Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles

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Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 7,473 ratings · 373 reviews

In this national megaseller, the spiritual leader of the 1990s shares her system of psychotherapy that explores the miraculous powers of love in solving life's daily problems. Williamson has appeared on Oprah and has been featured in USA Today, People, New York Times and Vanity Fair.

Paperback, 320 pages

Published April 1st 1993 by HarperCollins Publishers (first published January 1st 1992)

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Aug 18, 2007 April rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those grappling with spiritual identity

This book changed my life, but I NEVER recommend it to anyone because it found me at a time that it could provide answers to my own personal questions. It has, of course, a huge following and the backing of its own sizeable foundation, so obviously I am not the only one who was able to gain from it. Anyhow, if it finds you, may it find you lost and leave you found, as it did for me.

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Jul 12, 2009 Norbert rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There is something peculiar and paradoxical about New Age spirituality and that is fully embodied and exemplified by the personality of Marianne Williamson. Who is this famous Marianne of www.marianne.com? Daughter of a successful Texan physician, she went to the Claremont colleges in California but apparently did not graduate with a degree. Instead, she experimented with sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll. Rather than getting a regular professional career in law or medicine, she became a single mother,...more There is something peculiar and paradoxical about New Age spirituality and that is fully embodied and exemplified by the personality of Marianne Williamson. Who is this famous Marianne of www.marianne.com? Daughter of a successful Texan physician, she went to the Claremont colleges in California but apparently did not graduate with a degree. Instead, she experimented with sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll. Rather than getting a regular professional career in law or medicine, she became a single mother, a bookstore manager, and then a spiritual teacher. Eventually, she published A Return to Love around 1992, made it to Oprah, and skyrocketed to NY Times bestselling author status. Now she is one of Oprah's best friends and teaches her interpretation of New Age spirituality on cruise ships, very much like the character Elizabeth Costello in J.M. Coetzee's novel by that name. She hobnobs with the rich and famous and is very wealthy herself. She has founded charities but has also garnered tremendous criticism for her temper and judgmental qualities. She is sexy for her age and dresses more than well when she goes in front of her rapt audiences. Her lectures, however, are all variations on the same material she published in her first book--A Return to Love. In fact, her jokes are canned, as in this one she told a couple of years ago, which in fact came from her first book published in the 1990's: "I studied with an Indian guru, but I wondered to myself: what does he know about life when he doesn't even date?"
As Marianne herself repeatedly states, A Return to Love is "Cliff Notes" to A Course in Miracles, which is often considered the scripture of the New Age. However, because the Course is a channeled text that sees Christ in everyone and forgiveness as the sole purpose of life, it can be hard to decipher for the average reader. This is where Marianne comes in: as the interpreter. She uses her own experiences to illustrate Course lessons and readers love her not only because they can better appreciate the Course after reading her but they must also share her foibles, as they are known to laugh at her jokes, despite them having been told countless times. (less)

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Dec 07, 2012 Debbianne DeRose rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Actually, the correct title is "A Return to Love..." : )

This book has impacted me deeply. I couldn't really deal with reading "A Course in Miracles" itself---too much biblical-speak for my tastes---but Marianne's take on it did the trick. I have little cards with some of her words on them on my walls and whatnot. That's how important it is. I don't agree with every little thing she says but why should that be a requirement?

Some of the key ideas in it, for me anyway, were:

1.) There is only love...more

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Aug 02, 2008 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is the source of the famous quote which is often misattributed to Nelson Mandela, "'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us'....." I mostly read the book because it was the source of this famous quote. Overall it was a good book--there were some interesting ideas and engaging anecdotes to illustrate them. However, I didn't give it five stars because I felt that it...more This book is the source of the famous quote which is often misattributed to Nelson Mandela, "'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us'....." I mostly read the book because it was the source of this famous quote. Overall it was a good book--there were some interesting ideas and engaging anecdotes to illustrate them. However, I didn't give it five stars because I felt that it was somewhat repetitive and a tad wandering. I didn't feel that the organizational scheme was especially strong. Also, I was a little irritated by her continual shifting in the way that she referred to God. Sometimes she referred to him as a person, but sometimes she referred to him as this mystic love force that is in all of us. It’s interesting that she is sometimes very aligned to LDS thought—such as in her idea that we have been alive and will be alive forever since life extends beyond the body; yet some of her other ideas are very unaligned. If you can overlook some of her new age mumbo jumbo (one part that is especially controversial is her suggestion for victims of aids/cancer to write letters to the disease) then you might enjoy the book.

