Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
The Story of Our Time by Robert Atkinson

The Story of Our Time by Robert Atkinson

Last updated on: October 3, 2017 at 1:37 pm by Jim Erwin

The Story of Our Time by Robert Atkinson 2017-10-03T13:37:27-05:00 Jim Erwin

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Story of Our Time by Robert Atkinson

The Story of Our Time by Robert Atkinson, explains with his subtitle the purpose of the book: from duality to interconnectedness to oneness. The book is divided into three parts. Each part builds upon the previous part to tell a “spiritual story.” The premise of the book is that humanity is evolving, not just physically, but spiritually as well. He suggests that spiritual principles are at work to guide this organic human evolution.

In classic post-modern fashion. Atkinson blends all of the world’s religions and suggests that they all work in tandem for this spiritual evolution to occur. He calls this a ““universal motif of cyclical transformation within a linear process of progressive evolution.”(32) Contrary to the belief of many major religions, Atkinson believes that religions work together for the same goal – spiritual evolution.

Atkinson suggests that these spiritual stories all reflect the same pattern and therefore serve the same purpose:

“Every timeless story brings forth order from chaos, and purpose from conflict; not only does it have a beginning, middle, and an end, but also a beginning, a muddle, and a resolution.”

He suggests seven principles that will guide people on this journey:

1.Consciousness is a potentiality set in motion by an organic process. Now more than ever, the independent investigation of reality will unleash our full potential.

2.Love is the underlying force of evolution. Love is an inherent unifying force meant to evolve personal and collective potential to its highest degree.

3.Justice maintains the inherent balance of life. Equitable and just relationships on all levels evolve with the increase of social complexity over time.

4.Unity is the result of the conscious confrontation of opposing forces. The merging of opposites, through transformation, is necessary for growth and evolution.

5.Reality is one, and global harmony is inevitable. World peace is a promise waiting to be fulfilled; how we get there is up to us to determine.

6.Revelation is continuous and progressive. The release of spiritual energies always has been, and will be, the inspiration for the evolution of civilization.

7.Consciousness evolves toward wholeness and unity. Science and religion, two knowledge systems within the same whole, cannot be in opposition.

Atkinson implies that “one animating force governing both a linear and cyclical process of transformation regulating our evolutionary march onward.” (52) Replace “God” (or “Higher Power”) with “Higher Reality” and you can see where Atkinson goes with this. He suggests that all religions point and lead us to the same conclusion. Atkinson suggests the problem is that we can’t know this reality. Like the “Force” in Star Wars, one can know the will of the Force, but cannot experience the essence of the Force.”

“Reality is thus seen as changeless, though consciousness itself changes and evolves, and is understood as the entirety of existence which is an interconnected whole with one common source, and one guiding force, but whose essence is unknowable.” (54)

Atkinson is making the claim that our reality, all religions, and all cultures, come from one common source. However, Atkinson claims that that the essence of that source is “unknowable.”

Atkinson spends the rest of the book explaining how one gets from Point A to Point B (from where we are now to complete unity in the future.) Atkinson is suggesting a one-world unified mystic religion as the way to achieve this Reality:

“So, the story of our time has three interconnected themes: a) we are living in the early phases of a spiritual revolution, a time of renewed spiritual energy that is reforming all things; b) we therefore live in a time of disintegration and integration, a time when the clash of opposing forces are bringing about a transformation of consciousness; and, c) ours is a time when there are forces in operation to assist in this process, re-creating patterns of interaction and relationship, and enabling disparate parts of the whole (who themselves are also assisting in this renewal) to retrieve our heritage of oneness.” (63)

He takes the best elements of all religions and philosophies and suggests that they all connect to move humanity to a better future. He mixes the monomyth call from Joseph Campbell (74-75) the power of love (136), and justice (embodied by the Golden Rule – 165-167), unity (227-228), and suggests that we are a global movement that leads to one religion (or what the author calls a culture of oneness) (297-355). I can see how he arrives at this conclusion. It is comforting to think that “the story of our time” is that everyone will arrive at the same destination. However, my faith teaches that will not to be the case. Jesus makes exclusive claims about Himself in the New Testament. He states the only One who can provide a way to Heaven is Himself (John 14:6) and God’s choice Son (John 6:28-29).

Some may find comfort in Atkinson’s analysis. The idea that all faiths and beliefs come from one Source is intriguing. However, that one Source must be knowable in order to be believed. I think this is where Atkinson fails. Transcendence can only come from knowing a personal God. I believe that the Christian faith suggests the best way to know that Person.

See Robert Atkinson’s website for more information.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. #TheStoryofOurTime

Previous Post

September 28, 2017

The Benefits of the Grace of Giving

Next Post

October 3, 2017 The Benefits of Prayer

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1 Chronicles 1 Corinthians 1 John 1 Kings 1 Peter 1 Samuel 1 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Chronicles 2 Corinthians 2 John 2 Kings 2 Peter 2 Samuel 2 Thessalonians 2 Timothy 3 John Acts Advent Amos Book Review Colossians Comics Culture Watch Daniel Deuteronomy Ecclesiastes Ephesians Esther Exodus Ezekiel Ezra Galatians Genesis Guest Post Habakkuk Haggai Hebrews Hosea Humor Inspiritational Isaiah James Jeremiah Job Joel John Jonah Joshua Jude Judges Lamentations Lectionary Lent Leviticus Link Love Luke Malachi Mark Matthew Micah Movie Review Nahum Nehemiah Numbers Philippians Political Watch Prophecy Watch Proverbs Psalm Revelation Reviews Romans Ruth Science Watch Sermon Series Sermons Simple Thoughts Song of Solomon Titus Top Ten Uncategorized Video Review Zechariah Zephaniah

Select a Month May 2026 October 2025 September 2025 June 2025 February 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 June 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 January 2022 June 2021 January 2021 October 2020 July 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2009 June 2008 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 October 2006 September 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 September 2005

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What animal did Daniel survive with?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Leopards Wolves Bears Lions