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The Coming Interspiritual Age
This book details the vision of interspirituality within a comprehensive and powerful synthesis of world religions and spirituality, the discoveries of modern science, and the developmental and evolutionary view of history. It is the first book to review and predict the ongoing history of world religions and spirituality in the context of developmental history, the evolutionary consciousness movement, and current scientific understandings of anthropology, human cognite development, brain/mind and scientific consciousness studies.
This book addresses Brother WayneTeasdale’s vision of “The Interspiritual Age,” a vision that parallels the equally well-known and publicized visions of the world’s developmental and evolutionary consciousness movements (known therein as coming “Integral Age” or “Age of Evolutionary Consciousness”) and the international humanist movement (known therein as the emerging “International Ethical Manifold”). As such The Coming Interspiritual Age is the first synthesis of interfaith and interspirituality with the popular writings of integral leaders Ken Wilber and Don Beck.
The book includes provocative sections regarding the inherent unity within the world’s religious and spiritual understanding (especially their shared mystical understandings), the relationship of these and modern scientific studies of consciousness and brain/mind, the developmental and evolutionary views of history, the inevitable ongoing processes of world globalization and multiculturalism, the emergent understanding of the Divine Feminine, the nature of spiritual experience and the reputed spirit realms, and the various predictions around and surrounding the year 2012. The book concludes with extensive “how-to” sections regarding the development and practice of interspirituality as it can happen both within the world’s current religious traditions as well as in new, creative, and entrepreneurial settings worldwide.
This book addresses Brother WayneTeasdale’s vision of “The Interspiritual Age,” a vision that parallels the equally well-known and publicized visions of the world’s developmental and evolutionary consciousness movements (known therein as coming “Integral Age” or “Age of Evolutionary Consciousness”) and the international humanist movement (known therein as the emerging “International Ethical Manifold”). As such The Coming Interspiritual Age is the first synthesis of interfaith and interspirituality with the popular writings of integral leaders Ken Wilber and Don Beck.
The book includes provocative sections regarding the inherent unity within the world’s religious and spiritual understanding (especially their shared mystical understandings), the relationship of these and modern scientific studies of consciousness and brain/mind, the developmental and evolutionary views of history, the inevitable ongoing processes of world globalization and multiculturalism, the emergent understanding of the Divine Feminine, the nature of spiritual experience and the reputed spirit realms, and the various predictions around and surrounding the year 2012. The book concludes with extensive “how-to” sections regarding the development and practice of interspirituality as it can happen both within the world’s current religious traditions as well as in new, creative, and entrepreneurial settings worldwide.
440 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 7, 2013
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September 3, 2013
First, are you familiar with this book’s publisher, Namaste? Based from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the publishing house keeps a small, select roster, releasing 2-3 titles annually. They also keep a giant in the building. It was Namaste, via founder Constance Kellough, who brought Eckhart Tolle to the world in 1997 with The Power of Now. That title went on to sell six million copies in 33 languages. In 2008, Oprah Winfrey hosted Tolle for a 10-episode television series viewed by 35 million. Tolle has followed The Power of Now with six additional books and related products. He remains one of the most sought after spiritual teachers in the world, sharing company (and occasional appearances) with the Dalai Lama.
So, if you are Namaste Publishing and you want to go big on a title (and by the countless blurbs in several of the book’s front pages, and on the back jacket, it seems they do) what do you got? Where is the monster hook? With The Coming Interspiritual Age (TCIA), Namaste has done it. Here please find: Tolle-level grandeur. They’ve given us a brilliant 14 billion-year planetary (occasionally interplanetary) ride captained by authors Johnson and Ord. Both are scholars with professional religious experience (Ord is also on staff at Namaste as editorial director). At over 400 pages, TCIA is a profound study of human spirituality that is at once accessible, brisk, rigorous, and exhilarating.
In beginning such a review, my spell check stayed unhappy with both the words “interspiritual” and “interspirituality.” I took this as a sign with where to start talking. The authors explain interspiritual as the idea that “the entire religious experience of our species has [in fact] been a single experience unfolding through many lines and branches, together empowering our species for higher evolution.” Interspiritual was coined in 1999 by Roman Catholic lay monk Brother Wayne Teasdale (1945-2004). Teasdale was a pioneer of interfaith theory and considered an expert in the area by his life’s end. Here is a signature Teasdale quote referenced throughout TCIA:
"The real religion of humankind can be said to be spirituality itself, because mystical spirituality is the origin of all the world religions. If this is so, we might also say that interspirituality—the sharing of ultimate experiences across traditions—is the religion of the third millennium. Interspirituality is the foundation that can prepare the way for a planet-wide enlightened culture, and a continuing community among the religions that is substantial, vital, and creative. (The Mystic Heart by Wayne Teasdale, New World Library Press, 1999)."
The Coming Interspiritual Age has grand ambitions. The book is up for re-framing Earth history, holding the tension between science and religion, and newly explaining how 100 billion or so of us have ever lived, want to more fully live, and may, in fact, soon be able to live. This is done not by reviewing interfaith discourse(s), but through scientific and religious epochal exploration.
The authors understand that the influence of the origins of human identity are profound. They address this issue early and often – how might we process that much of the world now, not to mention across time, has used religion (not science) to explain human identity? They shift to recent times to review forces of scientific discovery, pointing toward patterns and processes for answers of what a coming age should entail. In one case, they note major world religions are now increasingly comfortable with evolution as an explanation of human origins – that there is a traceable pattern of acceptance in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam with between 30 and 40 percent of adherents accepting the theory. There is a continued interest across similar identity questions leading to what process can be deduced from this pattern? How can such a process be better understood, and modeled?
Author Kurt Johnson, Ph.D., has a professional background that includes time as an Anglican monk. He has completed doctoral studies in evolutionary biology and ecology and now works primarily in comparative religious studies. He resides in Brooklyn, New York.
TCIA examines, across many chapters representing the bulk of the book, the Magic-Mythic age, into the rise of the God-Kings, onto the Renaissance and Enlightenment. The book arrives at our present time, ripe with scientific knowledge, but in terms of spirituality, comfortable and even hungry for – wait for it – trappings of the Magic-Mythic age again. The authors point to the hubbub of the Mayan December 21, 2012 date as an indicator of the public’s thirst for prophecy and fulfillment. Further, they note the unsurpassed popularity of morally conscious fantasies such as Star Wars and the Harry Potter series. It is a wonder that our scientific knowledge doesn’t appear to have the same sort of narrative satisfaction as these spiritually-minded films.
“Seldom do terrorists act in the name of consciousness religions,” write Johnson and Ord. The book projects history to arrive where religious identification is ultimately immaterial. The authors explain that we are moving, albeit slowly, from “hot religions” to “cool.” This is to say that, across the globe, dooming one another in the name of “our one true god/no-you-are-going-to-Hell” is on the decrease. A conscionable life-givingness, a generosity, an embodied compassion, all are becoming persuasive and soon, pervasive. Territory formerly occupied by religious creeds is falling to the unstoppability of a conscionable spirituality filled with deeds. That is to say that in the eyes of Johnson and Ord creeds are losing their level of influence. The more that such a spirituality be born – the more consciousness across our planet. The more consciousness, the more one-ness. This One-ness is our endgame according to the book. This is the great interspiritual hallmark meant to gird the Third Millenium.
It seems impossible to come to this book without one’s own personal background coloring the experience of the contents. For me, as one identified (if reservedly) as a Christian (I am a member in the Presbyterian Church USA), I was thrilled with this book’s desire for total redemption of and ultra-connection among all peoples. The emphasis on deeds over creeds makes great sense to me, and the book fleshes out early… it’s the institutions that provide the creeds. For example:
"Almost everything wrong with the world is the result of the way the institutional space is misaligned or out of control. When was the last time your bank did you a favor? What was your opinion of the “no questions asked” multi-trillion dollar bailout of the financial industry? When you examine social structures anywhere in the world, the most obvious disconnect is between the needs and wants of the “I” and “We” that built the institutional space, and the way the institutional space behaves toward us."
(Such a passage is an example of the book’s ability to humanely editorialize more philosophical points.) But to continue the idea of Christianity and TCIA, was Jesus an advocate of interspirituality? I believe so. I see Christ pointing – always – to this experience and truth: God is Love. Love for You. Love for All. I see the early church and apostles carrying this out, while wrestling with how to keep the institutional Judaic laws (creeds). It was an emerging conversation then, messy and too often culturally influenced. Meanwhile, we do not see from Christ the exclusion of other faiths and traditions. If you could be with him, you could Be. With. Him. It was a deeds experience. The only strong teaching we have from Jesus on religion was his calling out of the Judaic Scribes and Pharisees – their abuse of the power they held in their positions. Meanwhile, a generation or more later, tasked with capturing his version of Christ’s life, John, that most mystic of Christ’s disciples, up in years, opens his gospel account with, to my mind, an interspiritual account of reality. I hope you are familiar with his words beginning John 1, culminating with the declaration the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
I commend The Coming Interspiritual Age to those with the following interests:
Anyone with a love of futurism, no matter what religious disposition. Anthropology majors and those (including me) who wish they’d been. Historians. Those who enjoy the occasionally-expressed science-minded side of Fr. Richard Rohr (who is a featured blurb on the back cover), Joseph Campbell fans (which makes me think of Bill Moyers, who also deserves this company). Stephen Hawking fans with an interest in religion. Readers of Brian McLaren’s most “meta” works will be delighted. If you are familiar with any of the community Tami Simon and Sounds True keeps (thinking of Mirabai Starr first, and there are others), this is a great extension (and gentle amalgamation) of the values of that group. Also, Krista Tippett, and her similarly bold cadre of thinkers, dreamers, and doers.
So, if you are Namaste Publishing and you want to go big on a title (and by the countless blurbs in several of the book’s front pages, and on the back jacket, it seems they do) what do you got? Where is the monster hook? With The Coming Interspiritual Age (TCIA), Namaste has done it. Here please find: Tolle-level grandeur. They’ve given us a brilliant 14 billion-year planetary (occasionally interplanetary) ride captained by authors Johnson and Ord. Both are scholars with professional religious experience (Ord is also on staff at Namaste as editorial director). At over 400 pages, TCIA is a profound study of human spirituality that is at once accessible, brisk, rigorous, and exhilarating.
In beginning such a review, my spell check stayed unhappy with both the words “interspiritual” and “interspirituality.” I took this as a sign with where to start talking. The authors explain interspiritual as the idea that “the entire religious experience of our species has [in fact] been a single experience unfolding through many lines and branches, together empowering our species for higher evolution.” Interspiritual was coined in 1999 by Roman Catholic lay monk Brother Wayne Teasdale (1945-2004). Teasdale was a pioneer of interfaith theory and considered an expert in the area by his life’s end. Here is a signature Teasdale quote referenced throughout TCIA:
"The real religion of humankind can be said to be spirituality itself, because mystical spirituality is the origin of all the world religions. If this is so, we might also say that interspirituality—the sharing of ultimate experiences across traditions—is the religion of the third millennium. Interspirituality is the foundation that can prepare the way for a planet-wide enlightened culture, and a continuing community among the religions that is substantial, vital, and creative. (The Mystic Heart by Wayne Teasdale, New World Library Press, 1999)."
The Coming Interspiritual Age has grand ambitions. The book is up for re-framing Earth history, holding the tension between science and religion, and newly explaining how 100 billion or so of us have ever lived, want to more fully live, and may, in fact, soon be able to live. This is done not by reviewing interfaith discourse(s), but through scientific and religious epochal exploration.
The authors understand that the influence of the origins of human identity are profound. They address this issue early and often – how might we process that much of the world now, not to mention across time, has used religion (not science) to explain human identity? They shift to recent times to review forces of scientific discovery, pointing toward patterns and processes for answers of what a coming age should entail. In one case, they note major world religions are now increasingly comfortable with evolution as an explanation of human origins – that there is a traceable pattern of acceptance in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam with between 30 and 40 percent of adherents accepting the theory. There is a continued interest across similar identity questions leading to what process can be deduced from this pattern? How can such a process be better understood, and modeled?
Author Kurt Johnson, Ph.D., has a professional background that includes time as an Anglican monk. He has completed doctoral studies in evolutionary biology and ecology and now works primarily in comparative religious studies. He resides in Brooklyn, New York.
TCIA examines, across many chapters representing the bulk of the book, the Magic-Mythic age, into the rise of the God-Kings, onto the Renaissance and Enlightenment. The book arrives at our present time, ripe with scientific knowledge, but in terms of spirituality, comfortable and even hungry for – wait for it – trappings of the Magic-Mythic age again. The authors point to the hubbub of the Mayan December 21, 2012 date as an indicator of the public’s thirst for prophecy and fulfillment. Further, they note the unsurpassed popularity of morally conscious fantasies such as Star Wars and the Harry Potter series. It is a wonder that our scientific knowledge doesn’t appear to have the same sort of narrative satisfaction as these spiritually-minded films.
“Seldom do terrorists act in the name of consciousness religions,” write Johnson and Ord. The book projects history to arrive where religious identification is ultimately immaterial. The authors explain that we are moving, albeit slowly, from “hot religions” to “cool.” This is to say that, across the globe, dooming one another in the name of “our one true god/no-you-are-going-to-Hell” is on the decrease. A conscionable life-givingness, a generosity, an embodied compassion, all are becoming persuasive and soon, pervasive. Territory formerly occupied by religious creeds is falling to the unstoppability of a conscionable spirituality filled with deeds. That is to say that in the eyes of Johnson and Ord creeds are losing their level of influence. The more that such a spirituality be born – the more consciousness across our planet. The more consciousness, the more one-ness. This One-ness is our endgame according to the book. This is the great interspiritual hallmark meant to gird the Third Millenium.
It seems impossible to come to this book without one’s own personal background coloring the experience of the contents. For me, as one identified (if reservedly) as a Christian (I am a member in the Presbyterian Church USA), I was thrilled with this book’s desire for total redemption of and ultra-connection among all peoples. The emphasis on deeds over creeds makes great sense to me, and the book fleshes out early… it’s the institutions that provide the creeds. For example:
"Almost everything wrong with the world is the result of the way the institutional space is misaligned or out of control. When was the last time your bank did you a favor? What was your opinion of the “no questions asked” multi-trillion dollar bailout of the financial industry? When you examine social structures anywhere in the world, the most obvious disconnect is between the needs and wants of the “I” and “We” that built the institutional space, and the way the institutional space behaves toward us."
(Such a passage is an example of the book’s ability to humanely editorialize more philosophical points.) But to continue the idea of Christianity and TCIA, was Jesus an advocate of interspirituality? I believe so. I see Christ pointing – always – to this experience and truth: God is Love. Love for You. Love for All. I see the early church and apostles carrying this out, while wrestling with how to keep the institutional Judaic laws (creeds). It was an emerging conversation then, messy and too often culturally influenced. Meanwhile, we do not see from Christ the exclusion of other faiths and traditions. If you could be with him, you could Be. With. Him. It was a deeds experience. The only strong teaching we have from Jesus on religion was his calling out of the Judaic Scribes and Pharisees – their abuse of the power they held in their positions. Meanwhile, a generation or more later, tasked with capturing his version of Christ’s life, John, that most mystic of Christ’s disciples, up in years, opens his gospel account with, to my mind, an interspiritual account of reality. I hope you are familiar with his words beginning John 1, culminating with the declaration the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
I commend The Coming Interspiritual Age to those with the following interests:
Anyone with a love of futurism, no matter what religious disposition. Anthropology majors and those (including me) who wish they’d been. Historians. Those who enjoy the occasionally-expressed science-minded side of Fr. Richard Rohr (who is a featured blurb on the back cover), Joseph Campbell fans (which makes me think of Bill Moyers, who also deserves this company). Stephen Hawking fans with an interest in religion. Readers of Brian McLaren’s most “meta” works will be delighted. If you are familiar with any of the community Tami Simon and Sounds True keeps (thinking of Mirabai Starr first, and there are others), this is a great extension (and gentle amalgamation) of the values of that group. Also, Krista Tippett, and her similarly bold cadre of thinkers, dreamers, and doers.
September 9, 2013
We are now well into the third millennium and change is coming in so many facets of our lives than we could have previously ever imagined. The authors of The Coming Interspiritual Age call this the Fifth Great Advance of civilization or the Dream of Holism.
As a civilization, humans have lived through many stages with our current one focused on not only the importance of rationalization and an analytic mind but also the beginnings of holistic thinking and the exploration of consciousness. In this book, the authors propose a coming Sixth Great Advance moving us toward full globalization.
A primary concern of this new age will be the creation of a one-world spiritualism that draws upon the precious jewels found within the myriad of world religions as the basis of a new worldwide belief system. It is essential, the authors write, that as the awareness of our increasing global community enters full consciousness, that we take those jewels into consideration in the formation of one global belief system that unifies us as one human race on this planet.
They caution, however, that this could also become “hijacked” by religion if various parties to this formation become too egocentric and controlling. Unfortunately, personal, regional and territorial desires over the years have opened the door to greed, degradation of the environment, rivalry between various religious factions and differing concepts on what is most important in life. This in turn has led to terrorism and wars between nations.
By cultivating an expanded worldview and promoting discourse among the various world religions, a global vision could unfold as to how humanity as a whole should spiritually behave with good conscience in the future. This will come, the authors believe, as humans experience further awareness and expanded consciousness, realizing the connectivity of all humans rather than any personal, regional or territorial desires.
The Coming Interspiritual Age provides a compelling summary on the theory of evolution – how the human species consciously developed over thousands of years taking in the importance of language and writing on the evolving mind and also their impact on our belief systems.
This book focuses primarily on the writings of Roman Catholic lay monk and interfaith leader, Brother Wayne Teasdale (now deceased), from his book The Mystic Heart: Discovering a Universal Spirituality in the World’s Religions. It was Teasdale, the authors note, who first coined the term ‘interspirituality,” which involves thinking of the ‘we’ rather than the ‘I’ and acting from the heart.
The ‘I, We and It’ of daily life is something that everyone experiences no matter where they live. ‘I’ refers to self, ‘We’ to those we know including family, friends and associates, and ‘It’ refers to the institutions that govern how we should act, think and feel based on a particular country’s ideals and religions.
Ironically, it is the “I and We” that created the institutions (‘It’) in the first place that people now feel threatened by such as government structures and banking systems that act with impunity. As the world inches closer to globalization the authors believe these institutions that rule our lives will also have to change from being self-serving and money driven entities to thinking and acting from the heart with full awareness of global needs rather than their own.
This is a book that looks both backward and forward in an attempt to offer the full picture of our current state of spirituality, as well as what steps must be taken to move toward an interspiritual world. It is well written, informative and most of all, thought provoking.
As a civilization, humans have lived through many stages with our current one focused on not only the importance of rationalization and an analytic mind but also the beginnings of holistic thinking and the exploration of consciousness. In this book, the authors propose a coming Sixth Great Advance moving us toward full globalization.
A primary concern of this new age will be the creation of a one-world spiritualism that draws upon the precious jewels found within the myriad of world religions as the basis of a new worldwide belief system. It is essential, the authors write, that as the awareness of our increasing global community enters full consciousness, that we take those jewels into consideration in the formation of one global belief system that unifies us as one human race on this planet.
They caution, however, that this could also become “hijacked” by religion if various parties to this formation become too egocentric and controlling. Unfortunately, personal, regional and territorial desires over the years have opened the door to greed, degradation of the environment, rivalry between various religious factions and differing concepts on what is most important in life. This in turn has led to terrorism and wars between nations.
By cultivating an expanded worldview and promoting discourse among the various world religions, a global vision could unfold as to how humanity as a whole should spiritually behave with good conscience in the future. This will come, the authors believe, as humans experience further awareness and expanded consciousness, realizing the connectivity of all humans rather than any personal, regional or territorial desires.
The Coming Interspiritual Age provides a compelling summary on the theory of evolution – how the human species consciously developed over thousands of years taking in the importance of language and writing on the evolving mind and also their impact on our belief systems.
This book focuses primarily on the writings of Roman Catholic lay monk and interfaith leader, Brother Wayne Teasdale (now deceased), from his book The Mystic Heart: Discovering a Universal Spirituality in the World’s Religions. It was Teasdale, the authors note, who first coined the term ‘interspirituality,” which involves thinking of the ‘we’ rather than the ‘I’ and acting from the heart.
The ‘I, We and It’ of daily life is something that everyone experiences no matter where they live. ‘I’ refers to self, ‘We’ to those we know including family, friends and associates, and ‘It’ refers to the institutions that govern how we should act, think and feel based on a particular country’s ideals and religions.
Ironically, it is the “I and We” that created the institutions (‘It’) in the first place that people now feel threatened by such as government structures and banking systems that act with impunity. As the world inches closer to globalization the authors believe these institutions that rule our lives will also have to change from being self-serving and money driven entities to thinking and acting from the heart with full awareness of global needs rather than their own.
This is a book that looks both backward and forward in an attempt to offer the full picture of our current state of spirituality, as well as what steps must be taken to move toward an interspiritual world. It is well written, informative and most of all, thought provoking.
July 16, 2013
What a wealth of information about secular history, about anthropology, about world and indigenous religions, about individuality, and about our common humanity this book contains! It includes enough material for a lifetime of study and learning, and as you read, you might find yourself remembering certain books, classes, and professors, or you might find yourself suddenly interested in a new-to-you concept or era. To help navigate, and to assist your future topical study, useful End Matter (don't you love that term?) includes:
* Appendix I, Synopsis of the Developmental Periods
* Appendix II, Magic-Mythic and Apocalyptic Views of 2012
* Appendix III, Link to the Interspiritual Multiplex Resource Website
* Bibliography of "Books and articles consulted or referred to in The Coming Interspiritual Age"
Authors Johnson and Ord tell us "Generally, the expression 'spiritual world' refers to the entire dimension of consciousness, including the 'spirit realm' or 'astral realm' referred to in virtually every religious tradition." [chapter 14] They remind us some religious styles and traditions are closer to "revealed';" other could better be described as "consciousness" religions, though each has elements of the other; both types are important and complement each other. The late Brother Wayne Teasdale insisted, "Everyone is a mystic." Everyone participates on some level in the mysteries of this world and worlds unknown. Beyond this planet earth, within this globe, in some wholly other ethereal realm? Maybe all of those.
