Inner Anarchy: Dethroning God and Jesus to Save Ourselves and the World

by Jim Palmer

One of the great spiritual writers of our times, Jim Palmer, is calling for anarchy – inner anarchy! Since 2005, Palmer has been exploring the terrain of spirituality beyond the mindsets of organized religion, and has written four books, including the widely acclaimed works, Divine Nobodies, and Notes from (Over) the Edge. In his provocative new book Inner Anarchy, Palmer shows how the Christian religion has twisted the true life and message of Jesus, and has preached a powerless gospel that is preventing millions of people from being free. He challenges the reader to inner anarchy, “We must dethrone and tear down the mindsets and ideologies that are ruling our world from within us and taking us further down a road of certain doom.”

Whether you are a Christian, Atheist, or whatever religious or spiritual background you may have, Palmer offers a hopeful place for all human beings to explore the possibility of birthing a new reality in our world. He writes, “Jesus announced the inauguration of a new age—the likes of which we have never seen but have dreamed of. His words are compelling and fascinating. He implied that this age is hidden in the human heart and is now ready to be birthed into existence. Jesus said it would come in the midst of great turmoil and would be led not by religious preachers and Bible scholars, but by those who open up their minds, become like a child and trust what is deep inside their hearts.”

“Inner Anarchy is not a book; it’s smelling salts.” – Jacob Byrne

“An admonition to the Christian church, an invitation to birth a new world, and a challenge to tear down what is ruling us from within.” – Maria Armstrong

“…brings God out of the sky to the center of our lives. Inner Anarchy shows the way to the future.” – Jim High

“It has changed everything I thought I knew about God.” – Byron Johnson

“Remember the sixties? Inner Anarchy could spark a movement that finishes the job!” – Carson Kavanagh

“Gritty. Deep. A message to rattle your cage, and change the world.” – Lucas Farrell

“... will speak to you at your core and trust the truths that lie within you.” – Reuben Goff

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, Spirituality

165 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 18, 2014

About the author

Jim Palmer a contemporary spiritual teacher and critically acclaimed author. As a spiritual director, Jim often works with people who are experiencing a crisis of faith or seeking to explore spirituality beyond the parameters of organized religion. As a speaker, educator and person in his community, Jim is a catalyst for interfaith dialogue and action. Regardless of one's religious, spiritual or philosophical background, Jim believes all people can find common ground and goodwill in their shared humanity, to work together in creating a more peaceful and just world.

Jim is an ordained minister, receiving his Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Divinity School in Chicago. After serving several years as the Senior Pastor of a non-denominational church, Jim left professional ministerial life on a quest for a more authentic spirituality, and has authored five books about his journey. In addition to writing, speaking and his spiritual direction practice, Jim is an adjunct professor in the areas of Ethics and Comparative Religion. He is the Co-Founder of the Nashville Humanist Association and is a certified Humanist Chaplain with the American Humanist Association.

For a season, Jim traveled abroad with an international human rights organization, witnessing firsthand, the exploitation and abuse of children through forced child prostitution and child slave labor.

Jim is a proud father of his daughter, Jessica. He loves animals and cares for three special needs pets of his own. He is an artist in the areas of poetry, abstract painting and photography. Jim is an explorer, you might find him running a trail, hiking to a summit or snapping photos in villages and cities throughout the world.

Since 2005 he has been chronicling his journey beginning with: Divine Nobodies: Shedding Religion to Find God (and the unlikely people who help you), and then Wide Open Spaces: Beyond Paint-by-Number Christianity. Jim has also written: Being Jesus in Nashville: Finding the Courage to Live Your Life (whoever and wherever you are); Notes from (Over) the Edge: Unmasking the Truth to End Your Suffering; and Inner Anarchy: Dethroning God and Jesus to Save Ourselves and the World.

Reviews

[Michael Donahoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

Another one of Jim's fine books that really make you think. I enjoyed reading his views, and although I have some issues with some of his ideas, it is a very thought provoking book. I agree with many of his thoughts, and even when disagreeing, I found myself thinking over what was said and asking God for truth and guidance. Read this book with an open mind, realizing we all have different thoughts and ideas, and none of us have it all figured out. We do have the Spirit living within us, we have the mind of Christ. Listen for His voice and let His truth arise from within you.

[Gary Gomes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'd like to be positive as I could. The author definitely had a clear issue with religious Orthodoxy in Christianity and that is definitely something we can agree on. That being said, the author continually denounced all Christians defining them all in a rigid manner that would seem to apply to those from a Fundamentalist perspective. He even made clear to attack Progressive Christians (full disclosure I consider myself a progressive Christian) using similar descriptions. I found that extremely ignorant. To make matters worse occasionally he described Christians as we suggesting at times he considered himself a Christian. To add further confusion he attacked all Christians as worshipping the Bible (again a distinct non-progressive perspective of the Bible) yet seemed to base all his opinions on selected Bible quotes. He used the term "Inner Anarchy" often, making me think he was getting paid by the amount of times he could reference the term, yet never offerred up a clear vision of what he truly meant by this. Apparently it had something to do with denouncing all Christianity while still relying on Christian documentation to bear out the point. In the end the only good thing I could say about this book was that it was short. Can't imagine bothering to pick up something else from this author. I believe you can get better/clearer perspectives from other authors. Wolsey if you are not fond of Christianity but want more input. Borg or Rohr if you would like better understandings of true progressive Christian thinking.

