It's Really All About God: Reflections of a Muslim Atheist Jewish Christian
Samir Selmanovic
ISBN: 978-0-470-43326-3
Hardcover
320 pages
September 2009, Jossey-Bass
Millions of us look at religion and say, "No thanks, I'd rather be spiritual than religious." For those of us who feel like this, religion has been losing its credibility and relevance. But our departure from religion is simultaneously a departure from its rich treasures of spiritual practice, community, organized action, and hard lessons learned, often leaving us isolated, incoherent, and ill-equipped for our spiritual journeys. It's Really All About God is a very personal story and a thrilling exploration of a redeeming, dynamic, and radically different way to hold one's religion. Readers will deepen their religious identities while discovering God, goodness, and grace beyond their own religious boundaries.
"Samir Selmanovic is asking the right questions at the right time, and refusing the consolations of certainty at a time when strident orthodoxies--atheist as well as religious--are perilously dividing us."
-Karen Armstrong, author, A History of God and The Great Transformation
"Why are thousands not saying what this man is saying? Such obvious truth must be made even more obvious, and this is exactly what Samir Selmanovic is doing for all of us and for the future of humanity. After you read this wise book, you will say, ‘Of course!' and ‘Thank God!'"
-Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico
"We need a million more Samirs on the planet-people of conviction and humility who know that the vast mystery called God calls us not to the arrogance of ‘ownership' but to the beloved community."
-Parker J. Palmer, author, A Hidden Wholeness, Let Your Life Speak, and The Courage to Teach
"Samir Selmanovic offers a deeply personal reflection on faith, doubt, and ultimately, spiritual peace. . . . [He tells] a sophisticated and introspective story that simultaneously stirs the heart, challenges the intellect, and inspires the soul."
-Daisy Khan, executive director, American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA)
"In a world in which religious traditions are too often digging their heels into the tired sod of exclusionary self-righteousness, this love song to the God of all Existence is a much longed for work of hope and optimism."
-Rabbi Marcia Prager, author, The Path of Blessing: Experiencing the Energy and Abundance of the Divine
"If atheists, agnostics, and non-religious people like myself want to gain understanding and improve the world ...we need to read not only the hard-line voices of ancient religions but also the freshest and wisest voices of modern progressive religion. Samir Selmanovic's is just such a fresh voice."
-Greg Epstein, Humanist Chaplain of Harvard University, and author, Good Without God: What a Billion Non-Religious People Do Believe
"For all Seekers of the Truth, Samir's deeply insightful, uniquely personal, lyrical quest for a relationship with God provides a clear vision on the need to dig deep, transcending traditional boundaries of faith and theology, be it Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu."
-Rathi Raja, president of Arsha Vedanta Center (www.arshavedantacenter.org
"I'm speechless in trying to describe this book. I laughed out loud in places and cried big tears at the end. It's a work of faith, a work of art, and to some, no doubt, it will be a work of damnable heresy. I think this book will change people's lives, and more: it can save lives, in the many senses of that word. All the religious pundits and broadcasters on radio and cable TV had better take notice, because this book threatens our conventional, comfortable categories and familiar black-and-white polarities. Selmanovic has the nerve to imagine our religions becoming, not walls behind which we hide and over which we lob bombs of damnation, but bridges over which we travel to find God in the other."
-Brian McLaren, Author/Activist (brianmclaren.net)
"This is a solidly researched book that reads like a love song. My inner mystic jumped and leaped and shouted for joy. I found myself less lonely in this big old world. I felt like I was at a really good party, each paragraph a song, each page another glass of wine, each chapter the prospect of another dance with a beautiful woman. At this party, nobody got mad at me for letting my hair down. In fact, everyone, including God, encouraged me to go a little crazy."
-Rev. Vince Anderson, bandleader, songwriter, honky-tonkist, co-pastor of Revolution Church NYC, (reverendvince.com)
View all endorsements: http://www.filedby.com/author/samir_selmanovic/3516513/presskit/
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