-
The Complete Heretic's Guide to Western Religion, Book 1
- The Mormons
- Narrated by: David Smalley
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Nailed
- Ten Christian Myths That Show Jesus Never Existed at All
- By: David Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: David Fitzgerald
- Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nailed sheds light on ten beloved Christian myths, and, with evidence gathered from historians across the theological spectrum, shows how they point to a Jesus Christ created solely through allegorical alchemy of hope and imagination; a messiah transformed from a purely literary, theological construct into the familiar figure of Jesus - in short, a purely mythic Christ.
-
-
I Lost my faith in Jesus
- By Neuron on 12-05-14
By: David Fitzgerald
-
The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament, Volume 1
- By: Joshua Bowen
- Narrated by: Seth Andrews
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Old Testament is a fierce battleground for atheists and Christian apologists, with each side accusing the other of taking challenging and troubling passages out of context. In this handbook, Joshua Bowen not only provides the background to the Old Testament and the ancient Near East, but engages with hotly contested topics like slavery, failed prophecy, and the authorship of debated Old Testament books.
-
-
Very informative with beautiful narration
- By Frank Rizzo on 07-07-21
By: Joshua Bowen
-
On the Historicity of Jesus
- Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt
- By: Richard Carrier
- Narrated by: Richard Carrier
- Length: 28 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The assumption that Jesus existed as a historical person has occasionally been questioned in the course of the last hundred years or so, but any doubts that have been raised have usually been put to rest in favor of imagining a blend of the historical, the mythical, and the theological in the surviving records of Jesus. Historian and philosopher Richard Carrier reexamines the whole question and finds compelling reasons to suspect the more daring assumption is correct.
-
-
Very detailed analysis with a clear conclusion
- By E. Moore on 07-09-15
By: Richard Carrier
-
Creating Christ
- How Roman Emperors Invented Christianity
- By: James S. Valliant, C. W. Fahy
- Narrated by: Chris MacDonnell
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This explosive work of history unearths clues that finally demonstrate the truth about one of the world's great religions: that it was born out of the conflict between the Romans and messianic Jews who fought a bitter war with each other during the first century. The Romans employed a tactic they routinely used to conquer and absorb other nations: they grafted their imperial rule onto the religion of the conquered.
-
-
life is one big lie
- By Anonymous User on 12-25-19
By: James S. Valliant, and others
-
God
- The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction
- By: Dan Barker
- Narrated by: Dan Barker, Richard Dawkins, Buzz Kemper
- Length: 15 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Originally conceived as a joint presentation between influential thinker and best-selling author Richard Dawkins and former evangelical preacher Dan Barker, this unique book provides an investigation into what may be the most unpleasant character in all fiction. Barker combs through both the Old and New Testaments (as well as 13 different editions of the "Good Book"), presenting powerful evidence for why Scripture shouldn't govern our everyday lives.
-
-
good, but not recommended for bible-aware atheists
- By Jared on 10-15-16
By: Dan Barker
-
Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism
- By: Aron Ra
- Narrated by: Aron Ra
- Length: 16 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Religious fundamentalists and biblical literalists present any number of arguments that attempt to disprove evolution. Those with a sympathetic ear often fail to critically examine these creationist claims, leading to an ill-informed public and, perhaps more troubling, ill-advised public policy. As Aron Ra makes clear, however, every single argument deployed by creationists in their attacks on evolution is founded on fundamental scientific, religious, and historical falsehoods - all of them.
-
-
A fantastic listen!
- By Ms. Gray on 11-06-16
By: Aron Ra
-
Nailed
- Ten Christian Myths That Show Jesus Never Existed at All
- By: David Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: David Fitzgerald
- Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nailed sheds light on ten beloved Christian myths, and, with evidence gathered from historians across the theological spectrum, shows how they point to a Jesus Christ created solely through allegorical alchemy of hope and imagination; a messiah transformed from a purely literary, theological construct into the familiar figure of Jesus - in short, a purely mythic Christ.
-
-
I Lost my faith in Jesus
- By Neuron on 12-05-14
By: David Fitzgerald
-
The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament, Volume 1
- By: Joshua Bowen
- Narrated by: Seth Andrews
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Old Testament is a fierce battleground for atheists and Christian apologists, with each side accusing the other of taking challenging and troubling passages out of context. In this handbook, Joshua Bowen not only provides the background to the Old Testament and the ancient Near East, but engages with hotly contested topics like slavery, failed prophecy, and the authorship of debated Old Testament books.
-
-
Very informative with beautiful narration
- By Frank Rizzo on 07-07-21
By: Joshua Bowen
-
On the Historicity of Jesus
- Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt
- By: Richard Carrier
- Narrated by: Richard Carrier
- Length: 28 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The assumption that Jesus existed as a historical person has occasionally been questioned in the course of the last hundred years or so, but any doubts that have been raised have usually been put to rest in favor of imagining a blend of the historical, the mythical, and the theological in the surviving records of Jesus. Historian and philosopher Richard Carrier reexamines the whole question and finds compelling reasons to suspect the more daring assumption is correct.
-
-
Very detailed analysis with a clear conclusion
- By E. Moore on 07-09-15
By: Richard Carrier
-
Creating Christ
- How Roman Emperors Invented Christianity
- By: James S. Valliant, C. W. Fahy
- Narrated by: Chris MacDonnell
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This explosive work of history unearths clues that finally demonstrate the truth about one of the world's great religions: that it was born out of the conflict between the Romans and messianic Jews who fought a bitter war with each other during the first century. The Romans employed a tactic they routinely used to conquer and absorb other nations: they grafted their imperial rule onto the religion of the conquered.
-
-
life is one big lie
- By Anonymous User on 12-25-19
By: James S. Valliant, and others
-
God
- The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction
- By: Dan Barker
- Narrated by: Dan Barker, Richard Dawkins, Buzz Kemper
- Length: 15 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Originally conceived as a joint presentation between influential thinker and best-selling author Richard Dawkins and former evangelical preacher Dan Barker, this unique book provides an investigation into what may be the most unpleasant character in all fiction. Barker combs through both the Old and New Testaments (as well as 13 different editions of the "Good Book"), presenting powerful evidence for why Scripture shouldn't govern our everyday lives.
