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)

Beautiful Transition

A primer on how to survive the transition from belief to atheism, without alienating your loved ones or falling into despair.

captivating, thought provoking and hilarious

Would you consider the audio edition of Letting Go of God to be better than the print version?

yes - her comedic timing and delivery really enhance the experience. much of the comedy comes from hearing her tell her own story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

absolutely

Any additional comments?

i first discovered this presentation on ted.com - just a 20 minute condensation of it. when i learned there was a full book i was eager to enjoy her full discourse and i'm so glad i opted for the audio version. i've listened through twice now - sharing with friends on a road trip. they, too, really enjoyed it.
julia sweeney has a brilliant mind and i love the way her thought processes work.

A Must

Hilarious! There are many other things in this book which you can choose, but having a good laugh is not a choice while listening to it. Do not be afraid. Download it!

Fantastic!

If you could sum up Letting Go of God in three words, what would they be?

Hilarious, relevant, honest.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The author. Just the way she went about exploring her spirituality and the wonderful and funny way she relates those experiences.

Which character – as performed by Julia Sweeney – was your favorite?

The priest that she takes classes from.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes indeed, and over again as well.

Any additional comments?

I listened to this in the car as I made an all day car trip. I was laughing so hard at one point that I had to pull off the road so I could just sit and have a good belly laugh.

Must listen

Thank you Julia Sweeney for your honest thoughts and joyful manner of delivery! So many good nuggets in this book! I will listen over and over!

One of my all time favorite memoirs

I first heard Letting Go of God about five years ago when I was beginning to go through my own crisis of faith, and Julia's story gave me permission to question and eventually leave the religion my parents had handed me as a child. It's a remarkable and beautifully told story, and I've heard countless people remark to me over the years how it's affected them.

Brilliant, charming -- sheer genius

Letting Go Of God covers all the bases: the journey from childhood religious indoctrination to freethinking adulthood, the contradictions in the Bible, the silliness of New Age thinking as a substitute for reason, the prejudice against atheists, and, most of all, shows that you can be a good, kind, loving person without God (indeed, it's hard not to be totally in love with Sweeney by the end). It never sneers, never uses condescension, and never once tells anyone else what to think -- it trust that the members of the audience can find their own way. A tour de force; I recommend it highly and wholeheartedly.

Julia Sweeney isn't "Strident".

For the many believers who avoid reasoned, if undiplomatic, arguments assailing their religion by attacking the messengers, Julia Sweeney is the answer. Julia offered nothing that further shored up my disdain for religion - I didn't need it. The older I get, the more ridiculous religion seems to me. What is clear, however, is how many believers disregard the arguments of Dawkins, Hitchens, and Harris by whining about how abrasive these fellows are. And they are abrasive - who can blame them? But let's not go there - because Julia Sweeney does not go there. Where she takes us is on a delightful, heartfelt personal journey during which she finally concludes that she can no longer believe in the unbelievable. She's funny. She's sincere. And best of all, she's right.

Very Amusing

Julia has a wonderful way with words. She was very accurate in her description of Mormon missionaries (I grew up LDS) and her story of her parents reaction to her Atheist "coming out" reminds me very much of my own experience being a non-believer in the heart of "Zion". I definitely encourage any Agnostic, Humanist, Atheist or open minded believer to listen to this

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.