In this groundbreaking book, Daniel Helminiak provides a crucial spiritual option D a middle path between modern society's secular materialism and traditional religion's other-worldly focus and institutional dogmatism. The functional atheism of our contemporary consumer and scientific society (as championed by current best selling authors Sam Harris' The End of Faith, Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion, and Christopher Hitchens' God is Not Great) doesn't satisfy our desire for lasting meaning and value. But the parochial, inflexible character of traditional religious beliefs increasingly result in personal, local, and global conflicts in our current world of pluralism, globalization, respect for science and progress. Helminiak gives us a compelling vision of a global spirituality that downplays beliefs and emphasizes the essential spiritual dynamics of the common human quest for wholeness, goodness, freedom and community. Spirituality for a Global Community builds on the spiritual facet of our common humanity, stressing wholesome living on planet Earth, and opening onto the range of religions and belief in God.

A down-to-earth look at the spiritual power of sex Sex and the Sacred examines the spiritual dimension of human sexuality in a way that is free of religious affiliation but still open to traditional religion and belief in God. Dr. Daniel Helminiak, author of the best-selling What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality, looks at the relationship between sexuality and spirituality, first, from a humanistic perspective and, then, a more familiar Christian point of view. In particular, he encourages LGBTI people to reclaim their spiritual heritage without apology. This unique book emphasizes spiritual commitment as an essential facet of LGBTI/queer consciousness and addresses such burning themes as coming out, the importance of self-acceptance, gay marriage, gay bashing, and the ethics of gay sex. Sex and the Sacred combines a psychological approach to spirituality with common sense and compassion, inspiring a break from moralistic religion and an understanding of what true spirituality means. The book applies this understanding to Christian topics such as the Bible, Fundamentalism, and the future of Christianity, and shows how coming out was an issue for Jesus, how homosexual experience relates to the Christian Trinity, and how Western Civilization became so sex-negative. Sex and the Sacred presents in the end a radical vision of Christianity open to all people. Religious leaders of all denominations, educators, counselors, members of the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community, non-religious spiritual seekers, and anyone interested in the relationship between spirituality and sexuality will find this book enlightening and uplifting. Sex and the Sacred examines: the spiritual drive that is built into human sexuality the standard religious arguments against gay marriage a sustained argument that Biblical Fundamentalism is not Christian spiritual lessons from the AIDS epidemic the right and wrong of sexqueer and otherwise homosexuality in Catholic teaching and practice sexual ethics without religion a vision for a renewed Christianity within a global community

Spiritual crisis is symptomatic of our age. In a global society, even in our own neighborhoods, we know of many religions. They all claim to be true, yet their teachings differ. How do you know what to believe? What is it today to really follow God's way? The Transcended Christian addresses these questions head on. It's about staying deeply rooted in Jesus while branching out to a world of diversity. It's about religion outside the box. Daniel Helminiak made that trek himself. He was ordained a Catholic priest in Rome. He ministered in a large suburban parish. He earned a PhD in theology. He taught graduate theology to seminary students. He realized he's gay and learned how it feels to be a religious outcast. He earned a second PhD in psychology and made spiritual growth his focus. Still a practicing Catholic, he is a Professor in the humanistic and transpersonal Department of Psychology at the University of West Georgia near Atlanta, where he lives. In a series of essays on all facets of Christianity, Daniel shares the wisdom he learned along his spiritual journey. He is also author of eight other books on religion, spirituality, psychology, and sexuality. He is most widely known for the international best-seller What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality. Visit him on line at www.visionsofdaniel.net.

A down-to-earth look at the spiritual power of sex Sex and the Sacred examines the spiritual dimension of human sexuality in a way that is free of religious affiliation but still open to traditional religion and belief in God. Dr. Daniel Helminiak, author of the best-selling What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality, looks at the relationship between sexuality and spirituality, first, from a humanistic perspective and, then, a more familiar Christian point of view. In particular, he encourages LGBTI people to reclaim their spiritual heritage without apology. This unique book emphasizes spiritual commitment as an essential facet of LGBTI/queer consciousness and addresses such burning themes as coming out, the importance of self-acceptance, gay marriage, gay bashing, and the ethics of gay sex. Sex and the Sacred combines a psychological approach to spirituality with common sense and compassion, inspiring a break from moralistic religion and an understanding of what true spirituality means. The book applies this understanding to Christian topics such as the Bible, Fundamentalism, and the future of Christianity, and shows how coming out was an issue for Jesus, how homosexual experience relates to the Christian Trinity, and how Western Civilization became so sex-negative. Sex and the Sacred presents in the end a radical vision of Christianity open to all people. Religious leaders of all denominations, educators, counselors, members of the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community, non-religious spiritual seekers, and anyone interested in the relationship between spirituality and sexuality will find this book enlightening and uplifting. Sex and the Sacred examines: the spiritual drive that is built into human sexuality the standard religious arguments against gay marriage a sustained argument that Biblical Fundamentalism is not Christian spiritual lessons from the AIDS epidemic the right and wrong of sexqueer and otherwise homosexuality in Catholic teaching and practice sexual ethics without religion a vision for a renewed Christianity within a global community