-
-
good, but not recommended for bible-aware atheists
- By Jared on 10-15-16
By: Dan Barker
-
Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism
- By: Aron Ra
- Narrated by: Aron Ra
- Length: 16 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Religious fundamentalists and biblical literalists present any number of arguments that attempt to disprove evolution. Those with a sympathetic ear often fail to critically examine these creationist claims, leading to an ill-informed public and, perhaps more troubling, ill-advised public policy. As Aron Ra makes clear, however, every single argument deployed by creationists in their attacks on evolution is founded on fundamental scientific, religious, and historical falsehoods - all of them.
-
-
A fantastic listen!
- By Ms. Gray on 11-06-16
By: Aron Ra
-
Jesus, Interrupted
- Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible
- By: Bart D. Ehrman
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Picking up where Bible expert Bart Ehrman's New York Times best seller, Misquoting Jesus, left off, Jesus, Interrupted addresses the larger issue of what the New Testament actually teaches...and it's not what most people think. This is the book that pastors, educators, and anyone interested in the Bible have been waiting for, a clear and compelling account of the central challenges we face when attempting to reconstruct the life and message of Jesus.
-
-
Take a college course in New Testament in a book
- By R. Reed on 04-09-09
By: Bart D. Ehrman
-
God Is Not Great
- How Religion Poisons Everything
- By: Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: Christopher Hitchens
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the tradition of Bertrand Russell's Why I Am Not a Christian and Sam Harris' recent best-seller, The End of Faith, Christopher Hitchens makes the ultimate case against religion. With a close and erudite reading of the major religious texts, he documents the ways in which religion is a man-made wish, a cause of dangerous sexual repression, and a distortion of our origins in the cosmos.
-
-
5-Star Writing. Perfect Author Narration.
- By Michael on 12-13-09
-
The Portable Atheist
- Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever
- By: Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: Nicholas Ball
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Atheist? Believer? Uncertain? No matter: The Portable Atheist will engage you every step of the way. From the number one New York Times best-selling author of God Is Not Great, comes this provocative and entertaining guided tour of atheist and agnostic thought through the ages with original pieces by Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
-
-
Half the book
- By Barry Z. on 04-02-22
-
Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot
- By: Seth Andrews
- Narrated by: Seth Andrews
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seth Andrews wasn't an idiot during his 30 years as an evangelical Christian. He wasn't unintelligent, nor did his IQ shift when he ultimately left religion entirely. He considered himself thoughtful, moral, reasonable, and at least as smart as the average person. In other words, he wasn't an idiot. Yet strangely, he often sounded like one.
-
-
Resonates with any ex-evangelical!
- By Jeremy Gregg on 12-05-22
By: Seth Andrews
-
Under the Banner of Heaven
- A Story of Violent Faith
- By: Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Defying both civil authorities and the Mormon establishment in Salt Lake City, the renegade leaders of these Taliban-like theocracies are zealots who answer only to God; some 40,000 people still practice polygamy in these communities. At the core of Krakauer’s book are brothers Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a commandment from God to kill a blameless woman and her baby girl. Beginning with a meticulously researched account of this appalling double murder, Krakauer constructs a bone-chilling narrative of messianic delusion, polygamy, savage violence, and unyielding faith.
-
-
Interesting @ arm's length
- By pixychild on 07-17-09
By: Jon Krakauer
-
Misquoting Jesus
- By: Bart D. Ehrman
- Narrated by: Richard M. Davidson
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When world-class biblical scholar Bart Ehrman first began to study the texts of the Bible in their original languages he was startled to discover the multitude of mistakes and intentional alterations that had been made by earlier translators. In Misquoting Jesus, Ehrman tells the story behind the mistakes and changes that ancient scribes made to the New Testament and shows the great impact they had upon the Bible we use today.
-
-
Understanding Manuscripts
- By KaHef on 11-22-06
By: Bart D. Ehrman
-
Joseph Smith
- Rough Stone Rolling
- By: Richard Lyman Bushman
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
- Length: 28 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Founder of the largest indigenous Christian church in American history, Joseph Smith published the 584-page Book of Mormon when he was 23 and went on to organize a church, found cities, and attract thousands of followers before his violent death at age 38. Richard Bushman, an esteemed cultural historian and a practicing Mormon, moves beyond the popular stereotype of Smith as a colorful fraud to explore his personality, his relationships with others, and how he received revelations.
-
-
Polarizing...in a great way
- By Brigham Larson on 01-24-18
-
Zealot
- The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
- By: Reza Aslan
- Narrated by: Reza Aslan
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the internationally bestselling author of No god but God comes a fascinating, provocative, and meticulously researched biography that challenges long-held assumptions about the man we know as Jesus of Nazareth. Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history's most influential and enigmatic characters by examining Jesus through the lens of the tumultuous era in which he lived: first-century Palestine, an age awash in apocalyptic fervor.
-
-
Vivid and well-researched
- By Tad Davis on 07-21-13
By: Reza Aslan
-
The God Delusion
- By: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discover magazine recently called Richard Dawkins "Darwin's Rottweiler" for his fierce and effective defense of evolution. Prospect magazine voted him among the top three public intellectuals in the world (along with Umberto Eco and Noam Chomsky). Now Dawkins turns his considerable intellect on religion, denouncing its faulty logic and the suffering it causes.
-
-
Dangerous Religion
- By Rick Just on 12-21-06
By: Richard Dawkins
-
Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity
- Revised & Expanded
- By: John W. Loftus
- Narrated by: Buzz Kemper
- Length: 31 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this honest appraisal of his journey from believer to atheist, the author carefully explains the experiences and the reasoning process that led him to reject religious belief. The original edition of this book was published in 2006 and reissued in 2008. Since that time, Loftus has received a good deal of critical feedback from Christians and skeptics alike. In this revised and expanded edition, the author addresses criticisms of the original, adds new argumentation and references, and refines his presentation.
