Paul Zahl is a Christian preacher and theologian, but here he ranges beyond his own faith to examine the world’s religions — using an intriguing way into them, to wit:

Imagine you have ten minutes to live. You’re in a near-death situation, like the patient who’s being operated on and suddenly finds himself looking down on the action as the doctors try to save his life. What do you need to know when your life’s end is near? What is there to know? What can this religion or that religion say to you when you really need some light? PZ’s Panopticon weighs the world’s organized religions, such as Christianity and Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism; but it also weighs “dead” religions like those of the Aztecs, the ancient Egyptians, and the Greeks and Romans. There are also religions that are not called religions, like money and fame and sex; family and your children; ideology; and power. PZ’s Panopticon is a wild ride. But it’s part of a trip we are all going to take.

You can buy it here.

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