The Adventures of a Southern (Baptist) Buddhist
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4.7 • 3 Ratings
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- $3.99
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
Reviewed by Joe Wisinski for Readers' Favorite
The Adventures of a Southern (Baptist) Buddhist is the real-life story of a woman who was raised in a fundamentalist evangelical Christian environment but later became a Buddhist. Author Pamela McConnell, MSW, LCSW, holds a master's degree in social work and is a licensed clinical social worker. She experienced traumatic events, including being molested by her grandfather and going through several divorces. One husband beat her, while another turned out to have a felony conviction and a problem with illegal drugs. She also had a relationship with a man who didn't tell her for seven years that he was still married to another woman. The book also contains accounts of McConnell's remarkable travels, including hiking much of the Appalachian Trail and a pilgrimage to India and Nepal. She also lived in other places that most people can only read about, such as South Korea. The book contains some graphic content, including child sexual abuse, domestic violence, and sexual scenes. There are also frank descriptions of religious intolerance.
The Adventures of a Southern (Baptist) Buddhist is a fascinating book. Pamela McConnell writes openly and candidly. Because of her education and background, she has unique insight into the human condition and in particular her own life. I appreciated her frankness as she doesn't hide any of her experiences, terrible as some were. Many readers will find her religious quest to be captivating. One doesn't have to have any particular religious convictions to identify with her struggle to find a faith that worked for her. Everyone can learn from McConnell's experiences and her honesty in telling her own life story. Anyone who reads with an open mind and wants to live vicariously through both the best and worst life offers should read this book. They will rejoice with McConnell that she was able to overcome her past and become a happy and fulfilled woman.
Customer Reviews
Bodhi Tree
Reviewed by Idowu Adekunle for Readers’ Favorite:
The Adventures of a Southern (Baptist) Buddhist by Pamela McConnell, MSW, LCSW, is a non-fictional spiritual account of the life of a girl who grew up in an evangelical home and eventually converted to Buddhism. Her home gave the appearance of an ideal family situation, except that she was constantly sexually abused by her grandfather until his death. Over the years, Pam realized that she did not want to continue in the family religion and decided to break free. Pam was 18 when she first got married. She had a son, but the marriage ended when she discovered that they had too many differences. She was married four times before she gave up on marriage. Pam graduated with two degrees, traveled to different cities, met new people, and explored Buddhism. I was touched by the stories of sexual abuse. This book is informative because it shows how little children are vulnerable to sexual abuse by older members of the family. Her journey through Buddhism exposed me to new thinking, and I realized how limited my knowledge of Buddhism was. Pam is confident and adventurous. I loved the way she wasn't afraid to take risks and the detached way she accepted the discrimination she faced from people who did not accept her new way of living. The story takes the reader on a bumpy ride with a woman trying to find answers to her questions and be happy. I was fascinated by Pam's story. If you love to read books on spirituality, especially Buddhism, The Adventures of a Southern (Baptist) Buddhist by Pamela McConnell is the right book for you.
Journey
Here is the story of a smart and challenging person, just the kind of person I want to know.