MSI Press Blog

From A Theology for the Rest of Us by Arthur Yavelberg .  If you have any curiosity about such questions: “Why are these things here?” “Who put them here?” and “What are these things for?” then you are asking the kinds of questions that lead you to a book like this. Available at:  Amazon (paperback and e-book) Barnes & Noble MSI Press webstore (25% discount with coupon code FF25) Book description If God exists and is good, why is there evil? Avoiding such questions underlies the spiritual emptiness and anxiety in today's world. A Theology for the Rest of Us explores how to approach the divine through Eastern and Western religious traditions without dogma, challenging readers to "be you lamps unto yourselves." In a time of internecine wars and all kinds of abuse of authority and trust, too many good, thoughtful people are "voting with their feet" and turning away from organized religion. Popular "spirituality"-a sort of mysticism-lite articulate...

  From A Theology for the Rest of Us by Arthur Yavelberg .  “Theology” is a broad, intimidating term for a host of questions having to do with the meaning and source of life and all existence. Available at:  Amazon (paperback and e-book) Barnes & Noble MSI Press webstore (25% discount with coupon code FF25) Book description If God exists and is good, why is there evil? Avoiding such questions underlies the spiritual emptiness and anxiety in today's world. A Theology for the Rest of Us explores how to approach the divine through Eastern and Western religious traditions without dogma, challenging readers to "be you lamps unto yourselves." In a time of internecine wars and all kinds of abuse of authority and trust, too many good, thoughtful people are "voting with their feet" and turning away from organized religion. Popular "spirituality"-a sort of mysticism-lite articulated in memes-is often unsatisfying as well. A Theology for the Rest of Us i...

  Power rarely arrives with a hiss or a snarl. It comes softly—like a warm cloak placed around the shoulders, like a compliment whispered at just the right moment. Most people don’t seek power because they want to dominate. They seek it because it promises relief: relief from fear, from vulnerability, from the ache of being small in a world that feels too large. The seduction begins with usefulness. You discover you can influence outcomes. You can protect someone. You can fix something. You can make a decision that others will follow. And at first, this feels good—morally good. You are helping. You are stabilizing. You are preventing harm. But power has a second voice, quieter and more dangerous: If you don’t hold on tightly, someone else will take it—and they won’t use it as wisely as you do. That whisper is how good intentions begin to warp. Suddenly, you justify controlling what isn’t yours to control. You rationalize silencing others “for the greater good.” You start believing ...

  The diversity of religions across the world can seem bewildering — thousands of traditions, each claiming insight into the sacred. Yet this multiplicity isn’t a sign of confusion; it’s a sign of humanity’s deep and varied search for meaning. 1. The human impulse toward transcendence Every culture, from the earliest hunter-gatherers to modern societies, has asked the same questions: Why are we here? What happens when we die? How should we live? Religion is one of the oldest ways humans have answered those questions. It gives structure to mystery, turning awe into ritual and fear into hope. Because human experience differs by geography, history, and temperament, the answers differ too — producing many religions rather than one. 2. Culture shapes belief Religions grow from the soil of culture. Desert peoples imagine God in terms of light and water; forest peoples imagine spirits in trees and rivers. The environment, language, and social structure all shape how the divine is under...