Phillip Goff

And then I got this wave from atheists saying I'd lost my mind. But I suppose... I'm not religious to get the answers, to get the certainty. I think fundamentally for me, being religious is about connecting my spiritual life to the life of the community through rituals that mark the seasons, the changing seasons of the year and the big moments of life, birth, coming of age, marriage, death.

I found a wonderful... Holism can come out of engaging in a spiritual practice with a rich tradition, with a community. And I understand the dangers. I understand the dangers of people are worried about dogmatic certainty. People are worried about conflict with science. People are worried about backward ethical views on women and sexuality. And And it's not for everyone, right?

I found a wonderful... Holism can come out of engaging in a spiritual practice with a rich tradition, with a community. And I understand the dangers. I understand the dangers of people are worried about dogmatic certainty. People are worried about conflict with science. People are worried about backward ethical views on women and sexuality. And And it's not for everyone, right?

I found a wonderful... Holism can come out of engaging in a spiritual practice with a rich tradition, with a community. And I understand the dangers. I understand the dangers of people are worried about dogmatic certainty. People are worried about conflict with science. People are worried about backward ethical views on women and sexuality. And And it's not for everyone, right?

I'm not here to say this is the one true faith, I suppose. But I am interested in... suggesting there is a way of engaging with traditional religion that can avoid some of these dangers and that can have real benefits in terms of community, structure, tradition, and so on. I guess that's where I'm up to. I'm trying to give that slightly different perspective on it.

I'm not here to say this is the one true faith, I suppose. But I am interested in... suggesting there is a way of engaging with traditional religion that can avoid some of these dangers and that can have real benefits in terms of community, structure, tradition, and so on. I guess that's where I'm up to. I'm trying to give that slightly different perspective on it.

I'm not here to say this is the one true faith, I suppose. But I am interested in... suggesting there is a way of engaging with traditional religion that can avoid some of these dangers and that can have real benefits in terms of community, structure, tradition, and so on. I guess that's where I'm up to. I'm trying to give that slightly different perspective on it.

You can approach this in two ways. It's like head questions or heart questions. I suppose... In terms of the heart questions, what I found resonates with me is the way the Eastern Orthodox Church think of these fundamental spiritual matters. And it is all about God and the universe coming into unity. So their view is that the whole point of the Jesus stuff was...

You can approach this in two ways. It's like head questions or heart questions. I suppose... In terms of the heart questions, what I found resonates with me is the way the Eastern Orthodox Church think of these fundamental spiritual matters. And it is all about God and the universe coming into unity. So their view is that the whole point of the Jesus stuff was...

You can approach this in two ways. It's like head questions or heart questions. I suppose... In terms of the heart questions, what I found resonates with me is the way the Eastern Orthodox Church think of these fundamental spiritual matters. And it is all about God and the universe coming into unity. So their view is that the whole point of the Jesus stuff was...

God sharing in our form of existence so that we can share in God's form of existence. That us and God are very different, but they are coming through a process of coming into alignment, coming into deeper unity. Connects with, for example, Jesus has this analogy of the vine and the branches. We are supposed to be the branches and he is the vine and that sense of deep organic unity.

God sharing in our form of existence so that we can share in God's form of existence. That us and God are very different, but they are coming through a process of coming into alignment, coming into deeper unity. Connects with, for example, Jesus has this analogy of the vine and the branches. We are supposed to be the branches and he is the vine and that sense of deep organic unity.

God sharing in our form of existence so that we can share in God's form of existence. That us and God are very different, but they are coming through a process of coming into alignment, coming into deeper unity. Connects with, for example, Jesus has this analogy of the vine and the branches. We are supposed to be the branches and he is the vine and that sense of deep organic unity.

So there's a sort of, I suppose there's a sort of oneness there that we find in all the mystical traditions. Perhaps the difference to Advaita Vedanta is that the oneness incorporates differentiation as well. In Advaita Vedanta, when you become enlightened, you are completely absorbed in the divine. An analogy one mystic gives is it's like an ice cube melting in the ocean.

So there's a sort of, I suppose there's a sort of oneness there that we find in all the mystical traditions. Perhaps the difference to Advaita Vedanta is that the oneness incorporates differentiation as well. In Advaita Vedanta, when you become enlightened, you are completely absorbed in the divine. An analogy one mystic gives is it's like an ice cube melting in the ocean.

So there's a sort of, I suppose there's a sort of oneness there that we find in all the mystical traditions. Perhaps the difference to Advaita Vedanta is that the oneness incorporates differentiation as well. In Advaita Vedanta, when you become enlightened, you are completely absorbed in the divine. An analogy one mystic gives is it's like an ice cube melting in the ocean.

Whereas the oneness of Eastern Orthodox Christianity is maybe more like the oneness of a couple. A sort of deep, organic intimacy and unity is the oneness between us and God and the whole of physical reality. So I suppose that is the spiritual vision I engage with in my spiritual practice. Do I know it's true? I don't know.

Whereas the oneness of Eastern Orthodox Christianity is maybe more like the oneness of a couple. A sort of deep, organic intimacy and unity is the oneness between us and God and the whole of physical reality. So I suppose that is the spiritual vision I engage with in my spiritual practice. Do I know it's true? I don't know.

Whereas the oneness of Eastern Orthodox Christianity is maybe more like the oneness of a couple. A sort of deep, organic intimacy and unity is the oneness between us and God and the whole of physical reality. So I suppose that is the spiritual vision I engage with in my spiritual practice. Do I know it's true? I don't know.

These matters, as I say, are inherently uncertain, but I suppose I think it's a credible possibility and I get a lot out of engaging with it. I mean, in terms of the... the more the head stuff. As I said, I've always worried about the problem of evil and suffering with the very traditional idea of God. Why would a loving or powerful God allow so much suffering?