The story of one man’s journey from God to Goodness
Seismic Shift: From God to Goodness tells the story of its author’s spiritual journey. Keith Martin presents himself as a Christian believer from a religious family for whom the Rwandan Genocide of 1994 was the catalyst that shook his faith in God. After learning about innocent Tutsi men, women, and children being slaughtered on church pews, Martin could no longer think of God as a loving supernatural Being because he could not reconcile for himself how an all-powerful Being could allow for such tragedies to occur.
Seismic Shift follows Martin’s understanding of God as it moves away from the monotheistic religions of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity and towards thinking about God as the personification of Goodness. The author capitalizes the word Goodness because he “mean[s] more than just aspiring to be good.” He means, “Bowing to Goodness the way religious people bow to God.”
Martin’s spiritual journey led him from viewing himself as a Christian, then as a progressive Christian, and finally as a post-Christian. He does not present his new way of thinking about God as the correct way. In fact, he is understanding and encouraging of those who still find their own belief system as being sufficient to their spiritual growth.
[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Be a good person, help people, and be kind to our planet.[/pullquote]
He offers his interpretation of God as an alternative option for those who are no longer able to find comfort in their current belief systems because they can no longer think of God as a person or Being. That leads to the idea of non-theism. Basically, theism is a belief in deities, which non-theism doesn’t believe in. In other words, the question of whether God is a man or a woman does not even register in non-theism because God isn’t a person at all.
Seismic Shift cites a number of popular culture songs and writings as well as many philosophical and theological texts in highly accessible ways. The book’s reading ease and the simplicity with which Martin presents his thesis can be attributed to the fact that the book was written for Martin’s children, made clear in chapter eight’s title, “Dear Ryan and Carol-Lee.” That chapter, in particular, is quite touching as it communicates a father’s genuine hope that his children will lead lives that seek to perpetuate and are informed by Goodness. Martin ends Seismic Shift with an invitation to continue one’s spiritual journey.
Keith Martin’s Seismic Shift was a quick, easy, and engaging read. It was refreshing to read a book about religion and spirituality that does not attempt to preach or convert. Rather, Seismic Shift simply shares an understanding that promotes the simple lessons children are taught across the world, but that many adults seem to forget: Be a good person, help people, and be kind to our planet.