Customer Reviews

The Best American Spiritual Writing 2004

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Most people have at some level, an interest or curiousity in things that are considered 'spiritual'. Philip Zaleski has selected an excellent collection of essays and poems that reflect a wide range of spiritual-related ideas, musings, stories and expressions.

The number of essays is over twice that of poems but the volume of writing in the essays is probably fifty-fold that of the poems, so if you are looking for poetry, this is not the best source.

Keep in mind that the group is of 'spiritual' writing and not 'Christian', meaning that from essay to essay, idealogies will vary so much that at times you will wonder why they are even in the collection. Viewpoints move from naturalism to Buddism to Catholicism and more.

I found some of the essays very interesting. What will appeal to a different reader? It's hard to guess. But any reader with the slightest interest in things spiritual or spiritual people or other cultures are sure to find something he likes here.


Some of my favorites were:
The introdction
Physics and Grief
Judaism beyond Words
What The Blind See


As I said, the poetry is a relativly minor part of the collection. But of what was included, very little appealed to me.

This collection of spiritual writings was created by Jack Miles and Philip Zaleski. Buddhism holds the self is an illusion. Jack Miles practiced Buddhist meditation after leaving the Society of Jesus. (Later he became an Episcopalian.)

Rick Bass grew up at the edge of a prairie where there were things to see. Later, watching his daughter Lowry approach a woodpecker, he is delighted. Robin Cody's piece about Ivory Bloom also involves a child, a child's fresh perceptions. Robin Cody's narrator, a bus driver, learns that story is the assassin of despair, (the bus is one for transporting special-needs students).

Joseph Epstein avers that envy is no fun. With few exceptions we all experience envy. Envy and jealousy are different. Envy is not a general yearning and it is not open conflict. The envious are intent on destroying the happiness of others.

Thomas Lynch opines that the good grief, the good death, the good funeral are oxymorons. Are spritual bodies more agreeable than natural ones? A memorial service is a way of not dealing with the dead.

Kathleen Norris observes that it is easy to like the idea of grace. R.R. Reno reminds the reader that many writers have suggested that pride is a barrier to faith. Nevertheless, a greater danger is spiritual apathy. Acedia means without care.

There are a number of interesting selections in the compilation including some very good poems.