Amazon Category:  Spirituality Publisher: Pamoon Press ISBN-10:  0971703205 Type: Non-Fiction Pages: 304 Copyright: May 1 2002 Imagine calling God directly on the phone...What would you say to Him? Or Her? And what do you think God might say back to you? This unique spiritual memoir is framed by twenty-one interviews ranging from a death row inmate to children, all of whom give inspirational and sometimes controversial responses to the over-arching question: "If I gave you God's phone number, what would you do with it?" What do a Cherokee Shaman, a Death Row inmate, an Afghani Sufi Mystic, a Catholic, a Jew, several praying kids, and Mare Cromwell have in common? They all feel strongly about who or what they think God is, why things happen the way they do, and what will become of us in the future. They question, praise and criticize their own spiritual beliefs in the hopes of better understanding themselves and others. In a world gone crazy with scandals, holy wars and sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, people are pausing from their daily routines to wonder about the divine and mysterious nature of their Creator. In If I gave you God’s phone number…. Searching for Spirituality in America (Pamoon Press, 2002, ISBN # 0-9717032-0-5, $23.95), author and spiritual seeker Mare Cromwell interviews people from all walks of life, asking, "If I gave you God’s phone number, what would you do with it?" The answers form an open-minded look at all religions and viewpoints, which includes topics such as Heaven, Hell, reincarnation, prayer, speaking in tongues, angels, demonic possession and forgiveness. "What I have learned in the journey of creating this book, doing all the interviews, listening to people from diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds is that there are many paths to God. It is my sense that religion can take us part of the way to being "awake" and "connected" with God but spirituality is where we really try to feel God within us," says Cromwell. The importance of being in touch with our spirituality, or lack thereof, and understanding other religions and spiritual ideas are among the many topics discussed candidly as differing views come together to form the rich tapestry of America’s faith. Mare Cromwell is a writer, poet, gardener and environmentalist. A spiritual seeker for many years, she holds a Masters in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan. A professional gardener and environmental speaker, Cromwell leads talks and workshops on spirituality, environmental sustainability and the practice of simplifying one’s life. For more information on Mare Cromwell or her book, If I gave you God’s phone number…. Searching for Spirituality in America, please visit www.tocallgod.net. Excerpt Jasmine Hisha, age 44 If you tried to give me God’s phone number, I have to tell you that I already have it. And I use it. I use it every day. …I talk to God every day about whatever is on my mind. It might be my husband, my daughter, my dog, my cat, my friends, whatever is on my mind that day. And He talks back to me. That’s what makes it fun. Eric Rosen, age 21 I’m not sure what I would do with God’s phone number. I get this image of God sitting behind a desk and answering calls with a phone headset on.

Advance Praise
Mare Cromwell's book offers the reader what only the best books offer--windows into the most authentic reaches of the soul. Her conscientious selection of interview subjects, and her deft questioning, which presses them to go deeper and deeper, is what lends the book its striking range. This diorama of spiritual postures--some passionate, some highly intellectualized--is impossible to look away from, infects the reader with a fever of curiosity about the human condition, and then proceeds to administer the careful cure: vivid, compelling testimony. Not only do her many subjects nourish the reader by their telling, but Cromwell too provides ongoing doses of self-revelation, a gesture of honesty that unifies and strengthens the whole picture. I can guarantee that reading if i gave you God's phone number will enrich your view of spiritual life--in all its radiant variety--forever. --Christopher Noel, author of IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT OF A WATER LANDING: A Geography of Grief