God and the Evolving Universe

Spiritual evolution in the universal sense is the topic of this profound essay on where humanity is going. It's a historical view, a picture of spiritual thought from the time of the ancients and up through the major religious movements of the last 2000 years. It's a dense and compact survey of a vast amount of ideological and biographical information. The fabric running through it is the author's belief that we are willful participants in the broader notions of God that are emerging across the world today. Without rejecting our own religious tradition, we can adopt an expanded view of God that integrates the idea of a benevolent intelligence with the many spiritual practices and phenomena that fall outside Western religion and science. A spellbinding and well-documented proposal is read with dignity and flawless pacing by Chris Ryan. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

January 14, 2002
When is perennial wisdom more perennial than wise? Perhaps when it follows this commonplace opener: "Today we stand poised at a threshold in human history." Popular and prolific author Redfield (The Celestine Prophecy) is teamed here with Esalen Institute cofounder Murphy and documentary filmmaker Timbers. This trio of writers presents the history of human consciousness as an unfolding map of human potential, extrapolating from empirically documented peak human experiences a future norm of sensation and sensibility. An emphasis on empiricism and an 80-plus page annotated bibliography (almost one-quarter of the book) anchor the text; a chapter of exercises provides application. Perhaps the historic framework dwarfs the picture of what is new: it's difficult to discern progress in the argument for forthcoming human advancement in this latest work from writers who have already persuasively or profitably ploughed the ground. It's also difficult to find the God of the title, except as the Divine One who primed the evolutionary pump at its outset and inspired many of the visionaries the authors cite. The text is accessible but dry; Redfield's visionary fiction and Murphy's genre-bending books (e.g., Golf in the Kingdom) offer more fun. The book may be most valuable to those not familiar with the work of Redfield or Murphy; as a synergistic addition to their work, there's not much new. (Jan.)Forecast:
The Celestine Prophecy spent more than three years on the
New York Times bestseller list, making it one of the hottest spiritual books of the late 20th century. A 13-city author tour should help Redfield (who has an outstanding history in promoting his books directly to readers) and his colleagues sell through their 75,000-copy initial print run.