Download or read book Rationalist Spirituality written by Bernardo Kastrup and published by John Hunt Publishing. This book was released on 2011-03-16 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why does the universe exist and what are you supposed to do in it? This question has been addressed by religions since time immemorial, but popular answers often fail to account for obvious aspects of reality. Indeed, if God knows everything, why do we need to learn through pain and suffering? If God is omnipotent, why are we needed to do good? If the universe is fundamentally good, why are wars, crime, and injustice all around us? In modern society, orthodox science takes the rational high-ground and tackles these contradictions by denying the very need for, and the existence of, meaning. Indeed, many of us implicitly accept the notion that rationality somehow contradicts spirituality. That is a modern human tragedy, not only for its insidiousness, but for the fact that it is simply not true. In this book, the author constructs a coherent and logical argument for the meaning of existence, informed by science itself. A framework is laid out wherein all aspects of human existence have a logical, coh
Download or read book Waking Up written by Sam Harris and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-06-16 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spirituality.The search for happiness --Religion, East and West --Mindfulness --The truth of suffering --Enlightenment --The mystery of consciousness.The mind divided --Structure and function --Are our minds already split? --Conscious and unconscious processing in the brain --Consciousness is what matters --The riddle of the self.What are we calling "I"? --Consciousness without self --Lost in thought --The challenge of studying the self --Penetrating the illusion --Meditation.Gradual versus sudden realization --Dzogchen: taking the goal as the path --Having no head --The paradox of acceptance --Gurus, death, drugs, and other puzzles.Mind on the brink of death --The spiritual uses of pharmacology.
Download or read book Rational Mysticism written by John Horgan and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Table of contents
Download or read book Rational Spirituality and Divine Virtue in Plato written by Michael LaFargue and published by SUNY Press. This book was released on 2016-04-28 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes a Platonic personal spirituality based on reason that is readily accessible to people today. Michael LaFargue presents an important and accessible aspect of Platos legacy largely overlooked today: a variety of personal spirituality based on reason and centered on virtue. Platos Virtue-Forms are transcendent in their goodness, ideals that Platonists can use to improve character and become like God so far as is humanly possible. LaFargue constructs a model of inductive Socratic reasoning capable of acquiring knowledge of these perfect Virtue-Forms, then scales back claims about these Forms to what can be supported by this kind of reasoning. This is a critical theory, but also a pluralistic one that accommodates modern cultural diversity. A how-to chapter provides detailed descriptions of the rules of Socratic reasoning basic to this spirituality, which any interested individual can practice today. LaFargue supports his interpretation by a close reading of the Greek text of key passages in Platos dialogues. The work also undertakes a broader philosophical consideration, discussing the philosophical foundations proposed for this Platonism in relation to the thought of G. E. Moore, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Martin Heidegger, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Richard Rorty.
Download or read book Trans Rational Spirituality written by Gudjon Bergmann and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-06-16 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is there any way to be spiritual without denying rationality? This book is an attempt to answer that question. It is a must read for rational Westerners who long for some form of spirituality in their lives. The first half of the book is a critique of current religious and spiritual options. The critique addresses organized religion, the twelve-step program, and the spiritual-but-nonreligious approach, all of which have serious shortcomings. The second half of the book offers a new approach to spirituality; a trans-rational approach. The seeds sown will hopefully fertilize a vigorous discussion about what it means to be spiritual. At the very least, the book will challenge ideas about religion and spirituality and bring the reader closer to a personal approach that includes, but is not limited to, rationality.
Download or read book Rational Faith written by Stephen T Davis and published by Lion Books. This book was released on 2017-02-17 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If God exists, why doesn't he eliminate suffering and evil? Does evolution disprove Christianity? Can religion be explained by cognitive science? People have grappled for ages with these kinds of questions. And many in today's academic world find Christian belief untenable. But renowned philosopher Stephen Davis argues that belief in God is indeed a rational and intellectually sound endeavor. Drawing on a lifetime of rigorous reflection and critical thinking, he explores perennial and contemporary challenges to Christian faith. Davis appraises objections fairly and openly, offering thoughtful approaches to common intellectual problems. Real questions warrant reasonable responses. Examine for yourself the rationality of the Christian faith.
Download or read book The Actual and the Rational written by Jean-François Kervégan and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2018-07-15 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of Hegel’s most controversial and confounding claims is that “the real is rational and the rational is real.” In this book, one of the world’s leading scholars of Hegel, Jean-François Kervégan, offers a thorough analysis and explanation of that claim, along the way delivering a compelling account of modern social, political, and ethical life. ?Kervégan begins with Hegel’s term “objective spirit,” the public manifestation of our deepest commitments, the binding norms that shape our existence as subjects and agents. He examines objective spirit in three realms: the notion of right, the theory of society, and the state. In conversation with Tocqueville and other theorists of democracy, whether in the Anglophone world or in Europe, Kervégan shows how Hegel—often associated with grand metaphysical ideas—actually had a specific conception of civil society and the state. In Hegel’s view, public institutions represent the fulfillment of deep subjective needs—and in that sense, demonstrate that the real is the rational, because what surrounds us is the product of our collective mindedness. This groundbreaking analysis will guide the study of Hegel and nineteenth-century political thought for years to come.
Download or read book Rational Mysticism written by John Horgan and published by HMH. This book was released on 2004-03-22 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author of The End of Science chronicles the most advanced research into such experiences as prayer, fasting, and trances in this “great read” (The Washington Post). How do trances, visions, prayer, satori, and other mystical experiences “work”? What induces and defines them? Is there a scientific explanation for religious mysteries and transcendent meditation? John Horgan investigates a wide range of fields—chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, theology, and more—to narrow the gap between reason and mystical phenomena. As both a seeker and an award-winning journalist, Horgan consulted a wide range of experts, including theologian Huston Smith, spiritual heir to Joseph Campbell; Andrew Newberg, the scientist whose quest for the “God module” was the focus of a Newsweek cover story; Ken Wilber, prominent transpersonal psychologist; Alexander Shulgin, legendary psychedelic drug chemist; and Susan Blackmore, Oxford-educated psychologist, parapsychology debunker, and Zen practitioner. Horgan explores the striking similarities between “mystical technologies” like sensory deprivation, prayer, fasting, trance, dancing, meditation, and drug trips. He participates in experiments that seek the neurological underpinnings of mystical experiences. And, finally, he recounts his own search for enlightenment—adventurous, poignant, and sometimes surprisingly comic. Horgan’s conclusions resonate with the controversial climax of The End of Science, because, as he argues, the most enlightened mystics and the most enlightened scientists end up in the same place—confronting the imponderable depth of the universe.
Download or read book Chance or Purpose written by Christoph Schoenborn and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2009-09-03 with total page 157 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cardinal Christoph Schönborn's article on evolution and creation in The New York Times launched an international controversy. Critics charged him with biblical literalism and 'creationism'. In this book, Cardinal Schönborn responds to his critics by tackling the hard questions with a carefully reasoned "theology of creation". Can we still speak intelligently of the world as 'creation' and affirm the existence of the Creator, or is God a 'delusion'? How should an informed believer read Genesis? If God exists, why is there so much injustice and suffering? Are human beings a part of nature or elevated above it? What is man's destiny? Is everything a matter of chance or can we discern purpose in human existence? In his treatment of evolution, Cardinal Schönborn distinguishes the biological theory from 'evolutionism', the ideology that tries to reduce all of reality to mindless, meaningless processes. He argues that science and a rationally grounded faith are not at odds and that what many people represent as 'science' is really a set of philosophical positions that will not withstand critical scrutiny. Chance or Purpose? directly raises the philosophical and theological issues many scientists today overlook or ignore. The result is a vigorous, frank dialogue that acknowledges the respective insights of the philosopher, the theologian and the scientist, but which calls on them to listen and to learn from each another.
Download or read book The Book of the Soul written by Ian Lawton and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rational spirituality? surely this is a contradiction in terms?How can spirituality be rational, when it relies on faith and revelation?The simple answer is it does not have to any more.Modern science tells us there is far more to the universe than the physical world we all perceive. And the explanation that most closely fits the facts for a range of verifiable phenomena, from near-death experiences to past-life memories, is that the soul exists separately from the physical body and reincarnates repeatedly.This book could only have been written in the twenty-first century, because it uses the latest breakthroughs in scientific and psychological research to produce a truly revolutionary view of spirituality. By comparing this modern evidence with thousands of years of spiritual traditions, it finally provides rational answers to some of the most significant and intriguing questions ever posed by the human race:? What experiences do we have in the interlife between incarnations?? Do we plan all the major circumstances of our lives, both good and bad?? How does karma operate? Does it really involve ?action and reaction??? Can we be punished in the ways that traditional religions suggest?? What practical steps can we take to ensure our karma is progressive rather than repetitive?Piece by piece, this book uncovers startling evidence to support a scientific and rational belief in reincarnation and the interlife. It brings together a wide range of research ? including the incredible insights of thousands of ordinary regression subjects ? in a logical, objective way to produce a major breakthrough in our approach to spirituality.No one who reads this book will ever view life in the same way again. The spiritual worldview it describes is coherent and rational, and has the capability to propel humanity forwards to previously unexplored levels... if only we will let it.
Download or read book Rational Religion and Morals Presenting Analysis of the Functions of Mind Under the Operations and Directions of Reason written by Thomas J. Vaiden and published by . This book was released on 1852 with total page 1038 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Why We Need Religion written by Stephen T. Asma and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-05-09 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How we feel is as vital to our survival as how we think. This claim, based on the premise that emotions are largely adaptive, serves as the organizing theme of Why We Need Religion. This book is a novel pathway in a well-trodden field of religious studies and philosophy of religion. Stephen Asma argues that, like art, religion has direct access to our emotional lives in ways that science does not. Yes, science can give us emotional feelings of wonder and the sublime--we can feel the sacred depths of nature--but there are many forms of human suffering and vulnerability that are beyond the reach of help from science. Different emotional stresses require different kinds of rescue. Unlike secular authors who praise religion's ethical and civilizing function, Asma argues that its core value lies in its emotionally therapeutic power. No theorist of religion has failed to notice the importance of emotions in spiritual and ritual life, but truly systematic research has only recently delivered concrete data on the neurology, psychology, and anthropology of the emotional systems. This very recent "affective turn" has begun to map out a powerful territory of embodied cognition. Why We Need Religion incorporates new data from these affective sciences into the philosophy of religion. It goes on to describe the way in which religion manages those systems--rage, play, lust, care, grief, and so on. Finally, it argues that religion is still the best cultural apparatus for doing this adaptive work. In short, the book is a Darwinian defense of religious emotions and the cultural systems that manage them.
Download or read book The Rational Male Religion written by Rollo Tomassi and published by . This book was released on 2021-01-03 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why is premarital sex forbidden by religion? Why is marriage the worst life-decision a man can make today? How is an idealistic Romantic Love destroying modern churches? Are female imperatives assimilating patriarchal religions? Why are so many religious men confused about masculinity? What's causing men to abandon religion? Why is pornography an "addiction" for religious men? Are Atheists 'religious' about finding love? Can Red Pill awareness and religious conviction coexist? Will there be a One-World Religion? The Rational Male(R) - Religion is an exploration of human intersexual dynamics and their influence on spiritual belief, religion and social values. In this 4th book of the Rational Male series author, Rollo Tomassi, connects the dots between human beings' evolved mating imperatives and the spiritual beliefs spawned by them that still influence society in the data age. It is a Red Pill look under the hood at the roots of men and women's "need to believe" in love, God and the metaphysical to solve our mating imperatives.Are Old Order beliefs hindering our progress in today's data-driven New Age of Enlightenment? Since 2000, global access to information has exploded. Like the Gutenberg Press in Renaissance Europe, the internet, technology and global communication has given rise to a new age of enlightenment that a global society is only beginning to acknowledge. For better or worse, this new information awakening is explaining and challenging our old investments in faith, tradition, metaphorical truth and magical thinking. And in no other area are humans more emotionally invested than in solving their reproductive problem. The Rational Male(R) - Religion succinctly explains the origins of this old order thinking, what it got right, where it's gone wrong and how we can correct our course for the future.Often called the "Godfather of the Red Pill", Rollo Tomassi has been a permanent fixture in the online men's consortium of the Manosphere for almost 20 years. He is the author of the internationally best selling book series: The Rational Male The Rational Male - Preventive Medicine The Rational Male - Positive Masculinity Rollo is also the essayist/blogger/owner of The Rational Male blog, a weekly panelist/host of the Rule Zero livestream and the host of his own YouTube channel, The Rational Male.
Download or read book Relational Spirituality written by Todd W. Hall and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2021-05-25 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human beings are fundamentally relational—we develop, heal, and grow through relationships. Integrating insights from psychology and theology, Todd W. Hall and M. Elizabeth Lewis Hall present a definitive model of spiritual transformation based on a relational paradigm, showing how transformation works practically in the context of relationships and community.
Download or read book Rationality Humility and Spirituality in Christian Life written by Dennis Hiebert and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2020-02-27 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As Euro-American culture turns resolutely away from religiosity toward spirituality and becomes increasingly post-Christian, the ordinary, everyday practice of Christian life is ever more questioned and in need of scrutiny. In this interdisciplinary analysis, Christians are first called to comprehend the excessive rationality that modernity has built into both the cognitive and organizational structure of contemporary Christian life. They are then summoned to personify an authentic attitude of humility, and in particular, the virtue of intellectual humility that is most challenged and tested by religious convictions. Going forward, Christians are subsequently invited to live their faith more as an internally differentiated and open spirituality, rather than an externally determined and regulated religiosity. When we exhaust our rationality and are confronted with its limitations, we are humbled by our finitude and animated by our spirituality.
Download or read book Experience of God and the Rationality of Theistic Belief written by Jerome I. Gellman and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jerome I. Gellman observes that the mystic experience of God's presence, a sense of having direct contact with the divine, often compels belief in God's existence. On the basis of widely accepted principles connecting appearance with reality, Gellman contends, the claims people make of having experienced God show that belief in God is strongly rational, meaning that such claims are sufficient in number and variety to support a line of reasoning making it rational to believe that God exists and irrational to deny God's existence. Gellman considers challenges to his thinking based on epistemological grounds and challenges growing out of the diversity of religious experiences across the range of world religions. He thoroughly evaluates reductionist explanations of apparent experiences of God and finds them incapable of invalidating his view. Finally, he directs his attention to the two most compelling arguments against the existence of God: the charge that the idea of a perfect being is logically incoherent, and the threat to theism based on the existence of evil, in both its logical and probabilistic forms. Until and unless stronger objections come along, he concludes, personal experiences of God constitute sufficient evidence of God's existence.
Download or read book Rational Religion and Morals written by Thomas J. Vaiden and published by . This book was released on 1852 with total page 1048 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
