MSI Press Blog

  Today's book excerpt comes from  An Afternoon's Dictation  by  Steven Greenebaum . This book has been in the Amazon top 100 among interfaith and ecumenical books on many occasions. PART ONE: THE CALL TO INTERFAITH CHAPTER TWO   “Religion is but a language for speaking to Me.” It’s hard to overstate how crucial this revelation was. In the 50 years of my life that preceded the revelation, that thought had never once occurred to me, now that it was laid in in my lap it made perfect sense. It made sense and answered a bucket-full of questions. The first and most pressing question it answered for me was this: if there were indeed one and only one “right” answer to the question of God and how to relate to God, why didn’t humanity know what that answer was? After thousands upon thousands of years, why were there so many differing answers? The ancient Greeks were no dummies. They’d gifted us Sophocles, Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, and so many other brilliant thin...

  Arthur Yavelberg, author of the award-winning book,  A Theology for the Rest of Us , was recently interviewed on the Daily Soul Bytes podcast: "Exploring Definitions in Authenticity." This is the essence of Hinduism--that we are all part of the dream of Brahman/God. That needs to be properly understood. It doesn't mean, for example, that we "don't exist" and that we "disappear" when Brahman "wakes up." Having been "dreamt" ("created," to use Western terms) by Brahman, we become part of his consciousness--which is eternal. In that context, when the material part of us recognizes its eternal source, our realization and  Brahman's are two sides of the same coin. Put another way, just because our dreams are "dreams" doesn't mean they don't "exist." Such dreams become a part of us and may even be expressions of our natures and unconscious that, until the dream, of which we are not aware. Yo...

The following guest post comes from MSI Press author of the award-winning book,    A Theology for the Rest of Us ,    I always find such works of art fascinating in so many ways. In this case, I notice what is not present as much as what is. This gentleman appears to have lost his heart and gut (instincts?), but his brain is intact. He is alive, yes, but maybe not living. His expression is determined, but weary….or hardened. Note that he seems to be returning from some far away locale across the sea…or maybe has left the buildings and people of that much more familiar place in the background. And what of his…what? It seems too large for the briefcase of a businessman, but too small to be the suitcase of a tourist. Or is it simply a symbol of the “baggage” he carries? Finally, he is alone, with no family or companions. Is that why he is…well…empty? Spiritually speaking, there are many accounts of extraordinary figures who have found Revelation or Enlightenment or some...