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)

I felt as if I was listening to myself speak.

Loved it. Ms. Sweeny speaks for so many of us. All the reviews are correct. Buy it you won't regret it.

If you are uptight stop now!

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

Yes! It's the same as having her talk to you not just in your head but in your ears.

What did you like best about this story?

Her interaction with the morman missionaries.

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

I can't just pick one!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

THE BIBLE AND OLTHER works of fiction.

Loved this!

Julia Sweeney certainly has a knack for story telling. She took a serious topic and made it so funny and enjoyable. Her delivery is brilliant. It was a real joy to listen too. It met and exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend 'Letting Go of God' to everyone, even theist.

A Familiar Journey

Since I found so many parallels in Julia Sweeney's journey, to my own, I imagine many of us have traveled a similar path. From a child with unwavering faith to that which we were raised in, to thinking, "this is not quite right, but there must be a "right" answer in all of those religions", to the realization that "they might all just be wrong." What I most appreciated was the sympathetic way she describes the journey of letting go. That it's not just a journey of logic, but of the emotions involved. Giving up on Santa is just as hard at 45 as it is at 5. We want to believe...but no longer can. There is a quietness that accompanies this insight. But in the stillness, a new awareness of what IS, takes the place of wishful thinking.
Absolutely enjoyed it....and it was FUNNY too!

Sweet Funny Tale of a Spiritual Journey

Julia Sweeney with humor and "textual" evidence direct from the Bible combined with personal experience really makes you understand her need to wander from the "flock" of the Christian-Catholic church. If you're open minded and have enough faith in your personal beliefs you'll withstand the few excellently placed jabs she makes at the Christian/Catholic's "bestseller". However if you are religiously fundamental and think of the Bible as the LITERAL WORD of GOD then you will see this comedian as a blasphemer. As a deist, I found her thoughtfulness very refreshing as she truly struggles to reconcile her visions of God and Jesus as loving beings... with the outright nastiness of God and many other contradictions so well documented in both the Old and New testaments. Even Jesus says/does some pretty surprising things as "the Prince of Peace" Granted the Old Testament writings are "Bronze Age" ramblings and that we should "...leave that book to the professionals." She really WANTS to believe but as she studies the actual Bible and THINKS you can hear the pain evident during her slow transformation. God gave us free will which God may want us to use correctly. Especially to develop a personal relationship with..uh... "him." It's hard to support anything that encourages "cult" thinking or discourages thinking for yourself and developing one's own reasonable set of morals that encourages love and kindness to all. Of course, personal belief is just that. This reviewer has no right to criticize anyone's personal beliefs (as long as they are not violent). But back to this concise wonderful monologue it really will open your eyes and you too may feel her outraged quip as she watches churchgoers with the Bible in their hands: "Have you even READ that BOOK?????"

She Nailed It

When you can take a subject this serious and make it entertaining, sensitive, informative, funny, and most of all persuasive, you should be congratulated with lots of superlatives. Julia's journey paralleled mine so closely that I'm surprised we didn't meet each other on the path. Regardless of your religious persuasion, listen to this recording. You owe it to yourself.

A profound experience told with humor

I heard an excerpt of this performance a few years ago on This American Life. I searched everywhere for it but could not remember Julia Sweeney's name, nor find the episode it was played on. I downloaded this because the description of it sounded funny, but within the first few minutes I realized this was the story I had been looking for for years! I burst into the living room where my husband was watching golf and shouted, "I found it! I found it!" while jumping up and down. Well, he already thought I was a little strange before that.

I had a similar experience to the one told by Ms. Sweeney. The major difference is, in my head it seems so sad and complicated, but when she tells it, I can finally see the humor in it. She takes a huge life altering realization and relates it in a funny and profound way. I have used some of the things she said in this performance in arguments with my right-wing evangelical christian mother. I was worried at first that my mother might find out that I pretty much stole someone else's words and used them as my own. But then I thought, who am I kidding. Only people like me listen to this sort of thing. My mother would never be caught dead listening to such apostate teachings. I mean, really! What would the ladies at church think?

Funny without being irreverant, rude, or pushy

This book is hilarious while discussing a serious subject. While I do not share the Julia's destination, I very much enjoyed listening to the journey. Unlike many of the reviewers, I can't let go of my belief in God. The book did, however, help me to think about my beliefs. It is well written, "researched", and presented. I recommend it for anyone and everyone!

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.

Very clever and thought-provoking

Ms Sweeney is a masterful, thought-provoking, clever storyteller. And her monologue is very entertaining.