Now that I’ve given you the caveat, let me share some of the interesting things about the book. Basically the whole book is based on her perspective on love and how we need to change the world by letting God’s love shine through us. She calls this being a miracle worker. I would say her biggest premise is that we are not hurt by love that we are denied, but we are hurt by love that we deny others. I think it’s often true—forgiveness brings healing. She also asserts that the opposite of love is fear, the only moment that matters is the present moment, what people say or do is not who they are (p. 96), and we need to surrender to God by giving up attachment to results (p. 56).

Actually one of my favorite quotes from the book isn’t the famous one. She says, “The experience of love is a choice we make, a mental decision to see love as the only real purpose and value in any situation. Until we make that choice, we keep striving for results that we think would make us happy. But we’ve all gotten things that we thought would make us happy, only to find that they didn’t. This external searching—looking to anything other than love to complete us and to be the source of our happiness—is the meaning of idolatry. Money, sex, power, or any other worldly satisfaction offers just temporary relief for minor existential pain” (57). This reminds me of Moroni 7:46. If we don’t have charity—we have nothing. I think that scripture isn’t just Heavenly Father chastising us and telling us that if we are not charitable we are bad people and we are cast out. He’s saying that everything else of this world will fall away—(as Marianne Williamson would say everything else is an illusion) but only charity is lasting and will bring true happiness.

One of my favorite anecdotes is a good way to sum up the book. She shares the story from another book “Quantum Healing” by Dr. Deepak Chopra. For a research experiment in the 1970’s rabbits were fed a toxic diet to study the effects of high cholesterol. However, the researchers noticed that one group of rabbits was inconsistent and experienced fewer negative symptoms. It was discovered that the only difference was that the student feeding those rabbits liked to take them out of the cages and pet them. The point is that love can have effects unexplained by science which is something I believe. The idea sort of ties into the next book I am reading Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
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Jan 10, 2013 Norma rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Norma by: Oprah's Super Soul Sunday

Before you read this book, you need to be 'ready' to receive the information Ms. Williamson gives. Her Christian interpretation is at the edge of New Age Philosophy. I agree with many of her ideas of where we come from, where we should be going, what mindset we should be in so that we all can live in peace and harmony. I can feel how passionate she is about what and how she believes we could get there and her spiritual nature.

She calls God, Love, and if we are not in a godly state we are in fea...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Rev. Mysterium rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autonomy, be-the-change, cant-wait-for-more, character-building, christian-christianity, controversial, cosmology, counseling, esoteric, express-yourself, faith, hard-to-put-down, how-to, inspirational, learning-tools, live-and-learn, non-fiction, other-modes-of-faith, paradigm-shift, pastoral-skills, people-skills, personable-author, perspectives, philosophy, prayer-devotional, psychology, relationships, religious-studies, sociology, strength-from-struggle, subject-for-debate, theology, think-outside-the-box, well-with-my-soul, ya-appeal, spirituality, science-of-mind, course-in-miracles-related, self-help, makes-you-think, introspective, cheap-therapy

I have to admit that I didn't know too much about A Course In Miracles until just recently when I "inherited" a congregation of Science of Mind followers for my Interfaith Church that I pastor. Science of Mind (not to be confused with Christian Science & Scientology) is a way of approaching strength and struggle by framing ones mindset to see results. Like most theology and spiritual ways, it is subject to debate and validity depending on who is reading it and their own personal agenda and b...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Taymara Jagmohan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh my goodness!
This is by far the most inspirational book i have ever read.
There are times...wait..not times...for my entire life, i haven't understood myself. This book has borrowed my intelligence, and just give me one reason to add more to it.
LOVE. I never had that totally in my life. It was all affection from family. Love is undefined, but this woman defined it for me. She taught me to be a little more than just Taymara, the fake mentor to myself.
I now am ready to battle with myself, and the...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Andrea rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: metaphysical-and-healing

There are a handful of good tidbits in here ~ learn to forgive people, for example. Always a useful tip. God is love ~ also useful, especially for people who have trouble with the concept of God.

