Spiritual Genius

Starred review from January 28, 2002
This is an astonishing, engrossing introduction to 10 human beings who seem to live with one foot in another plane. Gallagher, journalist and author of several books (Working on God; Just the Way You Are), defines spiritual genius as the "ability to seek life's meaning" and proposes that "all of us use spiritual genius some of the time, but some of us use it all of the time." From a goddess on an obscure Indian island to passionate scholars (Huston Smith), community activists (Tony Campolo), hermits and healing doctors, the individuals she highlights are deeply religious men and women with a gift for "combining mysticism and activism." These living saints are not household names, but they clearly belong in the same class as more famous individuals such as Mother Teresa. Each has emerged from major religious traditions (Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity), but this book is not a primer on world religions. Each chapter plunges the reader into deep, rich veins of religious thought and experience. The disciplined devotion and seemingly boundless compassion of these geniuses, combined with their indifference to limelight, make them utterly convincing and magnetic witnesses to the divine. Gallagher manages to insert enough of herself to draw out humor, irony and humility—and to let the reader taste what an encounter with these geniuses might be like—without inserting any kind of obscuring religious bias. Her reverence, curiosity and appreciation of these individuals flow from the pages. (Feb. 19)Forecast:This outstanding multibiography is poised to do well in a time when Americans are focusing less on celebrities and more on "everyday heroes." A four-city author tour and advertising in such periodicals as
New Age Journal,
Tricycle and
Parabola should help with promotion efforts.

March 1, 2002
Gallagher, a social science writer and freelance journalist, penned the popular Working on God, an overview of contemporary religious experience in America. Here, she presents a collection of ten light, laudatory profiles of faith leaders. Purposely excluding top religious authorities like the Pope and the Dalai Lama, she creates readable portraits of extraordinary men and women who represent Eastern and Western faith traditions. Some, like evangelist Tony Campolo, comparative religion scholar Huston Smith, and Israeli teacher Adin Steinsaltz, are celebrities in the United States. Gallagher follows each subject through a typical day, watching him or her commune with God and go about doing good. The author, who has an ear for the memorable quote, elicits candid comments from these saintly folk that make them seem not so different from us. Gritty, humorous details of her travels from Camden to India and from New York to Tibet provide balance for the sublime yet esoteric content of each article. Recommended for larger public libraries. Joyce Smothers, M.L.S., Master of Divinity student, Princeton Theological Seminary, NJ

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2002
Modern society is quick to call an artist or athlete a genius, but very few apply the term to a spiritual practitioner. Gallagher, however, profiles 11 contemporary men and women she considers spiritual geniuses. Spiritual genius she defines as the uniquely human ability to seek the meaning of life and ask such fundamental questions as Who am I? and How can I make a difference? Most of her exemplars aren't known by the general public, but they include adherents to each of the great world religions, such as a Hindu doctor, a Muslim scholar, a Talmudist, a Buddhist hermit, and a Christian social reformer. The two "celebrities" among them are Jewish mystic Lawrence Kushner and the noted scholar of world religions Huston Smith. For Gallagher, they exemplify the best of what it means to be human. After spending some time with them, readers understandably may feel overcome with awe and admiration. If one believes with Rabbi Kushner that everything happens for a reason, then this book may inspire such readers, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)