Dying Religions

Church congregations all across the United States are searching for the magic bullet, the secret to attracting people, growing their membership and their cultural relevance. They are looking for the right program, or the right environment, or the right features to help bring people back into the pews. With all of this searching for the right answer, they're missing what's right in front of them: Word and Sacrament.

Ten percent of people whose hearts stop and then restart report near-death experiences. Stories of lights, tunnels and reunion with late loved ones have been relayed - and dismissed - since ancient times. But when Dr Bruce Greyson's patients started describing events that he simply could not dismiss, he began to investigate. In After, he shares the scientific revelations of four decades of research into the dying process. He has become increasingly convinced that dying is less an ending than a transition, the threshold between one form of consciousness and another.

When Amy Nappa was unexpectedly diagnosed with Stage IV-B uterine cancer, her life and that of her husband's, Mike, changed forever. But they weren't the only ones whose lives were touched by Amy's courageous journey into the waiting arms of her loving Savior. What started out as a private Facebook group intended to keep family and close friends apprised of Amy's medical condition grew to include hundreds, with thousands more reading publicly about Amy daily on social media.

Past and present civilizations failed and fail for many reasons, but the number-one predictor of a civilization’s survival is its sense of religion—or lack thereof. So argues David Goldman in How Civilizations Die (and Why Islam Is Dying Too). The strength of a civilization’s religion affects its purpose, its fertility rate, and ultimately, its fate, says Goldman—who then argues that, contrary to popular belief, Islamic countries are in the last throes of death while Christian America is in a position to flourish.

A priest and a dying atheist engage in a final dialogue. Reason vs. faith, and in the end...

Claire Broad, known as ''The Honest Medium'', experienced psychic phenomena from early childhood. As she grew older, communications from deceased loved ones became stronger and spirit teachers made their presence known. In this uplifting book, Claire teaches us why we may have confidence that there is an afterlife, how we can heal and awaken spiritually through the practice of mediumship and most importantly, what we can learn from those already living on the other side.

Alone and brain-addled, the Rev. Ezra Pounders walks along a country road in the dead of night. He's wearing dark clothing, but he's confident the Lord will protect him. Two seconds later, a fast-moving pickup truck tops the hill and knocks him ten feet into the air. On his death bed, Preacher Pounders wrestles with one gnawing regret. He never preached one last sermon. The one he really wanted to preach - but the one that would have cost his job. The one that would shake religion's foundation to its core - but the one the world deserves to hear. Now his all-important message may die with ...

Bringing Death to Life shines light onto a subject that is too often feared or avoided in our everyday conversations: death. But the authors of this book suggest that it might be wiser to recognize, understand, and accept death, rather than be frightened of it. When Patricia lost her parents, she experienced a journey of loss and grief, which later became the catalyst for this book.

If you’ve lost your identity to belong to a Christian group, this book is for you. Joining, staying, and leaving a Christian cult is a complex and confusing process. Most people do not understand that they have joined or been born into a cult or high-control Christian church because these churches offer a dependable, tight-knit community and a place to belong. Because the need to belong is primal, we are susceptible to joining groups exploiting this need.

Contrary to popular belief, death is not a moment in time, such as when the heart stops beating, respiration ceases, or the brain stops functioning. Death, rather, is a process - a process that can be interrupted well after it has begun. Innovative techniques, such as drastically reducing the patient's body temperature, have proven to be effective in revitalizing both the body and mind, but studies show they are only employed in approximately half of the hospitals throughout the United States and Europe.

Through his own death in 1995, author Micah McElveen was challenged to think differently about purpose, and now challenges us to do the same. McElveen discovered that purpose was never designed to be a destination, but rather a bridge connecting you to the place where you are designed to make a difference. McElveen’s unique approach to narrative engulfs listeners in thought-provoking views on poverty, success, life, and death. Dying for Purpose will encourage you to truly live.

Thomas G. Long, one of America's most trusted and thoughtful pulpit voices, provides a much needed theological and cultural critique of today's Christian funeral. Long begins by describing how the Christian funeral developed historically, theologically, and liturgically and then discusses recent cultural trends in funeral practices, including the rise in number of cremations and memorial services.

A rare glimpse into heaven, hell, and previous lives - Dr. Rajiv Parti's near-death experience brought him on a journey through the afterworld, leading to a spiritual awakening that transformed his career, his lifestyle, and even his fundamental beliefs. Before his near-death experience, Dr. Rajiv Parti was a wealthy man of science with a successful career as the Chief of Anesthesiology at the Bakersfield Heart Hospital in California. Dr. Parti was the last man to believe in heaven or hell - that is, until he saw them with his own eyes.

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche’s experience begins the night he has chosen to embark on a four-year wandering retreat, slipping past the monastery gates. Alone for the first time in his life, he sets out into the unknown. His initial motivation is to step away from his life of privilege and to explore the deepest, most hidden aspects of his being, but what he discovers throughout his retreat - about himself and about the world around us - comes to define his meditation practice and teaching.

The case for assisted suicide can seem so compelling. Surely it can't be wrong to help desperate people to kill themselves? Don't we have a right to take our own lives in certain circumstances? There are no trite or easy answers. John Wyatt helps us to navigate the arguments with hearts and heads engaged, and above all with our Bibles open. There are practical and compassionate alternatives to assisted suicide, and as many who have gone before us have found, the end of our lives on this earth may turn out to be a strange and wonderful opportunity for growth and internal healing.

After his father died, Leon Wieseltier began to observe the traditional year-long period of mourning, going to the synagogue three times a day to recite the prayer known as the mourner's Kaddish. Struck by the profound, yet unexpected power of this practice and the poverty of his knowledge about it, Leon began to study the history and meaning of this ancient ritual.

Lorsque mon père est décédé j'ai placé des objets dans son cercueil. Je n'en ai parlé à personne. Puis j'ai interrogé des médiums qui disent communiquer avec les morts. Découvriront-ils de quels objets il s'agit ? C'est le test. Peut-on parler avec les morts ? Des femmes et des hommes le prétendent et en font même profession. Des milliers de gens les consultent. Ces capacités sont-elles réelles ou sont-elles une illusion ? Pour répondre à ces interrogations, Stéphane Allix a interrogé six médiums.

Sparked by extraordinary experiences that occurred in her family when her father and her sister both died in 2008, Patricia Pearson was launched on a journey of investigation into what she calls "a curious sort of modern underground - a world beneath the secular world, inhabited by ordinary human beings having extraordinary experiences that they aren't, on the whole, willing to disclose".

You don't have to be dying to have questions about death, the afterlife, legacy planning, and more. Life and legacy coach Elizabeth Turnage presents bite-size biblical answers on theological and practical issues, accompanied by beautiful hymns, prayers, reflection questions, and additional resources. Rediscover hope as you meditate on the glory that lies ahead.

In What Does It Feel Like to Die?, Jennie Dear combines the latest research and medical findings with her own experiences as a hospice volunteer and caregiver to answer the questions we all want to know. As a long-time hospice volunteer, Jennie Dear has helped countless patients, families, and caregivers cope with the many challenges of the dying process. Inspired by her own personal journey with her mother's long-term illness, Dear demystifies the experience of dying for everyone whose lives it touches.