Divine Books

After seeing the Goddess in his childhood, years later, while sitting in a meditation hall, Dr. Edwards has six consecutive visions of six different forms of the Goddess prior to Kali lighting up his inner space with one cosmic revelation after another, culminating in profound realizations and a message from Kali.

The Goddess then directs him to share her "gift" to him with others by writing it all down and getting it published. He is shown in visions what to write along with commentaries by the Goddess, presented to him as scenes in his mind. Dr. Edwards is just as amazed as his readers will be, and humbled by his cosmic visitations from Kali. Moreover, his surprise and humility at being "chosen" by the Divine give his words a solid ring of truth.

Dr. Edwards extraordinary encounter with the Divine is one of the most impressive and inspiring books I have ever read about Kundalini. Perhaps devotion to the Mother Goddess is the highest path to fully awakening Kundalini with a Mother's Love guiding you safely home.

At last! A book on the spiritual path written by someone who has walked the walk instead of just talking the talk. Edwards' descriptions of personal revelations by the Goddess, dating from his early childhood, give clarity, inspiration and hope to all those yearning in their lives for a closer connection with the divine. This book inspires awe at the infinite beauty, grace and love which has flowed from the Goddess in Her many forms directly to the author's mind and soul. Just as importantly, though, it is a sobering reminder of the challenges, struggles and dangers of the spiritual quest which arise from the darkness of our own shadow side, and which we must continually acknowledge, confront and release in order ultimately to open ourselves fully to the ever-present divine love and grace enfolding us. We see that these revelations, both positive and negative, were the product of years of intense and serious cultivation under the tutelage of a truly enlightened Master. Such devotion and perseverance, especially in the face of inner demons and outer tribulations, are the inevitable offerings necessary eventually to bear the ecstatic spiritual fruit that it has been the author's delight to have experienced. But what is also impressive is the sense throughout that the author sees himself as a human being, like the rest of us, working to get through daily life and dealing with the myriad confusions, vices, and temptations that plague us all. His commitment to confront these issues as consciously as possible is what makes this book, and his example, accessible as a "better way" to deal with our own issues. It also gives the hope that, by following this "better way", we may ourselves one day personally experience the loving presence and guidance of the Goddess just as he has. This book, and especially the chapter presenting the allegory of "The Bird of a Thousand Lights", came at an especially critical point in my own spiritual development. Reading that chapter brought an immediate intuitive sense of recognition. Being able to identify with the protagonist on his quest and to see clearly both where I stood in my own journey, and what the path ahead held for me, lent tremendous encouragement at a time when my situation seemed at a low ebb. As a long time follower of the spiritual path, I have often "found" a book which, after reading it, I knew was the "right book at the right time". "The Soul's Journey" was one such book for me, and I trust that it will be for many other "seekers" as well. I highly recommend it!

very good book read it in one day... loved it.. gave me yet another perspective on what its all really about! A great read for anyone who has had their awakening sparked!

I deeply appreciate the journey which reading Lawrence Edward's book began for me which continues now almost a year later. The images and concepts outlined in the stories he told became metaphors for my own personal journey of self discovery which I have found most enlightening and personally gratifiying.

I think the path to self awareness is many and varied and often fraught with false starts and distractions. This book helped me recognize some of my own false starts and encouraged me to maintain my own focus and delve within rather than seeking beyond my own experience and truth for answers.

The language is accessible and jargonless which was quite a relief from similar texts on the subject. I also enjoyed the linkages to modern analytical and humanistic psychology as a means for grounding the concepts of energy and kundalini and consciousness in a familiar paradigm for most Westerners like myself.

I look forward his next book.

The author does an outstanding job of taking everyday things we find around us and placing them in a spiritual perspective. This book, while not meant to read cover to cover in that order, is wonderful to have around when needing a bit of inspiration. Be sure to read the "how to use this book" so you will understand how the table of contents will lead you to what you should read for what you are feeling. It is also a GREAT book for those who do public speaking and need a little "spark" to make your story stand out. GREAT BOOK!!!

The book was everything that I hoped for and it was even shrink wrapped!

