posted at 11/06/10 - 12:00 PM

I am almost in shock at the wealth of reason that Samir is offering to this confused and uptight society. It is amazing to me to read the same thoughts that I have been grappling with posted from half the world away. I call myself a "devout atheist" and have personally found that televised Islamic teachers seem to have more of an understanding of Jesus than "Christian" church leaders. I have a dream of seeing the ground zero site used for a "peace monument" that would honor all those who have laid down weapons, sent relief, and ministered to the victims of war as a beginning of a global "peace effort". Faith house sounds like the perfect answer to religious hypocrisy, and Samir's name certainly belongs on that monument.

BFH

posted at 09/29/09 - 01:35 PM

I am about 2/3rds of the way through Samir's book . . . I find in challenging, insightful, critical, and frustrating all at the same time . . . this is all good however because it causes one to "think" about what it is we say we believe and why we believe it.

Samir's story demands that you listen and consider the "other", because it is his story . . .

The greatest testimony is always "I once was blind, but now I see" . . . this is one of those kind of stories.

posted at 09/25/09 - 12:00 AM

When you’re reading along and think to yourself, “I wish everyone I know would read this,” chances are you’ve got a good book in your hands.

In It’s Really All About God: Reflections of a Muslim Atheist Jewish Christian, Samir Selmanovic articulates a concept utterly fundamental and timely. Framed in the sociological perspective of a world where cultural boundaries are falling like dominoes, the author alerts his readers of the critical need to go beyond arms length mutual respect. He calls for an embracing of “the other,” a willingness to learn, and courage to expose and examine one’s own religious assumptions. He does not envision a world with one single religion. He envisions a world where “Humankind is like a living organism, a body in which religions are the various parts.”

His writing goes from poetic to philosophic, anecdotal to theoretic, darkly serious to daringly comedic. His words beg to be quoted with frequency and passion.

A book that offers more than religious and theological commentary, Selmanovic has written something to inspire individual and global evolution.

posted at 09/18/09 - 04:14 PM

Samir

Just finished reading "It's Really All About God" and i think it should be required reading for all Christians. About 1yr ago I gave up on the flavor of a Protestant denomination that I was born into and raised on. It wasn't acceptable for me to be who I finally realized I was within that belief system. I felt like a "them" within "us" all of a sudden and totally alienated from my Brotherhood of Water. The "Fraternity of Milk" section also helped ground me in something that i already believed but didn't have a structure for it. I totally agree with the "Third Exodus" section. My x-denomination felt really dead and no matter how hard they try to be relevant to this culture, it's not going to happen until they realize they don't own God. Time for change folks.

Thanks for sharing
Bryan

posted at 09/07/09 - 02:12 PM

Readers should consider watching this great new interView with Samir on the website of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue: http://irdialogue.org/articles/best-practices-non-profit-articles/interview-with-samir-selmanovic-by-frank-fredericks/.

posted at 08/25/09 - 09:42 AM

Often times the only books that expand our mind in regards to religion are academic in nature. Samir Selmanovic's "It's Really All About God" pushes past that to reveal how religious identities fall short in defining God. Instead, Selmanovic seems to propose that by reckoning with our faith tradition, and engaging others, we can understand the experiential and mystical aspects of God more intimately. Finding God in your other.

One does not need to share his religious tradition nor his theological assertions to engage in the ideas he presents. His thought provoking ideas, coupled with his life experiences, create a space where we can grapple with our own ideas and experiences, which ultimately should encourage readers to dig deeper into their tradition while learning how to engage others. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an insatiable curiosity and a reflective mind.

Frank Fredericks
Executive Director, World Faith

posted at 08/19/09 - 08:07 PM

When I first saw the title of Samir Selmanovic's book, I was skeptical about its likely message. Syncretism and relativism were two buzzwords that immediately came to mind. But as soon as I delved into it, I realized that his book carried a powerful thesis, as relevant to the seeker as the devout practitioner, for lay leaders as much as clergy. "It's Really All About God: Reflections of a Muslim Atheist Jewish Christian" argues that we cannot fully understand and appreciate our own religious traditions until we have studied other traditions as well. This thesis is particularly relevant given the tensions that exist between religious communities both within the United States and abroad. Though we need not all agree on matters of faith, it is in everyone's interests to study, explore, and understand traditions beyond our own. This powerful message -- and the wonderful examples used to illustrate it -- make "It's Really All About God" a very worthwhile read and a marvelous contribution to inter-religious studies.

-- Joshua Stanton,
Co-Editor, Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue

posted at 07/15/09 - 04:28 PM

It's willingtoseeless.blogspot.com. There is a link on my profile here. Not many who read it, but I just started so..let's hope or more!

posted at 07/13/09 - 11:41 AM

Hello, Samir!
I just listened to some of the excerpts on the book podcast, and I loved the 5 minutes before sleep part! One of many "aha" moments, I believe!
I have joined your group on Facebook and shared it on my Wall ,and I believe there are some people on my list that might be interested...also, I added a banner leading to your FiledBy page to my blog. Spreading the word!
Kindest regards,
Ivy

posted at 07/07/09 - 01:48 AM

Zdravo,Samir!
I'm really looking forward to read your book. Having been raised on the borderline between three worlds-the world of Islam, Chatolicism and Orthodox Christianity, and having friends among all of them despite the war, I couldn't agree more that It's really all about God!
Srdaèan pozdrav,
Ivy

posted at 06/03/09 - 02:00 PM

Samir,
Welcome to FiledBy. Site looks great and your upcoming book sounds very interesting. Looking forward to knowing more about you and your work.