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A Replacement for Religion
A thought-provoking book that helps us adapt the best parts of religion to fit our modern day lives.
Whether or not we believe in religion, many of us feel drawn toward a spiritual life. Maybe we love cathedral architecture, Mozart's Requiem, or Buddhist literature.
The School of Life is a secular organization fascinated by the gaps left in modern society by the gradual disappearance of religion. They're interested in how hard it is to find a sense of community, why rituals are dying out, and when we crave the solemn quiet only found in religious buildings. This book lays out how we might absorb the best lessons of religion, update them for our times and incorporate them into our daily lives and societies-without taking on the theological or doctrinal elements.
Whether or not we believe in religion, many of us feel drawn toward a spiritual life. Maybe we love cathedral architecture, Mozart's Requiem, or Buddhist literature.
The School of Life is a secular organization fascinated by the gaps left in modern society by the gradual disappearance of religion. They're interested in how hard it is to find a sense of community, why rituals are dying out, and when we crave the solemn quiet only found in religious buildings. This book lays out how we might absorb the best lessons of religion, update them for our times and incorporate them into our daily lives and societies-without taking on the theological or doctrinal elements.
148 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 22, 2019
55 people are currently reading
904 people want to read
About the author
The School of Life
173 books3,130 followersThe School of Life is a global organisation helping people lead more fulfilled lives.
We believe that the journey to finding fulfilment begins with self-knowledge. It is only when we have a sense of who we really are that we can make reliable decisions, particularly around love and work.
Sadly, tools and techniques for developing self-knowledge and finding fulfilment are hard to find – they’re not taught in schools, in universities, or in workplaces. Too many of us go through life without ever really understanding what’s going on in the recesses of our minds.
That’s why we created The School of Life; a resource for helping us understand ourselves, for improving our relationships, our careers and our social lives - as well as for helping us find calm and get more out of our leisure hours. We do this through films, workshops, books and gifts - as well as through a warm and supportive community.
We believe that the journey to finding fulfilment begins with self-knowledge. It is only when we have a sense of who we really are that we can make reliable decisions, particularly around love and work.
Sadly, tools and techniques for developing self-knowledge and finding fulfilment are hard to find – they’re not taught in schools, in universities, or in workplaces. Too many of us go through life without ever really understanding what’s going on in the recesses of our minds.
That’s why we created The School of Life; a resource for helping us understand ourselves, for improving our relationships, our careers and our social lives - as well as for helping us find calm and get more out of our leisure hours. We do this through films, workshops, books and gifts - as well as through a warm and supportive community.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 3, 2020
A wholesome book with ideas that are very relevant to today's society. It's not an easy task to design rituals that could replace religion as it is, yet The school of Life has done an impressive job in trying. Looking forward to see how these ideas develop.
January 21, 2020
I wish I was able to award this book 5 stars because I am a fan of the authors and have been been intrigued by this idea for some time.
In the past 50 years in Australia, the proportion of the population that identify as having no religion has increased from <1% to over 25% of the population. My sense is that many of the people that state that they are some variant of Christian on the national census just do so because their mother told them that's how their family identify, but are not an active member of a Church unless they are having a baby, getting married or dead.
I have been frustrated by people that dismiss all world religions as worthless, or as Dawkins would try to convince you, a net negative influence on the world, because their followers believe in ghosts and incite hatred and war.
The way that I see it, the stories and rituals of world religions have been distilled over thousands of years to produce sources of deep and complex wisdom through community rituals that help guide people towards how to thrive in a community. You don't need to believe that Jesus was actually the son of the creator of the universe, performed miracles and rose from the dead to find philosophical and psychological value in Biblical stories.
Anyway, to the book. The authors admit in the conclusion that the purpose of this book is not be conclusive, but rather to kick-start reflection and action on the gap left in our communities left by religion. If focuses on the "ills of modernity" as the consequence of living in essentially secular humanist societies. Without giving away spoilers, I believe that the ills that they identify are certainly sources of much subconscious negative emotion in modern lives. Raising awareness of these modern ills (and regularly reminding them through ritual) would certainly improve overall well being.