SPARKS OF THE DIVINE BY DREW LEDER , FINDING INSPIRATION IN OUR EVERYDAY WORLD is a different kind of daily read and a wonderful way to start your day fully inspired to be all you can be and enjoy your everyday events and encounters as inspirations. Leder takes his inspirations from nature, as do many mystics, but he also finds just as deep inspirations from daily chores or mechanical objects within his environment. Although a flower, rain, or a beautiful sunset are deep and meaningful experiences that place us in a state of wonder, most of us are so accustomed to seeing these daily gifts as commonplace events, and we don't notice them any more. Leder teaches us to open to every experience and every sight as if we are babies, or an alien from another planet seeing these things or events for the very first time. To practice this is something familiar to Zen Buddhists but not so easy for the average person in a busy work-a-day world. However, no one could be busier than the author, who is a full professor of Western and Eastern Philosophy at Loyola University and also has an M.D. from Yale University School of Medicine. He leads workshops, works extensively with prisoners, and has authored many books, and is in demand as a public speaker and for think-tanks. In this wonderful book he'll teach you how to turn dish-washing, football, pens and pencils, merry-go-rounds, smells, whispers, and sex into mystical whisperings of your soul to which you'll learn to pay attention and be present, enhancing all of your daily routines and finding peace and joy throughout your life. An EXCELLENT book! Other reviews are on http://www.realtraveladventures.com/booksandaudio

"Sparks of the Divine: Finding Inspiration in Our Everyday World" is a breathe of fresh air. In my role as pastoral associate, I often find myself in conversation with those who are seeking to deepen their relationship with God and asking for ways to establish a deeper prayer life. I readily recommended this book to a friend who claimed to be having difficulty finding God in the everydayness of his workaday world.

Leder's very welcome volume points students of prayer of all ages toward finding God in the seemingly insignificant of things, events, places, and situations of life. It is said that St. Francis "became prayer" because his profound relationship with God caused him to see God in all peoples, events, and things. Francis would have loved this book of reflections.

Who, for example, would have considered ducks, frogs, windshield wipers, pajamas, throwing things away and speed bumps to be a source for mediation and reflection? Drew Leder has done this in a most appealing and attractive way, leaving the reader asking "Why didn't I see God goodness and presence there before?" In a world where over stimulation of our senses often times leaves us deaf, dumb, and blind to the signs of God's presence around us, this well written series of reflections makes us pause to reconnect with the traces of God's goodness and presence all around us. In this regard, Leder quotes Paul Tournier in The Adventure of Living: "In the biblical perspective there are not two distinct worlds, the profane and sacred. Everything is sacred."

Each of the one hundred reflections is followed by a series of questions which make it easy for the reader to enter even more deeply into the art of "seeing" God in all that is Each of these meditations help the reader personalize the meditation. As Leder says: "We don't need to go to Tibet to find a sacred space and saintly guru. The teachings we need are right here and now if we but know how to see."

The reflection are also punctuated by fifteen "shape shifts", guided meditations, which assist the reader to enter into the heart of another being by calling us to movement or a different reflective position. Each is designed to help us to enter more deeply into a oneness with our environment and what it tells us about God by involvement of more than one of the senses. I am finding that learning how to remove the "mind-rain" that impedes our life journey with my "spiritual windshield wipers" is a wonderful exercise to remove the feelings, sensations and things that life rains on us. What a creative insight!

Also helpful are the wonderful quotations from various faith traditions which offer valuable insights into the God-directed life. They punctuate the format of the book and are little fountains of spiritual insight from Islamic, Jewish, and Christian authors of all ages.

This book is a gem!
Pastoral Associate, St. Matthew Cathedral

The promise Kingdom of God through Christ Jesus mentioned in the "Lord's Prayer" is the subject of this volume. What is this kingdom? When and how will it come? Who comprise it and who are it's rulers and subjects? These questions are answered, as well as the subject of the nation of Israel, this chapter alone is worth the purchase of this volume. The author shows from scripture the restoration of this nation and how it will stand in the center of world controversy. Much of this chapter has been fulfilled, years before the book was printed, read about those prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled and follow along with history in the making!

This book is a natural sequel to the book "The Time Is At Hand" and goes into greater depth with some difficult chronology. It considers some of the dating contained in the book of Daniel. It also shows that prophecy focuses on the "end times," which is now!--a period called the "Harvest." The final chapter is a fascinating look at the Great Pyramid of Egypt and how it contains elements that illustrate God's plan.

This is, apparently, the third in a set of six study guides. It delves much deeper into more particular, and highly interesting, subjects such as the Great Pyramid at Giza, and others that simply are neither understood nor even considered by the average Bible-believing Christian. "Thy Kingdom Come," of course, derives its title from the most oft-repeated prayer in the Bible, styled "The Lord's Prayer," and it aptly lives up to its billing. If you are thirsting for a far deeper understanding of those particular words and much, much more then this book will be a refreshing drink of cold, clear water for the free-thinking Christian. On some subjects it flies in the face of all that the hegemony of orthodox churchianty peddles as "truth." It does, however, provide clear, Scripture-supported answers where orthodoxy fails miserably to quench the thirst of those few who bother to dig beneath the shallow topsoil of the rockbeds that denominational creeds profer as fertile ground.

