Overhearing a Christian Apology to the Nones
Revealing Still Hidden Truths in Dialogue
Imprint: Resource Publications
254 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 x 0.51 in
- Paperback
- 9781666716191
- Published: November 2021
$31.00 / £25.00 / AU$48.00
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- 9781666716214
- Published: November 2021
$29.00 / £24.99 / AU$42.99
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While the steady increase of the religiously unaffiliated Nones in America has generated anxious responses about rising secularism and loss of national identity, this book suggests a wider meaning-making approach wherein the Nones are seen as valuable dialogue partners necessary in this pivotal moment for the revealing of still hidden truths about culture, spirituality, and religion. Christians who overhear this dialogue may find upon self-reflection an emerging truth about their relationships, embedded stories, level of faith development, and susceptibility to a culturally conditioned, transactional religion. Nones who choose to engage in dialogue may find that the "nothingness" they bring to the dialogue is more significant than they realize, revealing truths of an apophatic spiritual path necessary for generating a transformational faith of freedom and capable of rebalancing a divisive, consumer-driven society. The religious and the not-religious, who are often seen as being on opposite sides of an imagined religious threshold, may instead be seen as standing together in a liminal space that opens in wordless silence to yet unseen possibilities and from which emerge new stories aligned with the heart of Creation.
Thomas E. Rodgerson is a former assistant professor of pastoral counseling at Loyola University Maryland where he specialized in the integration of psychology and theology for the training of clinical counselors and educators, chaplains, and spiritual directors. He is currently a counselor with Centrepointe Counseling, focusing his work with clergy and their families. He is the author of Spirituality, Stress, and You and co-author of Companions in Hope: The Art of Christian Caring.
“The respectful tone in this book is as important as its brilliant contents. Because when you take knowledge and add humility, you get wisdom. And then when you take such wisdom and add it to compassion, you get love. And such love is at the heart of life . . . God is love. And so, I hope many will not only learn a great deal from what is said but also from how it has been presented.”
—Robert J. Wicks, author of Heartstorming: Creating a Place God Can Call Home
“In times of significant change like the present, people usually turn to religion to make meaning of what is happening. Yet Americans are increasingly turning away from religion. Rodgerson turns a sympathetic yet critical eye and ear toward the Nones in this carefully researched, compelling account of their growth and what it means for the future of church and society.”
—Curtis Ramsey-Lucas, editor, The Christian Citizen
“In an age of religious tumult and opportunity, Rodgerson employs the ancient technique of overhearing dialogue to introduce new ways of considering the Nones and the Christian traditions. This prophetic guide, solidly grounded in research and compassion, evidences how we can embrace religious difference and stand at the threshold of a new era to create a way for all to ‘drink at the well of essential nurture, of personal worth, of personal meaning, of love.’”
—Jill L. Snodgrass, Associate Professor of Theology, Loyola University Maryland
“Tom Rodgerson asks us to consider: ‘What is the shelf life of canned religion?’ It is a question of perennial quality; people of faith, and of no particular faith, must answer this question at some point. Rodgerson artfully, intellectually, and spiritually provides us with wise guidance to discover together the relevance of the Christian tradition to today’s spiritual seekers—inviting us to delve deeply, through dialogue, into the core of our potential for spiritual vitality.”
—Jesse Fox, Associate Professor, Stetson University