Beyond Belief

David Monkcom grew up in a world radically unfamiliar to most of us. A world made in six days by God and his son Jesus. A world in which truth is revealed not by reason but by an infallible Bible. A world in which secular society is evil and unbelievers are bound for hell. In short, the dogmatic world of Fundamentalist Christianity.

Breaking away from that world was, for David, a deeply challenging process which he describes in Part One of this book.

In Part Two, he invites us to consider whether any form of religious dogmatism is justifiable. Can religious claims such as God's existence be substantiated? Do holy scriptures, miracles and personal religious experience give us grounds for asserting the truth of our religion?

Fundamentalism and dogmatism continue to poise serious challenges in the modern world - radicalizing young people and creating closed faith communities that act as echo chambers. What we desperately need, David argues, is to open up the echo chambers and break down the barriers between communities. Ditch dogmatism and embrace dialogue. Let's engage in a genuine conversation, seeking to understand, not demonize, one another.

How? By setting up local grass-roots dialogue groups where we can get to know one another and talk. Why not start the ball rolling by discussing this book?