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Caught in the Pulpit
- Leaving Belief Behind
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Daniel C. Dennett, Linda LaScola
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
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Publisher's Summary
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.
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What listeners say about Caught in the Pulpit
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Ron Phipps
- 05-18-15
Inspiring stories
Listening to each individual made me hopeful for many others that may make the leap out of faith
6 people found this helpful
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- Jared
- 12-30-15
Simply Excellent
I've read most of the books by the "four horsemen", but this one stands out. It creates a sense of empathy for the clergy, both present and former. I highly recommend this book for both theists and nontheists, alike.
3 people found this helpful
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- bigwaller
- 02-18-16
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.
2 people found this helpful
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- Audio Gra Gra
- 09-23-16
Listen to Linda, skip Daniel Dennett
For those who have lost their faith or are weighing it up this book might be comforting as you will hear stories from pastors, chaplains, rabbis etc who have lost their faith while still entrenched in their jobs.
These stories, which are often quoted verbatim by Linda LaScola are quite interesting , although you may have varying degrees of empathy for the people telling their stories, considering some of them are still swindling their congregations by not coming clean, hiding behind the excuse they need their job / income, or are cynically and dishonestly holding out for their pensions.
The half of the book written / narrated by Linda LaScola is by far the more interesting part of the book. The alternating chapters are a collection of Daniel Dennett pieces which are fairly boring - this is the second Dennett book I have ready / listened to recently and he's got far less substance (and style) to offer than the other 3 of the "Four Horseman" of Atheism. If you've read a Dennett book before, feel free to skip his chapters as they are a boring re-hash of things he's said before that were just as boring the first time around.
6 people found this helpful
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- David
- 12-27-17
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.
3 people found this helpful
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- Gref
- 08-01-17
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.
1 person found this helpful
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- Erik C Stabell
- 05-31-17
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?
1 person found this helpful
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- Log Jammin
- 03-26-17
Important reading when contemplating loss of faith
The existential angst I was caused when, after completing Harari's Sapiens, I first connected the dots on my own previously latent agnosticism has sent me on a journey of faith (or loss thereof) that eventually led me to this fantastic sharing of results -- told by those responsible for its completion -- for a tremendous research project that will undoubtedly be considered a pivotal moment, like Harari's work, in the 21st Century's large scale movement away from organized religion. My only disappointment was the lack of Islamists in the otherwise scientific approach to a controversial topic.
1 person found this helpful
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- L. de Curtis
- 12-25-16
Good to know the change is on its way
The book is a study about clergy who lost their faith in the supernatural part of religions and struggled to find a new role in society. Very enlightening.
1 person found this helpful
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- Damian
- 08-16-15
Great book ruined by terrible narration
Is there anything you would change about this book?
The narrators. I understand that publishers want to get the authors of the book to provide the narration, but here it was a very bad choice. Dennett is passable as a narrator (barely), but LaScola is dreadful - to the point of it ruining the whole experience. It is so bad that I almost felt like I should ask for my credit back.
After listening to many wonderful narrators over the years, it was a real surprise to hear such amateur efforts in what was an interesting book.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Caught in the Pulpit?
I enjoyed the discussion about why the pastors stay where they are. The authors captured a range of different pastors, all who have their own issues and problems and reasons for staying in their jobs. Many of the stories were quite tragic, when you think about it.
How could the performance have been better?
By using different narrators.
5 people found this helpful
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- Phillip
- 01-12-21
Thank you Daniel Dennett and Linda LaScola !!!
Brilliantly narrated by the authors, I love hearing stories of people who started questioning their faith and stop living with blinkers on, question everything don't just believe what you have been told !!!!
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- Big Chris
- 01-22-17
Very interesting.
Incredible first-hand experiences from those most invested in maintaining the appearance of faith. Powerful, inspiring, heart-breaking stuff. Only drawback is the authors' dull narration.