-
-
Inside bible arguments for bible enthusiast only
- By Gary on 08-20-16
By: John W. Loftus
-
God
- An Anatomy
- By: Francesca Stavrakopoulou
- Narrated by: Francesca Stavrakopoulou
- Length: 15 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The scholarship of theology and religion teaches us that the God of the Bible was without a body, only revealing himself in the Old Testament in words mysteriously uttered through his prophets, and in the New Testament in the body of Christ. The portrayal of God as corporeal and masculine is seen as merely metaphorical, figurative, or poetic. But, in this revelatory study, Francesca Stavrakopoulou presents a vividly corporeal image of God: a human-shaped deity who walks and talks and weeps and laughs, who eats, sleeps, feels, and breathes, and who is undeniably male.
-
-
GREAT READ!!
- By Chester Johnson on 04-27-23
-
Why I Am Not a Christian: Four Conclusive Reasons to Reject the Faith
- By: Richard Carrier
- Narrated by: Richard Carrier
- Length: 1 hr and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Richard Carrier, world-renowned philosopher and historian, explains the four reasons he does not accept the Christian religion, describing four facts of the world that, had they been different, he would believe. Those four reasons are God's silence, God's inaction, the lack of evidence, and the way the universe looks exactly like a godless universe would, and not at all like a Christian universe would, even down to its very structure. Dr. Carrier addresses all the usual replies to these claims.
-
-
Four Foundational Pillars Demolished
- By Winston D. Jen on 05-26-13
By: Richard Carrier
Publisher's summary
The next time that squeaky clean pair of LDS elders comes knocking on your door, they're in for a surprise! Find out the secrets the Mormon Church would rather you didn't know (and for which they paid plenty of money to keep hushed up unsuccessfully!)
In this first book of The Complete Heretic's Guide to World Religion series, historian and award-winning atheist author Dave Fitzgerald takes us behind the Salt Lake curtain for a glimpse at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and answers your questions: Where did this multi-billion dollar tax-exempt corporation come from? Did Joseph Smith really sleep with all those women? Are the Mormons going to take over the whole world, and if so, is there any way to stop them?
But that's not all! Learn about the bizarre, oxymoronic world of Mormon archeology and discover their strange beliefs - not just all the crazy stuff you already know, but all the truly twisted things you never even suspected - including the astounding shocking skeletons rattling around in the closet of the Mormon church hierarchy.
Don't miss out on this fun, informative and painstakingly researched historical romp by the highly praised and award-winning author of Nailed: Ten Christian Myths that Show Jesus Never Existed at All. So when the missionaries show up on your doorstep, you'll have plenty to discuss with them.... Later days, Saints!
The Complete Heretic's Guide to Western Religion. Because religion isn't just wrong. It's hilarious.
More from the same
Related to this topic
-
The Mormon Mirage
- A Former Member Looks at the Mormon Church Today
- By: Latayne C. Scott
- Narrated by: Tamara Marston
- Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three decades after leaving the Mormon faith, Latayne Colvett Scott looks back to her original journey out of Mormonism and the reasons why she left. Revised and updated, this third edition of The Mormon Mirage presents both a fascinating inside look at Mormonism and new and formidable evidence against its claims and teachings.
-
-
Keep away from it. Hate-Literature.
- By Amazon Customer on 04-13-12
By: Latayne C. Scott
-
The Wordy Shipmates
- By: Sarah Vowell
- Narrated by: Sarah Vowell
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sarah Vowell's special brand of armchair history makes the bizarre and esoteric fascinatingly relevant and fun. She takes us from the modern-day reenactment of an Indian massacre to the Mohegan Sun casino, from old-timey Puritan poetry, where "righteousness" is rhymed with "wilderness," to a Mayflower-themed waterslide. Throughout, The Wordy Shipmates is rich in historical fact, humorous insight, and social commentary by one of America's most celebrated voices.
-
-
I love Sarah Vowell
- By Audiophile on 10-25-09
By: Sarah Vowell
-
American Crucifixion
- The Murder of Joseph Smith and the Fate of the Mormon Church
- By: Alex Beam
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On June 27, 1844, a mob stormed the jail in the dusty frontier town of Carthage, Illinois. Clamorous and angry, they were hunting down a man they saw as a grave threat to their otherwise quiet lives: The founding prophet of Mormonism, Joseph Smith. They wanted blood. At thirty-nine years old, Smith had already lived an outsized life. In addition to starting the Church of Latter-Day Saints and creating his own "Golden Bible" - the Book of Mormon - he had worked as a water-dowser and treasure hunter.
-
-
All religious histories are not created equal
- By Kendra on 07-01-14
By: Alex Beam
-
The Colony
- Faith and Blood in a Promised Land
- By: Sally Denton
- Narrated by: Ann Richardson
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the morning of November 4, 2019, a caravan of women and children was ambushed by masked gunmen on a desolate stretch of road in northern Mexico controlled by the Sinaloa drug cartel. Firing semi-automatic weapons, the attackers killed nine people and gravely injured five more. The victims were members of the LeBaron and La Mora communities-fundamentalist Mormons whose forebears broke from the LDS Church and settled in Mexico when their religion outlawed polygamy in the late nineteenth century.
-
-
More surface level than I would have expected
- By Jessica Baier on 07-06-22
By: Sally Denton
-
One Nation, Under Gods
- A New American History
- By: Peter Manseau
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 17 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the heart of the nation's spiritual history are audacious and often violent scenes. But the Puritans and the shining city on the hill give us just one way to understand the United States. Rather than recite American history from a Christian vantage point, Peter Manseau proves that what really happened is worth a close, fresh look.
-
-
Tapestry of different pieces makes for a whole
- By Gary on 03-23-15
By: Peter Manseau
-
The Truth About Muhammad
- Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion
- By: Robert Spencer
- Narrated by: James Adams
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Truth about Muhammad, New York Times best-selling author and Islam expert Robert Spencer offers an honest and telling portrait of the founder of Islam - perhaps the first such portrait in half a century - unbounded by fear and political correctness, unflinching, and willing to face the hard facts about Muhammad's life that continue to affect our world today.
-
-
Enlightening
- By Cx30 on 12-09-06
By: Robert Spencer
-
The Mormon Mirage
- A Former Member Looks at the Mormon Church Today
- By: Latayne C. Scott
- Narrated by: Tamara Marston
- Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three decades after leaving the Mormon faith, Latayne Colvett Scott looks back to her original journey out of Mormonism and the reasons why she left. Revised and updated, this third edition of The Mormon Mirage presents both a fascinating inside look at Mormonism and new and formidable evidence against its claims and teachings.