The rest of the book is an egotistical tromp through Ms. Williamson's philosophies. This is not A Course in Miracles. This is her interpretation of ACIM, which is something completely different. She comes across as hugely impressed with her own "wit," without actually providing solid advice. She justifi...more

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Jun 22, 2009 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my "go-to" book for hope in life... If this quote from the book doesn't get you, then it isn't for you (Although I first read it 20-odd years ago, it still gives me a smile on a cloudy day)....

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God....more

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May 09, 2013 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: spiritual

This is a great book that I’m sure I’ll go back to quite often. In this book Marianne Williamson shares with us many of her reflections on A Course of Miracles. She covers the basics of ACM and points out the way to reach inner peace through a conscious effort to reconnect with God and therefore with love. The only thing that is real is love, and anything else is just an illusion.

We tend to forget that we are mere souls having a human experience, and most of the time we get sidetracked by our e...more

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Jul 11, 2009 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone

Shelves: spirituality

This book was very inspiring to me at a time in my life when I really struggled with the idea of a God I could believe in...

That being said, Marianne Williamson uses this forum to reflect on her understandings of the principles of the Course in Miracles. As a Jewish woman herself, she wasn't entirely sure a course based on "Christian" language was for her. What she found was a set of universal principles which apply across all the religions. Paraphrased, her understanding is God is Love.

While t...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Trisha rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

read for a friends spiritual book club she is hosting.
I was unimpressed for a couple of reasons.

1. I think this book is a little too "this is what God is". I'm always uncomfortable with anyone who attempts to define God to me ~ especially Marianne what's her name?! Exactly! Who is this person? Someone who read another set of books and course stuff and is writing about what she experienced. I'm glad God means something to her, I just don't really feel like she's the authority in "this is who God...more

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Feb 01, 2011 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, favorites

One of the best books I have ever read! One of my favorite quotes is in this book...

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Raluca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book changed me. Truly changed me. And I'm the kind of person that reads a lot, gets excited, but never fully engages with the practice recommended by such books. But this one was different and I honestly can't explain why this clicked so much (unlike, say, Gabrielle Bernstein who also teaches the principles of A Course in Miracles.)

Its message is very simple and clear but sometimes so difficult to apply, like forgiving people or not judging yourself. Give yourself time, be patient, keep on...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Stacye rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this when it first came out...20 years ago! I still have my first copy and the signs of wear are evidence that I didn't just read...I studied that book for several months and gained much from it. This time I'm listening to Marianne read her words. Mesmerizing...

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Jan 06, 2011 Andrea Walker rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, religion

This book is based on A Course in Miracles. Given the essentially Christian culture in which the book was written, it takes a Christian viewpoint, but uses the usual Christian touchstones as symbols, so God, the Holy Spirit, Jesus, the resurrection and the crucifixion are common terms scattered throughout the book but their meaning is not the conventional Christian meaning – for example, God is used interchangeably with love, joy and the light.

The basic premise is that the ego has caused us to...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Lisa added it · review of another edition

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our lightnot our darknessthat most frightens us. We ask ourselveswho am I to be brilliantgorgeoustalentedfabulous? Actuallywho are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shineas children do. We were born to make manifest the gl...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Dana Leipold rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are some very good universal truths and reminders in how to live within this book. If we all focused more on love than fear, what an amazing place this world would indeed be. I have never read nor do I know much about A Course in Miracles so I can't speak to that material. What bothered me a little about this book was her real-life examples to certain passages in A Course in Miracles. It may be that when she wrote this, she was in a difficult place when it came to romantic relationships. T...more

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Sep 01, 2011 Ileana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"The spiritual path, then, is simply the journey of living our lives. Everyone is on a spiritual path; most people just don't know it. The Holy Spirit is a force in our minds that knows us in our perfectly loving, natural state - which we've forgotten - but enters into the world of fear and illusion with us, and uses our experiences here to remind us who we are." p. 41

"When you meet anyone, remember it is a holy encounter. As you see him, you will see yourself. As you treat him, you will treat y...more "The spiritual path, then, is simply the journey of living our lives. Everyone is on a spiritual path; most people just don't know it. The Holy Spirit is a force in our minds that knows us in our perfectly loving, natural state - which we've forgotten - but enters into the world of fear and illusion with us, and uses our experiences here to remind us who we are." p. 41

"When you meet anyone, remember it is a holy encounter. As you see him, you will see yourself. As you treat him, you will treat yourself. As you think of him, you will think of yourself. Never forget this, for in him you will find yourself or lose yourself." p. 91

"Relationships exist to hasten our walk to God. When surrendered to the Holy Spirit, when He is in charge of our perceptions, our encounters become holy encounters with the perfect Son of God. A Course in Miracles says that everyone we meet will either be our crucifier or our savior, depending on what we choose to be to them. Focusing on their guilt drives the nails of self-loathing more deeply into our own skin. Focusing on their innocence sets us free. Since 'no thoughts are neutral,' every relationship takes us deeper into Heaven or deeper into Hell." p. 92

"Forgiveness is the key to inner peace because it is the mental technique by which our thoughts are transformed from fear to love. Our perceptions of other people often become a battleground between the ego's desire to judge and the Holy Spirit's desire to accept people as they are. The ego is the great fault-finder. It seeks out the faults in ourselves and others. The Holy Spirit seeks out our innocence. He sees all of us as we really are, and since we are the perfect creations of God, He loves what He sees. The places in our personality where we tend to deviate from love are not our faults, but our wounds. God doesn't want to punish us, but to heal us. And that is how He wishes us to view the wounds in other people." p. 93

"Pain doesn't stem from the love we're denied by others, but rather from the love that we deny then. In a case like that, it feels as though we're hurt by what someone else did. But what really has occurred is that someone else's closed heart has tempted us to close our own, and it is own own denial of love that hurts us." p. 103

"A relationship is not meant to be the joining at the hip of two emotional invalids. The purpose of a relationship is not for two incomplete people to become one, but rather for two complete people to join together for the greater glory of God." p. 112

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us." p. 191-192

"Life is much more than the life of the body; it is an infinite expanse of energy, a continuum of love in countless dimensions, a psychological and spiritual experience independent of physical form." p. 268
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Mar 02, 2011 Reja Janaki Joy Green rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When people come to our Course in Miracles study group inevitably they say that they were drawn to the Course after reading "A RETURN TO LOVE".

My husband and I had a prison ministry for just a short while [until the Christian minister there thought we were Buddhists and asked us to leave. ;-) While we were there we introduced this book to the men and women in the local county jail.

We believe this book is responsible for bringing many, many people to A COURSE IN MIRACLES through the down to earth...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Dave Rollyson jr. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

the audio book was .....very enlightening to say the least. it had quiet a few "ah-ha" moments sprinkled all over. now its time to read it and ACIM.

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Oct 29, 2009 Meghan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Before I get into the review of this particular book, I'd just like to reiterate how much I enjoy Marianne Williamson's style of writing. Honestly, the only reason I picked up this book (before reading it I had no idea what "A Course in Miracles" was, so why would I bother reading reflections on the principles of it) was because of the way her book, "Everday Grace", was written. I love her thoughful asides and allusions to experiences in her own life; it's as though she's talking to me and we're...more Before I get into the review of this particular book, I'd just like to reiterate how much I enjoy Marianne Williamson's style of writing. Honestly, the only reason I picked up this book (before reading it I had no idea what "A Course in Miracles" was, so why would I bother reading reflections on the principles of it) was because of the way her book, "Everday Grace", was written. I love her thoughful asides and allusions to experiences in her own life; it's as though she's talking to me and we're having a conversation where I'm getting know a little bit more about her with every book I read, rather than me just reading words on a page.

So back to "A Return to Love". I'm actually glad I didn't know anything about "A Course in Miracles" before reading this because I believe it would have tainted my reactions to Williamson's points; I have experienced reading a book and reading someone else's reaction to it and being completely turned off because that was not how I interpreted it. Reading "A Return to Love" with a clean slate helped me stay open to her version of the Course's principles.

Initially I thought I would be inundated with Christian references - Williamson explains that a lot of the terminology in the Course relates to Christianity - and while there were numerous instances of theological ideas, especially Christianity, I didn't feel overwhelmed by them. Williamson presented them in a way that, if I didn't already know they were Christian, I wouldn't have known they were related to a particular religion at all. And I never felt as though she was pushing religion at all; everything was kept very open and she acknowledged the fact that not everyone will see things eye-to-eye with her.

I can't evaluate the actual principles suggested in the book, since they are not Williamson's own ideas, but I can comment on her extrapolations. The majority of the time I found her insight thoughtful, truthful and refreshing; however, there were definitely times (particularly in the last chapter) where I felt she was stretching it a bit. I had a hard time grasping how she was relating Easter and Christmas to every day life choices; though in hindsight, I guess I should just accept those ideas since I had no problem with the concept of crucification and resurrection as it relates to our lives.

The one thing I took away from this book is that a strong faith and truly believing that you will never be handed anything that can't make you a better, stronger, wiser person is the foundation for a happier life. It's not going to be easy and I'm still resisting the idea of giving up control of my life but I think it's worth exploring; my desire to control everything hasn't worked out for the best, maybe this is a better solution.(less)

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May 04, 2013 Didi Delighted rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I checked this book out from the library after hearing Marianne Williamson speaking about it during an interview. It so happened that this book came along at a perfect moment in my life when it was precisely what I needed to hear/read. For that reason much of what Williamson wrote resonated deeply with me, and I loved this book. No, the subject matter isn't new, however, Marianne Williamson writes beautifully and I appreciate how she words things. If you have deeply rooted issues with the word "...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Eric Armusik rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm only 1/4 into this book but it really resonates with me. With all of the guru types I've been reading lately, this book speaks to me on a faith and spirituality level and from the standpoint of really wanting to do good things with the talents I've been given. It isn't the kind of book that comes with steps and methods. I'm really getting bored with all of that lately. The message is clear, surrender to love and all will work itself out. I'm being brief but I have to say that for me this has...more

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May 02, 2010 Cynthia Hernandez rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-that-changed-my-life

This book saved my faith at a very dark time and helped me to make sense of some of what I was going through. It changed who I was becoming and it remains part of who I am. I will always cherish it and be grateful for its existence.

I can't love and feel gratitude for the book without also feeling love and gratitude for its author, so I have a deep love and enduring gratitude for Marianne Williamson as well. I have ready most of her books, but this was the one that stands out, and it has a place...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Tim Britton rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have yet to find a book or an Audio book that reaches as deep into you as this one does. A Return to Love is a great Book, but it is a truly incredible Audio book! The tone of her voice, and the way it's spoken is so perfect, that you hear every word, and feel she is talking directly to YOU! I have listened to 100's of Audio books over the years, and have not found anything close to this one. Deepak, Millman, Lucado, Dyers, and as much as I hate to say it, even Mariannes other audios don't hol...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Ala Arafat rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Miracle is a shift of perception.
Our value cannot be compromised.
There's no monopoly over God.
Love is a force to be recognized.
The Universe sees us the way we see ourselves.
Fear is Our Worst Fear, Our Greatest Obstacle & Our Worst Enemy.
Seeking Oneness rather than separation.
If we think we are not enough we will never accept those who do!
Children don't know & know they don't know & in that lies their greatest strength. They are Unique because they don't try to be.

