Book Post #2

 

 

The book I chose is Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others" by Barbara Brown Taylor. I chose this book because I grew up as a Christian in the Dominican Republic. From a young age, I was taught that there’s only one true religion. And that question about anything about it was a sin. However, coming to the USA exposed me to many different religions. I started asking many questions about core Christian beliefs and learning about the different religions I was exposed to. Learning about many different practices opened my eyes and made me take certain beliefs as my own. 

The book explores the diversity of religious experiences beyond Christianity. Throughout it, Taylor talked about Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam, showcasing the beauty and depth she finds in their practices and beliefs. Taylor emphasizes the idea of "holy envy” which is the admiration and longing she feels for aspects of other faiths that resonate deeply with her spiritual journey. The book so far is structured around making deep connections, questioning, and discovering new things. 

 So far I deeply relate to the concept of “holy envy”. In the first chapter, she opens up by introducing the complexity of teaching about different faiths. As we know we all have biases that we need to look out for when we are exploring new perspectives. I find it hard to fully understand the views of other religions' doctrines. This is because I grew up in a place where religion is part of the culture. When this is the case is hard to separate culture and customs from a religious practice. Just like her as my knowledge of different religions grew I became fascinated by the things they believe. This is where the holy envy comes in. As we grow up there are things that we have to observe and things that subconsciously believe are part of a religion. For example, I have always believed in Karma which is part of Buddhism and Hinduism. We can also look at the concept of good and evil coexisting in Taoism as the Yin and Yang, which represents the balance between darkness and light. In Christianity, this can be represented by heaven and hell coexisting at the same time. I’m so excited to keep reading this book and learn more about different practices, what we have in common, and in what areas we defer.