MSI Press Blog

  Today's book back story is about the book, Joshuanism, by Michael Vito Tosto. From the publisher: This is one of our more unusual book sagas and author journeys. When Michael came to us, he was enthusiastic about what he thought was a calling from God to reshape Christianity along lines similar to the practices of the early Christians. We found his book to be well researched and presenting an interesting view. Here is what he wrote at the time: Knowing God can sometimes be the most difficult thing we as humans can do. Many obstacles stand in our way: societal distractions, the expectations of others, temptations, even ourselves. However, have you ever considered that the very religion you practice can be the greatest obstacle? Is it possible that the institutions, conventions, and accepted norms of your religion are so fraught with baggage, human distortion, and misconceptions that your religious pursuits are actually hurting you rather than helping you? If the answer is "ye

  excerpt from Joshuanism   by Tosto -  The post/Christian God A profound moment in my journey to seek and know God took place in an art gallery. I was in Seattle, visiting a friend of mine. I had some free time, and John had some free time, so I decided to fly out and kick it in the Emerald City for a few days. This was during the height of my Christian experience when I was still green behind the ears and miles away from questioning any of the marvelous things I believed. In fact, I was working at a church at the time, directing the music and worship ministry. The trip west was a welcome diversion. John and I were strolling through the gallery, surveying the local talent, when a curious painting caught my attention. John went over to ask the docent something, and I stood in front of the unusual painting, studying it deeply. The painting, you see, was titled God . But the painting itself was quite simple. The artist only used two colors: a purple sphere on a black background. That was

  Excerpt: The Three Cornerstone [of Joshuanism] Humans have become isolated creatures. They spend most of their time alone, behind windshields and computer screens. Christians are not immune to this increasing isolation. Even when they come together for small groups or Bible studies, there is still a very private element to the way they communicate with one another. How many people actually tell the truth about what is really going on in their lives or their minds? How many people really admit how messed up their world is? How many people divulge their needs of the moment? Very few. Why is it only a few? Because no one wants anyone else to know that his life is not the picture perfect scene that it appears to be on the surface. Christian churches are just as isolated as the people in them. Most of them sequester themselves away from other churches just a few blocks down the street. Why? Because one church does things one way, and another church does things a different way. God forbid

  Michael Tosto is a theological and spiritual writer and a former leader in the Christian church. A graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in history, he spent ten years researching the history and evolution of humanity’s theological consciousness.  Joshuanism   is a culmination of that research; a work of theology and spirituality, his book details an alternative to the current manifestations of Christianity yet still rooted in the same Son of God. For more posts on Michael and his book, click HERE .

  From Goodreads -  Michael Vito Tosto wants to start a new movement. By writing this book he has made a start. The new movement is Joshuanism - based on the Hebrew transliteration of the name for Jesus. Joshuanism is intended to be an alternative to Christianity which he considers to have lost its way in fulfilling the teachings of Joshua (Jesus). The author's new movement is intended to appeal to those who are disaffected by Christianity or who perhaps have previously had nothing to do with Christianity, but are attracted by the teachings of Joshua. The reason for using Jesus’ Hebrew name is to avoid all the various negative connotations that are associated with the name “Jesus”. Joshuanism is structured around some carefully articulated elements: The Ten Tenets of Joshuanism; The Eight Immovables of Joshuanism; and The Joshuanism Creed. There's nothing new in this “new” version of Christianity (for that is essentially what it is). There is nothing offered that has not been s