Agnostic 2

“Vital” –The New York Times Book Review “Provocative…[Hazleton] paddles the river of doubt with energy and exuberance.” –The Seattle Times A widely admired writer on religion celebrates agnosticism as the most vibrant, engaging—and ultimately the most honest—stance toward the mysteries of existence. One in four Americans reject any affiliation with organized religion, and nearly half of those under thirty describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” But as the airwaves resound with the haranguing of preachers and pundits, who speaks for the millions who find no joy in whittling the wonder of existence to a simple yes/no choice? Lesley Hazleton does. In this provocative, brilliant book, she gives voice to the case for agnosticism, breaks it free of its stereotypes as watered-down atheism or amorphous “seeking,” and celebrates it as a reasoned, revealing, and sustaining stance toward life. Stepping over the lines imposed by rigid conviction, she draws on philosophy, theology, psychology, science, and more to explore, with curiosity and passion, the vital role of mystery in a deceptively information-rich world; to ask what we mean by the search for meaning; to invoke the humbling yet elating perspective of infinity; to challenge received ideas about death; and to reconsider what “the soul” might be. Inspired and inspiring, Agnostic recasts the question of belief not as a problem to be solved but as an invitation to an ongoing, open-ended adventure of the mind.

Rebellion Dogs Publishing is proud to announce a 21st century daily reflection book. Beyond Belief's 2014 second printing is now available with a Foreword by Ernie Kurtz and updated links and End Notes. What are "agnostic musings"? It is not news to anyone that the war of worldviews makes for sporting debate; does an intervening God grant sobriety, serenity, wisdom and courage or is conscious contact a delusion? Sorry, while we might be as amused as anyone with this question, Beyond Belief: Agnostic Musings for 12 Step Life doesn't enter this debate. Hate the game; don't hate the players. A good idea is a good idea. Why dismiss valid experience because of the beliefs that someone harbors? Beliefs aren't facts. Beyond our belief is where life is happening: chances have to be taken; processes have to be evaluated; life has to be lived. Atheists, humanists, skeptics and agnostics will feel included in these daily reflections. Believers won't feel mocked or belittled. Everyone in recovery is included. No one needs to adopt the beliefs of someone else nor deny our own beliefs to get clean and sober. Believing and belonging are not synonymous. We are well into Century 21. Anyone should feel free to doubt or believe with impunity. Everyone's experience is a valid currency. The 12 Step community has no experts. Rebellion Dogs Publishing neither canonizes nor vilifies 12 Step culture. This book draws on philosophy, psychology, entertainment, art, spiritual musings, skeptical inquiry and the uncanny wisdom of the rooms. Professional and 12&12 Member reviews: Melissa D., Clinical Psychologist, California says, "I have never seen a daily devotional book written for agnostics. I found the readings to be extremely thought provoking. I wonder sometimes since there is such talk about God at meetings, what kind of turn-off that must be for agnostics. I think this book will be very helpful to both the newcomer and the mature 12 Step member." Bob K, contributor to AAagnositca.org says, "I expected his book to be good. It's WAY, WAY better than good. The book is outstanding. Two decades of not being a 'daily reflections' kind of guy, are over. Now I have reflections worth reflecting over! Buy this book or you will suffer a horrible and painful death! Well, maybe not, but you'll be missing out on something very good." Michel D. says, "AA can, and must, adapt to changing circumstances and Bill Wilson was the first one to admit it. Unfortunately, members who have come after him are more zealous than our first members. We have seen this dogmatism in history before of course, especially in religion. This is a very slippery slope. I really like the fact that these reflections are for anyone who has an open mind. It does not cater to a specific group to the exclusion of others. " Denis K. says, "Many thanks for this great book; my Monday night group and I are having some great discussions related to the daily musings both at the group and often during the week over coffee. All of us were quickly losing interest in the local meetings; Beyond Belief: Agnostic Musings for 12 Step Life gave all of us a much needed spark that has renewed our interest in the fellowship." Dr. Amy, MSW, PhD, adds, "One criticism of the 12 Step movement of course is that its dogma can be limiting-Beyond Belief seems to have addressed this. The quotes are cogent, the organization superb and the contributors are diverse." The book includes an index of over 120 topics, extensive notes and a bibliography.

When I reached age 80, I decided that it was time to organize my thoughts about my life and my impending death. Jokingly, I had often described myself as a "Hopeful Agnostic." Now, I'm not certain that that is an accurate description. This book is my attempt to answer the age-old questions about life, death and the hereafter. I know full well that the answers may never be found, but the quest might lead to my peace of mind and more self-awareness. One can only hope.

A biography that restores America's foremost 19th-century champion of reason and secularism to the still contested 21st-century public square.

The authentic spiritual quest is marked not by certainties but by questions and doubt. Mark Vernon who was a priest, and left an atheist explores the wonder of science, the ups and downs of being 'spiritual but not religious', the insights of ancient philosophy, and God the biggest question.

Atheism is increasing, but as a phenomenon continues to be at the fringe of current research. Atheist groups and ideologies represent a wide range of attitudes, behaviour and ways of acting towards religion. The lack of a clear definition of what being atheist (or an unbeliever) means today invites us to study the issue in greater depth. This volume represents a first attempt at understanding and scrutinizing atheism, offering both a global perspective as well as specific case studies.

A resource ideal for students as well as general readers, this two-volume encyclopedia examines the diversity of the Asian American and Pacific Islander spiritual experience. • Covers both common motifs in Asian American religious culture, such as Chinese New Year festivals and mortuary rituals, as well as many newly established faith traditions • Contains entries on rarely addressed topics within Asian American religion, such as Hezhen Shamanism

A startling achievement....I cannot overemphasize how original and groundbreaking this work is, or recommend this book too highly. The argument throughout is clear, succinct, and rigorous. It represents the highest standards of analytical philosophy. All future work, if it is to be up to speed, will have to deal with what Menssen and Sullivan have done.

The Agnostic Age: Law, Religion, and the Constitution is a book for lawyers, law professors, law students, lawmakers, and any citizen who cares about church-state conflict and about the relationship between religion and liberal democracy. It provides a way to understand and balance the conflicts that inevitably arise when neighbors struggle with neighbors, and when liberal democracy tries to reach common ground with religious beliefs and practices. Paul Horwitz argues that the fundamental reason for the church-state conflict is our aversion to questions of religious truth. By trying to avoid the question of religious truth, law and religion has ultimately only reached a state of incoherence. He asserts that the answer to this dilemma is to take "the agnostic turn": to take an empathetic and imaginative approach to questions of religious truth, one that actually confronts rather than avoids these questions, but without reaching a final judgment about what that truth is. This book offers a sensitive and sensible approach to questions of church-state conflict, justifying what the courts have done in some cases and demanding new results in others. It explains how the church-state conflict extends beyond law and religion itself, and goes to some of the central questions at the heart of the troubled relationship between religion and liberal democracy in a post-9/11 era.

The Athiest’s Primer is a concise but wide-ranging introduction to a variety of arguments, concepts, and issues pertaining to belief in God. In lucid and engaging prose, Malcom Murray offers a penetrating yet fair-minded critique of the traditional arguments for the existence of God. He then explores a number of other important issues relevant to religious belief, such as the problem of suffering and the relationship between religion and morality, in each case arguing that atheism is preferable to theism. The book will appeal to both students and professionals in the philosophy of religion, as well as general audiences interested in the topic.

What is agnosticism? Is it just the 'don't know' position on God, or is there more to it than this? Is it a belief, or merely the absence of belief? Who were the first to call themselves 'agnostics'? These are just some of the questions that Robin Le Poidevin considers in this Very Short Introduction. He sets the philosophical case for agnosticism and explores it as a historical and cultural phenomenon. What emerges is a much more sophisticated, and much more interesting, attitude than a simple failure to either commit to, or reject, religious belief. Le Poidevin challenges some preconceptions and assumptions among both believers and non-atheists, and invites the reader to rethink their own position on the issues. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

A guide to atheism and nonbelief shares counsel on the challenges of questioning the views of one's upbringing, establishing beliefs about religion and spirituality, and addressing the practical aspects of managing religious occasions.

This book contains a unique perspective: that of a scientifically and philosophically educated agnostic who thinks there is impressive—if maddeningly hidden—evidence for the existence of God. Science and philosophy may have revealed the poverty of the familiar sources of evidence, but they generate their own partial defense of theism. Bryan Frances, a philosopher with a graduate degree in physics, judges the standard evidence for God’s existence to be awful. And yet, like many others with similar scientific and philosophical backgrounds, he argues that the usual reasons for atheism, such as the existence of suffering and success of science, are weak. In this book you will learn why so many people with scientific and philosophical credentials are agnostics (rather than atheists) despite judging all the usual evidence for theism to be fatally flawed.