Ebook172 pages2 hours
Agnostic at the Altar: Searching for Transcendence in the Story of the Prophets
By John Van Hagen and Thomas Sheehan
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
()
About this ebook
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.
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.
Author
John Van Hagen
John Van Hagen is a psychologist and former Catholic priest who has written about the difficulties of practicing one’s faith when science challenges the biblical narrative and offers its own story of evolution. His previous book was Rescuing Religion: How Faith Can Survive Its Encounter with Science (2012).
Related to Agnostic at the Altar
Related ebooks
Faithful and True: A Study Guide to the Book of Revelation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsImagining God: Myth and Metaphor Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSocial Criticism and Social Vision in Ancient Israel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeeing the Good in Unfamiliar Spiritualities Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Silence and Praise: Rhetorical Cosmology and Political Theology in the Book of Revelation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIf God Still Breathes, Why Can't I?: Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Gospel of John: Does It Have Historical Validity? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Word According to Eve: Women and the Bible in Ancient Times and Our Own Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Demons and Spirits in Biblical Theology: Reading the Biblical Text in Its Cultural and Literary Context Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A God of Our Invention: How Religion Shaped the Western World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCross-Textual Reading of Ecclesiastes with the Analects: In Search of Political Wisdom in a Disordered World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHouseholds and Holiness: The Religious Culture of Israelite Women Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Book of Amos Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Post-Colonial Theology: Finding God and Each Other Amidst the Hate Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsProbing the Frontiers of Biblical Studies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Bedrock of Christianity: The Unalterable Facts of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What Manner of Man Is This? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIsaiah 56-66: The New Israel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Anatomies of God, the Bible, and Religion: Decoding the Old and New Testaments Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEmpowering the People: Jesus, Healing, and Exorcism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHistory through Trauma: History and Counter-History in the Hebrew Bible Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReality, Grief, Hope: Three Urgent Prophetic Tasks Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beyond Belief: Faith, Science, and the Value of Unknowing Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSinai & Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Habakkuk and Zephaniah: Wrath and Mercy Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Isaiah 1-39: The Lord a Savior Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Joshua and the Flow of Biblical History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Spirit of Renewal: Finding Faith after the Holocaust Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsProbing Our Judeo-Christian Inheritance (For Freethinkers) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMisunderstood Stories: Theological Commentary on Genesis 1–11 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Christianity For You
The Holy Bible (World English Bible, Easy Navigation) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Your Brain's Not Broken: Strategies for Navigating Your Emotions and Life with ADHD Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table: It's Time to Win the Battle of Your Mind... Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Law of Connection: Lesson 10 from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex: Creating a Marriage That's Both Holy and Hot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Lead When You're Not in Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Grief Observed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Workbook: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Agnostic at the Altar
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Agnostic at the Altar - John Van Hagen
Oa book_preview_excerpt.html [nIv,
HVؤ4ԫ%M?QxUbfFvF&U?[{Mo4u?Y`Pq{#ouݣOO)*x~&GsCS?:[76WW}iYN=0#ʻ.6krz)LeѻnJq4z}sWlQ/4;uZn՛ګҘR>[|xtxrhQG2k]PG9خR2«x]b]eegJ0^5杅RGf38bY]Zo`P۹bMtŇ1ؾtCb
6at[Uj9K-[38
M~h|:_]ӾTgWfL=o_'I?c\/~֨5dm3
iq
yw3/"cfYl ~CQ[L/8>rQ+rwC6p(
4bgZ7J;l-.g_
QY𭖓.BPߘz
ʇ
p=4OylV8Br~a1ca'eggP>7/874O!j4q`krD]eU
@cZ[{kY-j(tz}ib@5'[yĠBo \jZFc+^n2|_Wå ]_|oLE}a֧#pavvѓ$j
=TwnY(Kdϧ_h1>Z|K W/}É^/R"i?H>o4.0 -4i1˝ny',%'AJ^
467(NN~RGԳʾeX[&QZ >Pga4&y50FB {siM= A(|2ǻ Lmpg% KmZg̎
?f6Ngfx|EnɊ@&0sb8[~;[w-ne>[% 3$tD'ef"7 ;WC)]j( L#2
>hoF c>EO,