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History and Religion

2024-10-31T09:33:00-05:00

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.

What Can We Learn from the Rise and Fall of Communities?

Last updated on: October 31, 2024 at 9:33 am By Larry Jordan

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Cities change. Churches change. How will we accommodate change, while retaining what is worthy in our cultures and traditions? I studied city planning in college, and I am fascinated by the history of cities. I just finished reading Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age by Annalee Newitz. This insightful book contrasts the traditional narrative that “civilizations have ‘classical’ or ‘peak’ phases that we can contrast with a ‘collapse’ phase.” Newitz continues, “The idea of collapse comes... Read more

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Education and Religion

2025-08-15T12:16:21-05:00

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.

Is Mysticism Just Mumbo-Jumbo—or a Door to God?

Last updated on: August 15, 2025 at 12:16 pm By Larry Jordan

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Do we actually know Ultimate Reality or do we we only know ABOUT it? On Facebook, a good friend, who is a modern mystic, said, “The Transcendent is universal, but not personal. It is beyond all thoughts and ideas of being. It is Nameless, and It is Formless.” I expected an eyeroll from some of our conservative Christians friends. So, I added that this understanding is NOT foreign to Christianity. Christian mystics, like Meister Eckhart, have written about “the Godhead.”... Read more

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Education and Religion

2024-10-19T06:54:01-05:00

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.

When Churches Close: The Consequences of a Declining Faith

Last updated on: October 19, 2024 at 6:54 am By Larry Jordan

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Should we be concerned that society is becoming more secular? This is something that I talk and write about a lot. Today, a friend texted me this photo, explaining, “I came across this dilapidated, old church with vultures all over it, and I thought of you.” Haha, thanks, I think… Analysts estimate that between 75 to 150 churches close every week in America. Generally, attendance is lower at those churches that remain open, too, especially since the pandemic.... Read more

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Education and Religion

2024-10-10T08:36:22-05:00

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.

“Turn Out the Light, So We Can See!”

Last updated on: October 10, 2024 at 8:36 am By Larry Jordan

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We may see more by the light of the moon than by the light of a bulb. The Real World We spend two months each year in Crestone, Colorado, near the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Crestone sits in the high desert at the base of several 14,000 foot peaks in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. There are plenty of hiking trails and hot springs nearby. Crestone has a great art gallery and over 20 spiritual centers, where... Read more

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Recreation, Outdoors and Religion

2024-10-05T10:22:33-05:00

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 Way of Life, Not Just the Way of Belief

Last updated on: October 5, 2024 at 10:22 am By Larry Jordan

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What did The Way look like to the early followers of Jesus? My book is called The Way, which is what many religions, including Christianity, were called at first. Originally, the founders of the religions, as well as the early mystics and the sages, prescribed a way of life, often based on the Golden Rule. Eventually, the later priests and theologians supplanted the early founders, mystics, and sages. Instead, they proscribed a way of belief, often based on... Read more

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Education and Religion

2024-09-26T08:01:32-05:00

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.

Why Churches Should Focus on Values, Not Just Beliefs

Last updated on: September 26, 2024 at 8:01 am By Larry Jordan

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Some people want churches to focus on values, not just beliefs. In last week’s post, I asked if seeking truth means letting go of beliefs. I never know which posts will resonate with readers, and that one did. I linked to the post in several Facebook groups, and I got a lot of comments, likes, and shares. In a preface to the post, I observed that many churches post “What We Believe” statements. Does anyone think that these... Read more

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Education and Religion

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values

2024-09-19T09:26:13-05:00

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.

What if Seeking Truth Means Letting Go of Beliefs?

Last updated on: September 19, 2024 at 9:26 am By Larry Jordan

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Our spiritual practice should focus on our interrelatedness. In The Way, I described my search for universal Truth, rather than the truth in a particular tradition, so I explored Eastern religions and Western religions, and I studied the mystics of many traditions and the luminaries of modern science. We Can Find Truth in Objective Evidence and Subjective Experience The mystics seek experiential knowledge of God and metaphysics, and the scientists seek evidentiary knowledge of the Universe and physics. The... Read more

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Education and Religion

2024-09-12T07:40:41-05:00

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.

Can Understanding Opposing Views Lead to Greater Compassion?

Last updated on: September 12, 2024 at 7:40 am By Larry Jordan

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Do we consider the other side of the story? Sometimes, we feel pretty strongly about our political and religious beliefs if we do not consider the legitimacy of other beliefs. When we explore them, we realize that reasonable people can disagree, that there are (at least) two sides to every story, and that the truth can be more nuanced or situational than we realize. Consider the passionate feelings around controversial issues like abortion and guns. There are legitimate... Read more

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Politics and Religion

2024-09-05T19:39:43-05:00

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.

Do We Really Believe What We Think?

Last updated on: September 5, 2024 at 7:39 pm By Larry Jordan

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“Don’t believe everything you think.” Do we have good reasons for our beliefs? Sometimes, people make pretty strong statements without having objective evidence or subjective experience. I wrote about distinguishing between beliefs and facts here. We can avoid a lot of arguments by asking clarifying questions. Our brains have evolved to make quick decisions with little basis in fact. Our ancestors made instinctive “fight or flight” decisions that allowed them to continue to propagate in the gene pool. Then, the... Read more

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Politics and Religion

2024-08-30T13:20:38-05:00

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.

How Do We Distinguish Between Beliefs and Facts?

Last updated on: August 30, 2024 at 1:20 pm By Larry Jordan

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Everyone has beliefs, and beliefs are not inherently good or bad, in and of themselves. Beliefs can be problematic when we confuse our beliefs with facts or when we impose our beliefs on others. I wrote about beliefs and facts here, and I wrote about respecting others’ beliefs here. In coming weeks, I will be writing about how to navigate discussions about politics and religion. In my opinion, we can make even the most outlandish claims, as long as we... Read more

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Politics and Religion

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