Most books on Christianity cater to those who see the Bible as authoritative. But there's an unnoticed group who, while skeptical of traditional beliefs, still find deep meaning in church. Robert K. C. Forman, a retired professor of religion and hospital chaplain, is one of them. Though he’s often moved to tears during services, he’s “never believed a word.” Curious, Forman interviewed many dozens of others like him across denominations and countries. The result is, Christianity Reimagined: A Mystical Approach for Doubters and the Dubious.

His interviewees often reject conventional ideas like a throne-sitting God or a literal resurrection, yet still cherish Christian community and practice. Together, they’ve begun to reimagine Christianity as based not on belief or doctrine, but as growing out of spiritual experience—those vivid, life-affirming moments of deep connection and presence that happen in church, in the woods or anywhere. Once thought rare, such experiences are reported by over 45% of Americans, according to Pew Research.

Forman calls these individuals “Mystics on the Margins.” They interpret divine language as describing human spiritual experiences, not as about doctrine. Jesus, for example, is seen less as a supernatural savior and more as someone who preached out of his experiences of the sacred.

Christianity Reimagined shows how prayer, ritual, and story can stir the soul without requiring belief. Drawing from neuroscience and psychology, it shows how community and shared spiritual intention can foster healing and connection.

These “mystics on the margins” love their church not because due to its dogma but its camaraderie, openness and depth, and the inspiration of Jesus and others.

This book offers a path for the spiritually curious and skeptical alike—one that doesn’t reject Christianity but rediscovers its mystical, transformative core.

More than a book, it’s an awakening.