Customer Reviews

Putting on the Mind of Christ

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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

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.

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.

This book opens so strongly and carries such a powerful central theme all the way through that it is possible to overlook some of the book's weaknesses. When Marion focuses on Christ consciousness, especially as supported by Gospel exegesis, St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa, he does a marvelous job. He also starts well in his exploration of the developmental stages of the increasing manifestation of and access to Christ consciousness, but faded for me in later chapters. His discussions, for example, of psychic, subtle and causal realms reminded me of the way that a two-year-old's intrepretation of object permanence is correct from her own perspective -- a specific amount of water really does change with the shape of the container -- and yet once the necessary structures and systems are in place, the former interpretation gives way to new ones. I felt (right or wrong) a certain matter-of-factness to the dynamics of higher realities that might have been more palatable presented as possibilities. As with the example of object permanence, I'm not sure we have the biopsychosocial structures and systems available to us to make "correct" sense of perceptions at these levels, though I appreciate Marion's giving us a place to start. In an admirable attempt to be inclusive, Marion sometimes shoe-horns some unnecessary points based on what might be called "new age" interpretations and, in my opinion, sometimes these are just plain wrong. I was especially underwhelmed, for example, by the chapter on reincarnation and frustrated by the chapter on the cross, which made several excellent points, but with too much extraneous baggage. (To be fair, I did find some resonance with his discussions of non-duality.) The critical thinking that I did not encounter in late chapters is the reason I can't give the book five stars. All that being said, you must be wondering why I gave the book any stars at all! In part, it's because the subject is quite close to my heart and because of that I also recognize that thinking is not always the most useful approach to the very God that Marion is wrestling with. His central theme is compelling enough to carry even the blemishes and the depth of his caring is quite obvious; for those reasons I do highly recommend the book to anyone interested in joining the conversation. For challenging my own thinking and for the courage to step out around the edges, I am grateful to Marion. Read his book for yourself and see where you go from the start he has laid out. Contemplate his points, argue with him or agree with him, but let it take you somewhere.

I believe this book is a must read for any Christian - for those who have a whole host of questions they need answered, through those who merely have one, and finally even to those who think they have it all figured out. Further, I feel it is a must read for those of all the World's other major religions as they might hopefully see, as I think Jim Marion made quite clear, that while there are many paths to God they all point to the same One Who Is. This triumphant book is the next step in the evolution of Christianity and the evolution of a Spirituality that our entire world can embrace, together, without the separation that has caused so much heartache in the past. Let's hope we will hear more from Mr. Marion in the future. -DLR

Jim Marion has written a classic. If you're familiar with Andrew Harvey's Son of Man, reading this book will show you the book Harvey may have wanted to write. In a world where spirituality is served up as a cream puff feel-good exercise in clothing the ego with royal robes, this is the real thing, plain and simple.

Taking a cue from Piaget's findings on the development of the individual, Ken Wilber's slightly off-the-beaten-path way of looking at things and Jean Gebser's far more on-target observations about the growth of awareness in civilizations and individuals, Marion has pieced togther a spiritual map to mark the trail that is found in the book's subtitle: The Inner Work of Christian Spirituality.

The essential point in the book is that spirituality is not soft and fuzzy and sweet like cotton candy. It is, for many (as it was for Jesus) frightening, tempting, tough and dangerous -- which is to say that St. John of the Cross' Dark Night of the Soul is not for wimps.

As I mentioned two paragraphs above -- the maps "mark the trail" and do not "guide" a person. Unlike others who coddle you, this book says here's the map, there's the road. It's your adventure, your journey, and it's certainly not the sanitized version, either. It's more what Joseph Campbell tried to point out -- some of the classic myths and legends of the human journey are terrifying (although we've become jaded to their power) and yet, like it or not, these are our stories, our quests as well. Marion is very clear about his own demons and presents them, perhaps even a bit too clearly and personally for some readers.

I cannot say enough good about this book. When you complete it, you'll start it again and return to it often. You will clearly see why Fundamentalists think the way they do, why atheists are in love with the rational approach and more. There are treasures all through this work -- my current favorite? I suppose it has to do with sin being seen as error, based in ignorance, not evil. Marion's point is brilliantly made -- he explains that when a child is learning to walk and stumbles, you don't call him or her a sinner. You help them find their balance. You encourage, you support, you remove the errors. (Marion, thankfully, presents this better than I just did)

Marion's point is that iin these times we hear the same talk in churches that was heard in the temples in in Jesus' day -- an emphasis on morality, the letter of the law and really prescious little about the true Kingdom of Heaven within, which is the entire substance of Jesus' life and teachings.

If you're on the spiritual path and you just feel so nice and warm and cushy about everybody and everything, then I've got news for you -- you're stuck. Get unstuck. Get this book.

'Putting On The Mind of Christ' is a thoroughly documented, and highly effective tool for understanding the process of healing and transformation in a Christian, Biblically based context. As such, it introduces the process of Healing and Transformation to those who might otherwise reject this valuable process. Jim is especially good when outlining how this process of healing and transformation was referenced in the Bible as well as by other Christian Mystics. His personal reflections also add to our understanding of the importance of this process. In addition, his lucid and thorough explanation of the dark night of the soul can bring comfort to those who are experiencing challenging situations by showing how these challenges are a part of their process of healing and transformation.

After a second reading of Jim Marion's book I realize how comprehensive it is and what a practical reference it is for the future. I especially recommend it for those with a Catholic or other Christian background who have been discouraged by or excluded from the practice of their faith and have explored eastern philosophy and meditation. Everything is brought together here. This book was very comforting to me because of the way it verified my understanding but also painful because it showed me how far I am from the goal. I hope Jim Marion will continue this courageous open expression with additional written material or better by providing personal attention and advice for us individually. This is a great book.

In this book Jim Marion outlines what, for most Christians, is probably a radical and very divergent interpretation of Jesus' words. If you're not already acquainted with Christian mysticism or the more esoteric interpreations of Jesus' words and life then prepare to have your brain (and spirit) stretched!

Marion portrays the Christian conversion process not as a discreet point in time where one accepts Christ and is then "saved", but rather as the soul's spiritual journey back to God. He explains this by using his own life as an example and he places the whole journey into the framework of a psychological contruct of Ken Wilber's having to do with the various levels of consciousness that we humans (individually and corporately) progress through in our spiritual journey. Marion also draws extensively on the experiences of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila (Christian / Catholic mystics) to add historical (from a religious viewpoint) credence to what he is saying.

The book is fairly cerebral and is not an easy read, and is certain to ruffle feathers. But if you stick with him and mull over the ideas in this book it will profoundly change the lens through which you view your spiritual journey. You may not agree with everything Marion writes, but this type of "blow-the-lid-off" religious thought is desperately needed in a world where organized religion's primary effect seems to be to simply maintain the spiritual status quo. If you've become bored with "church" and have a nagging feeling that standard Christian dogma doesn't quite add up then this book will be an excellent springboard to higher religious thought.

Jim Marion is former Catholic monk, and contemporary mystic, who has spent a lifetime following the Christian spiritual path. His book, Putting on the Mind of Christ: The Inner Work of Christian Spirituality, "is concerned with the development of human consciousness."
He says that consciousness is a continual process of inner development. It's been studied and mapped by psychologists, but they've left out what Marion feels is the most important aspect: inner spiritual growth. His book is intended to show "how the Christian spiritual tradition both complements and completes the work of the psychologists."
He begins with a discussion of the Kingdom of Heaven, pointing out that it's the highest level of consciousness to which humans can aspire, not just a place where people go after death. He then describes in full the levels of consciousness people go through in order to mature spiritually, including a lengthy section on the "Dark Night of the Soul."
Marion calls St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila his mentors and uses examples from their lives as well as his own experiences to illuminate the path of Christian spiritual growth. He emphasizes that inner growth is hard work, and that this work must be done by individuals, not by the Church.
Marion concludes with a clarification of misconceptions that can hinder people in their journey to Christ Consciousness, including discussions about the divinity of Christ, good and evil, the saints, and reincarnation. He says "we are already perfect in God's eyes...we are already sinless...we are already immortal. The spiritual path is not designed to 'get' any of these things for us" but help us become conscious that we are all these and more.
"Putting on the Mind of Christ is both a personal journey and a manual for those who seek to follow the same path." It belongs in the library of all those seeking spiritual growth, regardless of their religious affiliation.