MSI Press Blog

  Dr. Elizabeth Mahlou, author of Blest Atheist , her conversion story (abbreviated here ), says she had two goals in the writing of this book. One, perhaps obvious, to any reader was to continue her conversion story after the immediate first weeks. The second, not obvious to any reader not in her personal circle, was the telling of a true story of evil, one that greatly disturbed her and some of her closest friends and one that was played out on a deeply spiritual level that is seldom discussed because many, if not most, people do not encounter such things, or if they do, do not recognize the spiritual warfare going on.  Elizabeth changed all the names and other details, such as location, professions, and organizations involved in this spiritual battle, which forms the hidden core and major prompt for this book--something the casual reader, or even perhaps the more intuitive reader, would notice. For those involved in the warfare, however, it did not matter that names were changed. Th

Released today! Throughout history we have divided ourselves into groupings of "us" and "them".  One Family: Indivisible  engagingly   invites the reader into the deeply spiritual and lifelong journey of the author to find a way to acknowledge our differences without dividing and subdividing ourselves into competing tribes. It is a journey of mountain tops and deep valleys, but it leads to the inclusivity and mutual respect possible with Interfaith. This is a book for seekers of all races, ethnicities, and spiritual paths who search for that elusive goal of a community of love and inclusion that also respects our diversity. R everend Steven Greenebaum is an Interfaith minister with Masters Degrees in Mythology, Music, and Pastoral Studies. The study of myth taught him to appreciate the rich multitude of our planet’s spiritual traditions. Directing Jewish, Methodist, Presbyterian, UU, and Interfaith choirs helped Steven understand the profound wisdom of so many

  excerpt from A Theology for the Rest of Us (Yavelberg) -  7 “You’re not the boss of me!” (just about any 7th grader) Assuming the existence of free will, given the stakes involved—both for the individual and, in today’s highly technological, interconnected world, for all humanity—it is obviously imperative that people use their freedom to choose wisely. Dostoyevsky’s “Grand Inquisitor” and Father Zossima are both right. Thousands of years of terrible suffering, death and destruction are more than ample testimony as to just what happens when people make the wrong decisions. But how can one make sure to choose wisely? Access to information is supposed to be essential to choosing wisely and there is certainly ample information on any topic imaginable today. Unfortunately, there is so much information available today that it has practically become more of an obstacle than an aid. As I understand it, a typical Sunday edition of The New York Times has more information in it than the

  Excerpt from A Guide to Blis s - Preface Fourteen years ago, when I was twenty-three years old, I underwent an intense, world-shattering expansion of consciousness for a few long months. It took place in the midst of a fervent spiritual search. Until then, my three years of seeking had granted me only brief glimpses into broader states of consciousness. Those glimpses far from quenched my ever-increasing thirst. This time, something else erupted within me, or so it seemed. This expansion, which permeated my entire being, did not dissipate, but rather grew day after day without any substantial effort on my part. It seemed like the only thing I was expected to do from then onward was observe the happening and not interfere.  Back then I lived at my parents’ house. For a whole year, I remained enclosed in my small room, only leaving the house from time to time to wander about for hours and curiously examine my new relationship with the world. Of course, at that time I did not d

  Passover and Easter   Arthur Yavelberg   author of the award-winning A Theology for the Rest of Us Best Indie Book Award Literary Titan Silver Award   People sometimes wonder about why the Jewish holiday of Passover often overlaps with the Christian celebration of Easter. There are many explanations for this—such as both are carryovers from pagan fertility rites having to do with the “rebirth” in spring. (Hence the use of “eggs” on the Passover seder plate and Easter egg hunts.) However, there are deeper possibilities.   Passover commemorates the Exodus of the Biblical Israelites from Egypt. Since God (not Moses) redeemed these slaves from bondage, it is often called a “Festival of Freedom.” While that is true, it overlooks that this freedom is essentially temporary. Once the Israelites escape and the Egyptian army is drowned in the Red Sea, they are brought to Mt. Sinai where they are given God’s Commandments—the well known Ten Commandments and, according to the Orthodox

  from   He's a Porn Addict...Now What? Should I make him tell our pastor? Tony, the mental health professional: Remembering that ultimately you can’t “make” him do anything, I feel that it is reasonable to ask him to confess to your pastor, especially if he has truly been living a “double life” with regard to the addiction. Many addicts attend church regularly, which can confuse a spouse. “How can he worship God, or teach a Sunday School class, or hold any type of church responsibility and be acting out?” These are hard questions to process for the betrayed, but to the betrayer, this has been part of the shame cycle that often keeps an addict turning back to the addiction. Many addicts tell me that when they are in church, they are trying to be “all in.” They often say that they truly do compartmentalize areas of their lives, and when it comes to church, they often desperately cling to the hope that while they are in their “spiritual compartment” they will feel some hope. Often th

  What is a book jewel? A sometimes-overlooked book with remarkable insight and potential significance. Each month, we share near-daily, or as often as possible, reviews of the monthly book jewel - short, succinct reviews that can be read in 1-2 minutes with links to the reviewer by reviewers whose words are worthy of being heard and whose opinions are worthy of being considered. Sometimes a couple of minutes contains more impressive thought than ten times that many. We will let you decide that. This month's book jewel is  A Theology for the Rest of Us  by Arthur Yavelberg. 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