I think that the authors should have focused more on narrative and stories to transmit distilled ancient wisdom - the book recommends identifying modern saints that have lived their lives well in spite of the described ills. I suppose that their stories can be through books, film etc. However, I think that this would fall short of the potential of transmitting the message through narrative. The stories may already exist, but might need to be interpreted by a secular priest! e.g. The Lion King, Pinocchio, Pocahontas all contain quite deep subliminal wisdom if you re-watch them as an adult.
My main gripe is that the proposed replacement for religion too negative. There is a repeated emphasis on accepting that humans are flawed. Deeply and irreconcilably. Sure, lowering expectations makes it easier to feel acceptable. We do all make mistakes. But the salvation of world religions not just provided by unveiling our innate brokenness, but in offering an ideal to aspire to. We need to be constantly reminded of what we should be aiming at. We need a Jesus Christ for the modern world. If we are regularly told a story of a character that is humble, compassionate, loving, gratuitous etc, it provides us with a target to aim for.
It is an awesome concept - and they have made a start. They have, however, based it on their own philosophy and previous writings, rather than doing the hard yards of thoroughly studying and modernising the great world religions.
In the past 50 years in Australia, the proportion of the population that identify as having no religion has increased from <1% to over 25% of the population. My sense is that many of the people that state that they are some variant of Christian on the national census just do so because their mother told them that's how their family identify, but are not an active member of a Church unless they are having a baby, getting married or dead.
I have been frustrated by people that dismiss all world religions as worthless, or as Dawkins would try to convince you, a net negative influence on the world, because their followers believe in ghosts and incite hatred and war.
The way that I see it, the stories and rituals of world religions have been distilled over thousands of years to produce sources of deep and complex wisdom through community rituals that help guide people towards how to thrive in a community. You don't need to believe that Jesus was actually the son of the creator of the universe, performed miracles and rose from the dead to find philosophical and psychological value in Biblical stories.
Anyway, to the book. The authors admit in the conclusion that the purpose of this book is not be conclusive, but rather to kick-start reflection and action on the gap left in our communities left by religion. If focuses on the "ills of modernity" as the consequence of living in essentially secular humanist societies. Without giving away spoilers, I believe that the ills that they identify are certainly sources of much subconscious negative emotion in modern lives. Raising awareness of these modern ills (and regularly reminding them through ritual) would certainly improve overall well being.
I think that the authors should have focused more on narrative and stories to transmit distilled ancient wisdom - the book recommends identifying modern saints that have lived their lives well in spite of the described ills. I suppose that their stories can be through books, film etc. However, I think that this would fall short of the potential of transmitting the message through narrative. The stories may already exist, but might need to be interpreted by a secular priest! e.g. The Lion King, Pinocchio, Pocahontas all contain quite deep subliminal wisdom if you re-watch them as an adult.
My main gripe is that the proposed replacement for religion too negative. There is a repeated emphasis on accepting that humans are flawed. Deeply and irreconcilably. Sure, lowering expectations makes it easier to feel acceptable. We do all make mistakes. But the salvation of world religions not just provided by unveiling our innate brokenness, but in offering an ideal to aspire to. We need to be constantly reminded of what we should be aiming at. We need a Jesus Christ for the modern world. If we are regularly told a story of a character that is humble, compassionate, loving, gratuitous etc, it provides us with a target to aim for.
It is an awesome concept - and they have made a start. They have, however, based it on their own philosophy and previous writings, rather than doing the hard yards of thoroughly studying and modernising the great world religions.
July 28, 2020
Not at all what I expected. Instead of a treatise on why religion no longer serves society and what has risen up to take its place, this book is more like a lament on the demise of religion and a reluctant suggestion for how to incorporate all the trappings of religion into secular life. NO THANKS. The authors are under the impression that secular society lacks inspiration, connection, awe and wonder, honorable people to look up to, and on and on and on - guess they haven't been paying attention, because it's not difficult to find all of those and more. The authors also want to drum it into your head incessantly that you are "broken" and "sad" and all sorts of other belittling ideas (wow, just like religion does!) - NOPE. We may all be works in progress, but there is nothing inherently WRONG with each of us - certainly nothing that requires submission to some other person or being to overcome. That's a road map for gaslighting and abuse, not for transcendence.
November 8, 2022
Is the book true?
Yes
Is what it says necessary?
Yes
Is it profound?
Unfortunately, no.
What the book attempts to do is noble; to present the ways modernity has failed to come up with proper replacements for the holes left by global waves of deconversion. It’s true that while we are better off in many ways for living in atheist societies, we are living in an extremely novel society and thus there are errors which we still need to work out. However… the book barely scratches the surface of how we can approach the task of filling these holes, and unfortunately it seems to me that the same breadth and depth could be written in a blog post or two instead of needing a whole book to talk circles around certain topics. Regardless, for those who have read the book, it is up to them (or us) to fulfill the call to action proposed in the book.
Yes
Is what it says necessary?
Yes
Is it profound?
Unfortunately, no.
What the book attempts to do is noble; to present the ways modernity has failed to come up with proper replacements for the holes left by global waves of deconversion. It’s true that while we are better off in many ways for living in atheist societies, we are living in an extremely novel society and thus there are errors which we still need to work out. However… the book barely scratches the surface of how we can approach the task of filling these holes, and unfortunately it seems to me that the same breadth and depth could be written in a blog post or two instead of needing a whole book to talk circles around certain topics. Regardless, for those who have read the book, it is up to them (or us) to fulfill the call to action proposed in the book.
November 14, 2019
This is not an easy book to review as it's full of food for thought and you need to "grock" it before being able to write something meaningful.
I recommend it because it well written and full of interesting reflections.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I recommend it because it well written and full of interesting reflections.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
October 19, 2023
Surely it is naïve to think that one could just ‘replace’ religion with a non-supernatural version that maintains the aesthetically and psychologically good bits. And yet this is what the book attempts to do, despite the warning lessons provided by historical precedents.
The School of Life author, sounding suspiciously like Alain De Botton, diagnoses the various ills of modernity before providing a corresponding antidote, or consolation, for each one. In response to the modern quest for ‘perfectibility’ we are encouraged to accept and explore our ‘brokenness’. For the inevitable disappointment engendered by modern ‘optimism’, we are consoled by the universality of ‘melancholy’ (“a noble species of sadness that arises when we are open to the fact that life is inherently difficult for everyone and that suffering and disappointment are at the heart of human experience”). The prestige of ‘individualism’ is countered with a consideration of ‘dependence’; for modernity’s expectation of ‘exceptionalism’, we are urged to celebrate the ‘ordinary life’. For modern ‘meritocracy’ there is classical ‘tragedy’; for self-absorbed ‘anthropocentrism’, the manifestations of ‘transcendence’. Romantic notions of love and marriage are brought down to earth through the measure of ‘good enough’. And for modernity’s fascination with ‘novelty’, we are reminded that what goes around, comes around (recurrence).
I suspect that the ills of pre-modernity such as pox, plague and persecution were probably far worse than the faults of modernity. Still, there are some really good insights and passages which I’ve noted. One reviewer observed that while the topics addressed in the book are true and necessary, there is not much that is profound. Possibly. But with universally human themes what may be required is not more profundity, but the ability to remember and practice the lessons we are forever learning but then forgetting. The author makes this point quite well. Revisiting old themes on a regular basis aims to “turn our theoretical allegiances into habits”.
Nevertheless, the book becomes tedious by applying each and every consolation to various forms of expression found in various religions. So, because religions have traditionally excelled in architecture, the author proposes ‘a temple for brokenness’, ‘a temple for melancholy’, ‘a temple for dependence’, ‘a temple for ordinariness’ (i.e., most Lutheran churches), and so on for ‘tragedy’, ‘transcendence’, ‘good enough’ and ‘recurrence’. The same eight consolations are applied to Art, Community and Saints. As I said, quite tedious.
