Beyond Theology: The Art of Godmanship

Beyond Theology: The Art of Godmanship - Paperback

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Beyond Theology: The Art of Godmanship
  • Beyond Theology: The Art of Godmanship
Beyond Theology: The Art of Godmanship - Paperback

Beyond Theology: The Art of Godmanship - Paperback

by Alan Watts
$18.95
$18.95

Book Overview

by Alan Watts (Author)

A radical reinterpretation of Christianity by one of the twentieth century's leading philosophers

Today, Alan Watts is remembered mainly as an eloquent interpreter of Eastern philosophies such as Taoism and Zen Buddhism. Not everyone knows that Watts was also a formidable scholar of Christianity who worked as an Episcopal chaplain early in his career. He eventually left the church to find his own spiritual path, but his time there fueled a burst of literary creativity that culminated in Beyond Theology, originally published in 1964 and now back in print.

In this landmark work, Watts asks whether a "rigorous, imperious, and invincibly self-righteous" religion such as Christianity can stay relevant in our modern, multicultural world. To answer that question, he deconstructs Christianity by using concepts borrowed from psychology, linguistics, science, and Eastern philosophy. In the process, he solves difficult problems of theology, traces the impact of Christianity on Western culture, and points the way to a new form of nondualistic spirituality.

Playing the role of a philosophical jester, Watts artfully deploys paradoxes, riddles, and gently subversive humor to overturn conventional wisdom. His intention is not to hold sacred things up to ridicule but rather to expand our definition of the sacred. The ultimate aim is to help us see beyond the external trappings of religion -- beyond ritual, myth, doctrine, and theology itself -- to experience the divine within ourselves.

Author Biography

Through his books and lectures, Alan Watts (1915-1973) introduced millions of Westerners to Eastern philosophies such as Vedanta, Taoism, and Zen Buddhism. Born in England, Watts immigrated to the United States in his twenties, worked as a chaplain and teacher, and wrote more than twenty books, including the bestsellers The Way of Zen and The Wisdom of Insecurity.

Number of Pages: 288
Dimensions: 0.8 x 7.9 x 5.2 IN
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
ISBN9781608688241
Author Alan Watts
PublisherNew World Library
GenreReligion & spirituality and Philosophy
FormatPaperback
PublishedOctober 2022
LanguageENG- English
Pages288
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceAdults
Print SizeStandard Print

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More by Alan Watts

In My Own Way: An Autobiography

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About Alan Watts

Alan W. Watts, who held both a master's degree in theology and a doctorate of divinity, is best remembered as an interpreter of Zen Buddhism in particular, and of Indian and Chinese philosophy in general. Standing apart, however, from sectarian membership, he has earned the reputation of being one of the most original and "unrutted" philosophers of the twentieth century. Watts was the author of some twenty books on the philosophy and psychology of religion that have been published in many languages throughout the world, including the bestselling The Way of Zen. An avid lecturer, Watts appeared regularly on the radio and hosted the popular television series, Eastern Wisdom and Modern Life, in the 1960s. He died in 1973.

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