“Our deepest fear...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Colleen Wainwright rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: self-help, relationships, nonfiction, spirituality

[Wherein I out myself as a believer] I picked up this book after attending one of Marianne Williamson's weekly lectures here in Los Angeles. I'd found the talk itself unfocused and difficult to track, but I'd been blown away by the Q&A period afterward: it's rare to witness a speaker that good at speaking off the cuff, especially to different (and thorny, and wide-ranging) personal issues; girlfriend was in the zone completely, channeling the bejangles out of some kind of benevolent spirit—a...more [Wherein I out myself as a believer] I picked up this book after attending one of Marianne Williamson's weekly lectures here in Los Angeles. I'd found the talk itself unfocused and difficult to track, but I'd been blown away by the Q&A period afterward: it's rare to witness a speaker that good at speaking off the cuff, especially to different (and thorny, and wide-ranging) personal issues; girlfriend was in the zone completely, channeling the bejangles out of some kind of benevolent spirit—and one with a delightful sense of humor to match its deep compassion.

I tore through the book, both because it's written simply and because so much of it made sense: that God (or "God", if you're not there yet) is love; that you will always feel better living in love than in fear; that lying and obfuscation are the enemies of happiness, and so on. I must have been halfway through before I realized that the stories it contained seemed familiar because they were—I'd read them in this very book, back in December of 2011, just after a miracle you'd have thought would humble me, but a good two months away from finally giving in. I am my stubborn mother's willful daughter, to be sure.

I have not read A Course in Miracles, but if this book accurately translates its principles (and there's no reason to think it doesn't), ACIM is a mixture of Eastern (Hindu, Buddhist) and Western (Judeo-Christian) philosophies, heavy on the Western/Christian. (And a lot of the language she uses to translate is straight out of 12-step, which, again, leads right back to Christianity.) Which is to say that there's nothing in here that's particularly revelatory, and plenty that is sensible. I'm not sure that as a philosophy, ACIM would survive deep scrutiny—and there are plenty of skeptical and Christian sites on the web that state just that. But except for the last dozen pages or so, which get into some pretty trippy ACIM interpretations of Christian symbolism, it provides a sturdy enough framework for spiritual growth, with dozens of lovely prayers and metaphors for hewing to a path of love.(less)

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Oct 27, 2009 Abby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: yoga, non-fiction, favorites

Feeling a strong pull to re-read this. Not sure why - just going to go with it.

*********** Second Review, September 2009 ***********************

In August I felt compelled to go back and re-read this book. I think it was because of all the books we read for yoga teacher training, this was the one I found the most challenging. This time around I stuck with it and made a conscious and dedicated effort to read Williamson's message in the spirit in which it was intended.

The sum of this very intense...more

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Jul 14, 2008 Chavalita rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok, this book is what every confused cristian needs to read! LOL This book is too amazing to write a short review so I will try to sum it up. We all are born into a certain religion but sometimes we don't know exactly what to believe. We follow certain rules our belief system has set up but not enough to be considered a good cristian, or a faithful catholic, etc. So I think that a lot of us end up giving up on religion and God. Big mistake! God is Love, that is what I learned through this book....more

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About Marianne Williamson

Marianne Williamson is a spiritual activist, author, lecturer and founder of The Peace Alliance, a grass roots campaign supporting legislation currently before Congress to establish a United States Department of Peace. She is also the founder of Project Angel Food, a meals-on-wheels program that serves homebound people with AIDS in the Los Angeles area.[2] She has published nine books, including f...more

More about Marianne Williamson...

Books by Marianne Williamson

The Gift of Change: Spiritual Guidance for Living Your Best Life

Everyday Grace: Having Hope, Finding Forgiveness And Making Miracles

The Age of Miracles: Embracing the New Midlife

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“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” — 11,149 people liked it

“It takes courage...to endure the sharp pains of self discovery rather than choose to take the dull pain of unconsciousness that would last the rest of our lives.” — 293 people liked it

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title link	preview: Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles
avg rating	preview: Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles Goodreads rating: 4.21 (7473 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1861438.Return_to_Love?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1189362146l/1861438.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1861438.Return_to_Love?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles by Marianne Williamson[/url]

Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles

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