Letting Go of God

By: Julia Sweeney

Narrated by: Julia Sweeney

Length: 2 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Julia Sweeney says she was a "happy Catholic girl" when, one day, she walked into church and signed up for a Bible-study course. "What an eye opener that was!" she says. "Next thing you know, I was on a quest for something I could really believe in. I traveled to places like Bhutan, Ecuador, and my local Starbucks looking for answers. Would I embrace Buddhism? New Age pseudo-science? Was I a freak for feeling the way I did, or were there other people out there just like me? I was grappling with serious questions. But, somehow, a lot of the things that were happening to me seemed, well, funny."

Equally comedic and insightful, Letting Go of God is Sweeney's brilliant one-woman show about her struggle with her faith. Grappling with the seeming contradictions in Adam and Eve, Noah, the Ten Commandments, and even the teachings of Jesus - and trying to understand the Bible's messages about morality, family values, and human suffering while faced with door-knocking Mormons and wise-cracking priests - Sweeney takes listeners on her very personal journey from God to "not-God".

This performance was recorded on November 19, 2005, at the Ars Nova Theatre in New York City.

Julia Sweeney was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1989-94, and is best known for the mysteriously androgynous character, "It's Pat!". She has also served as a consulting producer on Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives. Letting Go of God is her third monologue. She performed her first, God Said, "Ha!", in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and on Broadway, as well as in a film produced by Quentin Tarantino. The CD version was nominated for a Grammy.

There's lots more Julia Sweeney available at Audible®! Just click here to download In the Family Way, her appearances on This American Life, her Un-Cabaret performances, and other great programs.

©2006 Julia Sweeney (P)2006 Julia Sweeney

Critic reviews

"Searing and bracingly funny....Letting Go of God is refreshingly unrancorous, lucid and, yes, inspirational." (The New York Times)
"Letting Go of God is a gale-force breath of fresh air into the mostly political dialogue about religion in our time." (Los Angeles Times)

Let Go and Listen

Raised an atheist, I have sometimes found the voices of atheists can be loud, uneducated and dare I say intolerant. This book will not change your views, but it will challenge you to examine them. Humor and personal anecdotes can be the best way to express one's views. Ms. Sweeney is honest and funny! What a great combination.

Humble, touching and smart

Letting Go Of God is a refreshing change from the usual smug arrogance of atheistic literature. It takes us on a believers journey to unbelief, addressing the fears, feelings and confusion this process stirs up while also humorously spotlighting in hindsight the absurdity of some of the pillars of religion that so many either are ignorant of or sweep under the carpet. It is never an exercise in religion bashing, but rather a wistful, sometimes even nostalgic account of Julia's sincere search for truth.
I listened to this in its entirety in one sitting, and can see myself coming back for another listen.
My only very minor gripe would be in regard to the listening experience - because this seems to be a set of live performances stitched together, sometimes one section ends abruptly, followed by a gap of silence where I usually went grasping for my iphone to see if my headphones has come loose or if the battery had gone dead!

Brilliant

Julia Sweeney was a happy Catholic who went on a spiritual quest as an adult, and wound up a non-believer. She recounts her journey here with great insight and humor.

I've read or listened to all of the "New Atheists", (Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris), and for my money, Sweeney tops them all. They're all great, in their own way, but they are sooooo serious. Julie covers the same ground, but does it in such a humorous way that it's impossible not to love her, unless you're some sort of fundamentalist believer. In that case, the humor, brilliant as it is, is bound to fly right over your head. God does not believe in humor or tolerate questioning, at least these people's world.

For people who can listen to a person veering off of the path of belief, or making jokes about religion, while treating belief with affection, this recording is for you. I love it, and refer to it often. I've given it to many Christian friends, but only those with a sense of humor. Hard-core believers will not be amused. Modern religious or secular thinkers, on the other hand, will be delighted.

good

I like learning many views on this subject.

Finding Spirituality

This was entertaining and easy to listen to. It it made me laugh and question. I was intrigued by her catholic upbringing and wonder how much of the catholic teachings led her to Let Go. I hope she continues on her spiritual quest and finds we don not have to believe in a judgmental god, but to look within ourselves first. I would recommend this audio book to anyone exercising their spiritual muscle and attempting to awaken to the spiritual magnificence within us all.

Hysterical, yet touching!

Being a former SNL fan, I had to listen. Julia leads you through her religious self discovery with an amazing wit, pointing out the ironies of organized religion from her personal perspective. I have enjoyed it over a dozen times since I downloaded it.

Smart and Funny

A refreshing, smartly comedic commentary on daring to take a realistic look at inherited belief systems. Two thumbs way up!

Everyone Should Listen to This!

Listen to it and then tell all your friends and family to listen to it!

Julia is Great

Julia is just plain great. She is a bright, articulate comic who finds humor in life. I learned from her experiences and enjoyed her take on religions.

Very enjoyable

this is one person's account of her journey from belief to non-belief. it is very non threatening and entertaining. A great listen.