Faith Styles: Ways People Believe

John Mabry has spent over nineteen years in pastoral ministry, and fourteen years in private practice as a spiritual director, serving people of different generations. For five years he edited Presence: An International Journey of Spiritual Direction, the professional journal for spiritual directors, and currently directs the interfaith spiritual direction certificate program at the Chaplaincy Institute for Arts and Interfaith Ministry, in Berkeley, CA. He has published several books, including Noticing the Divine: An Introduction to Interfaith Guidance, a textbook for interfaith spiritual direction. A United Church of Christ minister, John is pastor of Grace North Church (Congregational) in Berkeley, California.

“Genuine dialogue requires understanding and honoring the other ‘as other.’ By providing vivid descriptions of various faith-stances, Mabry’s interesting sketches will motivate serious participants in inter-faith dialogue to pursue further knowledge of how differently---and sincerely---believers experience their faith. In a post-9/11 world of tension fueled by sectarian divisions, Mabry’s survey of the landscape of faith is a timely guide for deeper exploration and mutual understanding.” —Wilkie Au, Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University and coauthor of The Discerning Heart: Exploring the Christian Path

“This is a fascinating book, giving tremendous insight into why people of the same religion are often at such odds with others who share their faith. John Mabry peels back the layers of religion to reveal the more basic psychological, social, and spiritual differences between us. He shows how people in all religions, and even agnostics and atheists, seem to cluster into one of six basic approaches to faith, approaches that may divide those within a particular religion, while ironically making them similar to those of different faiths. This book is a must read for those trying to understand the human spiritual yearning and why we choose the faith practices that we do.” —N. Graham Standish, Ph.D., M.S.W., pastor, spiritual director, and author of Humble Leadership, Becoming a Blessed Church and Discovering a Narrow Path

John R. Mabry teaches spiritual direction, world religions, and interfaith theology at the Chaplaincy Institute for Arts and Interfaith Ministry. He is the former editor of Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction and Creation Spirituality magazine. He holds a masters degree in Creation Spirituality and a doctorate in world religions.

"Genuine dialogue requires understanding and honoring the other ‘as other.' By providing vivid descriptions of various faith-stances, Mabry's interesting sketches will motivate serious participants in inter-faith dialogue to pursue further knowledge of how differently-and sincerely-believers experience their faith. In a post-9/11 world of tension fueled by sectarian divisions, Mabry's survey of the landscape of faith is a timely guide for deeper exploration and mutual understanding."
—Wilkie Au, Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University and co-author of The Discerning Heart: Exploring the Christian Path

"This is a fascinating book, giving tremendous insight into why people of the same religion are often at such odds with others who share their faith. John Mabry peels back the layers of religion to reveal the more basic psychological, social, and spiritual differences between us. He shows how people in all religions, and even agnostics and atheists, seem to cluster into one of six basic approaches to faith, approaches that may divide those within a particular religion, while ironically making them similar to those of different faiths. This book is a must read for those trying to understand the human spiritual yearning and why we choose the faith practices that we do."
—N. Graham Standish, Ph.D., M.S.W., pastor, spiritual director, and author of Humble Leadership, Becoming a Blessed Church and Discovering a Narrow Path