Tim Sledge pulls back the curtain on Southern Baptist life as he chronicles nearly four decades of ministry in this highly personal, sometimes painful, and frequently provocative spiritual autobiography. Part memoir, part exposé, part polemic—this is an account of failures as well as accomplishments—and very nearly a case study in how faith may begin, how it evolves, and how it can fall apart. Sledge traces the childhood origins of his sincere faith, his efforts at spiritual obedience, his theological education, his climb up the ladder in ministry, his insights into the challenges of growth-oriented leadership, and his pioneering work in faith-based recovery ministries that ultimately guided participants in 20,000 support groups across the U.S. A recurring theme in his story is coming to grips with the significance of being an adult child of an alcoholic. After a fall from grace and a growing awareness that faith no longer worked for him, his journey took a new direction that required examining alternatives to his former belief system including Deism, agnosticism, humanism, and atheism. Ultimately, he found new ways to live a positive, value-driven life and emerged as a new version of the same person he had always been, still interested in creating avenues for personal growth in the lives of others. Goodbye Jesus is a relatable and thoughtful read for those seeking to better understand the evangelical mindset, for Christians who are questioning their faith, for ministers trying to decide whether to stay or go, and for those who have left their faith and are dealing with its loss.

Goodbye Jesus: An Evangelical Preacher’s Journey Beyond Faith

Politics & Social Sciences

Sledge, Tim

Philosophy

Insighting Growth Publications Inc.

Second Edition Goodbye Jesus is the step-by-step account of a former minister's journey into and out of faith-the story of a long pendulum swing from the deep commitment of a devout believer to the firm conviction that no personal God exists and that all religions are man-made. Tim Sledge was a Southern Baptist preacher and writer for 35 years. His pioneering work in faith-based recovery ministries in the 80s and 90s ultimately guided participants in 20,000 Christian support groups across the U.S. The driving force behind Sledge's ultimate rejection of Christianity was his long-term, up-close observations of church life. "After living and leading in the church for decades, I saw no consistent evidence of an ongoing supernatural presence-and I wanted to see that evidence with all that was in me." Part memoir, part expos , part polemic, Goodbye Jesus is an honest, highly personal, and frequently provocative spiritual autobiography that concludes with an insider's takedown of religious faith. This is a relatable and thoughtful read for those seeking to better understand the evangelical mindset, for Christians who are questioning their faith, for ministers trying to decide whether to stay or go, and for those who have left their faith and are dealing with its loss.

Goodbye Jesus: An Evangelical Preacher's Journey Beyond Faith

Biographies & Memoirs

When former evangelical minister Tim Sledge walked away from five decades of faith more than 10 years ago, he made a clean break—no more church, prayer, religion, or God. But there was one thing that surprised him: He still wanted to be spiritual. Looking beyond traditional Christian views of spirituality, he found no “spiritual but not religious” model that worked for him—including the mindset of connecting with the energy of the universe. Eventually, Sledge decided to redefine spirituality for himself, and to use the term “meta-spirituality” to identify his personal approach as beyond any conventional concept of spirituality. His vision of meta-spirituality touches that part of us that seeks inspiration, yearns for the highest and best in life, and longs for a connection to something noble and wondrous. This is spirituality without God or magic, without religion or faith, and with no need of an invisible spirit world. It is a call to kindness, listening, vulnerability, compassion, and gratitude; a quest for a growing sensitivity to the world of emotions; and, a challenge to let mistakes lead to growth instead of shame. The book’s 26 chapters are organized around five topics: How to Be Spiritual Without God How to See Reality How to Live With Meaning How to Keep Moving Forward How to Practice Meta-Spirituality A Meta-Spiritual Handbook is a simple guide to seeing spirituality in a new way and a challenge to find your best self without reference to religion, faith, or God.

A Meta-Spiritual Handbook: How to Be Spiritual Without Religion, Faith, or God

I’ve shared the details of my spiritual journey in Goodbye Jesus: An Evangelical Preacher’s Journey Beyond Faith. My aim in this book is raise four challenging questions that need to be addressed by every Christian believer and then to offer one incredibly simple answer—an answer that challenges the veracity of the Christian faith but can also be the gateway to a rewarding new life that is based on truth and does not require the suspension of common sense.
Objectively examining your closely held belief system is not a walk in the park. And facing up to the idea that you might be under a spell that makes it hard for you to think objectively is daunting, especially when you rely on the spell’s results to make you feel that everything is okay and when you’ve been warned that tampering with the spell is the worst thing you could ever do.
Choose courage. If what you believe is true, it can stand the test of any question that I or anyone else might raise. I encourage you to open your mind, face the facts, and decide that you will follow the truth wherever it leads.
I spent most of my life in a search for truth about faith, God, and religion. Maybe I can save you some time as you make your own decisions. 
 Tim Sledge

Four Disturbing Questions with One Simple Answer: Breaking the Spell of Christian Belief

Religion & Spirituality

Agnosticism

After my life of faith collapsed, I picked up the broken pieces and tried to envision a new way of living. Faced with a multitude of choices about what the new version of me might look like, I began to think for myself about how to build a meaningful life. I decided that if I could describe a religion-not-required way of finding meaning in life by focusing on things that really matter, it would be something worth sharing-especially if it could make sense and work for anyone, regardless of religious beliefs, political stance, personality type, lifestyle, or generational label. And that's how this book came to be. Regardless of whether you're a free-thinking skeptic or a person of faith, my hope is that in these pages you can discover new pathways toward values, purpose, and meaning as you consider what matters most in your life. Tim Sledge

How to Live a Meaningful Life: Focusing on Things that Matter

Self-Help

Personal Transformation

Could a freethinking secular humanist who is happily married to a Protestant minister have anything helpful to say to the rest of us about building community in a world divided by beliefs? The answer is a resounding Yes, and Chris Highland has done just that in his latest book, Broken Bridges. With true stories from his years as a chaplain in jails and shelters, he reflects on the wisdom of the "unheard" as well as insights from well-known voices like Frederick Douglass and the Dalai Lama. Broken Bridges is an invitation to wider thinking for secular people and for those who still believe. With a sometimes pointed but never a mean-spirited or anti-religious tone, this book intentionally presents hints but not "how-to" toward repairing, rebuilding, or even replacing old structures of belief that stand in the way of true progressive reform. Think what we could build together beyond belief

Broken Bridges: Building Community in a World Divided by Beliefs

Highland, Chris

Christian Books & Bibles

For centuries the gospels have been cherished devotional literature, and under the guidance of preachers and priests, they've been understood as reliable depictions of Jesus. But even the most devout Christians stumble across sayings of Jesus that don't sound quite right. In fact-if we're honest-some of them are alarming. I discovered a few of these verses when I was a kid, but Jesus was our lord and savior, so I didn't let it bother me too much. But the problem won't go away, even if many of the faithful file these troublesome texts in a mental drawer marked "Too uncomfortable to think about." In fact, the problem is much larger than many people suppose. In this book, you'll find "things Christians wish Jesus hadn't taught" categorized in ten chapters. How can this not be food for thought? What are the implications of this major downside of the gospels? It takes a certain level of bravery-frankly, curiosity and courage are required-to examine everything that Jesus taught. This book is designed to help with that adventure. David Madison

Ten Things Christians Wish Jesus Hadn't Taught: And Other Reasons to Question His Words

Madison, David

GUESSING ABOUT GOD (Ten Tough Problems in Christian Belief)

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