[Judy M Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

New ways of thinking and believing

Jim Palmer was a pastor and still uses his preacher voice of exhortation. You will find many exclamation mark in this book. But he makes a compelling case for rejecting religious constructs of Christianity. In their place a deep internal Spirit of knowing and feeling God within us. His idea is that the "true" Jesus was actually trying to teach this. Definitely heretical, and I liked it. Jim writes especially for those of us trying to escape religion, and who are trying to figure out where that leaves us. This book is from 2014 and his contemporary writings on Substack indicate great strides since then, talking about philosophy often. If you are curious as to "what is wrong in Christianity," I recommend this book.

[Jim Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

Another one of Jim's fine books that really make you think. I enjoyed reading his views, and although I have some issues with some of his ideas, it is a very thought provoking book. I agree with many of his thoughts, and even when disagreeing, I found myself thinking over what was said and asking God for truth and guidance. Read this book with an open mind, realizing we all have different thoughts and ideas, and none of us have it all figured out. We do have the Spirit living within us, we have the mind of Christ. Listen for His voice and let His truth arise from within you.

[Jim Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Articulate and valid identification of his thesis that God is not experienced in creeds or doctrines but in "intense feelings." The author doesn't clarify how one identifies whether the "intense feelings" are the real presence of God or simply the emotional response to one's circumstance. In Dickens' "Christmas Carol," Scrooge's first reaction to the appearance of Jacob Marley's ghost is, "You're nothing but a spot of mustard; a bit of undigested ham." That's about where Palmer leaves the reader.

[John Lucy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The very structure and control that Palmer rages against he tries to reinstitute. While rightly condemning a "god from the sky" theology, Palmer turns around and reclaims Jesus as the Son of God, just in a different way.

What Palmer unfortunately ignores, or avoids, is that many Christian theologians and pastors reject the same theology that Palmer does. Yet they don't need to reconstruct their own flimsy and shady structures.

The logic here is truly quite terrible.

[Alexandra Jenkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw a post about this book on Facebook. A great paragraph which inspired me to get the book. Unfortunately, that one paragraph summed up the whole content of the book and is just repeated in various forms again and again.

The idea is great but you can save yourself a lot of time if you just read that one paragraph.

[Riaan Swartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scarred and Bold at the same time...

Thankyou Jim Palmer, you bring metanoia moments that both scare the hell out of me and release the bold essence of who I truly are, a true son, releasing heaven on earth. Shalom.

[Sylvia Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enlightened and Affirmed

I've been following Jim on FB for a short while and his teachings resonate with me. I have been feeling like there is something more to life than just the same old ways and this book really puts those feelings into words.

[Dani Merrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and it brought me to tears several times with the practical ways we can be just like jesus and affect the lives of others without the confines of religion.

[T.S. Hottle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different take on leaving Christianity.

[Ruben · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is definitely not for the lightweight. It will probably be seen as an offense to the broader Christian community. It delves deeply into realms of religious teachings that have falsely created a God, a Jesus and afterlife that is completely inconsistent with the teachings of the person of Jesus.

Inner Anarchy provides its readers with a glimpse of the SPIRIT of Jesus' teachings. Given careful review and study of Jesus' teachings one cannot help but to realize the Christian community, like most religions, have tried to present a God that simply isn't what is deeply held and known at humanities deepest core.

Again, the lightweight will be disenchanted. The deeply religious will be highly offended and the Christian religious establishment may very well consider the books the greatest treason since Judas Iscariot.

I suspect that many will be curious to know what's the hoopla about this book. From pulpits across nations, warnings will be released and manipulative threats to congregants will be declared against the purchase and reading of this book. For some, clarion calls we be made to rebel against Jim Palmer, fearing that he's the devil, come to lead one astray. And so, they will come.

However, Inner Anarchy is not a guidebook. It's not a call to retreat. It's not a guru intended self-help manifesto. It is a journal that speaks to those who are courageous enough to proclaim inwardly "that enough, is enough" and who are bold enough to live from the heart and change a world.

[Ernie Marton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am forced to pick a star

I am glad his work is helping people. I finished it wanting more. I found it to read like any other evangelical book. Concepts, ideas that I can't sink my teeth into. When individual scriptures are pulled to support an idea that loses me. I am not sure how to express myself here except disappointed in the read. Anyway Jim is an author I am not. Loved "Divine Nobodies"

[Sticky Note Book Recs Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll come back and write a real review later wen I have time. I will say that I love books that challenge me and give me a lot to think about. And this book definitely did!