-
-
Keep away from it. Hate-Literature.
- By Amazon Customer on 04-13-12
By: Latayne C. Scott
-
The Wordy Shipmates
- By: Sarah Vowell
- Narrated by: Sarah Vowell
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sarah Vowell's special brand of armchair history makes the bizarre and esoteric fascinatingly relevant and fun. She takes us from the modern-day reenactment of an Indian massacre to the Mohegan Sun casino, from old-timey Puritan poetry, where "righteousness" is rhymed with "wilderness," to a Mayflower-themed waterslide. Throughout, The Wordy Shipmates is rich in historical fact, humorous insight, and social commentary by one of America's most celebrated voices.
-
-
I love Sarah Vowell
- By Audiophile on 10-25-09
By: Sarah Vowell
-
American Crucifixion
- The Murder of Joseph Smith and the Fate of the Mormon Church
- By: Alex Beam
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On June 27, 1844, a mob stormed the jail in the dusty frontier town of Carthage, Illinois. Clamorous and angry, they were hunting down a man they saw as a grave threat to their otherwise quiet lives: The founding prophet of Mormonism, Joseph Smith. They wanted blood. At thirty-nine years old, Smith had already lived an outsized life. In addition to starting the Church of Latter-Day Saints and creating his own "Golden Bible" - the Book of Mormon - he had worked as a water-dowser and treasure hunter.
-
-
All religious histories are not created equal
- By Kendra on 07-01-14
By: Alex Beam
-
The Colony
- Faith and Blood in a Promised Land
- By: Sally Denton
- Narrated by: Ann Richardson
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the morning of November 4, 2019, a caravan of women and children was ambushed by masked gunmen on a desolate stretch of road in northern Mexico controlled by the Sinaloa drug cartel. Firing semi-automatic weapons, the attackers killed nine people and gravely injured five more. The victims were members of the LeBaron and La Mora communities-fundamentalist Mormons whose forebears broke from the LDS Church and settled in Mexico when their religion outlawed polygamy in the late nineteenth century.
-
-
More surface level than I would have expected
- By Jessica Baier on 07-06-22
By: Sally Denton
-
One Nation, Under Gods
- A New American History
- By: Peter Manseau
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 17 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the heart of the nation's spiritual history are audacious and often violent scenes. But the Puritans and the shining city on the hill give us just one way to understand the United States. Rather than recite American history from a Christian vantage point, Peter Manseau proves that what really happened is worth a close, fresh look.
-
-
Tapestry of different pieces makes for a whole
- By Gary on 03-23-15
By: Peter Manseau
-
The Truth About Muhammad
- Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion
- By: Robert Spencer
- Narrated by: James Adams
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Truth about Muhammad, New York Times best-selling author and Islam expert Robert Spencer offers an honest and telling portrait of the founder of Islam - perhaps the first such portrait in half a century - unbounded by fear and political correctness, unflinching, and willing to face the hard facts about Muhammad's life that continue to affect our world today.
-
-
Enlightening
- By Cx30 on 12-09-06
By: Robert Spencer
-
A House Full of Females
- Plural Marriage and Women's Rights in Early Mormonism, 1835-1870
- By: Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 19 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A stunning and sure to be controversial book that pieces together, through more than two dozen 19th-century diaries, letters, albums, minute books, and quilts left by first-generation Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, the never before told story of the earliest days of the women of Mormon "plural marriage", whose right to vote in the state of Utah was given to them by a Mormon-dominated legislature as an outgrowth of polygamy in 1870, 50 years ahead of the vote nationally ratified by Congress.
-
-
Well-behaved women seldom write in diaries
- By Darwin8u on 01-13-17
-
Heaven’s Ditch
- God, Gold, and Murder on the Erie Canal
- By: Jack Kelly
- Narrated by: Andrew Reilly
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The technological marvel of its age, the Erie Canal grew out of a sudden fit of inspiration. Proponents didn't just dream; they built a 360-mile waterway entirely by hand and largely through wilderness. As excitement crackled down its length, the canal became the scene of the most striking outburst of imagination in American history. Zealots invented new religions and new modes of living. The Erie Canal made New York the financial capital of America and brought the modern world crashing into the frontier.
-
-
An under told story of the United States.
- By JayHey on 08-28-16
By: Jack Kelly
-
Blood of the Prophets
- Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows
- By: Will Bagley
- Narrated by: Charles Henderson Norman
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The massacre at Mountain Meadows on September 11, 1857, was the single most violent attack on a wagon train in the 30-year history of the Oregon and California trails. Yet it has been all but forgotten. Will Bagley's Blood of the Prophets is an award-winning, riveting account of the attack on the Baker-Fancher wagon train by Mormons in the local militia and a few Paiute Indians.
-
-
religion is dangerous
- By david dunn on 04-17-16
By: Will Bagley
-
Villains of the Early Church
- And How They Made Us Better Christians
- By: Mike Aquilina
- Narrated by: Mike Aquilina
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The early Church faced its share of villains - persecutors like Nero and Julian, heretics like Marcion and Arius. And what good were they? Plenty, say the Church fathers. The threat of persecution made Christians strong and bold. As noted author Mike Aquilina demonstrates in Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians, the menace of heresy made Christians smarter - and deepened their knowledge of the divine mysteries. The villains of the ancient world proved the mettle of heroes like Peter and Paul, Irenaeus and Athanasius.
-
-
AMAZING NARRATOR
- By Tyler Fowler (Host of the YouTube channel Faith Unaltered) on 11-07-19
By: Mike Aquilina
-
The Jesus Dynasty
- A New Historical Investigation of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Birth of Christianity
- By: James D. Tabor
- Narrated by: James D. Tabor
- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on a careful analysis of the earliest Christian documents and recent archaeological discoveries, The Jesus Dynasty offers a bold new interpretation of the life of Jesus and the origins of Christianity. The story is surprising, controversial, and exciting as only a long-lost history can be when it is at last recovered.
