The Priest Who Left His Religion

In Pursuit of Cosmic Spirituality

Monkfish
John Shields, foreword by Briony Penn Ph.D
Buy Book

Memoir of former Catholic Priest whose life, search for meaning, and unusual death was featured in Sunday edition New York Times.

The Priest Who Left His Religion follows the life of an ordained of a Catholic priest, idealistically destined by his American family prophecy to be the first American Pope. Ordained in 1965 he quickly becomes caught up by the reversals of the Second Vatican Council which attempt to undo many of the liberalising movements of the Church. Most importantly he is shocked by the Church's disavowal of scientific evidence in order to 'protect the faithful'. Shattered by his discovery of the Church's dishonesty, he experiences the torment of leaving the priesthood and the Church and embarks on a courageous struggle to make the shift from religion to spirituality. He comes to embrace a life in the world and a spirituality that confirms the union of science and spirit.