This is a book for those that believe in a higher power but are somewhat disillusioned by religion. As the blurb says ‘God is real. Everything we say about God is made up. Holy Rascals is a rousing call to anyone ready to go beyond “isms” and ideologies, and live in the world as a liberating force of justice, compassion, and joy.’

Inside it reminds us that twenty-five hundred years ago Diogenes exclaimed, “I am not an Athenian or a Greek but a citizen of the world.” Today many of us are struggling to make those words our own. “We have come to the point in history when anyone who is only Japanese or American, only Oriental or Occidental, is only half human. The other half that beats with the pulse of all humanity has yet to be born.” HUSTON SMITH, The World’s Religions.

But for you to really get the feel of this book and whether you are or want to be a ‘Holy Rascal’, the best way is to quote from it directly.

“Holy rascals are spiritual culture jammers who use humor, play, creativity, and critical thinking to reveal the human origins of religions— and how religions mask their true origins behind the conceit of divine origins,”

The book is in three parts, part one is about the making of a holy rascal and the great task of “freeing religion from the parochial and for the perennial.” Part two explores the art of “hacking the holy,” or pulling back the curtain on religion’s fear-based mechanisms of control. Part three presents some of the provocative tools and one-of-a-kind practices of the holy rascal, with guidance for creating your very own “rascally” ways.”

To be honest I found it a bit repetitive, but I loved the way it presented erudite and profound ideas with childlike joy and enthusiasm – it made it very accessible.

If you are religious – read this. if you’re not religious – read this! Throughout there is no pressure or suggestion that anyone should change their religion (or lack of) only that we should live it in love, compassion and joy.

At the moment I will only give a rating to the book and I hope it is possible for me to write down my reviews on Amazon. Barnes and Noble and Goodreads. I am very grateful to you because your publications are great, especially in the topics that interest me most. Thanks and blessings.

The thesis of this book is that lowercase-r religion is best when it brings people together, gives us compassion for one another, and so on. Capital-R Religion (or as the author would say, Name-Brand Religion) is problematic when it becomes more about the creation and perpetuation of itself, the husbanding of its power, and the point where it sets itself above all other religions (and by extension sets its practitioners above all other practitioners).

There are a number of very small chapters, each illustrating a small point. I might even refer to each one as a koan, although not all rise to those heights of perfection. The chapters build to a greater whole as he states and restates his thesis.

He makes his point without being pointed. He is critical without being mean. He uses humor in an entirely appropriate fashion to do so.

If you come upon Rami Shapiro in the road, do not kill him. But do pay attention -- he will have something useful to say.