Free Thinking Christian

In this book, I will share my spiritual journey as openly as possible. I do not intend to be a guru or some exceptional person. What I write is my story and thus, uniquely mine. I have been in active ministry for over sixty years; have taught religion courses in the university setting for over twenty years; and have facilitated group study experiences as an important ingredient in my effort to help individuals think and grow spiritually. While teaching others, I have continued to read, reflect, question, and change. I have transitioned from an evangelistic, almost fundamentalistic faith, to a nontheistic, naturalist, meditative spiritual experience. Along with Marcus Borg, I no longer consider knowing facts and adhering to specific dogma as my connection to Spirit. What I am endeavoring to do is to connect with the source of life.

The format of this book is simple. I will describe what influenced the early stage of my spiritual journey, then share what initiated and nourished my transition to a more open, free-thinking perspective. After dealing with significant transitional events, I will describe substantive concepts crucial to traditional Christianity. I will share what I thought as an evangelical Christian and what I believe now. I will spend a chapter discussing what I see as a personal definition of religion and will also include a chapter on dialogue, which I affirm to be an essential process in a world of so much discord, misunderstanding, and hate. I will conclude the book by noting some profound wisdom that has enlightened me in my spiritual quest and by offering a challenge to those who desire to reflect on religious matters.