The author was a lifelong agnostic. His naturalistic worldview had no room for God or for a divine dimension of any kind. But one day he had occasion to pray. To his surprise, God answered – in words. Being a philosopher, he had a lot of questions … and God had a lot to tell him.
Dr. Jerry L. Martin has served as head of the National Endowment for the Humanities and of the philosophy department at the University of Colorado at Boulder; http://www.godanautobiography.com
Dr. Jerry L. Martin has served as head of the National Endowment for the Humanities and of the philosophy department at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
A philosophy professor, he had a naturalistic worldview that had no place for a divine dimension of any kind.
But one day he had occasion to pray. To his vast surprise, God answered – in words — with a voice that was “real, benign, and authoritative.”
Do You Have to Believe in God to Pray?
Philosopher Jerry L. Martin tells his own story as an agnostic who had occasion to pray – and what happened next! Jerry L. Martin, Ph.D., D.H.L. is former Chair, Department of Philosophy, University of Colorado at Boulder and Acting Chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities. He is currently a contributor to the Good Men Project and coordinator of the Theology Without Walls Project at the American Academy of Religion.
TRANSCRIPT:
Hi, I’m Jerry Martin. Welcome, to God: An Autobiography.
You know they say you don’t have to believe in God in order to pray. That’s what happened to me.
I was raised in a typical Christian family, but by the time I left college, I didn’t believe in God, didn’t believe in a divine dimension of any kind. I went to grad school, became a philosophy professor, ran a federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities. I was having a great, 100% secular life.
But one day, I did have occasion to pray and, to my vast surprise, God answered – IN WORDS. Nothing, nothing could have surprised me more.
But, after that time, God usually answered when I prayed.
Well, being a philosopher, I had a lot of questions—about life after death, about the world’s many religions, about the MEANING of it all. And God had a lot to tell me.
Later, God asked me to put the answers in a book. He even gave me the title, God: An Autobiography, because, He said, He wanted me to tell His story.
At this website, godanautobiography.com, I’ll be posting excerpts from the book. I’ll be very interested in your comments and experiences.
Chapter One tells how it all began — with a love story. You can read it yourself by clicking below.
[Go to http://www.godanautobiography.com]
Why Did God Pick Me to Talk to ?
Philosopher Jerry L. Martin wonders, if God wanted to talk to someone, why would He pick me? His answer may surprise you. Jerry L. Martin, Ph.D., D.H.L. is former Chair, Department of Philosophy, University of Colorado at Boulder and Acting Chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities. He is currently a contributor to the Good Men Project and coordinator of the Theology Without Walls Project at the American Academy of Religion.
Comments