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The Sacredness of Questioning Everything
by
David Dark
Is Your God Big Enough to Be Questioned? The freedom to question is an indispensable and sacred practice that is absolutely vital to the health of our communities.According to author David Dark, when religion won't tolerate questions, objections, or differences of opinion, and when it only brings to the table threats of excommunication, violence, and hellfire, it obstructs...more
Paperback, 264 pages
Published
March 24th 2009
by Zondervan
(first published 2009)
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OK. I loved this book. A lot. The Sacredness of Questioning Everything made me reexamine pretty much everything that enters my head. I think about the music I listen to, the news stories I hear, the books I read, the speeches I attend, the sermons I listen to, the television programs I watch, the links people send me on Facebook — everything. Dark challenges the reader (specifically Christians, but I do think that most readers would like this book) to make sure they question what they are taking...more
Short review: I think the most important idea from this book is that we need to be open to questioning our ideas because we desire to be in relationships. If we are unable to question then we are unable to relate to those that are unlike us. Another very good section was on how we need to be able to laugh at ourselves and our beliefs. If we cannot laugh then we cannot really get to a point where we can look at what those beliefs really mean. It has 10 chapters, each about how to question a diffe...more
I've read a lot of Christian books, this one still remains a favorite for me. I'm not sure why but I think it has something to do with knowing the writer is an imperfect English teacher who listens to good music thinks about it and finds ideas about God within. I could drink tea or coffee with this guy. We could talk. Our conversations filled with what I think of as true community. That is what I feel this book is, a conversation. It's a conversation about one of the most important spiritual ide...more
I actually stopped reading this book because it made me feel like I was in a Dr.Culbertson religion class at SNU all over again. Frankly, I really don't need anyone to tell me its okay to question what we read (or don't read) in the Bible. I've questioned the way the Bible is interpreted for quite some time. And I feel it is fine. I don't believe that the Creator of the fucking UNIVERSE is going to care whether or not I believe He created it in 6 days or 4.6 billion years. I just don't think tho...more
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This book was a disappointment. David Dark makes a lot of good points, but I found his many examples to be distracting rather than enlightening. He veered a bit too far from the topic of questioning and into current pop culture, which, I'm sure was a good fit for much of his audience, but it wasn't for me.
I would rather he have used his more explicit themes as starting points and gone deeper rather than gone off onto other paths, as he seemed to do.
I longed for more "meat" and detail on quotes...more
I would rather he have used his more explicit themes as starting points and gone deeper rather than gone off onto other paths, as he seemed to do.
I longed for more "meat" and detail on quotes...more
I enjoyed the first chapter, but I had a hard time getting into the rest of the book and ended up not finishing it...which made me feel bad because I agree with the author's premise. Maybe it says more about me than about the book that, with so many other books to read, I didn't want to take the time to analyze what he was saying. I especially liked the discussion questions at the end of each chapter and his use of popular culture. I didn't like that it was so hard to follow where he was going w...more
I think I can say without any hyperbole that this is the most thought provoking book on Christianity I've ever read. I'm sure it has a lot to do with me and certain honest questions I have that are "unaskable" in a typical church setting, but any way you look at it this is a challenging book.
Paradoxically, one of the things I liked most about this book is that it's full of questions but doesn't really offer up any definitive answers, that's something you mostly have to work out for yourself. I f...more
Paradoxically, one of the things I liked most about this book is that it's full of questions but doesn't really offer up any definitive answers, that's something you mostly have to work out for yourself. I f...more
I highly recommend David Dark's latest book. It's woven together from personal anecdotes, scriptural phrases, and cultural artifacts in an entertaining and provocative manner. Take a look at the topics he delves into (taken from the table of contents) to whet your appetite:
Questioning God (Never What You Have in Mind)
Questioning Religion (The Unbearable Lightness of Being Brainwashed)
Questioning Our Offendedness (Everybody to the Limit)
Questioning Our Passions (Spot the Pervert)
Questioning Media...more
Questioning God (Never What You Have in Mind)
Questioning Religion (The Unbearable Lightness of Being Brainwashed)
Questioning Our Offendedness (Everybody to the Limit)
Questioning Our Passions (Spot the Pervert)
Questioning Media...more
I feel like I've been reading this book forever, and when I finally came to the last page, I had the sense that I was ending a conversation with a good friend. David Dark is an incredible thinker who puts ideas in such a way as to be challenging and evocative. Not one line of this book is filler or fluff. If you plan to read, be prepared to be seriously engaged. Dark questions media, God, government, the future, our passions, even our history, all in such a way that deepens one's faith and reall...more
if you are going to read this book, be prepared to be challenged on multiple levels. the book is not really a difficult read, but because of how deep it goes, it does require some focus in order for you to get the full impact of everything that David is saying, so be sure that you are not distracted while reading it.
If you apply the things in this book in your life, you will be changed (for the better!). It has given me a clearer picture of real compassion, justice, and a greater value for human...more
If you apply the things in this book in your life, you will be changed (for the better!). It has given me a clearer picture of real compassion, justice, and a greater value for human...more
There are times that I hesitate to venture into a realm where I'm concerned that I will be challenged and won't have a response. Starting this book was one of those times. But, the concern was immediately disappated as I found myself resonating with the premise of the book which is essentially the Socratic maxim, "The unexamined life is not worth living." David Dark gave examples from literature (he taught high school English) where he brought his points to life for his students through Shakespe...more
I read this as part of a book discussion group, and in that capacity, I might give it a 3, because I enjoyed the conversations that came out of it, but as a book itself, I may have quit reading it if I hadn't had the group to keep me turning the pages.
It feels very scattered and in need of a good editor. The copious examples distracted as often as they enlightened. It would have been nice to explore some of the topics in more depth and see the nuance, especially since as a book that's supposed t...more
It feels very scattered and in need of a good editor. The copious examples distracted as often as they enlightened. It would have been nice to explore some of the topics in more depth and see the nuance, especially since as a book that's supposed t...more
David Dark has several wonderful points to make in this book, but I feel like it is too similar to The Gospel According to America, which was better focused than this one. Still, the book was a great comfort to me during a hard time and I enjoyed it.
Apr 07, 2009
Kate
marked it as to-read
I am wicked excited about this book by my buddy David Dark. Buy it buy it buy it; read it read it read it! The ultimate goal is to get him on the Colbert Report where he can confound Stephen with wisdom and truth.
Thought provoking. Although it is hard to muddle through at times, if read honestly it will challenge your actions, beliefs, and religion in the best way. I wish I could get everyone to read it.
I really appreciated the link made between repentance and the ability to change your mind about what you believe.
Got bogged down by all the cultural references in some of the chapters...but really enjoyed most of it. This guy says some really awesome things, and writes well!
There are some great things about this book, and certainly the first few chapters are some of the best I've read on religion in ages. But sometimes David Dark's clever-clever writing style gets a bit much, and he's quite often guilty of overloading his sentences with cultural references. I agree with a lot of his points though, and the book is definitely worth reading for anyone who feels drawn to question the systems and surfaces that are generally accepted as 'normal' in our society.
Short review: I buy copies of this book in bulk from David to give away.
COULD NOT GET INTO IT! But - willing to try again.
I don't think I can express what this book meant to me. But in other words, it's easy to read, engaging, thoughtful, and deeply challenging.
Nov 30, 2009
Rebecca Stevens
added it
insightful, gracious religious/social commentary
This book talks about the importance of being able to question matters like why we believe what we believe, or not being afraid to question your own government instead of grasping at blind patriotism. Started out great, got really deep in the middle and a little hard to follow, and came back around at the end. Really had some great points mixed in with the author going on and on about stuff he's read that I really couldn't care less about.
Yes, indeed.
I like David Dark and I respect what he's getting at with this book, but I have to admit that I grew tired of his referential style about halfway through and gave up. Dark is a great writer, but some of his cultural illustrations felt forced at best, corny at worst. Ultimately he spent so much time trying to avoid forcing a viewpoint on his readers that the book ended up being about nothing at all.
Slow read for me but it's because other activities call out.
I don't know much about David Dark, but I really loved this book. I do believe in the blessing of questioning. Some of my best thoughts have come through re-examining what I believed to be true.
I believe that this would make for a good discussion book although it would probably offend a lot of people.
I believe that this would make for a good discussion book although it would probably offend a lot of people.
I really did like this book, though it was hard to understand at times, it really got me to actually start questioning things, even though some of those results upset quite a bit of people. I recommend it if you're up for a challenging book
Wow, I'm behind, I actually finished this book over a month ago. Anyway, it is really good. I like the author's insight to spirituality through questioning.
Nov 17, 2011
Kirsten
marked it as to-read
hmm. one of the FEW books that I didn't finish. Felt like a Master's Thesis. First 2 chapters ok, then the ideas seemed random, even self-contradictory. liked the concept, needed a better book.
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David Dark is the critically acclaimed author of "The Sacredness of Questioning Everything," "Everyday Apocalypse: The Sacred Revealed in Radiohead, The Simpsons, and Other Pop Culture Icons" and "The Gospel According To America: A Meditation on a God-blessed, Christ-haunted Idea." An educator, Dark is currently pursuing his PhD in Religious Studies at Vanderbilt University. He has had articles pu...more
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“Feeling offended is invigorating. Feeling offended is a reassuring sensation. It's easier than asking ourselves if the redeeming love of God is evident in the way we communicate with people.”
—
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