Putting on the Mind of Christ [Hardcover]

Jim Marion (Author), Ken Wilber (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2000

A former Catholic monk and modern mystic asserts that the path of Christian spirituality is difficult, and that individuals, not the Church, must do the work of preparing themselves for the Kingdom of Heaven. Marion believes the "Kingdom of Heaven" is actually a state of mind that any practicing Christian--those doing the hard inner work of spirituality--may attain. Marion uses his extensive knowledge of scripture to document his assertion that "putting on the mind of Christ," or achieving the same degree of spiritual illumination as the Christ, is the original and true goal of Christianity.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A pioneering book, a truly inspired revelation, and a gentle guide to the deepest terrain of our own souls." -- Ken Wilber, from the Foreward

"It is encouraging to see a book that reminds us that true spiritual development is neither easy, safe, nor comfortable." -- Bo Lozoff, author of

"an adventurous study of Christianity which opens the mind and searches the soul." -- NAPRA ReView

An important book, which will both challenge and inspire those already actively engaged in the process of 'putting on the mind of Christ'. -- SMV News - Feb. 2001

an illuminating book that brings the Christian mystical right into the present. -- Science and Medical Network, Network No.74, December 2000

From the Publisher

At a time when many are turning away from organized religion and dogmatic Christianity for their own uncharted "life in the wilderness," Jim Marion shows how standard Christian terms and concepts illuminate a genuine path of inner development, one that requires a fair degree of effort.

He says if you expect to get to "Heaven," there are no priestly chauffeurs who will deliver you unwrinkled to the pearly gates. You'll only "get there" on your own volition, and in order for it to mean anything, you need to do it while you're here, alive, on Earth, wondering what life is all about.

You don't have to be Christian either. Marion draws on various spiritual and metaphysical traditions--Buddhism, the Yaqui teachings described by Carlos Castaneda, Native American shamanism--and the insights of several mystical mavericks to make his case. You'll get to "Heaven" in stages, as you unfold your inner process, and he sets out the typical experiences and travails you're likely to encounter. He charts a develpmental model for inner spiritual unfolding, and uses well-chosen excerpts from scripture and other sources to make his points. This is Christianity the way Christ meant it to be done.

This is not a book about theory, or one man's speculation about how you might get there. Jim has done the hard work: the meditating, the inner scourging, the questioning, the despairing, the life of the committed monk--he has done his tunnel work, burrowing through the great mountain of the Self to the other well-lit side where you can rightfully put on the mind of Christ.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: Hampton Roads Publishing Company; 1St Edition edition (July 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571741739
• ISBN-13: 978-1571741738
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #316,910 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A map to the Kingdom of Heaven., April 10, 2001

By 

G. Merritt (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Putting on the Mind of Christ (Hardcover)

Jim Marion is a Christian mystic, attorney, and former Catholic monk. Not only did Ken Wilber write the Foreward to Marion's book, but his influence is evident throughout this 324-page spiritual journey. This "is a pioneering book," he writes, "a truly inspired revelation, and a gentle guide to the deepest terra in our souls, where there awaits, as there has through all eternity, Christ as Source and Suchness of this and every world" (p. xii).

Jesus taught that "the Kingdom of God is within" (p. 3). In his partly autobiographical book, Marion seeks to describe the Christian spiritual path to that Kingdom (p. xiii). For him, the Kingdom of Heaven is not just near "at hand," it is "here and now" (p. 2). Marion defines the Kingdom of Heaven as "a particular level of human consciousness, not a place to which Christians are destined after death" (p. 1). This is a four star book with many five-star passages. In one such passage, Marion follows the development of human consciousness from the archaic consciousness of infants (pp. 33-36), to the magical consciousness of children (pp. 37-39), to the mythical consciousness of pre-adolescence (pp. 41-47), to rational consciousness (pp. 49-61), to vision-logic consciousness (pp. 63-68), through the "dark night of the senses" (pp. 87-104), to subtle consciousness (pp. 105-114), and ultimately to fully-integrated Christ consciousness, to illustrate his argument that there are "different levels of human consciousness, different levels of spiritual understanding, and the nondual vision of the Kingdom of Heaven is the highest level" (p. 21). Spiritual growth can proceed at "a snail's pace" for many Christians, and Marion asserts that all "prayer, Bible study, preaching, fasting, music, Holy Communion or Mass, healing services, chanting, rituals, almsgiving, monasteries, convents, pilgrimages, meditation, icons, and sacraments have only one purpose--to accelerate people's growth in consciousness upwards and eventually into the nondual vision of Jesus' Kingdom" (p. 23).

Marion's book will appeal to anyone, Christian or not, interested in spiritual growth. Many Christian readers will find this book deeply inspiring, others will no doubt consider it radical Christianity, and still others may reject it as sophistry. However, few readers will disagree with Marion's observation that "we need to realize our divinity, own it, take up the responsibility of it, and live it" (p. 226). If you like this book, try any of Ken Wilber's books.

G. Merritt

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for The Spiritual Journey!, August 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Putting on the Mind of Christ (Hardcover)

Jim Marion's book is important reading for any Christian who has set out on a spiritual journey, and it is a must read for the Christian who in not receiving the support of The Church and feels alone in this journey. PUTTING ON THE MIND OF CHRIST will help put all that your are experiencing in your spiritual journey within a Christian context and will help keep you on "The Way" that Jesus taught. Marion's section on the Nine Levels (stages) of Consciousness for the Spiritual Path should be read by every Christian from radical fundamentalist to extreme liberal (rationalist) in order to better understand the way to God, the Way of Love, that Jesus taught. This is the Narrow Way that Jesus spoke of, and it is not an easy way as Marion so clearly shows; but, if you want to follow the Way of Jesus to God, you had better read this book. Marion's Stages of the Spiritual Path reminds me of Deepak Chopra's book, HOW TO KNOW GOD, and Joan Borysenko's book, SEVEN PATHS TO GOD, which I think will greatly compliment your reading of PUTTING ON THE MIND OF CHRIST. So read with an open mind, let the Spirit guide you, and blessings on your spiritual journey.

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important work, January 8, 2001

By 

le (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Putting on the Mind of Christ (Hardcover)

For far too long now, Christianity as an institution has been too dependent on the cencept of mental belief. The actual experience of spirituality has been ignored or even looked down upon. As a result, too many churches preach the law instead of spirituality, leaving those in search of actual spiritual experience locked out of it, while leaving those having spiritual experiences stumbling in the dark or forced to turn to Eastern spiritual traditions to understand what's happening to them. Marion's book, thanfully, breaks this tradition.

Marion describes how spirituality is not some vague, insubstantial term, but every bit as real as the chair you're sitting in. This isn't news to those who study Eastern religion, but Marion brilliantly connects it to Christianity. His explanation of the diffirent stages of Christianity are every bit as lucid as Eckhart and St. John of the cross. In a way, Marion is even more useful as he speaks in a modern, accecable language.

And for those of you who are interested in such things, I'd also recomend Brian Caldwell's novel, We All Fall Down. It's a compelling novel illustrating what St. John and Marion describe as the Dark Night Of The Soul. Caldwell's novel is perhaps the greatest novel ever written about Christianity and should definitly be read by any Christian seeking to understand his faith as deeply as possible.