The Universal God The Search for God in the Twenty-First Century

The full title of this book is: "The Universal God, The Search for God in the Twenty-First Century". This book is written as a 'spiritual' quest to find God. The emphasis within this search is on the 'spiritual' and not the 'traditional' vision of God. The objective of this book is to allow the reader to independently search, define and better understand God's 'potential' within their own individual lives. There probably are no two readers who will read this book and come away with the exact same set of conclusions at the book's end.

The search begins within the major modern religions: Hinduism, Confucianism/Taoism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Each of these religions, in their own ways reveal God to us; sometimes in visions that are 'shared in common' with each other; and sometimes, in very startling and different visions. Within the context of this book, the author will discuss both those shared visions as well as those visions that are different and unique from each other.

This book differs from most of the other comparative religion books that are on the market. The 'dogmas, religious practices and rituals within each of these religions are not discussed in any in-depth detail. The book instead focuses its search on those 'divine sparks' and 'spiritual inspirations' that originally brought each of these religions into existence. The comparisons within this book are focused on the lives, direct spiritual teachings and theologies of those individuals and sources that gave birth and sparked the founding of each of these religions. If we are to find God's 'Spirituality', it must come from going directly back in time to each religions' inspirational origins. The book is written to make direct comparisons between what Jesus said, to what the Buddha said, to what Mohammed said, to what Krishna said, to what Confucius said, to what Moses (and the other Jewish prophets) said, and to what Lao-tzu said. When the founding teachings (which are the direct spiritual source of each of these religions) are compared, they are found to have many teachings that are 'shared in common' with each other.

The book is divided into three major sections. The first section introduces the premise for the book; establishes definitions that will allow the reader to understand the differing terminologies that each of the religions use; and then, provide guidelines for understanding the remainder of the book. The second section introduces and discusses each of the religions within their own individual and self-contained chapters. The third section is titled 'Commentary'. This section discusses the many teachings and beliefs that these religions do have in common with each other, as well as give explanations for those beliefs that are unique and individual to only one of the religions.

This book can equally function as a book for individual study or be used as a textbook for comparative religions study.

I am currently writing a trilogy of books titled "The Universal God". This is the first book in that series and is subtitled: "The Search for God in the Twenty-First Century". The second book of this series has also been published and is titled: "Meher Baba's Breaking of His Silence and Manifestation". My education and professional career consisted of the following: I have an undergraduate degree and a master's degree in Economics with a minor in Philosophy. During a forty-five year professional career I worked at a variety of different jobs that emphasized statistical, analytical, and writing skills. I am now retired.
Hidden away from my public image, I have been on a spiritual quest for most of my life. That quest is driven on the personal belief that deep within every human being there is a 'Oneness' that we all share with each other. At our deepest spiritual core, we (all humanity), are one. We are all one with each other; we are one with all the other creatures and life forms within nature and the physical universe; and we are all one within God. The greatest failing within our present human society, is in our inability to recognize, feel, experience, and express this "Oneness" with one another.
In the pursuit of this spiritual quest, I have been a Church elder; a Sunday School teacher and superintendent; a teacher and participant in countless Bible Study classes. For five years, I immersed myself in the study of meditation with the Tibetan Buddhists. I also took several different home study World Religion courses. In addition, and probably most important of all; I have been and continue to be an active follower of Meher Baba. For over fifty years, I have made him a part of my daily life.
My personal spiritual quest has taken me to many different places in my life. Through the experiencing and living of this quest; I have found that (within all the diversity of ideas and experiences that I have allowed myself to be exposed to); there really is a unity that does exists within all of this. Through the writing of my "Universal God" trilogy, this is what I am hoping to share with and convey to you, the reader.