Abdication: God Steps Down for Good

by Will Callender Jr.

Monotheism, as known in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, seems to have reached a dead end from which no more generous view of humanity can be expected. Its view of man as a craven, fallen sinner in need of salvation and redemption by a heavenly father is insufficient to prevent man from destroying himself and endangering the planet. The suicide-bomber-with-nuclear-bomb ready to blow the planet to hell and kingdom come, is one image of this failure. Another is the end-times anticipator of apocalypse, rapture, judgment day, and a new heaven and earth. Ubiquitous holy wars are a third. On a planet where 1,750 million or more years of good living should lie before us, we have managed to fashion deadly scenarios of immediate crisis and death, and then expected God to intervene and save us. It’s been our game all along. We must clean up our own messes. God, with our thanks, should be allowed to abdicate, and retire from anthropoid form back into the physical world. Here, now, at the beginning of human history, humanity, with the help of science, needs to reinvent itself, reassess the meaning of life, and reconfigure its relationship to God.

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

Will is a husband, father, grandfather, educator, and senior citizen, with interests in photography, philosophy, literature, design, physics, astronomy, human nature, religion, and public policy.

With his wife Beverly, Will designs and sells Inkagraphs, high quality digital photographs enhanced by creative ink work. He is the photographer and Bev is the inkagrapher. They used to market these designs on products in three internet stores, but have given this up in favor of practicing the art. Inkagraph is the registered trademark for their products. One of their inkagraphs, Wave of Flowers, graces the cover of Will's book, Abdication: God Steps Down for Good.

Will is a graduate of Somerville, Mass High School (1954), Bates College (1958) and the University of Connecticut (Masters, 1960), (Doctorate 1967). He is Professor Emeritus of Adult Learning at the University of Southern Maine.

Will also taught Sociology at Clark University (1966-1970) and at the University of Maine at Machias (1970-1972). Will worked as a Senior Researcher for 10 years (1972-1982) at what is today the Muskie School of Public Policy at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.

Reviews

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting read. The author suggests we should be learning to rely on ourselves rather than God alone. That being said, the book doesn't discourage religion or God, but rather the idea that we should be encouraging humankind's potential, achievements and love.