Beyond Religion is addressed to those people who find that traditional religion no longer meets their spiritual needs but its deeply inspiring ideas will appeal to everyone. The author David Elkins is a psychologist, former minister and poet and is therefore well qualified to write on the subject.
It is a basic premise of the book that the terms 'spiritual' and 'religious' can no longer be equated. People can be religious without being spiritual and a spiritual person is not necessarily religious. It is not, however, about escaping from religion but about finding spirituality in life. David Elkins states quite clearly that it is not his intention to denigrate religion which will always have a place and says: "while this book is not anti-religious, it is opposed to narrow forms of religion that build walls around the sacred and lay exclusive claim to spirituality." (5)
The book is in two parts: Part 1 "describes the spiritual revolution of our time and then redefines spirituality, the soul, and the sacred in non religious terms." The terms 'spirituality', 'soul', and 'sacred' tend to be spoken of in our modern age without real understanding. Elkins gives an excellent interpretation of these terms and speaks to modern man in language he can understand.
The first chapter is a summary of the spiritual situation today. It is almost entirely focused on the American viewpoint but can be appreciated by anyone in western society. The second chapter deals with the meaning of spirituality and suggests a new, comprehensive and very adequate definition of the term which has evolved from the observations of a research group dedicated to the subject.
In Chapter 3, The Soul, Elkins suggests that "we live in a culture that has forgotten the soul" (38) an in this chapter he reminds his readers of its wonderful reality. Taking us back to the roots of the word 'Soul' in the Greek psyche and Latin anima he explains how the term is ultimately grounded in the deepest passions of humanity but has become a term with more of a theological meaning.
The first clue to the nature of soul, he suggests, is that soul is intimately associated with depth. He says, "we meet the soul when we are stirred by music, moved by a poem, absorbed in a painting, or touched by a ceremony or symbol. Soul is the deep, empathic resonance that vibrates within us at such moments." (41) The second clue has to do with art. Creative art is the body of the soul and imagination is the loom on which we weave our souls. (49)
He continues to look at further aspects of the soul under several headings. The soul is associated with the feminine, imagination, the Archetypal World (Jungian), darkness, mystery, 'the more' of life, mood, and finally the true self. All these associations are explored and explained in terms which will touch every reader. Concluding this chapter he says, "nothing is more important than being true to ourselves, to the daimon that lives at the core of our soul." (60)
The third chapter explores the Sacred and opens by summarising the scholarly theories of Rudolf Otto, Mircea Eliade, William James, Martin Buber, and Abraham Maslow. He explains each of them clearly and gives his own thoughts on their contributions before adding his own pertinent thoughts on the subject.
He suggests that sacred experiences come to people in varying degrees from the 'poignant moment such as a mother being stirred by watching her family at play, to the more profound 'peak experience' and much rarer 'mystical experience'. Discovering the sacred relies on transcendent perception which is the ability to see the 'more' in something, which might be described as the special view one has of one's baby, lover, or merely the beauty of the sky at night.
Elkins demonstrates how the sacred operates in everyday life and how it breaks into everyday moments to uplift the soul and thereby gives spiritual development. He maintains that once one is aware of such moments and their sacred aspect then one can learn to access the sacred and develop more fully and this is what he attempts to demonstrate in Part II.
This might seem rather mundane and unoriginal but herein lies the attraction of this book. Elkins manages to bring attention what most people feel instinctively but in so doing enables one to see life differently.
Part II is described as "eight alternative paths to the sacred" and I think this description is a bit misleading. The title might suggest that each is a path in its own right or that they are in some sense 'alternative' whereas what he speaks of would far better be described as 'natural'. The paths he explores are: The Feminine, the path of the anima, The Arts, the path of the muses, The Body, the path of Eros, sex and sexuality, Psychology, the path of counselling and psychotherapy, Mythology, the path of story, ritual and symbol, Nature, the path of the earth and heavens, Relationships, the path of friendship, family and community and finally Dark nights of the soul, the path of existential crises.
In these chapters the author draws on leading thinkers in the relevant fields and footnotes helpfully locate their publications - although a bibliography would have been a useful addition. He enlivens the chapters with evocative examples; personal experiences and occasionally with his own poetry.
The final chapter suggests how to formulate 'A Personal Program for Spiritual Growth'. This is a simple and easily do-able guide for everyone. It recognises that each person is unique and that each individual will have their own preferences. The fundamental basis of the program is that "the key to spiritual development is to identify those experiences which constitute your own path to the sacred and engage on those activities on a regular basis".
Keeping a 'soul diary' is the heart of the program which begins with five thought provoking personal exercises which help you to discover your own 'key experiences.' The second step is about designing a three-month pilot program; the third step is doing it and the fourth about evaluating it.
My only and very minor criticism of the book is that at first sight it appears to be too narrowly targeted. Initially it appears to be addressed to an American audience in a certain age group - 'baby boomers' born between 1946 and 1962 who are dissatisfied with American conservative Christianity. But I think this book has far wider appeal than that. I think the book would be of use to all people, both inside and outside a religious tradition, who consider themselves to be spiritual and who want to develop that aspect of themselves.
To conclude I can only echo what another reviewer, Joan Borysenko, has said and which appears on the back of the book:
"One of the most numinous and thought-provoking books on the soul and the spirit that I have encountered. Accessible, poetic and personal as well as scholarly and well-grounded, this book is a treasure to read and re-read. It will surely become a beloved classic."
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