Caught in the Pulpit

Leaving Belief Behind

By: Daniel C. Dennett, Linda LaScola

Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Daniel C. Dennett, Linda LaScola

What is it like to be a preacher or rabbi who no longer believes in God? In this expanded and updated edition of their groundbreaking study, Daniel C. Dennett and Linda LaScola comprehensively and sensitively expose an inconvenient truth that religious institutions face in the new transparency of the information age - the phenomenon of clergy who no longer believe what they publicly preach.

In confidential interviews, clergy from across the ministerial spectrum - from liberal to literal - reveal how their lives of religious service and study have led them to a truth inimical to their professed beliefs and profession. Although their personal stories are as varied as the denominations they once represented, or continue to represent - whether Catholic, Baptist, Episcopalian, Methodist, Mormon, Pentecostal, or any of numerous others - they give voice not only to their own struggles but also to those who similarly suffer in tender and lonely silence. As this study poignantly and vividly reveals, their common journey has far-reaching implications not only for their families, their congregations, and their communities - but also for the very future of religion.

©2015 Daniel C. Dennett and Linda LaScola (P)2015 Pitchstone Publishing

very interesting

i read the negative feedback about performance and thought it was fine after listening. the subject matter is interesting to me because of my religous background but i dont know if everyone finds clergy who stop believing an interesting topic. its good research they did for the book.

Awesome!

Great book, great narration, easy to follow and understand. Highly recommended. Authors know their material. This is a great (audio) book to see religion from a different angle...from the inside out and left behind.

Enlightening insight...

Would you consider the audio edition of Caught in the Pulpit to be better than the print version?

I can't say it is better than the print version, I don't have it. However, I did enjoy having both Mr. Dennett and Ms. LaScola narrate their own sections of the book.

What did you like best about this story?

It was enlightening to see how different clergy handled the loss of their faith. That some ran from the pulpit, some were open to the congregations and some remained in the closet. And to hear about how they were treated both good and bad...

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

They were both great, and I love when the authors read their work, they are the only ones that can vocally express their points accurately.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This was a good book to listen to in sections. The sections seemed to be broken up well and the story, though related, is not continuous to a degree that you need to remember all of the names and details throughout.

Inevitable

Very well done. Painful testimony of the reality we are all aware of. The beginning of the snowball that has begun its downhill journey along with many others.

Better Than Expected

I found much of this valuable. As someone who has long wrestled with faith and doubt, I found the personal stories of non-believing clergy to give me much to relate to. The pain and trauma of drastically changing worldviews is addressed, as well as the freedom and jubilation. The words of the clergy members were worth the credit of the book, although I probably could have lived without Dennett's sometimes smug and patronizing tone (but I get that from most of his works).

Sympathetic but honest exposé.

I was unaware of the clergy project before reading this book. I wonder if there is a similar project for parishioners?

As a minister, I think everyone needs to read this book

As a Christian minister, I am grateful for this book. It provides a space for people to be open and honest about their beliefs. With that said, I am sad about all of the fear and hatred which seems to be leveled against folks who don't believe in the supernatural. I empathized with the anxiety these ministers had, I feel the same way as a liberal Christian in Texas with my beliefs about marriage and gender equality. Thank you so much to everyone who participated in this study, it is a gift to humanity.

Loved the insight. Presentation a bit dry.

Although I love the insight the book provides, it was a bit dry in it's presentation. As a result it took me a little longer to get motivated enough to finish the book.

Inspiring stories

Listening to each individual made me hopeful for many others that may make the leap out of faith

great story

so glad there are more and more pastors coming to their senses, but very few brave ones like this author who tells their story, and ashamed and without regret