Care of the Soul

January 1, 2003
A radical and profoundly capacious view of human nature is the foundation for this eloquent discourse on living an imaginative, ``soulful'' life--one that embraces both body and spirit--in modern times. Challenging contemporary psychotherapy and its ``muscled, strong-willed pursuit of change,'' Moore ( Dark Eros ), a therapist and religious historian who trained as a Catholic monk but did not make final vows, poses an attentive, accepting approach to everyday life that emphasises ``modest care and not miraculous cure.'' Calling upon theories of C. G. Jung, Freud, Plato and such Renaissance thinkers as Marsilio Ficino and Paracelsus, the author reexamines Western archetypes and myths, citing Demeter and Persephone, Narcissus and Odysseus as well as Jesus for guidance in appreciating ``the paradoxical mysteries that blend light and darkness into the grandeur of what human life and culture can be.'' Taking issue with current psychological precepts, beginning with the assumption that we have control over much of our lives and including our reverence for innocence and a belief in the triumph of the good, Moore urges that ``we let the soul speak and show itself as it is, not as we wish it would be.'' His interpretations, particularly of myths, are not evenly persuasive, but all are well-considered and provocative. In graceful, deceptively gentle prose, he rejects formula, rigidity and a self-worth measured by accepted norms and thus upends contemporary spiritual and religious mores. The book is invigorating, demanding and revolutionary. 35,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo; author tour.

Thomas Moore's seminal work is a philosophical treatise. The title summarizes the theme--personal care of one's own uniqueness and of the special way our souls nurture us. Moore draws heavily on mythology, theology and psychology in his ideas, which are ecumenical though Moore is openly Roman Catholic. His ideas invite concentration and reflection, not easily produced while driving or exercising. Furthermore, Nelson Runger's smooth, dry, controlled voice lacks the passion necessary to sustain interest in this abstract topic. This book is not suited for unabridged audio. It craves the printed page, notes in margins and quiet space. In audio, Moore's work is more effective in abridged form, especially when read by the author. D.W.K. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine