Today is the day!
Our collective book Spiritual Consciousness as Evolutionary Learning, edited by Maureen Ellis, has finally been published as of May 16, 2025.

In this volume, I contributed two chapters:

• Chapter 13, which I authored, focuses on Christianity.
• Chapter 7, which I co-authored with Jamsheed Choksy, explores Mazdeism.

I’d like to share with you the abstract of Chapter 13, titled:
“Is God the Lord of the Armies of the Most High? Revisiting Judeo-Christian Metaphors to Give Peace a Chance.”

Abstract:
Humanity remains persistently engaged in intraspecific wars. Religions have historically played an ambivalent role in this dynamic, either tempering or fuelling humankind’s warlike instincts—and Christianity is no exception. While the Catholic Church has undeniably evolved in both doctrine and practice, with the past century seeing Popes and Catholic organizations unequivocally championing peace, several theological challenges remain unresolved. Scripture contains both messages of peace and exhortations to violence, including depictions of massacre and looting.
This chapter focuses on the metaphors, symbols, and divine names found in the Bible, aiming to deconstruct interpretations and translations that portray God as a relentless warrior. In doing so, it questions the assumption that all biblical names for God refer to the same entity. I argue that one of the most effective ways to prevent the misuse of Abrahamic religions in justifying war and violence is to re-evaluate the biblical figure of Elyon, alongside engaging with the tradition of negative theology and the concept of God’s ineffability.