-
-
Provocative book
- By Dan on 08-27-06
By: James D. Tabor
-
The Two Marys
- The Hidden History of the Mother and Wife of Jesus
- By: Sylvia Browne
- Narrated by: Jeanie Hackett
- Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No conversation about Jesus Christ is complete without a discussion of the two Marys: one his mother, and the other his wife. Sylvia Browne's readers are deeply committed to exploring the life of Jesus through her eyes. Continuing the journey she began a year ago with The Mystical Life of Jesus, the respected psychic seeks and reveals answers to questions that have been asked by countless people of faith.
-
-
blasphemy
- By David on 03-10-08
By: Sylvia Browne
-
Don't Know Much about the Bible
- Everything You Need to Know About the Good Book but Never Learned
- By: Kenneth C. Davis
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey, Lorna Raver
- Length: 16 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bringing to life the world of the Old and New Testaments, the acclaimed creator of the bestselling Don’t Know Much About® series transforms dry, difficult reading into colorful and realistic accounts. Relying on new research and improved translations, Kenneth C. Davis uncovers some amazing questions and contradictions about what the Bible really says: Jericho’s walls may have tumbled down because the city lies on a fault line; Moses never parted the Red Sea; There was a Jesus, but he wasn’t born on Christmas and he probably wasn't an only child....
-
-
decent survey of the topic
- By bookouri on 02-02-14
By: Kenneth C. Davis
-
A Storm of Witchcraft
- The Salem Trials and the American Experience
- By: Emerson W. Baker
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beginning in January 1692, Salem Village in colonial Massachusetts witnessed the largest and most lethal outbreak of witchcraft in early America. Villagers - mainly young women - suffered from unseen torments that caused them to writhe, shriek, and contort their bodies, complaining of pins stuck into their flesh and of being haunted by specters. Believing that they suffered from assaults by an invisible spirit, the community began a hunt to track down those responsible for the demonic work.
-
-
Wow....riveting and tragic
- By TeamDowager on 10-23-15
By: Emerson W. Baker
-
St. Patrick of Ireland
- A Biography
- By: Philip Freeman
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ireland's patron saint has long been shrouded in legend: he drove the snakes out of Ireland; he triumphed over Druids and their super-natural powers; he used a shamrock to explain the Christian mystery of the Trinity. But his true story is more fascinating than the myths.
-
-
A Wonderful Discription
- By L. Thibodeaux on 08-12-05
By: Philip Freeman
-
The Year of Lear
- Shakespeare in 1606
- By: James Shapiro
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the years leading up to 1606, since the death of Queen Elizabeth and the arrival in England of her successor, King James of Scotland, Shakespeare's great productivity had ebbed, and it may have seemed to some that his prolific genius was a thing of the past. But that year, at age 42, he found his footing again, finishing a play he had begun the previous autumn - King Lear - then writing two other great tragedies, Macbeth and Antony and Cleopatra.
-
-
Detailed and satisfying
- By Tad Davis on 02-24-16
By: James Shapiro
-
Who Is This Man?
- The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus
- By: John Ortberg
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author John Ortberg shares how Jesus' influence has swept over history and how his vision of life continues to impact humanity today. Jesus' impact on our world is highly unlikely, widely inescapable, largely unknown, and decidedly double-edged. It is unlikely in light of the severe limitations of his earthly life; it is inescapable because of the range of impact; it is unknown because history doesn't connect dots; and it is doubled-edged because his followers have wreaked so much havoc, often in his name.
-
-
NOT narrated by John Ortberg, sadly
- By T. Harris on 08-15-12
By: John Ortberg
-
The Aleppo Codex
- A True Story of Obsession, Faith, and the Pursuit of an Ancient Bible
- By: Matti Friedman
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A true-life thriller about the journey of one of the world's most precious manuscripts - the 10th-century annotated Hebrew Bible known as the Aleppo Codex - from its hiding place in an ancient Syrian synagogue to the newly founded Israel. Using his research, including documents that have been secret for 50 years and interviews with key players, AP correspondent Friedman tells a story of political upheaval, international intrigue, charged courtroom battles, obsession, and subterfuge.
-
-
don't quess at pronunciation of foreign words
- By dlb on 05-28-12
By: Matti Friedman
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Nailed
- Ten Christian Myths That Show Jesus Never Existed at All
- By: David Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: David Fitzgerald
- Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nailed sheds light on ten beloved Christian myths, and, with evidence gathered from historians across the theological spectrum, shows how they point to a Jesus Christ created solely through allegorical alchemy of hope and imagination; a messiah transformed from a purely literary, theological construct into the familiar figure of Jesus - in short, a purely mythic Christ.
-
-
I Lost my faith in Jesus
- By Neuron on 12-05-14
By: David Fitzgerald
-
Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot
- By: Seth Andrews
- Narrated by: Seth Andrews
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seth Andrews wasn't an idiot during his 30 years as an evangelical Christian. He wasn't unintelligent, nor did his IQ shift when he ultimately left religion entirely. He considered himself thoughtful, moral, reasonable, and at least as smart as the average person. In other words, he wasn't an idiot. Yet strangely, he often sounded like one.
-
-
Resonates with any ex-evangelical!
- By Jeremy Gregg on 12-05-22
By: Seth Andrews
-
The Case Against the Case for Christ
- A New Testament Scholar Refutes the Reverend Lee Strobel
- By: Robert M. Price
- Narrated by: Robert M. Price
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Leading New Testament scholar Robert M. Price has taken umbrage at the cavalier manner in which Rev. Lee Strobel has misrepresented the field of Bible scholarship in his book The Case for Christ. Price exposes and refutes Strobel's arguments chapter-by-chapter. In doing so, he has occasion to wipe out the entire field of Christian apologetics as summarized by Strobel. This book is a must-read for anyone bewildered by the various books published by Rev. Strobel.
-
-
One seriously bitter man
- By Kellie on 04-08-21
By: Robert M. Price
-
On the Historicity of Jesus
- Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt
- By: Richard Carrier
- Narrated by: Richard Carrier
- Length: 28 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The assumption that Jesus existed as a historical person has occasionally been questioned in the course of the last hundred years or so, but any doubts that have been raised have usually been put to rest in favor of imagining a blend of the historical, the mythical, and the theological in the surviving records of Jesus. Historian and philosopher Richard Carrier reexamines the whole question and finds compelling reasons to suspect the more daring assumption is correct.
-
-
Very detailed analysis with a clear conclusion
- By E. Moore on 07-09-15
By: Richard Carrier
-
Creating Christ
- How Roman Emperors Invented Christianity
- By: James S. Valliant, C. W. Fahy
- Narrated by: Chris MacDonnell
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This explosive work of history unearths clues that finally demonstrate the truth about one of the world's great religions: that it was born out of the conflict between the Romans and messianic Jews who fought a bitter war with each other during the first century. The Romans employed a tactic they routinely used to conquer and absorb other nations: they grafted their imperial rule onto the religion of the conquered.
-
-
life is one big lie
- By Anonymous User on 12-25-19
By: James S. Valliant, and others
-
Passport to Heaven
- The True Story of a Zealous Mormon Missionary Who Discovers the Jesus He Never Knew
- By: Micah Wilder
- Narrated by: Micah Wilder
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When missionary Micah Wilder set his sights on bringing a Baptist congregation into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he had no idea that he was the one about to be changed. Yet when he finally came to know the God of the Bible, Micah had no choice but to surrender himself - no matter the consequences.
-
-
Have Compassion, Show Love
- By Tina Bedwell on 06-03-21
By: Micah Wilder
-
Nailed
- Ten Christian Myths That Show Jesus Never Existed at All
- By: David Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: David Fitzgerald
- Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nailed sheds light on ten beloved Christian myths, and, with evidence gathered from historians across the theological spectrum, shows how they point to a Jesus Christ created solely through allegorical alchemy of hope and imagination; a messiah transformed from a purely literary, theological construct into the familiar figure of Jesus - in short, a purely mythic Christ.
-
-
I Lost my faith in Jesus
- By Neuron on 12-05-14
By: David Fitzgerald
-
Christianity Made Me Talk Like an Idiot
- By: Seth Andrews
- Narrated by: Seth Andrews
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seth Andrews wasn't an idiot during his 30 years as an evangelical Christian. He wasn't unintelligent, nor did his IQ shift when he ultimately left religion entirely. He considered himself thoughtful, moral, reasonable, and at least as smart as the average person. In other words, he wasn't an idiot. Yet strangely, he often sounded like one.
-
-
Resonates with any ex-evangelical!
- By Jeremy Gregg on 12-05-22
By: Seth Andrews
-
The Case Against the Case for Christ
- A New Testament Scholar Refutes the Reverend Lee Strobel
- By: Robert M. Price
- Narrated by: Robert M. Price
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Leading New Testament scholar Robert M. Price has taken umbrage at the cavalier manner in which Rev. Lee Strobel has misrepresented the field of Bible scholarship in his book The Case for Christ. Price exposes and refutes Strobel's arguments chapter-by-chapter. In doing so, he has occasion to wipe out the entire field of Christian apologetics as summarized by Strobel. This book is a must-read for anyone bewildered by the various books published by Rev. Strobel.
-
-
One seriously bitter man
- By Kellie on 04-08-21
By: Robert M. Price
-
On the Historicity of Jesus
- Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt
- By: Richard Carrier
- Narrated by: Richard Carrier
- Length: 28 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The assumption that Jesus existed as a historical person has occasionally been questioned in the course of the last hundred years or so, but any doubts that have been raised have usually been put to rest in favor of imagining a blend of the historical, the mythical, and the theological in the surviving records of Jesus. Historian and philosopher Richard Carrier reexamines the whole question and finds compelling reasons to suspect the more daring assumption is correct.
-
-
Very detailed analysis with a clear conclusion
- By E. Moore on 07-09-15
By: Richard Carrier
-
Creating Christ
- How Roman Emperors Invented Christianity
- By: James S. Valliant, C. W. Fahy
- Narrated by: Chris MacDonnell
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This explosive work of history unearths clues that finally demonstrate the truth about one of the world's great religions: that it was born out of the conflict between the Romans and messianic Jews who fought a bitter war with each other during the first century. The Romans employed a tactic they routinely used to conquer and absorb other nations: they grafted their imperial rule onto the religion of the conquered.
-
-
life is one big lie
- By Anonymous User on 12-25-19
By: James S. Valliant, and others
-
Passport to Heaven
- The True Story of a Zealous Mormon Missionary Who Discovers the Jesus He Never Knew
- By: Micah Wilder
- Narrated by: Micah Wilder
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When missionary Micah Wilder set his sights on bringing a Baptist congregation into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he had no idea that he was the one about to be changed. Yet when he finally came to know the God of the Bible, Micah had no choice but to surrender himself - no matter the consequences.
-
-
Have Compassion, Show Love
- By Tina Bedwell on 06-03-21
By: Micah Wilder
-
Did Jesus Exist?
- The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth
- By: Bart D. Ehrman
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Large numbers of atheists, humanists, and conspiracy theorists are raising one of the most pressing questions in the history of religion: "Did Jesus exist at all?" Was he invented out of whole cloth for nefarious purposes by those seeking to control the masses? Or was Jesus such a shadowy figure - far removed from any credible historical evidence - that he bears no meaningful resemblance to the person described in the Bible?
-
-
Vintage Ehrman
- By Jacobus on 07-17-12
By: Bart D. Ehrman
-
Time Shards
- By: Dana Fredsti, David Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Aaron Shedlock
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's called "the event", an unimaginable cataclysm that shatters 600 million years of the Earth's timeline. Our world is gone, instantly replaced by a new one made of scattered remnants of the past, present, and future, dropped alongside one another in a patchwork of "shards". Monsters from Jurassic prehistory, ancient armies, and high-tech robots all coexist in this deadly post-apocalyptic landscape. A desperate group of survivors sets out to locate the source of the disaster.
-
-
Great book!!
- By Matt Tenberg on 04-19-18
By: Dana Fredsti, and others
-
The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament: Volume 2
- By: Joshua Bowen
- Narrated by: Seth Andrews
- Length: 14 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following up on the first volume, The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament: Volume 2 takes up the challenge of providing a clear and useful guide to those wanting a better understanding of the Old Testament, including its cultural and historical background, as well as discussions on contentious topics like violence and genocide, and whether the Exodus was a real historical event. Volume two also covers the narrative of the Old Testament, from the conquest to the divided monarchy, and a brief history of Egypt to help situate the biblical text within agreed historical events.
