Brian Cahill

Agnostic at the Altar

“In Agnostic at the Altar, John Van Hagen, a clinical psychologist and former priest, takes us on a scholarly, but also very personal journey as he searches for transcendence in the writings of the Old Testament prophets. Most agnostics have separated themselves from institutional religion, but Van Hagen, in his reflective agnosticism, is delving into the heart of religion in the stories of the Jewish prophets in order to find a middle ground between the deficits of organized religion and his need for transcendence. For anyone today who struggles with the failures of organized religion, who wonders where God is amidst the chaos, destruction, and anguish in the world, and yet who still is drawn to the transcendent, Agnostic at the Altar is a timely, well written, comforting, and valuable resource.”

Promise and Poison

History & Biography

“In Promise and Poison, John Van Hagen goes back into history to understand, for better or for worse, how a minor religious movement in an obscure part of the known world became one of the major world religions, and he writes with penetrating insight for anyone interested in the real story of the growth and development of Christianity.”