However, I did start considering some new applications. Why not the consolations of clothing? We could pull on the socks of transcendence to remind us how puny human feet really are when compared to, say, a large whale, or the Helix Nebula. When surrounded by a sea of smiling faces, the underpants of melancholy would provide a gentle and discreet pouch for our secret burdens. The polyester slacks of tragedy. And so on.
Speaking of style, the book is a contradiction. While emphasizing the ordinary and everyday, the tone assumes a cultured and a well-read audience likely to be found pondering a Constable in the National Gallery, or pensively turning the pages of Turgenev, on their day off. Looking like an old-style minister’s prayer book (which I liked), I get the feeling the author/editor has perhaps not read the contemporary room (which I am not in).
Nowhere is the pedantic and cerebral tone emphasized more than in the proposed rituals in the final section: The Credo, The School Dinner, The Gathering, The Wedding, The Funeral. As an exercise in relational therapy, there are some helpful passages. But as ritual “interventions” they are truly awful. Ritual isn’t about explaining everything (leave that to the address), and it isn’t about baring the souls of the participants (good ritual respects anonymity). Most communal rituals don’t even demand absolute cognizance of what’s going on. But the psychologically engineered rituals in this book are weird at best and harmful at worst.
Consider The Gathering “in which strangers and friends gather and ask each other the following questions in a spirit of friendship, genuine enquiry, deep listening and radical honesty”.
“In what ways is your partner (or an ex) quite annoying?”
“What’s tricky about sex?”
“In what ways are you neurotic?”
“Tell your dinner companion a bit secret about yourself?”
“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”
“Describe your discovery of masturbation”
“How much do you earn?”
Yep, no problems here at all.
The School of Life author, sounding suspiciously like Alain De Botton, diagnoses the various ills of modernity before providing a corresponding antidote, or consolation, for each one. In response to the modern quest for ‘perfectibility’ we are encouraged to accept and explore our ‘brokenness’. For the inevitable disappointment engendered by modern ‘optimism’, we are consoled by the universality of ‘melancholy’ (“a noble species of sadness that arises when we are open to the fact that life is inherently difficult for everyone and that suffering and disappointment are at the heart of human experience”). The prestige of ‘individualism’ is countered with a consideration of ‘dependence’; for modernity’s expectation of ‘exceptionalism’, we are urged to celebrate the ‘ordinary life’. For modern ‘meritocracy’ there is classical ‘tragedy’; for self-absorbed ‘anthropocentrism’, the manifestations of ‘transcendence’. Romantic notions of love and marriage are brought down to earth through the measure of ‘good enough’. And for modernity’s fascination with ‘novelty’, we are reminded that what goes around, comes around (recurrence).
I suspect that the ills of pre-modernity such as pox, plague and persecution were probably far worse than the faults of modernity. Still, there are some really good insights and passages which I’ve noted. One reviewer observed that while the topics addressed in the book are true and necessary, there is not much that is profound. Possibly. But with universally human themes what may be required is not more profundity, but the ability to remember and practice the lessons we are forever learning but then forgetting. The author makes this point quite well. Revisiting old themes on a regular basis aims to “turn our theoretical allegiances into habits”.
Nevertheless, the book becomes tedious by applying each and every consolation to various forms of expression found in various religions. So, because religions have traditionally excelled in architecture, the author proposes ‘a temple for brokenness’, ‘a temple for melancholy’, ‘a temple for dependence’, ‘a temple for ordinariness’ (i.e., most Lutheran churches), and so on for ‘tragedy’, ‘transcendence’, ‘good enough’ and ‘recurrence’. The same eight consolations are applied to Art, Community and Saints. As I said, quite tedious.
However, I did start considering some new applications. Why not the consolations of clothing? We could pull on the socks of transcendence to remind us how puny human feet really are when compared to, say, a large whale, or the Helix Nebula. When surrounded by a sea of smiling faces, the underpants of melancholy would provide a gentle and discreet pouch for our secret burdens. The polyester slacks of tragedy. And so on.
Speaking of style, the book is a contradiction. While emphasizing the ordinary and everyday, the tone assumes a cultured and a well-read audience likely to be found pondering a Constable in the National Gallery, or pensively turning the pages of Turgenev, on their day off. Looking like an old-style minister’s prayer book (which I liked), I get the feeling the author/editor has perhaps not read the contemporary room (which I am not in).
Nowhere is the pedantic and cerebral tone emphasized more than in the proposed rituals in the final section: The Credo, The School Dinner, The Gathering, The Wedding, The Funeral. As an exercise in relational therapy, there are some helpful passages. But as ritual “interventions” they are truly awful. Ritual isn’t about explaining everything (leave that to the address), and it isn’t about baring the souls of the participants (good ritual respects anonymity). Most communal rituals don’t even demand absolute cognizance of what’s going on. But the psychologically engineered rituals in this book are weird at best and harmful at worst.
Consider The Gathering “in which strangers and friends gather and ask each other the following questions in a spirit of friendship, genuine enquiry, deep listening and radical honesty”.
“In what ways is your partner (or an ex) quite annoying?”
“What’s tricky about sex?”
“In what ways are you neurotic?”
“Tell your dinner companion a bit secret about yourself?”
“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”
“Describe your discovery of masturbation”
“How much do you earn?”
Yep, no problems here at all.
June 7, 2020
Won as part of a GoodReads giveaway.
Interesting book. Discussed the need for secularists to find ways to create a community much like religion does. People seek community, which is frequently why they stay in religious groups, since religion provides for that need.
The non-religious "rituals" made for some interesting ideas, and would probably work for more group minded folks. They were well-written, not overdone, and easily workable.
Review posted on GoodReads and Amazon.
Interesting book. Discussed the need for secularists to find ways to create a community much like religion does. People seek community, which is frequently why they stay in religious groups, since religion provides for that need.
The non-religious "rituals" made for some interesting ideas, and would probably work for more group minded folks. They were well-written, not overdone, and easily workable.
Review posted on GoodReads and Amazon.
February 26, 2023
Not so shure.
December 7, 2020
Thought-provoking book but some parts were so cheesy. I like the intention behind it though. I would still recommend, hence the 4 stars. Even though the literary merit is low, there is a strong philosophical basis grounding this book.
Basically the premise is that while we're becoming more secular and don't believe in supernatural things anymore, there are some bits of religion (especially ritual, art and architecture) that helps to both ground us and create a sense of transcendence.
I like it enough I might consider a copy for my Limited Library. But you must still read it with a critical eye. Don't take the title too literally.
Basically the premise is that while we're becoming more secular and don't believe in supernatural things anymore, there are some bits of religion (especially ritual, art and architecture) that helps to both ground us and create a sense of transcendence.
I like it enough I might consider a copy for my Limited Library. But you must still read it with a critical eye. Don't take the title too literally.
January 25, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ebook copy of this for advanced review!
This is really not very different from 'Religion for Atheists,' which I think came out from the School of Life a few years ago. Some of the sections are incredibly close to what was written there, if not copied verbatim. I still agree wholeheartedly that there really is not enough awe, reverence, compassion, empathy, and honest human connection in our world, and also that belief in supernatural forces should not be a requirement to feel any of those things. Religion has managed to address these concerns to varying degrees of success, and maybe our modern secular world can learn a thing or two when it comes to these needs we all have.
This is really not very different from 'Religion for Atheists,' which I think came out from the School of Life a few years ago. Some of the sections are incredibly close to what was written there, if not copied verbatim. I still agree wholeheartedly that there really is not enough awe, reverence, compassion, empathy, and honest human connection in our world, and also that belief in supernatural forces should not be a requirement to feel any of those things. Religion has managed to address these concerns to varying degrees of success, and maybe our modern secular world can learn a thing or two when it comes to these needs we all have.
December 20, 2019
In a secular mindset it is very easy to dismiss religion. This book provides an excellent basis on which to take a different perspective and understand the benefits that religion brings to our society and community. It also offers a methodology to recreate these benefits outside of a traditional religious practice. Following these guidelines will produce a much greater sense of personal awareness. This is well worth a read.
June 19, 2022
Not sure why this has bad ratings. It gives you exactly what you need - it is not a lamentation of religion but more a recognition of some of the positives it has brought societies and how those can be sustained from a secular lens
March 23, 2025
2.5*
I think there are some really interesting arguments- namely there is a great elucidation of how religions promote their cause- through art, architecture, and so on.
I also think the points regarding modern ills are valid. BUT here also lies the first problem- it's sort of too specific. If you were to craft such a specific message, and even worse, the author decides to do an exact emulation of religious elements (but minus the supernatural parts), onto his eight ideals, it seems an awful lot like a new religion. Which is arguably a cult.
There need not be fixed values- there can be universal ones, but defining them and nailing them down for the sake of forming a new institution sort of defeats the purpose. I think it also goes against the spirit of secularism or humanism. Not that it's really a big deal.
I think a bigger problem is that there are benefits of religion, and they have been explained well- but they are largely independent of this proposed ideology. Also, there is some bias imo- A lot of comparisons are with respect to Catholicism, such as the chapters about saints and priests.
Overall, still worth reading imo
I think there are some really interesting arguments- namely there is a great elucidation of how religions promote their cause- through art, architecture, and so on.
I also think the points regarding modern ills are valid. BUT here also lies the first problem- it's sort of too specific. If you were to craft such a specific message, and even worse, the author decides to do an exact emulation of religious elements (but minus the supernatural parts), onto his eight ideals, it seems an awful lot like a new religion. Which is arguably a cult.
There need not be fixed values- there can be universal ones, but defining them and nailing them down for the sake of forming a new institution sort of defeats the purpose. I think it also goes against the spirit of secularism or humanism. Not that it's really a big deal.
I think a bigger problem is that there are benefits of religion, and they have been explained well- but they are largely independent of this proposed ideology. Also, there is some bias imo- A lot of comparisons are with respect to Catholicism, such as the chapters about saints and priests.
Overall, still worth reading imo
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2025
A Replacement for Religion proposes a solution to a problem but doesn’t want explain what issues the loss of religion causes for us aside from some of early stated facts.
The highlight is the virtues that we need in our life to be happy and i appreciate how much each subsequent chapter goes back to these creeds and explains how architecture or saints can still exist in a secular way.
A personal revelation was had during the Priestly Function chapter. Perhaps my experience of therapy has caused me to align my views to those being spoken about here but this really hit me hard and brilliantly. The idea of conspicuous confession is one that sits with me still.
Sadly though not much is delivered in depth that serves more than you would get from A short introduction to secularism.
A book for a paradoxical humanist, the individually cursed and the modern norm of lonely.
The highlight is the virtues that we need in our life to be happy and i appreciate how much each subsequent chapter goes back to these creeds and explains how architecture or saints can still exist in a secular way.
A personal revelation was had during the Priestly Function chapter. Perhaps my experience of therapy has caused me to align my views to those being spoken about here but this really hit me hard and brilliantly. The idea of conspicuous confession is one that sits with me still.
Sadly though not much is delivered in depth that serves more than you would get from A short introduction to secularism.
A book for a paradoxical humanist, the individually cursed and the modern norm of lonely.
October 29, 2024
I believe that the over-arching belief of those who wrote this book is good. It is a belief which I share, as somebody who is "comfortably agnostic".
But the execution, in some of the ideas presented and in some more of the details, leaves a lot to be desired. I have finished the book yet my opinions (and perceived options) regarding filling the hole which lack of religion has left in my life have not been dramatically altered.
There were some parts, and some quotes, which I enjoyed greatly; there were also parts which it felt I was simply "getting through".
If you are interested in the premise, I do believe it to be a worthwhile read, although perhaps not as formative as the authors hoped it to be.
But the execution, in some of the ideas presented and in some more of the details, leaves a lot to be desired. I have finished the book yet my opinions (and perceived options) regarding filling the hole which lack of religion has left in my life have not been dramatically altered.
There were some parts, and some quotes, which I enjoyed greatly; there were also parts which it felt I was simply "getting through".
If you are interested in the premise, I do believe it to be a worthwhile read, although perhaps not as formative as the authors hoped it to be.
December 19, 2022
first half of the book i truly loved it, and found it lived up to everything i wanted it to be in terms of locating the ways in which an atheist/agnostic society fails to fill certain human needs. once it got to giving recommendations for tradition and rituals to replace religious ones, i found my self turned off. many of the rituals bring back the concept of telling people who they are and what they need. they bind people with monthly sessions. it feels sort of new-age cult-like. there were definitely many parts i still liked in that second half though.
October 3, 2023
I was positively surprised by this book and have gained so much understanding of our reality through it. I found myself agreeing with most of the core ideas and proposals however I missed talk around setting and accepting boundaries when it comes to interpersonal relationships and specially partnerships. Accepting that your partner won’t be perfect and that’s good enough is a great premise, just not something that applies in every single context, and I was hoping the chapter would go a level deeper in that regard
June 28, 2020
If you've already read Alain de Botton's Religion for Atheists, then you'll have already been exposed to much of what is covered here. The notable exceptions are the reimagined ceremonies (secular weddings and funerals) contained at the end of the book. If you're not sure you want to commit to reading this, or any work by The School of Life, I'd recommend checking out their YouTube channel or website first.
I won a Kindle version of this book on Goodreads.
I won a Kindle version of this book on Goodreads.
December 17, 2019
After a decent introduction and debatable first two chapters the book swiftly and confidently transforms into a bible and liturgy for secularism that steals conservative principles from religions, especially monotheistic ones. So, out of 180-something pages I scanned the last, what, 150 pages? And found nothing worth highlighting.
December 5, 2020
I was skeptical when I selected this book, but ended up being very human and empathetic. It is thoughtful and practical and not anti-religion at all. In fact, it felt just the opposite. It has actually made me feel less anxious about religion and more accepting of what I accept from religion, if that makes sense.
June 4, 2020
These authors aren't rational! Can't they see in their thesis of claiming to replace religion is actually a religious dogma they're creating!
January 20, 2023
Didn't love it, but can't say it doesn't make you think about some problems of our society.
August 14, 2023
Probably one of my favourites bro much consolations
January 7, 2024
Difficult to read in a digital format. Thought provoking, but too poetic for the content; main ideas are described beautifully and pleasantly but not in much detail.
March 12, 2025
Insightful overall but some conepts were very repetitive. The last part with the questions could be a turned into a game.
July 3, 2021
This was a decent book that explored an interesting topic: how to keep all of the meaningful pieces of religion, while avoiding some of the negative results of dogma.
The introduction explored the thoughts and origins of the topic, which was very interesting. The end of the book contains a number of proposed "religious" rituals that could replace those practiced by modern day religions. The middle of the book, however, dragged on a bit, very much in the style of a School of Life product.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic for sure, but I wouldn't recommend this to just anybody.
The introduction explored the thoughts and origins of the topic, which was very interesting. The end of the book contains a number of proposed "religious" rituals that could replace those practiced by modern day religions. The middle of the book, however, dragged on a bit, very much in the style of a School of Life product.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic for sure, but I wouldn't recommend this to just anybody.
July 21, 2021
An amazing insight into the human condition in the 21st century. Brimming with new ideas and concepts that are designed to address the ways in which we all hurt. While definitely not conclusive, it offers immense food for thought.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews