“America was founded in a religious tolerance which was later enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution. This set up a breeding ground for a motley riffraff of cults and weird beliefs—a kind of theological freak show or theological Badlands. Karen Stollznow ventured intrepidly into this ‘Here be Dragons’ territory and her book parades specimens and trophies for our amazement, described with lively good humour and analysed with a sympathetic intelligence. One of the commonest questions I am asked is what makes America so religious. Karen Stollznow's book will become an essential resource for answering it.” 
—Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion

About the Book

God Bless America lifts the veil on strange and unusual religious beliefs and practices in the modern-day United States. Do Satanists really sacrifice babies? Do exorcisms involve swearing and spinning heads? Are the Amish allowed to drive cars and use computers? Offering a close look at snake handling, new age spirituality, Santeria spells, and satanic rituals, this book offers more than mere armchair research. It takes you to an exorcism, a Charismatic church and a Fundamentalist Mormon polygamist compound. You will sit among the beards and bonnets in a Mennonite church, hear the sounds of silence at a Quaker meeting, and listen to L. Ron Hubbard's sci-fi stories told as sermons during a Scientology service. From the Amish to Voodoo, the beliefs and practices explored in this book may be unorthodox, and often dangerous, but they are always fascinating. Some of them are dying out, while others are gaining popularity with a modern audience, but all offer insight into the past, present and future of religion in the United States.

About the Author

Karen Stollznow is a linguist with a background in history and anthropology. She is a columnist, podcaster and the author of Haunting America, Language Myths, Mysteries and Magic, and Red, White and (True) Blue. Karen was a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, and has spent many years writing about a diverse array of topics, including language, culture, religion and anomalous claims. Karen was born in Sydney, and has a PhD in linguistics from the University of New England, Australia. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado.

Details

ISBN: 9781939578006
Format: paperback
SRP: $17.95
Page count: 256 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: October 2013

Perfect for those interested in learning more about what the Bible actually says but who have neither the time nor the interest to read the actual thing

About the Book

Ever thought you should know more about what’s in the Bible, not because you believe in any religion, but because it’s the most read book in history? Before you dust off the family Bible, or reach into the hotel bed stand, The Nonbeliever’s Guide to Bible Stories will save you a lot of time and trouble. Coupling an editor’s pen with a skeptic’s commentary and humorist’s wit, it offers the highlights of each book of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and distills them into quick, entertaining, bite-sized chunks. It’s all here: the characters, famous quotes, tall tales, and references often heard in film, music, art, literature, and conversation. You’ll also learn about all the sex, murder, harlotry, intrigue, magic tricks, ghosts, and sin that help fill sermons on Sunday mornings.

About the Author

C. B. Brooks, MD, is the author of The Nonbeliever’s Guide to the Book of Mormon. He lives in New York City.

Details

ISBN: 9781634310608
Format: paperback
SRP: $9.95
Page count: 128 pages
Trim size: 4 3/4 x 7
Pub date: November 2015

“What’s the fastest way to become an atheist? Read the Bible. What’s the funnest way to become a know-it-all-smartass atheist? Read Chris Matheson.”
—Penn Jillette, Emmy Award–winning magician and New York Times best-selling author

About the Book

The Bible offers some clues to God’s personality—he’s alternately been called vindictive and just, bloodthirsty and caring, all-powerful and impotent, capricious and foresighted, and loving and hateful. But no one has ever fully explored why God might be such a figure of contrasts. Nor has anyone ever satisfactorily explained what guides his relationship not just with angels, the devil, and his son, but also with all of creation. Might he be completely misunderstood, a mystery even to himself? Might his behavior and actions toward humankind tell us much more about him than it does about us? Enter the mind of the creator of the universe, travel with him through the heavenly highs and hellish lows of his story, from Genesis to Revelation, to better understand his burdensome journey: being God isn’t easy. After hearing his story—at times troubling and tragic but always hilarious in its absurdity and divine in its comedy—you’ll never look at a miracle or catastrophe—or at our place in the universe, or God’s—the same way again.

About the Author

Chris Matheson is a screenwriter whose credits include Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, and Rapture-Palooza. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Details

ISBN: 9781634311502
Format: hardcover
SRP: $16.95
Page count: 136 pages
Trim size: 5.5 x 8.5
Pub date: April 2018

“An extremely lively, engaging, and enjoyable book. Cragun masterfully weaves together personal anecdotes, international current events, sociological data, relevant social issues, and theoretical insights in presenting a sober, clear, and at times quite passionate introduction to how social scientists understand and approach religion. This highly readable, conversational, and yet soundly argued book is strongly, enthusiastically recommended.”
—Phil Zuckerman, Professor of Sociology at Pitzer College and author of Faith No More and Society Without God

About the Book

What is a religion? Why are people religious? Are religious people more educated than nonreligious people? Are religious people more moral? Are they humbler or happier? Are religious people more or less prejudiced than nonreligious people? Are religious people better at coping with death? Is religion good for your health? Are people becoming more or less religious? Based on what you hear from the media—and on what religions themselves purport to teach—you may think you know the answers, but think again.

Studying religion as a social phenomenon, heralded sociologist Ryan T. Cragun follows the scientific data to answer these and other fascinating questions about the nature and state of religion (and nonreligion) across populations. He presents his findings in this groundbreaking book, What You Don’t Know about Religion (but should). No matter your beliefs, the data he presents will challenge all—from religious fundamentalists to the New Atheists—and change how you view religion, both in your life and in society at large.

At times irreverent, but always engaging and illuminating, this book is for all those who have ever wondered whether religion helps or hurts society—or questioned what the future holds for religion. As Cragun argues, our increasingly complex globalized multiethnic world presents a series of challenges that demand a reasoned response. Our world needs tolerance. It needs technology. It needs science. It needs education. It needs respect for the environment. It needs gender equality. It needs good parents. And, as the data presented in this book make plain, it also needs a new way of thinking about religion.

About the Author

Ryan T. Cragun is an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Tampa. His research interests include Mormonism and the nonreligious. He is the author of more than a dozen peer-reviewed articles and half a dozen book chapters. His research is regularly featured in national media.

Details

ISBN: 9780985281533
Format: hardcover
SRP: $24.95
Page count: 278 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: June 2013