A pioneering voyage into a postmodern world
by
Tom Norris
A Fresh Cup of Tolerance
Published Book
A Fresh Cup of Tolerance was published in October 2015 by Balboa Press of Hay House Publishing. It is available in E-Book, Softcover and Hardcover editions through them, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and all major booksellers. The book is broken down into four parts over nineteen chapters.
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Part I, The Dialogue, begins the discussion of what the Universalism Movement is about, from a historical perspective and as a postmodern spiritual venture.
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Part II, The Theology, takes a systematic theology approach as it explores Universalism from all angles in chapters covering: On the Nature of God; On the Nature of Revelation; On the Nature of Humankind; On the Nature of Good, Evil, Sin and Suffering; On the Nature of Illusion; On the Nature of Love and Community; On the Nature of Liberation; and On the Nature of Purpose.
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Part III, Light Living, begins a practical journey through daily spiritual ethics and practice. How does one implement and live a Universalist way of life (Lifeway)?
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Finally, Part IV, Light Work, travels beyond the individual and challenges us to envision a society and human organizations that live by these pluralistic and tolerant ways of living; Universalism in the workplace.
Spin Offs/Future Books
Several follow up books to A Fresh Cup of Tolerance are in the planning and early writing stages at this time.
Click here to go to the Spin Offs/Future Books page.
The Audience
In Spiritual Marketplace, Wade Clark Roof observes, “Surveys show that large sectors of the American population today are interested in deepening their spirituality.” In New Religious Movements in the 21st Century, James Beckford asserts,"This spiritual search appears to be a worldwide phenomenon affecting every continent.” In the multicultural marketplace of South Florida, as the pastor of a Universalist Church, and as a university instructor in psychology and religious studies, this has been my experience as well. A Fresh Cup of Tolerance appeals to a broad and diverse audience of spiritual seekers, from Baby Boomers to college students, from moderates to progressives, and to all ethnic and cultural groups. It is a crossover book falling within the categories of:
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New Age
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Spirituality
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Metaphysics
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Religion/Religious Studies
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Philosophy and Theology
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Self-Help
A Fresh Cup of Tolerance was written for that popular audience of spiritually inquisitive people who are intrigued by such diverse books as Conversations with God (Walsch), The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success (Chopra), The Way of the Peaceful Warrior (Millman), Eat, Pray, Love (Gilbert), The Power of Now (Tolle), The Coming of the Cosmic Christ (Fox), The Seat of the Soul (Zukav), A History of God (Armstrong), The Four Agreements (Ruiz), and even popular novels such as The Lost Symbol (Brown) and The Shack (Young). Their favorite movies include: Avatar, The Matrix, Dances with Wolves, the Twilight Series, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and the Harry Potter Series. They are likely to watch the Discovery Channel’s and History Channel’s various programs on the environment, alternative religious histories, ancient artifacts such as Stonehenge, and even Ancient Aliens. They listen to NPR and enjoy music from Hip Hop to classical. As a Universalist work, there is little that A Fresh Cup of Tolerance cannot connect with among the more moderate to progressive religious or spiritual book realms. Nor does it discount or marginalize Christianity, Judaism, Islam or any religion, but builds upon and updates the loving, compassionate heart of each of their traditions.
Although meant for a popular audience, it can be used as a text for university courses as well. Unlike current Universalist books that are Christian based, A Fresh Cup of Tolerance builds on a much broader foundation, bringing in extensive teachings from Native American and Asian religions, pagan and Neopagan Goddess religions, as well as Judeo-Christian traditions. It truly is Universalist.