This book argues that a religion centered around biblical belief has not worked when it comes to living the teachings of Jesus. For many Christians their religion has become an ideology which doesn’t touch their hearts. The central argument of the book is that we must shift the focus of our religion away from biblical belief to a sense of the deep, transforming love that comes from knowing God. The book provides detailed instructions on how such a knowing takes place. In making such a change, Christians will finally come to a place where they can work with God to make the world a better place.

What do people actually mean when they say 'God'? Around two-thirds of us say we believe in God or some 'higher power', but fewer than one in ten Australians attend church weekly. In Beyond Belief, Hugh Mackay presents this discrepancy as one of the great unexamined topics of our time. He argues that while our attachment to a traditional idea of God may be waning, our desire for a life of meaning remains as strong as ever. Mackay interviews dozens of Australians representing many different points on the spectrum of faith, including some who are part of the emerging 'spiritual but not religious' movement. He exposes the deep vein of ambivalence about religion that runs through our society: we may not actively worship, but we still like to see local churches operating in our midst, and we use 'our' church to marry, christen our babies, educate our children and commemorate our dead. He points out some uncomfortable truths, such as our tendency to call on God only in a crisis, and unpacks our human need for 'answers', even when science can't find them. He endorses the Christian ideal of the good life - a life lived for others - but acknowledges that there are many pathways to that same goal, not all of them religious. Written with all the insight and compassion we have come to expect of our leading chronicler of Australian life, Beyond Belief is an engrossing exploration of the ways we find spiritual fulfilment in an avowedly secular age.

In 2017, Michael completed the first book in his planned trilogy, From Physical to Metaphysical in Four Steps and One Giant Leap where he explored how we can separate from our materialistic attachment by seeing past our bodies, our emotions, and our thoughts. After these three "steps," Michael illustrated how by enhancing and refining our life energy, we can take "one giant leap" into metaphysical consciousness. In Places Beyond Belief, he expands on the concepts raised in the first book and also details some of his out-of-body experiences (OBE) that offer direct evidence of how the non-physical envelops our material reality. Michael also tells the story of how encounters in material reality with ghosts, qigong masters, psychics, a "living Buddha," and extraterrestrials prepared him for having OBEs. Building on the events covered in the first book, Michael recounts how in trying to uncover the true nature of his UFO experiences, he turned to using OBEs as a way to find answers about the reality of the beings he encountered. What he found was not what he expected and lead to his discovery of the field of spirit-release therapy and the large body of psychological literature that the subject has produced since William Baldwin’s Spirit Releasement Therapy: A Technique Manual was published in 1995. While disclosing intimately personal experiences to illustrate his points, Michael also takes time to discuss the big issues of the day, highlighting how personal and spiritual development is intricately linked to how well we live in the material world. Coming three years after his first book, Places Beyond Belief follows Michael's journey deeper into the metaphysical world that he was only first discovering when he wrote One Giant Leap. By daring to let direct experience be the guide, Michael went to places beyond belief, and came back to write about it.

What if all you ever really wanted to know was who you are and what you are doing here? What if those questions just about drove you crazy? What if you knew there was more to life? What if, one day, you got an answer and life was never the same again? Living Beyond Belief reveals one woman's discovery of a life she had never before imagined. A world she came to discover seemingly quite by accident, understanding perfectly well that there are no accidents. Through personal experiences, insights, and poetry, she shares her discovery of a new way of living and insights into what makes this alternative way of living possible for everyone. If you find yourself reading this right now, it is no accident. Your soul is ready. Ready to live a life beyond what it can even begin to imagine. Your soul is ready. The question is, are you?

Whether ghosts, astrology or ESP, up to 80 per cent of the population believes in one or more aspects of the paranormal. Such beliefs are entertaining, and it is tempting to think of them as harmless. However, there is mounting evidence that paranormal beliefs can be dangerous - cases of children dying because parents rejected orthodox medicine in favour of alternative remedies, and 'psychics' who trade on the grief of the bereaved for personal profit and gain. Expenditure on the paranormal runs into billions of dollars each year. In Beyond Belief: Skepticism, Science and the Paranormal Martin Bridgstock provides an integrated understanding of what an evidence-based approach to the paranormal - a skeptical approach - involves, and why it is necessary. Bridgstock does not set out to show that all paranormal claims are necessarily false, but he does suggest that we all need the analytical ability and critical thinking skills to seek and assess the evidence for paranormal claims.

In recent years, far-right organisations have invaded mosques across the UK with army-issued Bibles, declaring their actions a 'Christian crusade’. Others have paraded large crosses through Muslim-majority areas, and invaded 'migrant hotels,' harassing residents in their so-called crusade. Far-right appeals to ‘clean up society’, and ‘restore Christian Britain’ can be quite attractive to some Christians. However, what they may fail to appreciate is that this rhetoric may be cynically employed by those whose allegiance and values are quite contrary to Christian ones. Despite all this, the response from official church sources in the UK has been notably subdued, and resources to help churches address hate crimes or racial tensions are scarce. This book aims to fill that void. Bringing together insights from theologians, church practitioners, and leading experts, this volume examines the church's response to the rise of far-right thinking in UK society and explores how it can respond more effectively. With a foreword by David Gushee, this book offers critical and constructive perspectives for the church to confront these challenges

The struggle between Catholic and Protestant has shaped Irish history since the Reformation, with tragic consequences up to the present day. But how do Catholics and Protestants in Ireland see each other? And how do they view their own communities and what these communities stand for? Tracing the history of religious identities in Ireland over the last three centuries, Marianne Elliott argues that these two questions are inextricably linked and that the identity of both Catholics and Protestants is shaped by the way that each community views the other. Cutting through the layers of myths, lies, and half-truths that make up the vision that Catholics and Protestants have of each other, she looks at how mutual religious stereotypes were developed over the centuries, how they were perpetuated and entrenched, and how they have defined modern identities and shaped Ireland's historical destiny, from the independence struggle and partition to the Troubles of the last four decades.

The current age marks the transition from modernity to postmodernity, a period as impactful to the Western sensibility as any previous era. The role of religion and the future of Christianity are at stake. At this time of transition, many thoughtful individuals find themselves at a quandary, having reached a "critical stage" in their spiritual journey. Prompted by academia, science, reason, culture, and their own experience, they feel compelled to choose between the beliefs they inherited as children and the claims of science, reason, pluralism, and secularism. Beyond Belief suggests that one need not take an either/or approach on these issues; there is a better way, one that embraces adventure and ambiguity, science and religion, reason and faith, evolution and creation, and finds ways to live creatively with realities for which there are no easy explanations. Building on a paradigmatic journey of faith that involves three stages (precritical, critical, and postcritical understanding), Beyond Belief describes the quest for God and for authentic faith in the twenty-first century. The key point for this understanding is to replace belief with faith, acknowledging that belief in doctrines is not central, since they are themselves unprovable. This new theological perspective requires rethinking many of our cherished doctrines, including our understanding of God, Jesus, Scripture, prayer, miracles, and revelation.

Heal from Harmful Beliefs and Explore What Unites Spiritual Systems Across the World We are far more alike than we are different. There is more beyond our own beliefs, waiting for us to open up. Presenting a groundbreaking new paradigm for understanding cultural perspectives, Granddaughter Crow invites you to delve into ideas outside the dogma you may have previously been taught. By exploring your own pre-existing beliefs and the themes various spiritual traditions all share, you can heal thoughts that may be hurting you and others. Belief, Being, and Beyond uses a variety of spiritual concepts and scientific findings to engage you in deep self-reflection and growth. In addition to sharing inspiring anecdotes from her own life, Granddaughter Crow explores the creation, flood, hero, end-of-times, and afterlife motifs that appear in Christianity, Navajo traditions, and other belief systems. These stories, along with journal prompts, tarot insights, and wisdom from the cycles of nature, help you to truly know yourself and empower you to live with an open mind.