God Without Religion: Questioning Centuries Of Accepted Truths

by Sankara Saranam

In a groundbreaking approach to today’s tough spiritual and social dilemmas, God Without Religion , with a foreword by Arun Gandhi, offers an intelligent and compassionate bridge from dogmatic belief systems to progressive spirituality. Sankara Saranam shows why organized religion has long been the cause of humanity’s worst wars and most acute suffering—then guides us beyond our divisive history into more expansive perceptions capable of creating a unified, peaceful future. Through a series of penetrating inquiries and practices, readers are invited to examine their beliefs, explore the nature of the divine, and develop personal knowledge of God.

Genres: Religion, Spirituality, Philosophy, Nonfiction

283 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Sarah Pangloss]

As a lifetime "seeker," this is a wonderful book for those who have grown disillusioned with organized religion. Yes, God can be discovered on one's own - and not be dictated by formal dogma and theology! It's really quite simple with this guide to help develop a personal realtionship with "God",or the "higher power". Highly recommended!!

[Cliff]

Should be titled "God Without Western Religion"

[Pamela]

Hugely influential book in my life, as well as affirming the direction of my own spiritual quest for meaning outside the religious tradition I grew up with. Well-grounded in the Judeo-Christian context so familiar to the U.S. Gives permission to trust your gut. Every path is different!

[Nancy McQueen]

Could not get past the first chaper.

One cannot be preachy about getting rid of dogma. That makes what you are writing dogma.

[Bruce Clark]

The first of three sections is good: gives a summary of modern man's current crisis with organized religion. The discussion of the Theory of Cycles in human history was interesting: no ancient aliens visited the earth. Over a 24,000 year period humans achieve advanced knowledge and then forget it. The Dark Ages was the last period of forgetfulness. We're on the way to another golden age in 5,700 years.

The next two sections discuss the practice and benefits of kundalini yoga. Too esoteric for me.

[Roxanne Loughlin]

Started this book with an open. Uriosity. After reading several chapters of statements with very little or no documentation to back them up, I became wary. After several blatant inaccuracies, I became skeptical of the author's motives, and truthfully skimmed the rest of the book. It was not for me.

[Rike Jokanan]

belum berani nge-review
rencana bikin review jadi ragu
yang penuh jadi kosong
yang kosong jadi penuh

[Debbi Aditama]

Jujur aja, berapa banyak dari kalian yang beragama cuma karena warisan atau takut dijudge masyarakat tanpa pernah bener-bener mikir esensinya?

Kalau kamu termasuk golongan yang beragama pakai mode auto-pilot alias cuma ikut-ikutan tanpa rasionalisasi, kamu wajib banget baca God Without Religion ini.

Lewat buku ini, Saranam ngasih kritik tajam dan logis banget soal gimana agama institusional seringkali malah jadi birokrasi kaku yang membatasimu dari spiritualitas itu sendiri. Dia nge-dekonstruksi habis-habisan dogma yang selama ini kita telan mentah-mentah, dan ngingetin kita kalau institusi agama itu rentan banget sama hipokrisi dan kontrol massa. Dia ngajak kita buat nyari kebenaran pakai akal sehat dan pengalaman personal, bukan sekadar nurut sama aturan organisasi yang jualan ketakutan.

Rating 4/5 personally cukup, karena approach buku ini bener-bener ngajak kamu jadi "investigator" independen buat spiritualitasmu sendiri, tanpa maksa kamu jadi ateis. Sedikit kurang di beberapa bab yang repetitif dan lumayan berat buat dicerna dalam sekali duduk, that's why nggak saya kasih full 5 bintang. Tapi overall, ini bacaan wajib buat ngebuka pikiran.

Buat kamu yang lagi ada di fase questioning everything dan capek ngeliat orang beragama tapi nir-empati, sikat buku ini. Habis baca ini, seenggaknya kamu bakal malu sendiri kalau masih jalanin ritual ibadah cuma sekadar buat check-list rutinitas tanpa tau maknanya. Highly recommended buat yang berani mikir.

[Craig Bergland]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Another book criticizing religion. This one posits a complex scheme to form discussion groups from diverse populations. I guess honesty, maturity, and treating others with respect is too simple? For me this book is nothing more than intellectual masturbation. But hey, if it works for you just lock the door and clean up after yourself.

[Elizabeth Carney]

Probably would give this more like a 3.5. It has some really interesting concepts and great arguments against organized religion, but the proposed practice of non-religion was too metaphysical for me; there are never-ending references to “the infinite substance on the universe.”

Maybe I’ll come back in a decade and read it again and see if I’m more open to it all.

[Joe Stallings]

Outstanding work delineating the (often massive) difference between what it means to be 'spiritual' versus what it means to be 'religious.' Some of the concepts are "out there," but overall, this was an eye-opener.

[Sharudin Jamal]

Very daring and revealing.

[Esiasch]

I was lucky enough to meet and have an e-mail correspondence with Sankara a few years back. I am a practitioner of Yoga as it is outlined in the lessons of SRF (Self-realization fellowship)under the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda. By and large, Sankara's method is the same thing. What this book does is explain the system in a more scientific manner than what might be found in Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi. That is not to say that it is better but simply that it is explained through the lens of a modern progressive-scientific worldview.

All I really have to say is that the claims in this book about the efficacy of certain techniques of meditation over others can by and large be tested in the laboratory of your own experiences during practice. Try it for yourself. You might be surprised.

[Peggy Bechko]

An excellent book. One to get you thinking - and that's what it's all about. Open your mind and heart. Think.

Won't say I agree with everything written, but it's an excellent thought-provoker and I'd give it a high recommendation.

[Gabriel Romero]

El libro es una oportunidad de conocer a Dios desde un punto de vista más conceptual y bastante lejano de lo que se difunde en las distintas creencias globales, su propuesta es básica para el crecimiento espiritual del ser humano.

[Bulan]

hadiah Kopdar Akbar GRI4 :)

[Felly]

liat di gramed ..kayaknya menarik juga

[Allie]

damn interesting