Bridging the God Gap: Finding Common Ground Among Believers, Atheists and Agnostics shows how to build mutual understanding between seemingly irreconcilable religious viewpoints. This book was written for: – Believers who want to communicate with those who doubt that God exists. – Atheists and agnostics whose friends and family members are traditionally religious. – Committed couples who disagree about theology. – People who want to help loved ones stop arguing about religion. – Those who are unsure if God is real and what God is like, who want to sort out their personal beliefs and feel at peace. The author, Dr. Roger C. Schriner, has served as both a minister and a psychotherapist. He has counseled theists, atheists, and agnostics, trying to comprehend and appreciate their spiritual orientations. Schriner has written extensively about self-help psychology, and he brings this practical background to Bridging the God Gap. The book includes 21 exercises and techniques for exploring theological issues and learning to respect other points of view. Chapter One sketches the current controversy between theism and atheism. Going beyond this conflict requires understanding other viewpoints, so Chapters Two and Three include suggestions about dealing with our own biases. Chapter Four outlines strategies for communicating about religion. Chapter Five focuses on what we all have in common, regardless of our theological orientations. Chapters Six and Seven show why the beliefs of theists and atheists are often much more similar than they seem at first. Chapters Eight through Twelve address specific issues that divide believers and non-believers. Chapter Thirteen considers disagreements among various forms of theism and various forms of atheism. For example, liberal Christians and fundamentalists argue about how to interpret the Bible. There are also clashes between anti-religious atheists and “spiritual atheists.” Chapter Fourteen synthesizes the book’s ideas, revealing a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. The book is written for the general reader in clear, engaging, non-technical language. Teachers, ministers, and other professionals will find additional information and documentation in the book’s extensive endnotes. Bridging the God Gap shows how to have honest and respectful conversations with those who disagree with us about theology. Use it to understand others, and give it to others to help them understand you.
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.