From the start, the authors remind us of the ultimate non-dualism of the interdependence of all creation, despite most of us operating most of the time detached from the other than us. Ultimately, it's about our "primary interspirituality, shared consciousness and heart, right here, right now." [chapter 28] That fact partly explains why, to quote Ari Ariyaratne, "We who have been born Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Muslim, or any other faith can be very comfortable in each other's temples."[chapter 10] However, please be warned, interspirituality is not syncretism, not a blend or a blended religion. [chapter 18]
The Coming Interspiritual Age ... "coming age?" That era is both here and now, and yet to come, very much in the sense of Jesus of Nazareth's earthly ministry and the eschatological lifestyle to which the Spirit summons and enables the present-day Church of Jesus Christ. We're moving into "...the collective―the world of 'We,' including all that's transcultural, transnational, trans-traditional, and world-centric." [chapter 23] Consider this book for a study group, as the basis of a university, community college, or continuing education course, possibly as a discussion document for an ecumenical or interfaith group. Outstanding!
* Appendix I, Synopsis of the Developmental Periods
* Appendix II, Magic-Mythic and Apocalyptic Views of 2012
* Appendix III, Link to the Interspiritual Multiplex Resource Website
* Bibliography of "Books and articles consulted or referred to in The Coming Interspiritual Age"
Authors Johnson and Ord tell us "Generally, the expression 'spiritual world' refers to the entire dimension of consciousness, including the 'spirit realm' or 'astral realm' referred to in virtually every religious tradition." [chapter 14] They remind us some religious styles and traditions are closer to "revealed';" other could better be described as "consciousness" religions, though each has elements of the other; both types are important and complement each other. The late Brother Wayne Teasdale insisted, "Everyone is a mystic." Everyone participates on some level in the mysteries of this world and worlds unknown. Beyond this planet earth, within this globe, in some wholly other ethereal realm? Maybe all of those.
From the start, the authors remind us of the ultimate non-dualism of the interdependence of all creation, despite most of us operating most of the time detached from the other than us. Ultimately, it's about our "primary interspirituality, shared consciousness and heart, right here, right now." [chapter 28] That fact partly explains why, to quote Ari Ariyaratne, "We who have been born Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Muslim, or any other faith can be very comfortable in each other's temples."[chapter 10] However, please be warned, interspirituality is not syncretism, not a blend or a blended religion. [chapter 18]
The Coming Interspiritual Age ... "coming age?" That era is both here and now, and yet to come, very much in the sense of Jesus of Nazareth's earthly ministry and the eschatological lifestyle to which the Spirit summons and enables the present-day Church of Jesus Christ. We're moving into "...the collective―the world of 'We,' including all that's transcultural, transnational, trans-traditional, and world-centric." [chapter 23] Consider this book for a study group, as the basis of a university, community college, or continuing education course, possibly as a discussion document for an ecumenical or interfaith group. Outstanding!
August 4, 2013
THE COMING INTERSPIRITUAL AGE BY KURT JOHNSON AND DAVID ROBERT ORD
This book gives a history of humanity, basically a history of religion, and points out how we need to come together in common belief, an interspirituality. Its argues that basically we have evolved to the point for our survival we need to come together in common belief. I too belief in interspirituality,but I am a Christian, and I follow Christ, while believing God revealed himself in other religions. I find the arguments of this book place interpspirituality on a level that is beyond the reach of the common person, and intellectualizes spiritual practice. I have had interns from local interspiritual seminaries and each one struggles with putting into practice his theological perspective. In other words the rubber does not meet the road. I believe that we must strive for interspiritual faith giving all of our beliefs respect.
This book gives a history of humanity, basically a history of religion, and points out how we need to come together in common belief, an interspirituality. Its argues that basically we have evolved to the point for our survival we need to come together in common belief. I too belief in interspirituality,but I am a Christian, and I follow Christ, while believing God revealed himself in other religions. I find the arguments of this book place interpspirituality on a level that is beyond the reach of the common person, and intellectualizes spiritual practice. I have had interns from local interspiritual seminaries and each one struggles with putting into practice his theological perspective. In other words the rubber does not meet the road. I believe that we must strive for interspiritual faith giving all of our beliefs respect.
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