An interesting scholarly article about A Course In Miracles. Just for one thing It's good to see I was not the only one who was puzzled by the Christian language in the book, given that it is not a Christian teaching really. It uses terms like God, Forgiveness, and Holy Spirit, but means entirely different things by them than we are used to. But if you can get past that, it is truly profound.
Steve added:
The Christian tone is something I'm not all that hot for either. I'm currently trudging through ACIM and find the language makes it more difficult to read.
Many, including me, find ACIM challenging to read. But I find it much easier after I read The Disappearance Of The Universe by Gary Renard, which is an entertaining and yet important book introducing the philosophy. I warmly recommend it. (Preview.)
11 comments:
Well, apart from the lettering "Ph.D." after the authors name, I don't see the text as very scholarly at all. To me it reads like a blog entry with slightly more conservative typesetting than usual. Which is fine, of course.
Just two quick comments ...
"The Course lays out a precise thought system, which it says is an optimal thought system for awakening. According the the Course, our thought system creates our world view and our sense of self and reality."
It is our beliefs that create our world view, not thoughts or "thought system". Thoughts, or thinking, is a faculty of the mind that is distinct from the concept of beliefs and serves a different function not directly creating our world view or our experience. Also, the adoption of a belief is not always the outcome of a thought process. (Although it may be.)
Ultimately, in a radical ontological sense, the Course says that the world is a creation of the mind.
Reality is the creation of the mind. "World" has a slightly different meaning that is not fitting here. The mind only creates that which we direct our attention to. But all of that it creates in its entirety. A corollary to this is: That part of the world (or Universe) which we are not aware of does not exist. But as the meaning of the word "world", a symbol, includes those parts too, we can see that he is either presenting faulty logic or using very sloppy language.
Also, as the creation assumption pertains to all of our experience, it necessarily also includes that which is external to "World", for example some of our subjective (i.e. non-physical) interactions and experiences.
The Christian tone is something I'm not all that hot for either. I'm currently trudging through ACIM and find the language makes it more difficult to read.
Steve added:
The Christian tone is something I'm not all that for either.
Steve, have you ever considered reading the Holy Bible about Jesus Christ and accepting him as your personal saviour? He could help you and give you eternal life.
I'm a recovering Christian. I have no problem with Jesus, just a good number of his followers.
Like Steve, I have no problem with Jesus or Christianity per se. Jesus' message of peace and non-judgement is one of the most important ever in this hemisphere.
I only felt it would have been easier to study ACIM if it had used new words instead of re-defining old ones.
Interesting corrections, TTL. Well spotted. If I ever write a book of that type, I'll be sure to take your advice on such details. They're rather important for one's credibility, after all.
"I'm a recovering Christian. I have no problem with Jesus, just a good number of his followers."
Steve,
Thanks for summarizing what I usually need so many words to express. :-)
My father once made a very interesting remark. He said that in the spirit, Jesus was a true Communist ("share with the poor, help others, etc."), but 20th-century Communists gave it a bad name by screwing up so much.
I could say the same about religion. Overpopulation is threatening the balance of our whole planet, and still the Catholic Church (among other people) are rabidly against anything resembling family planning in poor countries. I thought we'd already "grown and multiplied until we filled all the Earth"? I'm sure a bright and caring guy like Jesus of Nazareth would be all for sustainable development!
"If you eat all of your grain and keep nothing to plant, what will you eat next year? Help thyself by using common sense, and the Lord will provide for the rest. But against blind stupidity, God Himself would contend in vain, and won't even bother." -- (Gospel of Pascal, XIII, 4-6)
Nice to find someone with at least one, fundamental shared-interest : ACIM.
I've been a student for about 16 years but Disappearance of the Universe really revived and deepened my interest and understanding.
Steve said...
I'm a recovering Christian.
What? Excuse me please?
Tim, you should join my discussion list on Yahoo groups.
OK, done! :)
The President of my hate club just (unwittingly?) had a stunning revelation. He (she?) insistingly declared that Eolake and I were probably one.
Well, ACIM *does* affirm that we are all a oneness. What a furtuitus coincidink!
If everybody starts believing in these ideas, the Universe might well disappear indeed. Or at least conflict in it, (which is all I really ask for). ;-)
That's nice news.
I should get to read that book one day. Who knows, *I* may be the last missing link to reaching world peace.
(Yeah, suuuure... If it could BE that simple.)
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