-
-
Informative and concise
- By J. W. Zents on 01-17-23
By: Joshua Bowen
-
Joseph Smith
- Rough Stone Rolling
- By: Richard Lyman Bushman
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
- Length: 28 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Founder of the largest indigenous Christian church in American history, Joseph Smith published the 584-page Book of Mormon when he was 23 and went on to organize a church, found cities, and attract thousands of followers before his violent death at age 38. Richard Bushman, an esteemed cultural historian and a practicing Mormon, moves beyond the popular stereotype of Smith as a colorful fraud to explore his personality, his relationships with others, and how he received revelations.
-
-
Polarizing...in a great way
- By Brigham Larson on 01-24-18
-
Truth Seeking: The Story of High-Ranking Mormon Leader Hans Mattsson Seeking Sincere Answers from His Church but Instead Finding Contempt, Fear, Doubt... and Eventually Peace
- By: Mr. Hans Mattsson, Mrs. Christina Hanke
- Narrated by: Spencer Bean
- Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the story of high-ranking mormon leader Hans Mattsson seeking sincere answers from his church but instead finding contempt, fear, doubt...and eventually peace.
-
-
Thanks
- By Joel Werly on 01-09-21
By: Mr. Hans Mattsson, and others
-
God's Problem
- The Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question - Why We Suffer
- By: Bart D. Ehrman
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganzer
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In times of questioning and despair, people often quote the Bible to provide answers. Surprisingly, though, the Bible does not have one answer but many "answers" that often contradict one another.
-
-
Despite "Suffer the little children"
- By Kaeli on 05-03-08
By: Bart D. Ehrman
-
Jesus, Interrupted
- Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible
- By: Bart D. Ehrman
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Picking up where Bible expert Bart Ehrman's New York Times best seller, Misquoting Jesus, left off, Jesus, Interrupted addresses the larger issue of what the New Testament actually teaches...and it's not what most people think. This is the book that pastors, educators, and anyone interested in the Bible have been waiting for, a clear and compelling account of the central challenges we face when attempting to reconstruct the life and message of Jesus.
-
-
Take a college course in New Testament in a book
- By R. Reed on 04-09-09
By: Bart D. Ehrman
-
Outgrowing God
- A Beginner's Guide
- By: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 12 fiercely funny, mind-expanding chapters, Dawkins explains how the natural world arose without a designer - the improbability and beauty of the "bottom-up programming" that engineers an embryo or a flock of starlings - and challenges head-on some of the most basic assumptions made by the world’s religions: Do you believe in God? Which one? Is the Bible a "Good Book"? Is adhering to a religion necessary, or even likely, to make people good to one another? Outgrowing God is a concise, provocative guide to thinking for yourself.
-
-
No new ground is covered.
- By God(less) on 11-05-19
By: Richard Dawkins
-
How Jesus Became God
- The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee
- By: Bart D. Ehrman
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a book that took eight years to research and write, leading Bible scholar Bart D. Ehrman explores how an apocalyptic prophet from the backwaters of rural Galilee crucified for crimes against the state came to be thought of as equal with the one God Almighty Creator of all things. Ehrman sketches Jesus's transformation from a human prophet to the Son of God exalted to divine status at his resurrection. Only when some of Jesus's followers had visions of him after his death - alive again - did anyone come to think that he, the prophet from Galilee, had become God.
-
-
Wishing for a bit more meat on the bones
- By Darwin8u on 04-09-14
By: Bart D. Ehrman
-
The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament, Volume 1
- By: Joshua Bowen
- Narrated by: Seth Andrews
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Old Testament is a fierce battleground for atheists and Christian apologists, with each side accusing the other of taking challenging and troubling passages out of context. In this handbook, Joshua Bowen not only provides the background to the Old Testament and the ancient Near East, but engages with hotly contested topics like slavery, failed prophecy, and the authorship of debated Old Testament books.
-
-
Very informative with beautiful narration
- By Frank Rizzo on 07-07-21
By: Joshua Bowen
-
God
- An Anatomy
- By: Francesca Stavrakopoulou
- Narrated by: Francesca Stavrakopoulou
- Length: 15 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The scholarship of theology and religion teaches us that the God of the Bible was without a body, only revealing himself in the Old Testament in words mysteriously uttered through his prophets, and in the New Testament in the body of Christ. The portrayal of God as corporeal and masculine is seen as merely metaphorical, figurative, or poetic. But, in this revelatory study, Francesca Stavrakopoulou presents a vividly corporeal image of God: a human-shaped deity who walks and talks and weeps and laughs, who eats, sleeps, feels, and breathes, and who is undeniably male.
-
-
GREAT READ!!
- By Chester Johnson on 04-27-23
-
Heaven and Hell
- A History of the Afterlife
- By: Bart D. Ehrman
- Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd, Bart D. Ehrman - preface
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this “eloquent understanding of how death is viewed through many spiritual traditions” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), Bart Ehrman recounts the long history of the afterlife, ranging from The Epic of Gilgamesh up to the writings of Augustine, focusing especially on the teachings of Jesus and his early followers. He discusses ancient guided tours of heaven and hell, in which a living person observes the sublime blessings of heaven for those who are saved and the horrifying torments of hell for those who are damned.
-
-
It may not be what you expect
- By Library Bob on 05-25-20
By: Bart D. Ehrman
What listeners say about The Complete Heretic's Guide to Western Religion, Book 1
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- B. C. French
- 08-06-13
Amusing treatment, but narration problems
The subject matter of the book is good; I didn't learn anything new, but the presentation was very amusingly written. For those not familiar with Mormonism from the outside, it's a good overview, if perhaps a little cheeky.
However, the narrator's constant and consistent mispronunciations often threw me out of the narrative. If you are going to do a book about Mormonism, at least learn to pronounce some of the place names, personal names, and words correctly. Just a few examples:
Mormon specific:
- Palmyra (pal-MY-rah, not pal-MEE-rah -- I live about 30 minutes away from it)
- Deseret (DEZ-er-et, not DESS-er-et - like "desert")
Names:
- Ervil LeBaron, not Evril LeBaron (to be charitable, he may have been reading a typo)
- Jon Krakauer (KRA-kow-er, not "cracker")
Normal words:
- Sheepishly, not sheeplishly
- Prodigal (PRAH-dih-gul) son, not prodigial (prah-DIHJ-ee-al) son
There are many, many other examples, but this shows a certain lack of direction and editing, as well as some ignorance by the narrator.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
30 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bob Killian
- 05-22-14
Hilarious and disturbing history.
