Resources for Spiritual Formation and Insight

Annotated Bibliography and Guide by Lynn C. Bauman:

Note that the volumes listed below originate out of many different perspectives and spiritual traditions. Though the core of these texts are written from the Christian viewpoint, a number of them offer additional material out of the other major Western spiritual traditions; Judaism, Islam and Native American spirituality. An additional number of these volumes utilize insights gained from both Eastern sacred traditions and modern scholarship.

Anonymous. The Way of a Pilgrim and the Pilgrim Continues His Way: A New Translation. by Helen Bacovcin (Translator), Walter Ciszek. Image Books, 1978.

A Zen proverb says that "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear." In this highly readable text of a spiritual classic, an anonymous Russian peasant goes in search for the secret of pure prayer. The reader follows the peasant's journey after he hears St. Paul 's exhortation to "pray without ceasing." Through monastery and village, through rain and warmth, he follows (and we with him) that hunger we all feel for a purposeful life, for a deeper awareness of the Divine in our mundane lives. The book offers a glimpse through one doorway that leads to a new life through the Jesus Prayer.

Allchin, Donald. The World is a Wedding. N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 1978.

The writer brings together the ancient vision of the cosmos with contemporary modes of thought. He makes us see what the great Christian saints and mystics have always seen about the creation and the human participation in it, that mankind is called into partnership with the creative act of God. (The writer is Anglican.)

Amis, Robin. A Different Christianity: Early Christian Esotericism and Modern Thought. NY: SUNY Press, 1995.

Esoteric Christianity was once known as the " Royal Way " and has barely survived except in places like the monasticism of the Eastern Church. The inner psychological work revealed in these teachings contribute to the goal of “inner autonomy of spirit.” This book offers us the missing pieces that can revive a teaching of great power in the 20th century.

Augros, Robert M. and Stanciu, George N. The New Story of Science. N.Y.: Bantam Books, 1986.

A philosopher and a physicist combine their skills in recounting recent revolutionary discoveries made concerning matter and mind, beauty, God, and society. This is a far-reaching exploration of topics which help us begin to formulate the contours of a new vision of the sciences and of the cosmos. (Eclectic)

Baldock, John. The Elements of Christian Symbolism. Longmead, Shaftesbury, Dorset: Element Books, 1990.

With a clear eye upon the inner, spiritual meaning of symbols Baldock examines the world of Christian symbolism taking us beyond the surface and the obvious. He lays groundwork in helping the reader understand the historic foundations, but examines the whole system of Christian symbols as a language of spiritual insight. (Christian)

Baldock, John. The Alternative Gospel: The Hidden Teaching of Jesus. Boston : Element, 1997.

This book explores the gospel narratives as a manual for the form of self-knowledge which can transform life. Cutting through both history and religion, Baldock reveals the timeless, universal message at the heart of the Gospels.

Barnhart, Bruno. Second Simplicity: The Inner Shape of Christianity. Mahwah , N.J.: Paulist Press, 1999.

As we move into a new millennium, this fine study looks at the inner tradition of Christianity from the vantage point of a fresh evaluation of our early roots and sources expressed through symbol and metaphor. Barnhart's love of the tradition is based upon his long life as a monk, poet, and interpreter of Scripture.

Bauman, Lynn. Foundations of Christian Spirituality: The Biblical Tradition. Telephone, Texas: Praxis, 1990.

This text, based upon a course taught at various institutions, explores the necessary foundations for Christian spirituality starting with the biblical tradition itself. Although the foundations of the spiritual tradition are grounded in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, the structure which builds upon it is both a contemporary as well as an ancient vision of wisdom. The text includes a valuable study guide.

Bauman, Lynn. Living the Presence: A Manual for Contemplative Christian Practice. Telephone, Texas : Praxis, 1990.

This companion volume to Kabir Helminski's Living Presence is meant to help Christian readers work through his immensely important text on spiritual practice based in the tradition of Islamic spirituality (or Sufism). This manual is designed for both individual and group use and is useful only in companionship with Helminski's text (see below).

Benoist, Luc. The Esoteric Path: An Introduction to the Hermetic Tradition. Wellingborough, Northamptonshire: Crucible and the Aquarian Press, 1988.

This is one of the most intense introductions of the Primordial Tradition as it is expressed in the symbol systems of religion and cult. Benoist tracks the meaning of sacred symbol across Eastern and Western forms and into non-traditional sources where they have often fround shelter. (Perennial Philosophy)

Bloom, Anthony (Metropolitan). Beginning to Pray. N.Y.: Paulist Press, 1970.

A compelling study of the life of prayer which has become a modern classic, based upon the teachings of the Eastern Orthodox Tradition. This volume is essential reading for those who desire to expand both their understanding and capacity for the depths of prayer as direct and intimate communication with God. (Russian Orthodox)

Borg, Marcus J. Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: the Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith. N.Y.: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994.

This thought-provoking text attempts in a scholarly and nondogmatic way to present a full and historical portrait of Jesus as a spiritual and political teacher, a charismatic healer, sage, and prophet. Using New Testament scholarship, but going beyond it, Borg helps us to understand how Jesus appeared to his contemporaries (Protestant Christian scholar).

Bourgeault, Cynthia. Mystical Hope: Trusting in the Mercy of God. Boston : Cowley Publications, 2001.

Bourgeault offers a text of deep insight into mystical Christianity as a living tradition and practice. This is a visionary text of extraordinary wisdom about the understanding and practice of mystical Christianity. Its author is a wise woman, hermit monk, and Anglican priest.

Brown, Joseph Epes. The Spiritual Legacy of the American Indian. N.Y.: Crossroad, 1982.

An unfolding of the beauty, poignancy and power of the spiritual life of native American Indian cultures. Also a presentation of the "cosmic piety" which underlies the profound sense of the interconnectedness of the human and the non-human world which attempts to free us from a destructive anthropocentric worldview. (Native American)

Brown, Joseph Epes. The Sacred Pipe: Black Elk's Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux. Norman, Oklahoma : University of Oklahoma, 1953.

A unique account of the ancient religious traditions of the Sioux as told by the last Sioux priest. He narrates details of the seven rites which were disclosed by spiritual vision and which were to lead humanity into a knowledge of God and an understanding of the universe. (Native American)

Bruteau, Beatrice. What We Can Learn From the East . NY: Crossroad, 1995.

Beatrice Bruteau offers perspectives and practices from Eastern wisdom which have parallels in Christianity. Her insights are offered so that Christians can use them to deepen their own experience. In addition she presents ideas which are at variance with usual Christian beliefs in order to stimulate fresh thinking and new insights on the core of our own faith.

Burckhardt, Titus. An Introduction to Sufi Doctrine. Wellingborough, Northamptonshire: Thorsons Publ., 1976.

Readers unacquainted with Islamic mysticism will be introduced to the nature of Sufism in relationship to the Christian tradition exemplified by the Greek Fathers of the early Church. The foundational aspects of Sufi doctrine are examined in light of "operative" practices and rites of Islamic mysticism. (Islamic)

Campbell, Joseph. The Inner Reaches of Outer Space: Metaphor as Myth and as Religion.

In this slim text, Campbell explores the many dimensions of sacred metaphor, especially those which are concerned about the development of spiritual life. No one sacred tradition is singled out. In his typical style, Campbell synthesizes across traditions.

Capon, Robert F. An Offering of Uncles: The Priesthood of Adam and the Shape of the World. N.Y.: Crossroads, 1982.

The wondrous and often chaotic world, a mixture of the human reality in the midst of physical reality and penetrated by spiritual reality, is the arena of meaning which shapes our history. The conjunction of the ordinary and the extraordinary point the way to a recovery of our human destiny both in, through, and beyond ourselves and our world. (Anglican)

Capon, Robert F. Hunting the Divine Fox. N.Y.: Seabury, 1974.

A witty and penetrating examination of modern beliefs and practices in light of the Divine Mystery which "hunts" its human prey. Theology is understood not as the business of academicians, but as the vocation of every human being who seeks and is sought by God. (Anglican)

Chodron, Pema. When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times. Boston: Shambhala, 1997.

Pema Chodron, the head of a Tibetan monastery in Canada offers wisdom on the difficult practice of living life as we experience it. There is a fundamental happiness available to every individual--yet we usually miss it while spending our lives trying to escape suffering that is ultimately guite inescapable. The secret to freeing oneself from pain is not to run from it, but to step right up to the uncharted territory of difficulty with friendliness and curiosity.

Chodron, Pema. The Places that Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times. Boston: Shambhala, 2002.

Into this small volume Chodron packs the wisdom of the tradition of Tibet an Buddhism and its teaching of compassion and fearlessness. We have choices to make in the difficulties that fill human life. This tex t teaches how awakening can affect those choices for the good.

Clement, Olivier. The Roots of Christian Mysticism. Hyde Park , N.Y.: New City , 1993.

A treasury of immense wisdom drawn from the early Apostolic and Patristic period of Christianity. This text is truly visionary, and its author not only draws deeply from the Tradition but adds invaluable insight as we drink from these springs in the modern era. With immense skill and sensitivity, Clement weaves together quotations from most of the greatest spiritual writers of all time, many unfamiliar in the West, to explore in a profound way the soul's journey into God.

Cooper, David A. God is a Verb: Kabbalah and the Practice of Mystical Judaism. N.Y.: Riverhead Books, 1997.

The spirituality of modern Judaism offers many parallels with the other two Abrahamic faiths—Christianity and Islam. This is a strong and timely exploration of modern Jewish spirituality that has much to say to every Christian who wishes to explore the roots of Christianity, complementing and throwing fresh light on both traditions.

de Caussade, Jean-Pierre. Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence (trans. Algar Thorold). Rockford, IL (61105): Tan Books and Publ., 1972.

This 17th century text written by an little known Jesuit has become a great spiritual classic of great importance and deep spiritual insight for the spiritual sojourner. It has been translated into many languages and is perhaps the most profound text available on contemplative living in daily life. and is also translated by Kitty Muggeridge in a volume called The Sacrament of the Present Moment (London: Fount Paperbacks, 1981). (Roman Catholic)

Dunne, John S. The Reasons of the Heart: A Journey into Solitude and Back Again into the Human Circle. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1978.

Using the metaphor of "journey" Dunne invites the reader to accept as guides the great spirtual masters of the Eastern and Western tradition as they go into solitude and back again into the ciricle of human community. This cycle is understood to be the essence of authentic spirituality. (Roman Catholic)

Edwards, Tilden. Living in the Presence: Disciplines for the Spiritual Heart. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1987.

This book is a collection of prayer disciplines adaptable for both groups and individuals. It is designed to assist individuals toward the full awareness of the presence of God through as a series of guided instructions. (Anglican)

Foster, Richard J. Freedom of Simplicity. S. F.: Harper and Row, 1981.

A Quaker's reflections upon the "simplicity" demanded by the spiritual life in regards to Christian practice life-style in the contemporary American context. (Quaker)

Foster, Richard J. and Kathryn A. Yanni. Celebration of Discipline. NY: Harper San Francisco, 1988.

Beginning with a simple observation--"Superficiality is the curse of our age...” Foster says that the desperate need in our day is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people." This book moves to explain the disciplines people must cultivate in order to achieve spiritual depth. In succinct, urgent, and sometimes humorous chapters, Foster and Yanni define a broad range of classic spiritual disciplines in terms that are lucid without being too limiting and offers advice that's practical without being overly prescriptive.

Fox, Matthew. Original Blessing. Sante Fe , N.M.: Bear and Co., 1983.

A modern Roman Catholic writer speaks with great passion concerning a new religious paradigm which he calls "creation-centered spirituality," and which he believes must replace the "fall/redemption" ideology of organized Western Christianity and restore our quest for wisdom and survival as a race. (R. Catholic)

Gorsuch, John P. An Invitation to the Spiritual Journey. N.Y.: Paulist Press, 1989.

The metaphor for spiritual life as a journey is taken up by this study which outlines the dynamics of Christian spirituality in a realistic and practical way with insight for individuals beginning their to take their pilgrimage seriously. (Anglican)

Griffiths, Bede. Return to the Center. Springfield, Illinois: Templegate, 1976.

Using the insights of Hinduism and Buddhism this Christian missionary and Benedictine monk who has spent over twenty years in India leads the reader to the Divine Center where the ultimate meaning of human existence is to be found, which means for a Christian in the person of Jesus Christ. (Roman Catholic)

Griffiths, Bede. The Marriage of East and West. Springfield, Illinois: Templegate, 1982.

A Benedictine monk who has lived his active life in India leads the reader through the insights of both the Eastern and Western spiritual traditions to the place where each sacred streams of tradition can possibly meet in the fuller meaning of the Christian revelation. (Roman Catholic)

Hall, Thelma. Too Deep for Words . Paulist Press, 1988.

"Too Deep For Words" is a concise and well-written introduction to one of the most ancient form of Christian prayer - and one of the most simple – Lectio Divina . In it Hall clearly lays out the theory and methodology of the prayer, and then goes on to list by theme various biblical quotes and passages which can be used for this foundational form of prayer. This book is a refreshing and accessible means for people to grow in their spiritual lives.

Harvey, Andrew. The Way of Passion: A Celebration of Rumi. Berkeley, CA: Frog, Ltd. 1994.

Although the author of this book claims adherence to a modern sect of Hinduism, his understanding of the great thirteenth century mystic, Jalal-u-din Rumi, is profound. This is a fascinating introduction to the majestic teaching and insight of this great saint and his importance for men and women living in the precarious events of the twentieth century.

Helminski, Kabir Edmund. Living Presence: A Sufi Way to Mindfulness and the Essential Self. NY: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Perigee Books, 1992.

This is a text of great importance for all spiritual seekers, teaching how practice spiritual life inside the “Living Presence.” With unusual clarity, Helmenski desribes presence as our capacity to be whole in the present moment, in alignment with the deepest wisdom. He offers us insight that is both practical and universal by drawing upon the tradition of Islamic spirituality. This is the foundational text for the Christian manual, Living the Presence (Bauman).

Heschel, Abraham Joshua. God In Search of Man. N.Y.: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1955.

A companion volume to Man Is Not Alone both of which discuss the spiritual philosophy of Judaism and the human desire to know God. These presentations are made in light of both the biblical thought of the Holy Scriptures and out of the intuitive tradition of Hasidic Judaism. (Judaism)

Heschel, Abraham Joshua. Quest For God: Studies in Prayer and Symbolism. N.Y.: Crossroad, 1982.

A view of prayer and the perennial human quest for God as an act of the heart understood from the viewpoint of the ancient Judaic tradition. The author deals not only with the theology of prayer but with its practice in contemporary life. (Judaism)

Holloway, Richard. A New Heaven. Grand Rapids, Mich : Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1978.

A deeply insightful series of explorations which open up the world of theology not as a dry science, but as a powerful revelation of the truths by which we live and grow. The entire orthodox theological perspective is seen as a living body of truth. (Anglican)

Hurnard, Hannah. Hinds Feet On High Places and Mountain of Spices. Wheaton , Ill.: Tyndale House Publ. Inc., 1977.

These two volumes are an allegory of the struggles, vision, and journey of the spiritual life in its most personal and inward dimensions and yet told simply as a narrative of faith which each disciple of Christ is called upon to undertake. (Protestant Evangelical)

Jager, Willigis. Search for the Meaning of Life: Essays and Reflections on the Mystical Experience. Liguori, Missouri: Triumph Books, 1995.

This collection of gem-like reflections describes the basic routes by which men and women travel on their mystical quests, including controlled breathing, quiet sitting and reciting mantras, methods that lead to states of being and consciousness that may produce lucid, life-transforming insights.

Jones, Alan. Journey Into Christ. N.Y.: The Seabury Press, 1977.

A study of the inward journey of Christian faith that includes both the challenge of the light and the trials of darkness which must be confronted before one can know the fullness of spiritual being. The author describes how the Christian can make postive use of all of the "material" of the human soul. (Anglican)

Jones, Cheslyn, Geoffrey Wainwright, and Edward Yarnold, SJ. (editors). The Study of Spirituality. N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 1986.

Over sixty writers representing Anglican, Roman Catholic, Free Church and Orthodox traditions survey the history of spirituality and the myriad patterns of Christian discipleship and prayer evolving through the centuries.

Kadowaki, J.K. Zen and the Bible: A Priest's Experience. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1980.

Brought up within a Zen Buddhist background, but later baptized as a Christian, this Jesuit priest addresses the koan -like quality of the Scriptures and profoundly heightens our awareness that the Bible is not a Western, but indeed a Middle Eastern book with greater hermeneutical depth that often imagined. (Roman Catholic)

Keating, Thomas. Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel. Amity, N.Y.: Amity House, 1987.

This book is written to introduce the reader into a deep, living relationship with God at the intuitive level of the Christian tradition. The author leads the reader through the practice of centering prayer, the role of the Sacred Word and the contemplative dimension of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Roman Catholic)

Kelly, Thomas. A Testament of Devotion . N.Y.: Harper and Row, 1970.

A moving account of Christian experience and spiritual pilgrimage. The Christian sojourn and experience is understood to be a profound spiritual encounter which opens one's inner being toward the true power of life. Seen through one man's eyes, that inner region (which Jesus called the Kingdom of God ), can be known and experienced today.

Kushner, Lawrence. Honey from the Rock: Visions of Jewish Mystical Renewal . Woodstock, Vermont: Jewish Lights Press, 1977.

This introduction to Jewish mysticism in the tradition of the Kaballah, is both spiritually accessible and easily read while being able to inspire and give deep, inner insight. This is not simply "about" the tradition of Jewish mysticism, it is itself an disclosure of that great tradition. (Jewish)

Kushner, Lawrence. The River of Light : Spirituality, Judaism, Consciousness. Woodstock, Vermont: Jewish Lights Press, 1981.

Written as a manual for spiritual pilgrims who would attempt journey in our time. Rabbi Kushner explores the "river of light" that is the deepest current of human consciousness as it arises within the human spirit and gives direction and motivation to spiritual pursuit. (Jewish)

Lao Tsu. Tao Te Ching (Trans. Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English, Intro. Jacob Needleman). N.Y.: Random House, 1989.

This is the classic English translation of one of the world's most ancient and important sacred texts. In addition to the fact that this body of wisdom literature is of deep and penetrating insight into the mysterious Presence which underlies and exists in all things, it has shaped the Eastern world and world culture in curcial ways. The introduction by Jacob Needleman in this edition is of particular importance.

Losky, Vladimir. The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church. Crestwood , N.Y.: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1976.

This text examines eastern Orthodox spirituality in relationship to the fundamental themes of traditional theology. The ultimate vision of Christian spirituality is seen from the perspective of early eastern Christianity as it has developed through the Greek and Russian churches.

McNamara, William. The Human Adventure: The Art of Contemplative Living. Amity, N.Y.: Amity House, 1976.

The realization of union with God is the graceful result of authentic human experience lived out as a great adventure. The Christian's true destiny begins with the call to that adventure and ends in the contemplative vision of God beyond our wildest human imaginings. (Roman Catholic)

Merton, Thomas. New Seeds of Contemplation . N.Y.: New Directions Books, 1961.

A series of powerful meditations covering a multiplicity of themes that have to do with the deepest aspects of the spiritual life from one of the most potent modern Catholic thinkers. (Roman Catholic)

Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Sufi Essays. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1972.

A penetrating account of the spiritual and metaphysical message and significance of Islam understood not as a theological system but as a living spiritual tradition. Emphasis is given to the pertinence of Sufi teaching on the acute problems of contemporary society. (Islamic)

Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Knowledge and the Sacred. NY: SUNY, 1989.

Based upon the Gifford Lecture series, Nasr begins a magisterial analysis of the causes of the intellectual and spiritual chaos of modern society which he identifies as the eclipse of the sapiential dimension and the secularization of knowledge. These lectures represent the journey of return to the Center of human being and understanding.

Needleman, Jacob. A Sense of the Cosmos: The Encounter of Modern Science and Ancient Truth. N.Y.: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1975.

Needleman presents a compelling study of the relationship between ancient ideas and universal truths to the contemporary world. The author seeks to make the necessary connection between the general laws of nature understood by modern man with those inner laws of human nature perceived by ancient humanity. (Modern Traditionalist)

Needleman, Jacob. Lost Christianity: A Journey of Rediscovery. N.Y.: Harper and Row, 1980.

This book is a profound spiritual odyssey and re-examination of the essence of Christianity and its power to transform both the human heart and the human mind. The author guides the reader to the essential nature of Christian experience available to the seeker after truth.(Modern Traditionalist)

Needleman, Jacob. The Heart of Philosophy. N.Y.: Alfred A. Knoff, 1982.

Philosophy means "love of wisdom" which is its secret and sacred heart. The author restores this deep search and longing for wisdom to its rightful place at the center of our human existence and recovers the perennial quest for wisdom as the central human pursuit. (Modern Traditionalist)

Neihardt, John G. Black Elk Speaks. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1961.

A native American tells of his pursuit of the Spirit of God in the language of the native peoples of the North American continent just at the time of the coming of Europeans. A powerful testament to the perennial human longing and quest for the living God. (Native American)

Newbigin, Lesslie. Foolishness to the Greeks: The Gospel in Western Culture. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm B. Eerdmans Publ. Co., 1986.

Speaking out of a lifelong commitment to Christian missions, the author looks at modern Western culture and asks what it would be like to confront the West with the Gospel of Christ. The discussion focuses first on the essential features of Western society, and then upon the task of helping the post-Christian West encounter the Gospel. ( Church of South India)

Pelikan, Jaroslav. Jesus Through the Centuries: His Place in the History of Culture. N.Y.: Harper and Row, 1985.

A wise and informative review of the development of Christian understanding concerning the meaning and message of the life of Jesus for humanity. The author traces the impact of Jesus upon human history, society, and culture as a way of understanding both the Christian revelation and also something of its meaning for human existence and human destiny. (Christian scholar)

Rohr, Richard with John Bookster Feister. Jesus' Plan for a New World : The Sermon on the Mount. Cincinnati, Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 1996.

Seeking to understand Jesus and his times, Rohr and Feister explore the revolutionary dimensions of the Gospel and re-examine the essential teaching of the Sermon on the Mount in order to uncover the blueprint of the Christian life.

Rohr, Richard. Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer. NY: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1999.

Two problems undermine post-modern religion: the fragile self which we try to maintain against all odds, and the exclusionary identity of most religious communities. This text describes a new way of seeing through the contemplative mind which is spacious enough to carry all that God , in compassion, agrees to carry.

Schmemann, Alexander. For The Life Of The World. Crestwood, N.Y.: St.Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1973.

This beautifully written book is a study of the ancient Christian liturgy as the basis for Christian spirituality, vision, and action in the world. This is also perhaps one of the most powerful volumes of its kind and the meaning and power behind the ancient forms of Christian worship. (Russian Orthodox)

Schumacher, E.F. A Guide For The Perplexed. N.Y.: Harper and Row, 1977.

A diagram of the world and of human beings which goes against the worldview articulated by much of modern society and science over the past several centuries. The author gives us a "manual for survival" which affirms traditional Christian humanism as a light in our dark world. (Modern Traditionalist)

Schuon, Frithjof. The Transcendent Unity of Religions. N.Y.: Harper and Row, 1975.

Known for his intellectual universality Frithjof Schuon is unequaled among living writers in elucidating the spiritual intention of traditional doctrines of the great sacred traditions. This text is perhaps the supreme explication of a way forward into deep-level comparative religious study. It marks a milestone in such study based in traditional metaphysics.

Schuon, Frithjof. Echoes of Perennial Wisdom: A Collection of Excerpts. Bloomington , Indiana: World Wisdom Books, 1992.

Frithjof Schuon is a “Perennialst” and one of the preeminent advocates of the “Perennial Perspective” which seeks for an understanding of the timeless metaphysical truths underlying the diversity of the great sacred traditions. This is an approachable way into the complexity of his thought.

Schuon, Frithjof. Understanding Islam. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1963.

A book that makes available to Christian readers an in-depth understanding of the four essential features of Islam, the nature of the Islamic perspective and the role of its spiritual path of ascent toward the Unity of God. Along with its companion volume, Dimensions of Islam , by the same author these volumes provide the reader with a basic framework for understanding the religion of Islam. (Islamic)

Sherrard, Philip. The Eclipse of Man and Nature: An Enquiry into the Origins and Consequences of Modern Science. Rochester, Vermont: Lindisfarne Press, 1987.

A remarkable critique of modern science and western society based upon the foundation of patristic theological thought from the beginnings of the Christian era and extended into this century. The teleological consequences of the streams of western development are carefully examined along with a brilliant analysis of the crux of the divine mystery revealed in the God-Man, Christ, in relationship to those influences.

Sherrard, Philip. Human Image: World Image – The Death and Resurrection of Sacred Cosmology. Ipswich, UK: Golgonooza Press, 1992.

The revolutionary changes in outlook that produced the modern scientific revolution, the major cause of the crisis in which the world finds itself today. By setting the modern scientific picture of the universe and man's place in it against the background of pre-Christian and Christian cosmology and anthropology, the author shows how our acceptance of this picture cripples the modern mind.

Smith, Huston. Forgotten Truth: The Primordial Tradition. N.Y.: Harper and Row, 1976.

