Living Without a Why: Mysticism Pluralism and the Way of Grace

In this book Paul O. Ingram adds his voice to a long list of writers seeking to relate Christian tradition to the hard realities of this post-Christian age of religious and secular pluralism. As a Lutheran Ingram thinks grace flows over this universe like a waterfall. So he brings Christian mystical theology into a discussion of the meaning of grace. Alfred North Whiteheads philosophical vision provides a language that serves as a hermeneutical bridge by which historians of religions can interpret the teachings and practices of religious Ways other than their own without falsification and by which theologians can appropriate history-of-religions research as a means of helping Christians advance in their own faith journeys. The purpose of the journey of faith is what Whitehead called creative transformation. The contemporary theological tradition that has most systematically and coherently followed Whiteheads lead in its reflection on non-Christian Ways is process theology which is perhaps the only liberal or progressive theological movement now active in the twenty-first century. Paul Ingram belongs to the tribe of those who see Gods grace everywhere in the world. So do I. And if you too belong to this tribe you will benefit from reading this book. It will help you in your quest to answer the follow-up question: if grace is everywhere how do we teach people to access it? This is the religious question of the religiously plural twenty-first century. --Terry C. Muck Executive Director The Louisville Institute Louisville KY Paul Ingram writes as a Christian deeply sensitive to the mystery that surrounds us all and is wisely explored by many traditions. He locates his own faith in this large context and invites the reader to join in this fresh perspective. What emerges is a vivid sense of living by the grace of God. --John Cobb Professor emeritus Claremont School of Theology Claremont CA Paul O. Ingram is Professor Emeritus of History of Religions at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma Washington. He is the author of Buddhist-Christian Dialogue in an Age of Science (2008) The Process of Buddhist Christian Dialogue (Cascade Books 2009) Theological Reflections at the Boundaries (Cascade Books 2012) and Passing Over and Returning: A Pluralist Theology of Religions (Cascade Books 2013).