The author has an ax to grind, and he sharpens his ax beautifully. It's funny and well documented, full of illuminating history from the goofy and occasionally violent days of the Mormons.
A less than stellar reading, though. Although the narrator is a likable radio host, he offers many cringe-worthy mispronunciations that detract from the flow. ("Ec cetera" is particularly jarring, as it occurs in the text frequently. If that sort of thing doesn't bother you, then buy the book.) I had to decode "cholera" when it was pronounced ko-LER-uh. I lost half a paragraph figuring that out.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ron Worthington
- 05-22-14
The lunatic movement that gave rise to Scientology
What made the experience of listening to The Complete Heretic's Guide to Western Religion, Book 1 the most enjoyable?
well documented facts
What did you like best about this story?
that it is true, and that it reveals so much about the ethical and character failings of our forefathers. Also, that it is an obvious template for L Ron Hubbard's lunatic Scientology narrative of Xenu and his other crazy stories, that constitute Scientology's so-called theology, and also the CoS business model of 'tithing', by cash or slavery.
Which character – as performed by David Smalley – was your favorite?
Joseph Smith, Jr.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
It is disturbing that a lecherous, thieving liar like Joseph Smith, Jr., was able to attract any following at all. As to whether this is a Christian religion - read his own words that there is no one God - Mormonism is a polytheistic religion! A total rejection of the Abrahamic tradition.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- ben
- 08-14-15
Excellent narrative! (I'm Mormon...)
This narrative was absolutely riveting to me as a Mormon! After the Church published the gospel topics essays revealing previously suppressed information, I realized I had to consult outside sources for the entire truth. Its time we know the true history of the one true church of God on earth.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Richard
- 03-30-15
Very shocking and eye opening
As a recently apostate mormon this has been quite an eye opener. I definitely recommend! I rate 5 stars for sure!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- bookouri
- 07-22-13
Cant wait for the next of the author's books
Any additional comments?
Mr. Fitzgerald needs to read his own books! I always prefer to have the author read their own work, and when you have a speaker as good as David Fitzgerald it's a letdown not to hear it from his own voice.
Anyone not already familiar with Mr. Fitzgerald needs to look him up and hear him speak!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Alex
- 03-23-15
The weak link is the narrator.
Fitzgerald did an incredible amount of research for this. He puts it together well, he's as respectful and measured as he can be here. It is a great cultural history and examination. The only weak link is Smalley's narration. On his podcast he's effective and articulate. Reading a prepared work, he is at times stilted and clumsy. He outright pronounces a few words just plain wrong, and he continues to do so throughout the work. It can be a bit distracting.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Felicia J
- 07-02-15
A witty skewering of Mormon history & culture
Growing up in southwest Wyoming, about 3 hours from Salt Lake City, I knew lots of Mormon kids. As a sheltered Catholic girl, I viewed their religion with suspicion. They believed in Jesus, but not the RIGHT Jesus, and had kooky beliefs (at least compared to more familiar, mainstream Christian culture.)
As a secular adult fascinated by religious movements and the psychology of belief, I dabbled in Mormon history and in problems with the scriptures fabricated - I mean, translated - by Joseph Smith. From David Fitzgerald's entertaining book, I learned much more about the Mormons and had a great time doing it.
Fitzgerald begins with Joseph Smith's checkered (and decidedly unholy) past and traces Mormon migrations up until Brigham Young led them to Utah. He delves into the controversial aspects of Mormon beliefs - the early practice of polygamy (and how Church leaders covered it up), pre-mortal existence, convoluted beliefs about the afterlife, secret temple rituals and sealings.
Fitzgerald poked plenty of fun at the Mormon church, but on a deeper level, his book highlighted the dangers of a maligned group of outsiders becoming paranoid and insular. His account of the Mountain Meadows Massacre was riveting and horrifying.
The funniest parts of the book described Mark Hofmann robbing the church of thousands of dollars with his historical forgeries, and how con-man Joseph Smith was bested by cons specifically set up to trap him. (He proudly asserted to a visiting English clergyman his ancient Greek psalter was actually a Greek-Egyptian dictionary.)
To my fellow apostates: Treat kindly any Mormon missionaries who come to your door. The church puts those poor kids through hell.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Thomas Nedreberg
- 12-03-13
Words mispronounced cast doubt on expertise
What would have made The Complete Heretic's Guide to Western Religion, Book 1 better?
Two things threw me off on this book narration. One, it wasn't just a few words being mispronounced it was many words. Everything from place names to personal names to chapters in the Book of Mormon. The author gave suggestions on how to talk to your Mormon friends but if you pronounced things like he did, you'd lose all respectability in your discussion. Second, the discussion on polygamy was good up to the second manifesto but after that the majority of the chapter was spent on splinter groups who are no longer a part of the Mormon Church. Again, if you are going to talk to your Mormon friends about polygamy there is plenty of problems to talk about within the church and time frame when it was part of the church but including anything after that and saying it's part of the church will not get you anywhere in your discussion.
What do you think your next listen will be?
I'm listening to 50 Myths Proven Wrong.
What didn’t you like about David Smalley’s performance?
He couldn't or didn't pronounce correctly "So Many" words from the Mormon culture that his message was lost.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Complete Heretic's Guide to Western Religion, Book 1?
I would have corrected the pronunciation of words throughout the text to make it lest distracting to Mormon readers and more helpful to those wanting to learn about Mormons and talk with their Mormon friends.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- skepticalDustin
- 11-09-13
One listen may not be enough...
Which character – as performed by David Smalley – was your favorite?
David did a great job with the material, and his enthusiasm was evident in the reading.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
The great American Con job, "I can totally translate some reformed Egyptian."
Any additional comments?
If you ever wondered about the Mormons, the habits and origins, this book has you covered. Their is so much information here, I suggest multiple listens.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful