Book #2 part 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 discusses Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, 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 is structured around making deep connections, questioning, and discovering new things.

I deeply relate to the concept of “holy envy”. In the first chapter, she introduces 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 was unable to finish the book and was on chapter 10. In the book, I learned about other religions, rituals, and practices. She also touched on questioning our own beliefs and how doubt is part of our spiritual journey.  The book opened my eyes and made me feel like I wasn’t alone. I often felt ashamed of questioning my own religious beliefs. When I asked questions I was told that it was blasphemy and I should just pray for God to show me the way. As I grew older I took things into my own hands and started to learn about other religions. Just like the author, I started to reflect on how different religions interacted with each other. In chapter ten named Finding Common Ground, she emphasizes that many faiths have common fundamental values such as love, compassion, and justice. The way I see it is that religion is just a place where people can be in a community a place where they can belong. As human beings, we are always looking for the meaning of life and for many religion helps them find their answers. Reading this book made me reevaluate my current beliefs and helped me feel at peace with my world understanding.