, sensitive people today. I wrote Faith After Doubt to help you honestly face your doubts and know -- you don't have to hide or pretend.
PS - Here's the starred review from Publisher's Weekly.
0 Comments2 Minutes
A New Online Resource
If you've read my short e-book Why Don't They Get It? (Overcoming Bias in Others - and Yourself), I think you'll find this companion resource to be helpful as well: The Second Pandemic: Authoritarianism and Your Future.
Here's a brief excerpt that explains the title:
The first pandemic, COVID-19, is caused by a virus that spreads primarily through breath from person to person. It usually infects the lungs, but can quickly spread throughout the entire body, causing multiple organs to fail and leading to death.
This second pandemic also spreads primarily through breath, breath in the form of words. Spoken words together with the residue of words on paper and screen carry this pandemic from ear and eye to brain. From the brain, this infection controls the entire body, and through each host body, it reaches out to control more and more.
Large group gatherings — rallies, for example — are prime methods for both pandemics to spread.
The first pandemic of COVID-19 may cause fever, discomfort, and weakness, sometimes leading to long-term debilitation and death.
The second pandemic can also be fatal, but before it kills, it fills its host with a feeling of power, supremacy, invincibility, euphoria, and belonging. Simply put, when people catch this pandemic, it feels like the most wonderful, meaningful, and fulfilling experience that has ever happened to them.
The name of the second pandemic is authoritarianism.
You can download the e-book here.
0 Comments2 Minutes