This book provides an excellent description of the prophecies in the book of Daniel as well as a clear interpretation of their meaning. It is purely based on scripture, and does an excellent job of harmonizing seemingly contradicting scriptures. If you are searching for answers, this book has them. It also provides an explanation of the "stone witness" in the Great Pyramid in Egypt, and explains the scriptures of Isa 19:19-20 and how the pyramid's measurements show the plan of GOD. A must read for the truth-seeker!

This book shares with us, the readers, the milestones along the author's spiritual journey and her acceptance of how God created her. Pat tells her story in a series of short devotional essays--from her first teen stirrings, to pastorates, to a professorship in Tucson AZ. "...[M]y becoming a scholar in rhetoric arose partly because I wanted to figure out how to extricate myself from the oppressions of the church while treasuring its gifts." She draws lessons and insights from the simple things around her, which affirm who she is and what her gifts are.

The book speaks to all who have felt oppression and rejection--gender, race, size, orientation, ethnicity, economic status, mental or physical otherness.... We can all harken to the lessons the Rev Dr Ms Youngdahl shares.

This is an amazing devotional book. As one reads and rereads each devotional, there are always new insights from the author's journey into divine pleasure and power. Youngdahl writes that as she wrote entry by entry she opened a space for her soul to meet with divine presence, "even as (she) faced the world's hostility to the devotions that bring wholeness to (her) life." (p xiv) The reader has the same experience. I recommend this small book most highly to all on the journey into love - of God, of the world, of oneself.

I first met Pat Youngdahl 16 years ago in Green Bay, Wisconsin when she was my pastor. Her sermons have always been filled with spiritual study, love and wisdom.

In "Subversive Devotions", Pat's first book, her words are inspiring, heartwarming, energizing, and an invitation to question. Her book is definitely a creation of words sketched with study, years of thought and review and spiritual wisdom. As you read this book you get the sense that evey word has been prayerfully thought out before the ink touched the paper.

"Subversive Devotions" encourages us to review our relationship with Jesus and God, and to relook at the love and inclusiveness of those relationships and others.

This book can be used for personal or group study and spiritual growth.

I found her words inspiring. As I have experienced in her sermons and retreat ministries of the past, this book literally pushed me to search and reachout in my personal, ongoing spiritual growth.

In such a tiny volume, Rev Dr Youngdahl elicits the spiritual glory that surrounds us in every moment and interaction of daily living. This series of potent meditations come from her own life and the challenges she faced after coming out as a lesbian. Dr Youngdahl remains a Presbyterian minister, and this inspiring book celebrates the humbling power of the Holy, as well as reaches toward an encompassing, feminist vision of spirituality and justice. Even as a non-Christian, I found "Subversive Devotions" quite inspiring, especially when she addressed how to love in one's own fashion without listening to dominating viewpoints (from whatever direction). An amazing little book.

Step into the world of luscious femininity floating in rich tones and wisdom as deep as the ocean. This is not only a survival guide but a guide to owning all our myriad facets as women and mermaids. A guide to a return to our power as women owning our sensuality. Revel in Margot's sage wisdom and insight and absolutely plunge into the fabulous paintings and experience the world of deep waters and frilly lace, shells and sea creatures, awash in humor and delicacy. An utter delight from beginning to end. A must have for every self respecting landlocked mermaid.

This superb book is filled with tidbits of wisdom and many laughs. What a wonderful present! Each time I read this book a notice a new picture or line that I feel I didnt take in the last time. The dozens of illustrations are beautiful and take the reader to a new playful and surreal land.

This is an absolutely delightful book for mermaid lore lovers! The art work is amazing.....vibrant and fun. The writing is wonderful. This makes a great gift book and is a must for all mermaid lovers!

Wow! I'm blown away by this book. "A Survival Guide for Landlocked Mermaids" is a beautifully illustrated, beautifully produced little gem that should sit on every woman's nightstand. The author uses the archetype of the mermaid to share her journey of self-discovery with the reader. The book is as whimsical and entertaining, as it is wise and thought provoking.

Every page depicts a different mermaid and eloquently describes a correlating life lesson with poignancy and humor. The lessons offer the modern woman sound advice in dealing with her various struggles. Often feeling like fish out of water (or Mermaids out of water), we strive to fit-in - to be all things to all people - to strike a balance in our hectic lives where we're expected to wear many hats simultaneously and wear them all fabulously.

I immediately recognized myself in several of Margot Datz's mermaids and saw my girlfriends in many of the others. I am ordering a copy for every wonderful woman in my life!

No amount of superlatives can do this book justice. The marvelous thing about it is that it addresses a huge range of topics - no stone is left unturned as Peacocke sticks very close to his purpose and analyzes what today's science means for theology. Topics discussed include sociobiology and morality, multiverses and imaginary time, philosophy of mind and science, theories of divine action, attributes of God, virgin birth, resurrection, Christology (incl. divinity of Christ), theories of atonement (he is sympathetic to Abelard's moral influence theory).

Let me reiterate that the strength of the book is that it leaves no stone unturned and provides a complete, coherent Christian worldview. I have read many books that only deal with, say, evolution or morality or philosophy of mind, but never all at the same time. As a result, my worldview was rather shaky, with some strong coherent parts but other views from traditional theology that are untenable in a scientific age. Peacocke addressed it all, from a basic argument for God to a precise analysis of the human problem (sin) and how Christ atones. It likely averted a crisis of faith.

One note: this same virtue means that many of your traditional beliefs will be challenged. I was very shocked and angry at times as *inter alia* (a favorite phrase of Peacocke, BTW; means "among other things") many miracles, the virgin birth, a literal adam and eve and thus a "paradisical" perfect state, an intrinsically immortal soul, and God's direct communication (not mediated by natural means) were all confronted head on, scientifically dismantled, and shown to be incoherent. However, Peacocke does not stop there but instead shows how science provides a new take on these and often enriches our views of such issues in a way that traditional theology is deficient.

I could go on and on about this book, but let me end with one thought: this is the book Christianity needs to stay intellectually relevant. There is so much antagonism directed toward Christianity because of some of its adherents' refusal to come to terms with science. Peacocke shows this need not be so; he accepts science fully and composes an intellectually rigorous and coherent worldview in this book. I have full confidence that this book would end the ridiculous "creation vs. evolution debate" and "science disproves god and religion (just a medieval fairy tale anyway)" movement going on right now if people would just read it.

So, in closing:
For believers: "There's no need to go out and buy another sensational "you can beweeve da Biible and evowution too!!!" book. Peacocke integrates science and theology in a logically coherent whole.

For the unbeliever: Take a look at this book. It's a thought-provoking read that shows that Christianity doesn't require checking your brains at the door and can be an intellectually honest, scientifically rigorous view of the world.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

I found this book to be very engaging and full of ideas that either confirmed many things I had been thinking for years or stretched me further along. I highly recommend it to those interested in an intellectually compelling development of a scientifically-informed theology. My only criticism of the book is that I found it a bit laborious to read, as Peacocke's writing style is, to me, overly wordy, and the language is somewhat stilted. Nevertheless, it is definitely a volume worth reading and thinking about.

Peacocke's basic premise is that theology, for it to remain alive and relevant, cannot ignore the knowledge generated by science and must find ways to embrace it and incorporate it into its concepts of God and its understanding of the meaning of the life of Jesus Christ. Peacocke's approach requires that the integrity of scientific knowledge be preserved in theology. He sees the orderliness of how the physical universe operates as a characteristic of God that is to be revered. This also, however, makes it necessary to be careful in understanding miracles and not to accept the breaking of normal physical laws naïvely or literally. He calls his approach "critical realism".

Peacocke accepts evolution as God's way of creating life and very meaningfully depicts the ongoing nature of this process as God's continuing interaction with creation. He calls this divine "becoming", as contrasted with God's nature or "being". He conceives God's interaction with the world as a top-down causation, but this does not interfere with the orderly functioning of physical processes or with human free will.

In light of this, the biblical story of the Garden of Eden and The Fall can no longer be regarded as literally true (which is not to denigrate its metaphorical meaningfulness). That is, most pertinently, there never was an original state of moral perfection from which humanity fell, that introduced sin into human character, and that initiated biological death. Peacocke rather conceptualizes what is typically called sin as a sense of alienation or being a misfit, and biological death is an integral part of the creative evolutionary process.

Without The Fall, atonement theories regarding the significance of the life of Jesus Christ that are based on the idea of redemptive sacrifice no longer can be supported. Instead, he embraces the theory of Abelard and expands on it -- that the life of Jesus was an act of love, Jesus is an embodiment of God, and Jesus is our model for lifestyle.

There are many more intriguing ideas throughout the book. As a scientist myself, I found Peacocke's approach to be both scientifically and intellectually honest as well as morally inspiring. His high regard for Jesus Christ as a model for our lives is a lesson for us all, whether one is a Christian or not.