A misreading of science has blinded modern humanity to the hierarchical framework and nature of spiritual truth. The author explores how "man mirrors the cosmos" and the ways in which he can authentically explore both the external universe and the depths of his own soul. (Modern Traditionalist)

Smith, Huston. Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief. N.Y.: Harper and Row, 2001.

This author has written ably on many topics concerning comparative religion from a traditional perspective. This is a compelling critique of the contemporary world's philosophical relationship to the sacred 9in an age that suffocates the Spirit.

Steindl-Rast, David. A Listening Heart: The Art of Contemplative Living. N.Y.: Crossroads, 1984.

A powerful collection of essays concerning the ancient witness of contemplative Christianity that can be lived out in the midst of modern society. The author, himself a monk, illuminates the nature of a religious attitude which is rooted in the heart. (Roman Catholic)

Steinsaltz, Adin. The Thirteen Petalled Rose: A Discourse on the Essence of Jewish Existence and Belief. N.Y.: Harper-Collins Publ. 1980.

This exploration into the depths of Jewish spirituality and the tradition of Judaism by one of its most brilliant expositors is a treasury of insight. Useful to a mature man and woman of any faith, this text explores the metaphysical depths beneath religious experience.

Tarnas, Richard. The Passion of the Western Mind: Understanding the Ideas that have Shaped O ur World View. N.Y.: Ballantine Books, 1991.

An important historical study concerning the development of western thought from its beginnings up to the present day. This text is an able analysis of the deep-structure of contemporary society and its philosophical worldview.

Tolle, Eckart. The Po wer of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. Novato, CA : New World Library, 1999.

Using words to guide readers beyond words into experience, this modern sage speaks the truths of spiritual practice as they have been known through the ages by all sacred traditions. This, along with Helminski's work, is one of the most important contemporary works on daily practice in spiritual life available to the modern seekers.

(Tomberg, Valentin—Anonymous). Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey Into Christian Hermeticism. N.Y.: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 1993.

Originally published anonymously, this text from the hand of Valentin Tomberg is a spiritual classic of great importance. Using the Tarot as a system of traditional symbols, the insights of Christian Hermeticism are explained with precision and depth.

Tomberg, Valentin. Covenant of the Heart: Meditations of a Christian Hermeticist on the Mysteries of Tradition. Rockport, MA : Element, 1992.

This is a fine introduction to the thought and writing of Valentin Tomberg, a Hermeticist and a Roman Catholic . In this volume Tomberg demonstrates a possibility for interpreting sacred tradition in a way that penetrates both the mystery of revealed text and the heart of the reader at the same time.

Underhill, Evelyn. Mysticism: A Study in the Nature and Development of Man's Spiritual Consciousness. N.Y.: Meridian Books, 1955.

This is the classic text on western spirituality approached from a systematic point of view. The author draws material from all of the traditional Christian mystics in the Latin West, eastern Christianity, and the spiritual traditions of the world's religions.

Watts, Alan. Behold the Spirit: A Study in the Necessity of Mystical Religion. N.Y.: Random House, 1947.

A critique of the weaknesses of contemporary Protestantism and a diagnosis of the emptiness of religion without its powerful, mysterious center. This text was written by this author when he was a practicing Christian and an Anglican priest. (Anglican)

Watts, Alan. The Supreme Identity: An Essay on Oriental Metaphysic and the Christian Religion. N.Y.: Random House, 1972.

This text, written when Alan Watts was an Episcopal priest is one of the finest introductions to traditional metaphysics as it has been understood and practiced as a part of the of the perennial philosophy underlying the contemplative experience of many sacred traditions.

Wilber, Ken. Eye to Eye: The Quest for the New Paradigm. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Anchor Books, 1983.

Wilber's text is a brilliant collection of essays on the relationship between empirical science, philosophy, and the realm of the Transcendent. The author offers a paradigm of what that relationship is and is not, and how modern humanity might recover its trust of the realm of the sacred. (Eclectic)

Wilber, Ken. A Brief History of Everything. Boston: Shambhala, 1996.

In this text Wilber explores the philosophical, religious and spiritual contexts of the modern world. He is able to work across interdisciplinary boundaries seeking for an integrated field of understanding. His work opens up transcendental options available in the modern world while maintaining touch with sacred traditions of the past. The This is is

A Journal of Contemplative Reflection

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