The Mirror of God: Christian Faith as Spiritual Practice--Lessons from Buddhism and Psychotherapy [Hardcover]

James W. Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2003

What are the benefits of being a spiritual person? This is the question that James Jones explores in his newest book, The Mirror of God. Jones contends that true religious belief is not a passive process and that one must work hard towards believing in God through acts such as prayer, meditation and communal worship. He explores the boundaries between psychotherapy and religious practice, looks at what Christians might learn from Buddhists and shows their effects on the body and mind. Jones is a psychologist as well as a professor of religion and, ultimately, he provides a blueprint for worship that's smart, effective and grounded in the real lives we all live.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jones's newest offering is a paradox: a theoretical book about the benefits of religious practice, particularly those practices that promote a mystical encounter with God. Clinical psychologist, religion professor and author of 10 books, Jones draws on his two disciplines, religion and psychology, to argue that the practice of faith, not the content of one's beliefs, is what makes for a faith-filled life. The practices of prayer, meditation, worship and other disciplines are also the tools for personal transformation-what Jones calls the development of "spiritual selfhood"-and healthier, saner living. But he emphasizes that the awareness of and relationship to God that religious faith promotes must be the end sought, not better health or some other extrinsic purpose. Jones's comparative religions background produces an interesting chapter comparing Jesus Christ as "Anointed One" and Buddha as "Awakened One," two different paths taken and taught in response to human suffering. He also unpacks nuances in tracing the development over time of the Buddhist teaching of emptiness and its relationship to the logos (Word) of the Christian Gospel of John. Some parts of the book aren't as fresh (there's yet another critique of cultural materialism) while others report growing, empirically based understanding of the relationship between religion and health. Jones's dogged insistence that faith is nothing without patient, persistent practice is ultimately modest and a welcome report from the fields of religious, and clinical, practice.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The road to physical, spiritual, and psychological health may be paved with such practices as meditation, prayer, and attendance at Sunday services. That is, act as if you believe, and not only will you eventually believe, but you will also feel better during the process. Discipline, says Episcopal priest and psychologist Jones, is what brings people into contact with their primal experiences, contact that, in turn, contributes to overall good health. He notes studies finding that religious practice for its own sake is associated with lower levels of psychological distress and reductions in anxiety and depression. He knows whereof he speaks, since he often addresses in his clinical practice issues that once fell within the purview of priests and rabbis. Emphasizing that spirituality is one way people define themselves, Jones uniquely blends his experience as clinical psychologist, Christian clergyman, and student of Buddhism to compellingly affirm the interdependence of mind, body, and spirit. Donna Chavez
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; First Edition edition (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403961026
• ISBN-13: 978-1403961020
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,656,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bhuddism V. Christianity, December 24, 2005

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This review is from: The Mirror of God: Christian Faith as Spiritual Practice--Lessons from Buddhism and Psychotherapy (Hardcover)

As the title of the book suggests, the author tries to present the Christian faith as spiritual practice using Buddhism's categories. To defend his thesis, he returns to the early church fathers and argues that in their writings, they made "the site of redemption the individual's interior struggle with themselves." This is important because Buddhism emphasizes this personal struggle and fears and the whole essence of meditation in Buddhism is to receive enlightenment and be freed from these struggles. He says the early Fathers of the church provided meditation techniques to help the mind to be quiet. He gives an example of the "Jesus Prayer." He argues that this is not unique to Christianity but is also present in Buddhism. It is a common practice in Buddhism to recite mantras as a way of reaching the enlightenment.

With regards to the role of the body, the author says the Tibetan Buddhists have something to teach Christianity about the body. Unlike the early Christian Fathers who saw the body as being antagonistic to the spirit, that the Buddhists approach the body not as an enemy of the spirit but as a means of expressing the spirit.

The author tries to compare Jesus and Buddha. He says "... both Buddhism and Christianity begin with a wandering teacher who gathers a band of followers. The births of both founders are surrounded with miraculous and supernatural events. After their deaths, both are recognized as more than simply mortal." He however recognizes that there are differences between them. He brings in the issue of attachment and detachment in both religions and tries to give a psychological perspective to them.

He says that "spiritualities and therapies of transcendence alone run the risk of a hollow and short-lived victory over interior forces. Spiritualities and therapies of immersion alone run the risk of drowning in the pool of Narcissus." This is a significant contribution in his work. The basic wisdom here is to acknowledge our emotions, explore them and then relate them in order for true transcendental transformation to take place.

His references to studies showing that spiritual practice helps in psychological well being are definitely a positive to his work. He says, "Those who gain meaning from their religion and practice it regularly enjoy better overall health than those who use religion instrumentally, as a way of impressing others or as a means to social status." The author discusses the contributions of modern psychology to spiritual practice. He says "Spiritual disciplines and the wisdom they produce add breadth and depth to the findings of psychology. Psychology adds grounding and realism to the spiritual journey."

The author does a good job trying to convince his readers to look at Christian faith as spiritual practice. His comparison of Christianity and Buddhism is well done.