_Theology for a Scientific Age_ is easily one of the most rigorous, thorough, and wide-ranging attempts to engage historic Christian theology in light of recent advances in the sciences. As the subtitle suggests, the major thread which runs throughout the entire work is the transition from a static to a dynamic ontology -- substance vs. process, Being vs. Becoming. This fundamental philosophical shift has impacted every corner of theological thinking, and Peacocke takes great pains to elucidate the changes with rigor and detail.

Of particular note are the discussions regarding cognitive science and information theory. He suggests a model of top-down information input to describe God's activity in the physical universe -- not capriciously intervening and breaking the laws of nature, but respecting those laws and working within them to accomplish his purposes. The relationship between mind and brain is thoroughly explored, and applied by analogy to this model of divine action in the world. Even the thorny issue of the divinity of Christ is illuminated in a way that is deeply respectful of historic Christianity, while moving beyond the superstitions of popular piety. The discussion of St. John's logos as Meaning and Person is truly profound, deeply challenging to biblical literalists and scientific materialists alike.

Highly recommended.

Genesis vs. Geology? Creationism vs. Darwinism? Religious ["spiritual'] people who accept Evolution do not have a dog in this fight. The ultimate encompassing Mystery beyond the reach of strict scientific tools seems to be using the chance and selection of evolution to progress to more desirable forms of being. [Rather be pig, paramecium, or person?] If you are interested is seeing how someone who rejects both dogmatic fundamentalisms--Biblical Literalism and Materialist metaphysics masquerading as pure science--can relate science and religion in what Ian Barbour calls creative dialogue and integration, this is a book for you.

Peacocke--trained scientist and theologian--shows the limitations of reductive scientism [scientific imperialism] and its inability to answer questions which arise at the limiting edges of legitimate scientific inquiry [e.g.: What was going on before the "Big Bang"? How do minds influence brains and bodies?] He suggests the clue to the nature of God's causal relation to the World is the mind-body relation in human persons. In both we have "top-down [rather than "bottom-up"] causation at work. More complex wholes exercise constraints upon simpler parts. He illuminates, but does not quite explain, what he calls the 'causal joint' between minds and bodies, and between God and the World. He finds panentheism helpful, but not altogether convincing. The fulfillment of human life is to participate with God in our sacramental universe [pp.342-45].

In the Vermont Manifesto, Prof. Naylor gives us ample reasons why the US is no longer a sustainable entity. As with all Empires before it, it is being brought down by the dissolution of its original people and culture through massive immigration from third world countries just like Rome before it. Compounding the situation is the control of the mass media by a minority whereby the US government has been rendered nothing more than a colony of Israel. US politicians never ask what is good for Americans, only, what is good for Israel. How long should real Americans tolerate this train of abuses? The government has taken away our most basic freedoms, such as the freedom of association. Now we can no longer guarantee the safety of our surroundings. Prof. Naylor helps the reader to pose the question to himself, "Why be a slave, when you can be free"? What does the US government do FOR you as opposed to what it does TO you? Do you get to enjoy the fruits of your labors or is it stolen from you by the I.R.S. or any other of their acronym agencies? What do Vermonters have in common with the hispanic gangbangers of L.A. or the crack smoking ghetto dwellers of Detroit? Absolutely nothing. Then why should we be forced against our will to live in the same country with them? And furthermore, forced to support them with the tax dollars stolen from us by the central government. Why should the citizens of Vermont subsidize the ongoing wars for Israel in Palestine, Iraq and soon Iran? The Vermont Manifesto will make you think. And once you start thinking, you will find the current situation to be intolerable. Secession - the answer to tyranny.

The courageously named The Vermont Manifesto is a brilliant piece of persuasion that makes a very strong argument for the failure of The United States as a country. Of course people with a blind sense of patriotism (is there really any other kind?) will view this book as blasphemy, but the historical truth is no empire in the history of the human race has or ever will last. America has become an empire just as much as The Roman Empire was, and sane solutions to this problem are very rare indeed. This book provides a very sane answer, although it will take a very long time for it to be accepted by the mainstream. I love that this book doesn't pull any punches. It's both well researched, and a pleasure to read. Even if you aren't in favor of succession, it's good to know that the argument is there, and isn't nearly as crazy as most probably assume it is.

Mr. Naylor, Professor emeritus of Duke University, presents an articulate and effective argument for native Vermonters and flatlanders alike. Its points are simple and clear, making for an enjoyable, informative read.

The US federal government is failing to serve the people, and according to the precepts of the American Republic, that gives the people the right to abolish the government. In the case of the Second Vermont Republic, the author and his very thoughtful colleagues are proposing instead to succeed from the Federal Union that is not Federal anymore--the federal government is now a "hired hand" for Wall Street and a servant to dictators of Saudi Arabia as well as the Israeli lobby.

Professor Naylor, also a successful software businessman many years ago, is a citizen-philosopher and by no stretch of the imagination could he be labeled "fringe." In his case, radical is the opposite of reactionary, and exactly where we need to be.

The elements of the Vermont Manifesto are ten in total: political independence; grass roots democracy; nonviolence; environmental integrity; sustainable development; regional trade; sustainable agriculture; rail revitalization; quality education; and wellness.

The premises of the Vermont Manifesto, apart from recognition of the corruption and immorality that prevail on Wall Street and the energy industry and their servants in Congress and the White House, is that big is bad and small is good. This is totally consistent with the end of Peak Oil and the need to get back to localized sustainable energy and food production that does not need to be transported great distances. The Vermont Manifesto also recognizes that evil done by the American Empire "in our name" ultimately comes back to pillage and loot the state-level commonwealths.

Lest anyone think this book is "fringe" I would point to my many other reviews (I am the #1 Amazon reviewer for non-fiction about foreign policy--I would not be reviewing this book if it were not fundamental), but especially to my review of, and the book itself, Joel Garreau, The Nine Nations of North America and more recently, a swath of books on the Iraq blunders and the immorality of George Bush and Dick Cheney, such as:
Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency
Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq
Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq
The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic (The American Empire Project)
Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy
Why the Rest Hates the West: Understanding the Roots of Global Rage

It is clear to me that sanity is re-asserting itself in the Pacific Northwest and the far Northeast. This specific book would be useful to every single state in America, and I have a specific question that every single state should put on its 2008 ballot:

"Should we join a Constitutional Convention to discuss the abolishment of the present government and the reconstitution of the Americas as a new Republic that restores representative democracy and moral capitalism?"

There are 27 secessionist movements in the USA, among which Vermont and the Pacific Northwest are the strongest and most reasoned. No President can take office in 2009 without fully understanding the legitimate grievances represented by this book and the varied secessionist movements.

There is another angle from which to appreciate this book as well. The federal government has failed to adapt, as Katrina and other disasters have shown us. The some of the following books on how a combination of Ron Paul's restoration of Jeffersonian diplomacy and a regionalization of America might increase our resilience, especially if combined with an end to absentee landlords and a greening of America.

The Collapse of Complex Societies (New Studies in Archaeology)
Catastrophe & Culture: The Anthropology of Disaster (School of American Research Advanced Seminar Series)

This book is like a spring of precious water that can nourish and sustain the reader over many years, even a lifetime. Lovingly wrought, it can be consulted again and again for its wisdom and insight. Working together, the authors have recovered for us vital elements of the Christian tradition that have been lost or excluded from mainstream teaching, to the great impoverishment of Christianity as a whole. At this crucial time of choice for humanity, their book reveals the way of the heart that could unify the visible and invisible dimensions of life, reconnecting nature with spirit, body with soul. The great spiritual task of our time as they see it, is to integrate the ancient wisdom that recognized divine immanence as the feminine face of God with the extraordinary scientific discoveries that point to our participation in the awesome Mystery at the heart of the cosmos.

This marvelous book points the way for all who are concerned with peace, justice, and the survival of the planet. With power and grace, the authors demonstrate that the path of ChristoSophia balances the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine, thus restoring humankind and all creation. The authors' scholarship is impressive and their style is accessible, as they synthesize a wide variety of traditional and excluded sources.

Cynthia Avens and Richard Zelley use the apt metaphor of "bypaths" for the hidden traditions within Christianity. The creative symbol of ChristoSophia restores the Divine Feminine to her original prominent place in Christianity. The institutional Church suppressed Sophia; the authors show that it is imperative to rediscover her in the "bypaths" of the Christian tradition. This insightful book reveals ways that ChristoSophia resurrects the Divine Feminine, restores the natural world, and recovers the mystical Christian tradition.

I highly recommend WALKING THE PATH OF CHRISTOSOPHIA to people of all faiths who desire a deeper spiritual experience, equality and justice in human relationships, and the restoration of the earth.

--Jann Aldredge-Clanton, Ph.D.
Chaplain, Baylor University Medical Center
Author of IN SEARCH OF THE CHRIST-SOPHIA
and INCLUSIVE HYMNS FOR LIBERATING CHRISTIANS

What a wonderful guide to greater spiritual fulfillment.

In their scholarly but eminently readable book, Avens and Zelley explain the important role of women in early Christianity, focusing on the two Marys, and celebrate the significance of Sophia, the feminine aspect of the Divine.

The authors also discuss the hidden revelations of lost scriptures, the role of Celtic Christianity, the history of the Holy Grail, the symbolism of the Green Man in nature, the mysteries of the Kabbalah and the rewards of walking a unique spiritual bypath...that of the ChristoSophia...which acknowledges the union of feminine and masculine divinity, the sacredness of nature and the rewards of mystical experience.

The authors' genuine belief in the spiritual rewards of walking "the path with a heart" is likely to appeal to readers of all faiths, and perhaps even those who have lost their way along the spiritual highway.

S. J. Iacone, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer, Adelphi University

This wonderful little book will assist those who wish to explore the various "ByWays" along the Christian Mystical path..

The authors pull together an interesting and insightful synthesis of The Feminine, Nature, and Mysticism,to lay the foundation for the Christo-Sophaic path of Christian Mysticism.

I would highly recommend this book for those interested in exploring Christian Mysticism..

If you have never read a Christian biography, put this at the top of your must-read list. If you are a reader of Christian biographies and have not read this biography, you are missing out on the life of one of the most useful servants of the Lord in the past century.

It's time well-spent. I absolutely recommend it.

I would like to recommend this book to seeking Christians who desire to be encouraged and strengthened to pursue Christ as life! Witness Lee does an outstanding job of collecting and expounding some of the most valuable life experiences of one of God's faithful servants, Watchman Nee. This book, from cover to cover, portrays an overwhelming portrait of how God needs and uses man for His plan. From the highest to the lowest points in his life, Brother Nee remained faithful to the revelation he received from the Lord. It is inspiring to see what God can accomplish through His chosen people! Brother Nee's life is truly a pattern for those who desire to be one with the Lord's heart's desire on the earth today. Witness Lee, was captured by such a life and was led by the Lord to release the testimony of his dear co-worker. Tears will come to your eyes when you read this amazing story of God's expression through man.

This book is on a great man of faith, Watchman Nee. The book clearly portrays his conversion, his vision, and the kind of life he lived because of his vision. A sober and honest Christian will see a genuine human being, serving God in a normal way, but with abounding grace to meet large and small problems with divine humanity, for the purpose of building the Body of Christ, and not just his own ministry.

As the book reveals, Watchman Nee's ministry was one of crystal clear vision and specificity. Yet he was able to take correction and adjustment from God in any form, even from Watchman's own employees.

His martyrdom in prison ended a life of subjection to the cross. Thus the result of his ministry was always something of resurrection. This book was the best story I have ever read. The tears and repentence I found in its pages have helped me a great deal in my spiritual walk.

There are reproductions of original documents, old photos, and letters. Many interesting historical items. But the book is not so much from a historical perspective, as it is from a perspective of how brother Watchman Nee's vision developed within him, as he served the Lord to minister to the Body of Christ. Over his life time, he became more and more clear as to the deep intent of the Bible, and was always ministering with this very particular view. He did not believe in the artificial separations imposed by organized Christianity, and the Lord was able to bring in a revival of simple Christian oneness through his ministry.

His life was not a fairy tale of artificial perfection that many Christians seem to seek, but he was a faithful person, and an example to us all of how to live and serve in simplicity, singleness to the Lord, and faithfulness, in a holy, uncommon way.

Grace be to the diligent reader.

Watchman Nee was a Christian author and teacher in China who lived from 1903-1972. Although I had heard bits and pieces of his biography before, this book does a great job of painting an entire picture of the man and his life. Both he and his mother were converted through the preaching of Dora Yu in 1920, which is somewhat ironic, since his mother had prayed to God that if He gave her a son, she would give him over to the Lord. Nee immediately abandoned his career plans and began preaching the Gospel. He mentions that this was somewhat hard for him, because he had always been first in his class and knew he would have been a success in the world had he pursued a career.

An early influence on him was his fellowship with missionary Margaret Barber. Nee says that Miss Barber was very strict with him, constantly reproving and rebuking him. Yet, he always returned to her discipline because he felt she had the strong presence of the Lord. Barber was a great example to Watchman Nee in paying more attention to life than to work. Nee realized that God cares for what we are more than what we do, and his work was according to this principle. He observed how Miss Barber continually stressed the matter of life, paying almost no attention to her work.

Early on, as Nee studied the Bible, he began to see that baptism should be by immersion, that the Lord's table did not need a pastor as overseer, and finally that the denominations were wrong. Eventually, he came to see the ground of locality as the proper basis for each church rather than the denominational names.

Not far into his ministry, Nee became ill with tuberculosis, and stayed virtually bedridden for three years. He wrote "The Spiritual Man" during this time, in spite of his youth, being advised by physicians that he would surely die of his illness. However, the Lord healed him of this disease in 1927, although not completely. He always had residual heart disease from this ailment.

Prior to his illness, and not long after his conversion, Nee gave up the girl that he loved because she mocked him whenever he preached the Gospel. Nee said he reasoned with the Lord over this, promising to do this or that if he did not have to give up this girl, but ultimately he gave in and broke off the relationship, realizing he could not marry an unbeliever. Ten years later, this same girl, still unmarried, became a Christian and she and Watchman Nee ultimately did get married.

From 1942 until 1948, Nee's ministry lay dormant after he came under attack from some because he had gone into business in the pharmaceutical industry in order to help out a relative. This six years away from the ministry was quite a trial for Nee. His teaching resumed in 1948 with several trainings that he gave. His final training and meeting with the author, Witness Lee, occurred in Hong Kong in 1950. Nee instructed Witness Lee to not return with him to mainland China, so that the work of the Lord's recovery could be furthered throughout the world. Nee, however, did return to China, now under the control of the Communists, to minister to the believers there until his arrest in 1952. He never saw freedom again, and during his twenty year imprisonment was only allowed to be visited by his wife, who died several months before Watchman Nee.

The two things that impressed me the most while reading this book were:
1. How Watchman Nee was so willing to be completely dependent upon the Lord and was always so diligent at keeping a clear conscience before Him. All of his many writings are really just a result of this.
2. Separate from Watchman Nee, the vast majority of those converted in China took their conversion experience as a life changing one. There did not seem to be that many tales of back-sliding as is so common in the U.S.

This is a truly inspiring and complete work, with commentary by Witness Lee and the testimony of Nee himself filling in any gaps. There are also testimonies of several of Nee's coworkers on their experiences with him. Nee was one who was faithful to the Lord from the time of his conversion at age 17, and this is a very complete look at his entire life. I highly recommend it.

Although Edward Albee says, 'No one collaborates with me on a play,' he is wrong. The theater, is built on collaboration. Maybe Mr. Albee writes the play, and maybe he is insistent that the play be performed exactly as he wrote it, but the actions, the sets, the dance steps, the lighting all come from other people. Like a sports team, an army or a corporation it takes a bunch of people to pull it off.

In this book, 28 of Broadway's best write essays on collaboration. The essays are broken down into four general categories:

Part I - Pen to Paper -- Playwrights, Composers, Liberettists, the people who write what's going to become the play.

Part II - Captains -- Theatre Owner, Producer, Director, Casting, Stage Manager.

Part III - Actor, Dancer.

Part IV - Completion -- Set Designer, Costume Designer, Lighting, Sound, Makeup, Advertising.

All in all, this is an insiders view of how they see the theater working. Needless to say, each view the theater differently, they se it from their own point of view. This is not only fair, this is what collaboration is all about.

Productions of theatrical plays are collaborative efforts involving large numbers of people the include not only the actors and their director, but the expertise of playwrights, producers, stage hands, craftspeople, choreographers, musicians, publicists, make-up artists, costumers, and so many others. In "The alchemy Of Theatre: The Divine Science", New York theatre journalist and author Robert Viagas has compiled and edited a number of informed and informative essays on the phenomena of the theatre. The essayists range from the late playwright Wendy Wasserstein and the late composer Cy Coleman, to director/producer Harold Prince and director/choreographer Susan Stroman, to playwrights Edward Albee and Terrence McNally, to lyricists and composers Lynn Ahrens and Stepyhen Flaherty, to theatre owner Gerald Schoenfeld, to producer Rocco Landesman, and others representing every aspect of those professionals who must work together to create the theatrical experience for appreciative audiences. A welcome and highly engaging read, "The Alchemy of Theatre" is a core addition to professional, academic, and community library Theatre Arts reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

At first glance, "Alchemy" resembles a college textbook (which it could certainly be used for). But Viagas' project is more than a 'standard text.'

He collected input from leaders in every area of the theatre world on the topic of collaboration. After a picture and brief bio of each contributor, Viagas lets these collaborators speak for themselves. Their essays describe rich and varied experiences (SO many influential people in the world of modern theatre!) Playwrights, composers, directors, stage managers, actors, sound designers, makeup artists, advertising executives - all parts of one body - some more visible, but all vital to a successful production. In Viagas' words, "The essence of drama may be conflict - but the essence of creating drama turns out to be cooperation."

It's interesting to compare the priorities of the different contributors. In this book, the experiences of well-known figures like Chita Rivera and Edward Albee are right alongside those of perhaps more unfamiliar names (makeup designer Angelina Avallone and lighting desinger Peggy Eisenhauer.) The book opens with a witty essay by playwright Wendy Wasserstein (who passed away in January).

An entertaining (and educational) read!