"Religion is my beat because religion is and always has been my passion," writes Phyllis Tickle, contributing editor in religion to Publishers Weekly. In this paperback she presents an exhilarating and enlightening profile of the recent democratization of religion, theology, and spirituality "in the streets, offices and living rooms of this country."
As an intrepid reader of books and an energetic assessor of trends, Tickle examines the cumulative literacy empowering seekers; the nostalgic yearning for unity, simplicity, and spirituality; and the experiential nature of religious expression outside the confines of institutional Christianity. Among the many interesting subjects covered here are the multicultural, multinational, and multi-faithed dimensions of the new knowledge revolution covering all intellectual pursuits; the failure of formal theology and ecclesiastical structures to keep abreast of the spiritual sea change taking place in America; and the widespread search for wisdom that is fed by the resources of all the world's religions.
Tickle demonstrates her passion for religion by sharing vignettes from her own spiritual journey and by demonstrating the healing power of hospitality. On the last pages of the book, she puts forward the idea that the spiritual practices of imagination, hope, joy, devotion, and mystery are crucial to elevating the continuing God-talk in America.