Beyond Jesus

My Spiritual Odyssey

• The fastest-growing—and at 25% of the population, second-largest— religious group in the US is comprised of those who identify themselves as having no religious affiliation (aka “Nones”). A recent Pew study has found that “many of the country’s 46 million unaffiliated adults are religious or spiritual in some way.” Although they may be disenchanted with institutional religion, for many Nones spiritual experience remains important. • Coinciding with the decline in institutional religion, a Google Trend shows that online searches for “spiritual awakening” have doubled in the past ten years, and, according to a recent study by Pew, the number of people who report having feelings of spirituality are on the rise. • Nones are nearly “twice likely to describe themselves as political liberals than as conservatives.” Beyond Jesus tells a unique story that brings together spiritual awakening and engaged political activism. In speaking to personal as well as universal themes, it will appeal to those who view the world through a wholistic and evolutionary lens.Although many people are currently disengaging from mainline Christianity, there is continued curiosity about Jesus and, among many people, a hunger to explore new ways of understanding his life and teachings. This high level of interest was demonstrated by the success of Reza Aslan’s 2013 book Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, which topped the New York Times bestseller list.