I appreciate that Wilson explains what he means when he says that he believes in God (and I like his habit of saying, “I don’t believe in that God, either” when an atheist lists off all the negative attributes — jealous, vindictive, childhood-cancer-causing — of the Sky Daddy God of Abraham) and I am not unconvinced by his belief that life and consciousness seem too miraculous to have arisen by chance alone. (And I was not surprised to learn that Wilson was unable to sell a show discussing God to any network: a show about God being “too controversial” in a landscape of violence, porn, and drunk housewives.) To oversimplify: Believing that we are all divine at our cores ought to lead to us honouring ourselves and every other human on Earth (not to mention the planet itself), and not only would that solve individual problems (like the current crisis in youth mental health) but it would demand solutions for systemic problems (like partisan politics or the bizarre inequality of wealth that sees the seven richest men hoarding more wealth than the bottom fifty percent of humanity). I don’t think it’s controversial to say that the vast majority of us would like to see these changes, so why not look to the deep past and explore the beliefs and ideas that once bound us all together? While anyone who is spiritually seeking would likely enjoy “Soul Boom,” Wilson seems to have written it particularly with younger generations in mind. He reports hearing three things from young people when talking to them about religion: They often say they “kind of” believe in god, they are not interested in organized religion and they shy away from anything remotely “hippy-dippy/airy fairy” (to use Wilson’s description). Wilson hopes “Soul Boom” and the broader SoulPancake community will inspire young people to take a spiritual journey and give them a place to talk about life’s biggest questions.

What it’s about: Rainn has been a seeker of spirituality for a long time with his company SoulPancake has done a lot of good in this area of the world. He’s done a ton of research into a variety of world religions all to end with the conclusion that we need a revolution. His proposal is a brand new religion he’s calling Soul Boom. He outlines what all major religions have, what this new religion would have in those ten areas, and seven additional components that we should include in this new religion. It’s a LOT of religion and spirituality talk. While this book is not meant to be a Baha’i book; the Baha’i viewpoint has its fingerprints all throughout the book as that we are all part of the same religion, but just different chapters of the same religion, and that we actually do agree and follow the same God. This book is actually number 1 in the Baha’i books as I write this on May 5, 2023. Eboo Patel, Founder and President of Interfaith America and author of We Need To Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy I didn't even know about a faith called Baha'i so all of that was really fun to learn about. I did however study Buddhism for a total of two months in university and can attest to 'craving' (hopefully in the best sense) inner and outer spiritual change.

Comedic actor, producer, and writer Rainn Wilson, cofounder of the media company SoulPancake, explores the problem-solving benefits that spirituality gives us to create solutions for an increasingly challenging world. If the authors are serious, this is a silly, distasteful book. If they are not, it’s a brilliant satire.

In a nutshell, I spent many years in my twenties and thirties on a private, personal spiritual search, which led me to read most of the holy books of the world’s major religions. I’m no scholar or expert by any means, but this quest for the truth compelled me to study the Bible, the Quran, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Dhammapada and other writings by and about the Buddha. I also read up on many Native American faiths and belief systems and caught up on some basics of Western philosophy. I got deeply reacquainted with the faith of my youth, Baha’i. I prayed and meditated profusely, attended various religious services, and dug deep into many central, profound questions: Is there a God? What happens when we die? Do we have a soul? Why do all these idiots watch The Bachelor? How did the death of your father help you deal with this topic and then write about it so others could read it in this book? The real problem with this book is it doesn't really teach you anything you don't already know, or convince you of anything you didn't already agree with. Empathy is good, consumerism is bad, people need community, etc. And have you heard that racism and sexism plague human societies around the world?While "Soul Boom" isn't immersed in Wilson's more humorous side, I'd expect his devoted fans to still be happy here as he still brings humor and his incredibly unique perspectives to needed conversations. Wilson's basic stance is that we have a world that is in need of profound healing and a unifying understanding AND that the spiritual traditions of the world all help provide this understanding. In a relaxed and relatable way, Wilson's approach to spirituality - the non-physical, eternal aspects of ourselves - applies to people of all beliefs and/or religions including the skeptics, agnostics, and atheists. Wilson offers up a variety of genuine insights along with Kung Fu and Star Trek references sure to make readers reflect and smile. On its own terms, SoulBoom does resemble Star Trek. Implicitly, SoulBoom treats those things that make Christianity unique as remnants of Captain Picard’s “superstition and ignorance and fear.” In fact, Star Trek’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, was an avowed atheist and opposed organized religion in all its forms. Yet not all writers for Star Trek were quite as hostile. In a later series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, produced after Roddenberry’s death, a devout religious character named Kira is confronted with the idea that all cultures should believe in each other’s gods for the sake of self-fulfillment and galactic peace. Rather than assent to this pragmatic approach to religion, she instead points out, “There’s just one thing—we can’t both be right.” OUTDOORS Avoiding — and mitigating — human threats in the outdoors Outdoor recreation is 'dangerous enough without feeling threatened by other humans' Soul Boom probes weighty issues, from consumerism to consciousness. But it illuminates the path to spiritual enlightenment with familiar reference-points, some drawn from pop culture. Wilson uses ‘70s TV shows Star Trek and Kung Fu as examples of transformative social thinking. One argued for a “spiritual revolution” ( Star Trek ), the other pushed for a personal journey of self-discovery ( Kung Fu )—philosophies we can practice in our daily lives.

