Love, Gravity, and God: Religion for Those Who Reason by Jeremy D. Yunt

Have you ever wondered why, in the realm of religion, we are often asked to believe things that just don't seem scientifically possible, or that distance us from society, nature, and other individuals—rather than bringing us closer together? Do you wonder how religion—which is supposed to be a force for healing—can so often support the intolerance, hatred, and injustice plaguing the world? Has this caused you to turn your back on a religious tradition you grew up with, but for which you still have respect or some sense of kinship? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then this book is for you. Distilling down one of the most groundbreaking and important religious texts of the past century into accessible language, Yunt goes inside the main ideas of the philosopher-theologian who revolutionized our understanding of religion, Dr. Paul Tillich. Applying the classical virtues of reason, tolerance, and courage, Tillich will show us an interpretation of religion—in particular, Christianity—without the supernatural and literalistic distortions that make it so difficult for millions of reasonable people to accept; he'll penetrate the nature of reality and our own self-understanding through the lenses of psychology, philosophy, biblical scholarship, science, and Eastern wisdom; he'll assess the profound effects of technology and industrialization on the human spirit and nature; and he'll confront us with the vital fact that science and religion should never be in conflict. Through all this, we'll see why he was hailed during his lifetime as an "apostle to the intellectuals."INTRODUCTION by Dr. PAUL LEE, Tillich's Teaching Assistant at Harvard. Dr. Lee was Professor of Philosophy and Humanities at Harvard, M.I.T., and the University of California at Santa Cruz, where he was also Founding Chair of the Religious Studies Department and Professor in the History of Consciousness Department. In 1989, Dr. Lee started the Santa Cruz Homeless Garden Project, which is still in operation today.