HOW I STOPPED BELIEVING IN THE END OF THE WORLD: A Story about Religion and Creativity - Softcover

Whittle, William Monroe

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0595511759 ISBN 13: 9780595511754

Publisher: iUniverse, 2008

Synopsis

A Journey Into the Depths of Religious Revelation and Human CreationIn this fascinating documented account, a devout Christian believer journey's into the depths of religious experience and fundamentalist states of mind. He suffers a major loss in his life, and struggles to reconcile the inconsistency of this loss with the beliefs he loves so well. As he ventures beyond the familiar, his fundamentalist ideas open into a more expansive and illuminating reality. He discovers, during this journey, how certain destructive fundamentalist beliefs came to exist. He sees why people can let go of these beliefs and embrace a fulfilling new way of being. As this story unfolds, its events illustrate which states of mind stand in the way of our best possibilities and which states of mind can move us toward greater fulfillment in a rapidly changing world.

About this title

Synopsis

This poignant story takes us on a journey into the depths of fundamentalist states of mind, and out the other side. It's a true story about how members of a deeply religious family attempt through their belief system to gain meaning, guidance, and success in their lives. This family holds beliefs that determine the identities and actions of its members. Because these beliefs derive from genuine fears and longings, the experiences they elicit are genuine, as well. Some of these beliefs resonate with the most ideal of human values, and can lead to success. Others resonate with common human fears and can cause isolation and failure. There are genuine religious experiences we can have...and many of us do have...that show the interconnectedness of all things and the universality of us all This account shows that no ideology is needed for these experiences to create their results. The journey of the family shared in this book makes these dynamics more understandable. This understanding can help prevent the kinds of conflicts that occur in the world when religious believers become committed to irrevocable beliefs that divide them from the rest of humanity.

About the Author

Will Whittle studied at the University of Paris, San Francisco State University and Brigham Young University. He was once a minister in Canada and Alaska, following which he became a United States civil servant in France. He has done research in peace and conflict studies while lecturing on grants from the Ark Foundation and the Ploughshares Fund. He has three children, has traveled extensively, and is the author of four books.

Edition details

• Publisher: iUniverse
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0595511759
• ISBN 13: 9780595511754
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384