Customer Reviews

Journey Without Distance: The Story Behind a Course in Miracles

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I like this book because it is very "user-friendly." Anyone familiar with Course theory will know that the Course can often be very "heady." The Course is not an easy thought system to grasp, even for those of us who have been studying it for years (I'm in my fifth year of study, now). The story behind A COURSE IN MIRACLES, how it was "scribed" and published, may be as startling as the Course theory itself (the Course is founded on the teaching that the world is an illusion made by the ego as an attack on God).

And that's why I love this book: it breaks down the story of A COURSE IN MIRACLES into a very understandable and simple history. The other book about the story behind the Course is ABSENCE FROM FELICITY by Kenneth Wapnick, and it is a wonderful book. But it is also very challenging and raises many spiritual, psychological, and theological themes in its retelling, so it is therefore a bit of "work" to get through. It, like all of Mr. Wapnick's book, is challenging. This book, JOURNEY WITHOUT DISTANCE, is purely linear and non-technical in its retelling. And is therefore not as "intimidating" as some of the other books on this fascinating subject.

For those who do not know, the title of this book is taken from the passage in A COURSE IN MIRACLES that refers to the journey to God as being, "a journey without distance to a goal that has never change." (Text of A COURSE IN MIRACLES, Ch. 8, paragraph 9, sentence 7)

Having used A Course in Miracles for close to two years, I was glad to find a book which detailed the story of how it was written. If you find the Course any where near as life changing as I have, you wonder how it came about. This book, by one close to the people who actually wrote it down, takes the process out of the realm of fantasy and puts real flesh and blood into the mix. It also makes the Course even more credible. I highly recommend this as a companion to A Course in Miracles.

I had heard vague information about "A Course in Miracles" some 18 years ago. I was curious but never really followed up on it. Then, I came across this book a few years ago and it is an amazing miraculous story. The odd thing is that Dr. Helen Schucman experienced a life long struggle with faith in God and never truly believed in what she had received from this inner voice. Yet The Course has changed countless lives. If you are at all curious about The Course, I suggest you read this book before starting any study. It is not only inspiring but it gives so much credibility to the whole thing.

I had heard about A Course in Miracles, so I bought it. When I started to read it, I found that I could only understand about every fourth sentence. I wondered, "What is this?" My engineer's mind needed some help in understanding just what it was. I bought Journey Without Distance to find out what A Course in Miracles (ACIM) was all about. I found the account to be credible as well as an enjoyable read. I was not put off by the notion of "channeled" material, because I was in the process of learning how to do it myself. I suppose there are many who discount the validity of it. So I became convinced that ACIM is legitimate, and I persevered and subsequently joined a study group to help me adapt to a new way of thinking. It's been over two years since. I want to give credit where it is due. I strongly urge anyone new to ACIM to become familiar with its background. Journey Without Distance is an excellent aid.

This is the story behind A Course in Miracles; how it came about. Anyone struggling with this impressive and often confusing work might benefit from a reading of its "birth". There are numerous interpretations of the meaning of the Course in print. All of them personal, and, in my opinion should be avoided. The Course does its own work on the reader provided they stay with it. "Journey Without Distance" is the best introduction to the Course a future student should need. Only my own experience.

This is a very concise explanation of how A Course in Miracles was created,a very important read for those ready to begin studying A Course.

Journey without Distance is a comprehensive history of A Course in Miracles. It is well written and factual. The details give a sense of awe about the entire process of writing ACIM.