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God Is Not a Christian, Nor a Jew, Muslim, Hindu...: God Dwells with Us, in Us, Around Us, as Us
The author of The Gospel of Inclusion continues to rouse organized religion as he raises controversial issues and provides enlightening answers to the deepest questions about God and faith.
What is God? Where is God? Who is the one true God? Questions such as these have driven a thousand human struggles, through war, terrorism, and oppression. Humanity has responded by branching off into multiple religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam—each one pitted against the other. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
In God Is Not a Christian, nor a Jew, Muslim, Hindu . . . , the provocative and acclaimed Bishop Carlton Pearson follows up on his celebrated first book, The Gospel of Inclusion , to tackle these questions and many more, exploring new ideas about God and faith and putting forth the stunning assertion that God belongs to no particular religion but is an ever-loving presence available to all. For these beliefs, Bishop Pearson lost his thriving Pentecostal ministry but was catapulted instead into a greater pulpit. His readership has grown through appearances on national television and an extensive speaking schedule. With the world in the midst of a holy war, there is no better time for the wisdom of Bishop Pearson to reach a global audience.
Bishop Pearson’s many loyal fans, along with new readers, will surely welcome this provocative and eye-opening exploration of a deeper faith, one that goes far beyond any fundamentalist way of thinking, be it Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc. Simply put, Bishop Pearson dares to tell the truth so many others are too afraid to face.
What is God? Where is God? Who is the one true God? Questions such as these have driven a thousand human struggles, through war, terrorism, and oppression. Humanity has responded by branching off into multiple religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam—each one pitted against the other. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
In God Is Not a Christian, nor a Jew, Muslim, Hindu . . . , the provocative and acclaimed Bishop Carlton Pearson follows up on his celebrated first book, The Gospel of Inclusion , to tackle these questions and many more, exploring new ideas about God and faith and putting forth the stunning assertion that God belongs to no particular religion but is an ever-loving presence available to all. For these beliefs, Bishop Pearson lost his thriving Pentecostal ministry but was catapulted instead into a greater pulpit. His readership has grown through appearances on national television and an extensive speaking schedule. With the world in the midst of a holy war, there is no better time for the wisdom of Bishop Pearson to reach a global audience.
Bishop Pearson’s many loyal fans, along with new readers, will surely welcome this provocative and eye-opening exploration of a deeper faith, one that goes far beyond any fundamentalist way of thinking, be it Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc. Simply put, Bishop Pearson dares to tell the truth so many others are too afraid to face.
304 pages, Paperback
First published March 18, 2010
44 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 3, 2016
I am proud to belong to a church where this man preaches. This book has been a mind and eye opener for me.
April 6, 2010
While I am neither a Pentecostal nor evangelical of any sort, I found this book filled with revolutionary knowledge, much as can be found in my work. I wish, however, that it would have been a little more technical, but considering its primary audience I would have to admit that it does it job well and sufficiently. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to understand God in a more complete and holistic way than has been the norm for orthodox religion for the past few millennium(!).
March 22, 2022
Wow. I consider myself an atheist (though maybe after reading this I should identify as closer to agnostic on the a-religious spectrum), but this book really resonated with me. Lines like:
The ideas of transcendent, united divinity and the Christ Consciousness were incredibly fascinating and eye-opening. To be enlightened to the pure and beautiful core of all faiths was humbling - though of course now I put all my disdain on ultra-evangelicals -- but like... does this man not have a point, that institutionalized religion is a weapon to subdue and control the masses and it uses people's own human-ness (flaws, shortcomings, missteps - i.e., sinfulness ) against them? and in their minds, how can Christ be and embody love while simultaneously hating/condemning to hell so many weirdly specific and targeted groups of folks?
But anyway. The ideas expressed by Bishop Pearson echoed sentiments I'd seen in texts on religion/faith and the environment: God as the force that unites everything, as a force expressed in and through everything on earth and beyond, not hindered or limited by stereotypical Western patriarchal anthropomorphic representations. So I did vibe with this book pretty heavily,
I find this to be the most satisfactory view of God, as a force and/or source that is beyond human understanding. (xix)
We have created this child's God, the white-bearded father living in the sky, in our own image rather than the other way around. (23)
In giving the devil form, we commit the same error (and terror) we commit in making God a bearded, white, angry, and suspicious wizard in the sky, and Jesus a loving but judgmental superhero: we take the transcendent and make it anthropomorphic. (66)
As an Inclusionist, I find it both important and necessary to entertain the validity of an uncontained, unrestrained reality called God, a God that expresses Itself in all states, things, and beings.... God is everything. (137)
The ideas of transcendent, united divinity and the Christ Consciousness were incredibly fascinating and eye-opening. To be enlightened to the pure and beautiful core of all faiths was humbling - though of course now I put all my disdain on ultra-evangelicals -- but like... does this man not have a point, that institutionalized religion is a weapon to subdue and control the masses and it uses people's own human-ness (flaws, shortcomings, missteps - i.e., sinfulness ) against them? and in their minds, how can Christ be and embody love while simultaneously hating/condemning to hell so many weirdly specific and targeted groups of folks?
...this entire concept runs counter to the benevolence and mercy of the God that most of these same people profess to believe in, worship, and serve. Those who relish the vengeance of hell are living a religious lie of confusing and self-contradicting duality. (53)
But anyway. The ideas expressed by Bishop Pearson echoed sentiments I'd seen in texts on religion/faith and the environment: God as the force that unites everything, as a force expressed in and through everything on earth and beyond, not hindered or limited by stereotypical Western patriarchal anthropomorphic representations. So I did vibe with this book pretty heavily,
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December 12, 2020Shaking up of my beliefs
After watching the video ‘Come Sunday’, my curiosity was awakened. I wanted to know more and consider the questions that were broached. There is much to think about as the very essence of my beliefs have been shaken. Whether I change and move into a different spiritual reality is yet to be lived through.
After watching the video ‘Come Sunday’, my curiosity was awakened. I wanted to know more and consider the questions that were broached. There is much to think about as the very essence of my beliefs have been shaken. Whether I change and move into a different spiritual reality is yet to be lived through.
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November 13, 2023I love this book
February 20, 2012
Not nearly as well written as his earlier "The Gospel of Inclusion," which I would recommend instead.
December 16, 2013
I suppose it confused me more than anything else. I guess I wanted it to challenge some of the traditions I grew up with but in the end I think it just removed all my direction.
August 9, 2014
Written for evangelical Christians only it seems; if you're not quaking in fear of God and Hell then pass on this one.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews