An essential feature of religious experience across many cultures is the intuitive feeling of God's presence. More than any rituals or doctrines, it is this experience that anchors religious faith, yet it has been largely ignored in the scientific literature on religion. Starting with a vivid narrative account of the life-threatening hike that triggered his own mystical experience, biologist John Wathey takes the reader on a scientific journey to find the sources of religious feeling and the illusion of God's presence. His book delves into the biological origins of this compelling feeling, attributing it to innate neural circuitry that evolved to promote the mother-child bond. Dr. Wathey, a veteran neuroscientist, argues that evolution has programmed the infant brain to expect the presence of a loving being who responds to the child's needs. As the infant grows into adulthood, this innate feeling is eventually transferred to the realm of religion, where it is reactivated through the symbols, imagery, and rituals of worship. The author interprets our various conceptions of God in biological terms as illusory supernormal stimuli that fill an emotional and cognitive vacuum left over from infancy. These insights shed new light on some of the most vexing puzzles of religion, like the popular belief in a god who is judgmental and punishing, yet also unconditionally loving; the extraordinary tenacity of faith; the greater religiosity of women relative to men; religious obsessions with sex; the mysterious compulsion to pray; the seemingly irrepressible feminine attributes of God, even in traditionally patriarchal religions; and the strange allure of cults. Finally, Dr. Wathey considers the hypothesis that religion evolved to foster reproductive success, arguing that, in an age of potentially ruinous overpopulation, magical thinking has become a luxury we can no longer afford, one that distracts us from urgent threats to our planet. Deeply researched yet elegantly written in a jargon-free and accessible style, this book presents a compelling interpretation of the evolutionary origins of spirituality and religion.

This awe-inspiring sixth installment of the profound consciousness series by Dr. David R. Hawkins reveals the true essence of Enlightenment, from world-renowned author, psychiatrist, clinician, and spiritual teacher David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. A true instruction manual for the serious spiritual devotee, this masterpiece from Dr. David R. Hawkins reveals information only known by those who have transcended the ego to reach Divine Realization. Chapters Include: Devotional Nonduality The Inner Path Spiritual Practices The "Experiencer" The Razor's Edge Allness Versus Nothingness Spirituality and the World Teachers and Teachings The Devotee Transcending Identification with the Ego/Self Enlightenment: The Presence of Self Progressive States of Consciousness This spiritual book is the inner route from the self to the Self and an invitation into the profound depths of higher consciousness and enlightenment. It walks you through the path to divine consciousness through the fusion of psychology, philosophy, metaphysics, and spirituality. Immerse yourself in a devotional exploration of non-duality, a profound philosophy that bridges the gap between existential questions and spiritual answers. This transformative work will help you evolve spiritually by connecting to divine love. Dr. David Hawkins explains complex concepts with clarity, making them accessible and relatable for everyone, from spiritual seekers to business professionals seeking personal growth. His spiritual awakening guidance offers meditation techniques for inner peace and provides tools to transcend the confines of the mundane, illuminating the path to spiritual growth. Drawing on his profound understanding of spiritual liberation, Dr. David Hawkins' words guide us toward our spiritual evolution and higher consciousness. Through this journey, you will discover an empowering understanding of your divine consciousness, leading to a sense of inner peace and a heightened state of spiritual awareness.

What are gods and why do people believe in them? Where did they come from and what do they do? This book answers all those questions and more! David G. McAfee, who studies religions and writes books, has teamed up with writer and cartoonist Chuck Harrison to help everyone learn about beliefs, gods, and religion! The first book in this series was The Belief Book, which is all about why people believe the things they do, and now they are taking the next step by bringing you The Book of Gods... It doesn't matter how old you are. If you want to learn more about gods from around the globe, including where they came from and how belief in them has spread over time, this easy-to-read book is for you! The fully illustrated and interactive Book of Gods is for readers and thinkers of all ages, including kids and kids at heart.

Neuroscience, Psychology, and Religion is the second title published in the new Templeton Science and Religion Series. In this volume, Malcolm Jeeves and Warren S. Brown provide an overview of the relationship between neuroscience, psychology, and religion that is academically sophisticated, yet accessible to the general reader. The authors introduce key terms; thoroughly chart the histories of both neuroscience and psychology, with a particular focus on how these disciplines have interfaced religion through the ages; and explore contemporary approaches to both fields, reviewing how current science/religion controversies are playing out today. Throughout, they cover issues like consciousness, morality, concepts of the soul, and theories of mind. Their examination of topics like brain imaging research, evolutionary psychology, and primate studies show how recent advances in these areas can blend harmoniously with religious belief, since they offer much to our understanding of humanity's place in the world. Jeeves and Brown conclude their comprehensive and inclusive survey by providing an interdisciplinary model for shaping the ongoing dialogue. Sure to be of interest to both academics and curious intellectuals, Neuroscience, Psychology, and Religion addresses important age-old questions and demonstrates how modern scientific techniques can provide a much more nuanced range of potential answers to those questions.

Keefauver believes that the passionate pursuit of God is the most authentic method of finding God's presence in our lives. Divided in two parts, this volume is a journey into developing a genuine relationship with God.

New York Times bestseller What is Jesus worth to you? It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily... But who do you know who lives like that? Do you? In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple--then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a "successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus. Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment -- a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring.

Walter Beuttler was a teacher in the Bible School that I attended. He personally knew and walked with the Lord as few have. I personally witnessed the effect and the outworking of the very unusual personal relationship which he maintained with the Lord. The Lord often visited the classroom, as he taught, to reveal Himself and manifestly move in the lives of the students who sat under his ministry. As a result, my life was both challenged and changed. He often exhorted his students to cultivate a personal, experiential knowledge of the Lord. He used his unique spiritual walk and experiences with the Lord as a means to provoke us to begin seeking the Lord in earnest. Walter Beuttler traveled extensively in overseas ministry, teaching the principles of the "Manifest Presence of the Lord," and "Divine Guidance," until close to the time of his death in 1974. --Wade Taylor This is the intimate story of a man who walked with God as friend.

Growing up the son of agnostics, John Koessler saw a Catholic church on one end of the street and a Baptist on the other. In the no-man’s land between the two, this curious outside wondered about the God they worshipped—and began a lifelong search to comprehend the grace and mystery of God. A Stranger in the House of God addresses fundamental questions and struggles faced by spiritual seekers and mature believers. Like a contemporary Pilgrim’s Progress, it traces the author’s journey and explores his experiences with both charismatic and evangelical Christianity. It also describes his transformation from religious outsider to ordained pastor. John Koessler provides a poignant and often humorous window into the interior of the soul as he describes his journey from doubt and struggle with the church to personal faith

The case for a bigger, more complete picture of reality in which a fifth, spiritual dimension plays a central role Many of us today are all too willing to accept a humanist and scientific account of the universe which considers human existence as a fleeting accident. The triumph of John Hick’s gripping work is his exposure of the radical insufficiency of this view. Drawing on mystical and religious traditions ancient and modern, and spiritual thinkers as diverse as Julian of Norwich and Mahatma Ghandi, he has produced a tightly argued and thoroughly readable case for a bigger, more complete, picture of reality in which a fifth, spiritual dimension, plays a central role. ‘Essential reading for anyone concerned with spirituality in the modern world’ Professor Keith Ward, University of Oxford Erudite, provocative and deeply moving, Hick’s persuasive narrative will prompt all curious readers to re-examine their own spiritual horizons.‘This stimulating book opens up many fundamental issues that must concern everyone. It deserves to be widely read. ‘ Expository Times ‘Learned, lucid and engaging, easy to read and easy to applaud for its sheer clarity of style and its breadth of interest, even when one disagrees with it!’ Anvil