If you approach your reading of "Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution" expecting to experience the quirky hilarity of Rainn Wilson's iconic Dwight Schrute character from "The Office," then you're likely to find "Soul Boom" a bit of a disappointment. When I think of spirituality and the 1970s, a particular word comes to mind. It’s not “meditation.” It’s not “LSD.” It’s not “guru” or “incense” or “chakras.” I was on this train in Switzerland traveling with my wife, and there was a headline and it said, actor had a spiritual transformation. I was like, "Oh, fantastic. I love spiritual transformations. Let me read what happened." And then it was like a shaman exercising demons from them. I'm like, "How is this spiritual?" To me, that has nothing to do with spirituality. It's not about ghosts and shamans and demons. So it was important to define our terms. It's not that there's no humor to be found in "Soul Boom." There's most definitely humor to be found here, however, "Soul Boom" for the most part gives us the other side of Rainn Wilson - a more contemplative fellow, devoted family man, and longtime spiritual human being raised in and still following the Baháʼí faith and fiercely devoted to climate issues.

And hey, perhaps this book will truly be a catalyst for enlightened change. Perhaps, someday in the near future, I will hear: "Okay, Soul Boomer!" shouted (or muttered) in my direction. A spiritual girl can dream. Haha Just ask my wife. (Who, by the way, is far more preternaturally spiritual than I am, believe you me!) Wilson brings up many excellent points and is incredibly well informed about the world’s major religions through his Baha’i faith journey. While he strays off on tangents at times, this book feels like the reader is in a conversation with the author. His thoughts on the ideal religion were interesting and his call to action for people to act deeply was spot on. In (a) virtue-nurturing context, we are neither living only for this world (as the atheist/materialist/physicalist might aspire to) nor living only for the next world (as the heaven-seeking fundamentalist might be). We are living for both. Because, it seems, both are connected. Our overarching purpose is pure and simple: soul growth. Developing our virtues is about cultivating that part of ourselves that is, at its essence, divine. This ongoing growth process requires a complete and total commitment to the physical plane of existence — this gorgeous, difficult planet, its ups and downs and trials and challenges, its beauty and sorrow. It also requires a longtail view of the eternal — knowing that we’re in this whole game of life for a very, very, very long haul. As in, like, infinite worlds of existence. Wilson examines the world’s religious writings and practices, challenging readers to identify the sacred in their lives, and concludes that the communal aspect of our faith has declined, exacerbating narcissism and disunity. He even advocates for the creation of a new religion…combining the best elements of major world faiths and encourages his audience to cultivate these virtues to spark spiritual revolution. Wilson’s wry wit and humorous comments punctuate snippets of wisdom from an array of clerics. This is entertaining and thought-provoking.”

The agency of the story in SoulBoom lies with humanity. As Wilson states, it is people who must change, through “recognizing that we are, in fact, spiritual beings having a collective human experience” who can be open to “the soul-level transformations we’re going to need to make.” The agency of the biblical story is God’s. It begins with God creating and ends with God dwelling; we work as co-stewards and God works through us, but we are never the stars of the show. The first of these shows was the masterpiece Kung Fu, a program that defined the 1970s and reflected its ethos and underbelly. Originally conceived by (and appropriated / stolen from) the great Bruce Lee, Kung FuWe need a change of heart, a reframing of all our conceptions and a new orientation of our activities. The inward life of man as well as his outward environment have to be reshaped if human salvation is to be secured. On the positive side, his argument for the necessity of creating a new religion (and accompanying thought exercise in which he does so) so made me look at the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster in a new light. All that said, Soul Boom, which calls for a worldwide spiritual revolution along the lines of “an ever-advancing civilization” and “collective” spiritual maturity, is a powerful presentation of the Baha’i faith’s perspective on spirituality. After putting down the book, readers will likely appreciate the Baha’i faith’s amiability and think highly of Wilson’s character, whatever they think of his views. But now, the same has happened to me, only this is a “worlds colliding” scenario that I wholeheartedly embrace, rather than confront with fear and trembling. Meh. While I wholeheartedly agree with the premise, Dwight was unable to convince me in his book that he had figured out a way to make that revolution happen. I wanted to feel encouraged and motivated, but was left feeling like I had been lectured to and that my current level or source of spirituality was misguided and divisive.