Customer Reviews

Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
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2 star:		(2)
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If you aren't clear on the difference between religion and spirituality or think spirituality is weird, this book makes a clear and essential exposition of the differences. They use volumous resources to point out the basic values in life that count. As a therapist I use this book literally every day to help me meet the needs of my patients to understand themselves and where they are going with their lives and the importance of nourishing one's self, one's unique spirit. Spirituality applies to all aspects of life and the Brussart's start with the ABC's and go from there to explore the voice of hundreds of spiritual and religious persons to describe and enhance one's understanding of the basic values that apply to all of our lives if we intend to live up to any of our secret desires to be better persons.

Oprah said, "I keep Spiritual Literacy right on my bedside table. I love this book!" when she introduced the segment devoted to it on her show last year.

Well, I beat her to it. I fell in love with the uncorrected advance proof which landed on my editor's desk because the Brussats are regular columnists for the magazine I work for, The Lutheran. It wonderfully teaches the reader how to see the spirituality already present in each of our daily lives--if only we know what to look for. That's given in a primer of spiritual literacy, from A for attention, B for beauty and C for connections straight through to X for the mystery, Y for yearning and Z for zeal. You don't have to retreat from the mundane to find spiritual truth. You have, rather, to plumb it.

My copy of Spiritual Literacy still sits on my bookshelf headboard. This is a book to last a lifetime.

And a marvelous bonus: Among the 600 some excerpts and passages you find authors that are old friends and are introduced to others destined to become new teachers.

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat are the Directors of SpiritualityandPractice.com. Both
are journalists who have spent more than thirty years identifying and reviewing resources for people on spiritual journeys. They also write a monthly column on "Spiritual Practices" for The Lutheran magazine and their book is on the recommended reading list of Luther Seminary.

Spiritual Literacy is a collection of 650 spiritual vignettes culled from a vast array of literary and religious sources and held together with personal commentaries and anecdotes. Each is designed to cultivate our ability to listen deeply--to hear "with the ear of our hearts." As one of the top spiritual books in print today, it is a wonderful source of wisdom and insight into the spiritual life we all try to hone. The editors have included passages of poetry, prose, every conceivable vantage point and different religious orientations ranging from lyricist Leonard Cohen to philosopher Jacob Needleman; Christian mystic Meister Eckhart to writers Maya Angelou, Annie Dillard, Wendell Berry, Ram Dass, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Robert Fulghum, Thich Nhat Hanh, Barbara Kingsolver, Kathleen Norris, Henri J. M. Nouwen, Anne Tyler, and many more.

With such diversity there is much to inspire us to "read the signs that point to the active presence of Spirit in the world around us" --signs written in the very texts of our own experiences. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of spirituality: objects, places, animals, nature, leisure, creativity, service, relationships, community and more. At the end of each section, the authors provide suggestions for activities, exercises, and rituals.

Here is a timely selection that G. K. Chesterton wrote about Santa Claus:

What has happened to me has been the very reverse of what appears to be the experiences of most of my friends. Instead of dwindling to a point, Santa Claus has grown larger and larger in my life. It happened in this way. As a child I was faced with a phenomenon requiring explanation. I hung up at the end of my bed an empty stocking, which in the morning became a full stocking. I had done nothing to produce those things that filled it. I had not worked for them, or made them or helped to make them. And the explanation was that a certain being people called Santa Claus was favorably disposed toward me. What we believed was that a certain benevolent agency did give us those toys for nothing. And, as I say, I believe it still. I have merely extended the idea. Then I only wondered who put the toys in the stocking. Now I wonder who put the stocking by the bed, and the bed in the room and the room in the house, and the house on this planet, and the great planet in the void. (p. 267)

As one of your New Year's resolutions make Spiritual Literacy a part of each day and you will see that the world is alive and moving toward you with rare epiphanies and wonderful surprises. Pay attention to the rhythms of life not just the ripples, the currents and not the waves. Remember when you put a seashell to your ear it is not the ocean that you hear but the flowing of our own blood, the pulsations of your inner ocean. "For lack of attention," wrote the English mystic Evelyn Underhill, "a thousand forms of loveliness elude us every day."

Holding this hefty book in your hands, you cannot help but admire and respect the editorial efforts of the Brussats. They have put together a dazzling compendium of spiritual wisdom -- and have certainly done a lion's share of promoting many wonderful books that probably wouldn't have gained public attention otherwise! Many of the books they've quoted are now prized possessions on my book shelf, and I am grateful for having had this resource to light the path.

My only caveat -- and maybe it's just my issue -- is the way the book is organized and categorized. I find I have to spend a lot of time with the book before I can navigate its pages and figure out how/where to find things within the categories. To be fair, there's A LOT of material here, and not being an ediotr, I am not sure if there IS an easier way to package it all for the reader (?) Thankfully, there is a decent index and the book is worth keeping at your bedside for daily inspiration. You can dip into it anywhere and be nourished.

This is an excellent thought provoking book. The authors spent a great deal of effort collecting meaningful spiritual anecdotes, stories, memories, etc. They then convey how important each of these are no matter what dogma or religion one follows. We can all draw closer to each other, as fellow beings upon this planet, by reading this book. It is a moving and heart-warming book.

Imagine my pure glee at finding this book on a $5 sale table at Wal-Mart! I bought all five copies there and gave them to my daughters and closest friends. This book is full of jewels and small treasures that make you stop, think and appreciate the everyday miracles in your life. Many of my favorite authors are excerpted or quoted in these pages. A must read for every book lover and those with a seeker's heart. A very comtemplative, heartfelt book that feeds my soul and spirit each time I pick it up. I highly recommend it to everyone looking for a book that can bring you joy and enlightenment on every page.

This book summarizes the accumulated wisdom of human kind. It deals with final and fundamental principles of the genetic urge to find meaning. It teaches us once again that the need for religion--connection, love,beauty, to be listened to--is a natural biological urge reflected in many sects and domination all searching for the same things, the things discussed iin this book.

The editors of this enriching collection quote a broad spectrum of spiritual passages and shorter comments from writers throughout history, with different religious orientations, ranging from lyricist Leonard Cohen to philosopher Jacob Needleman; Christian mystic Meister Eckhart to writers Maya Angelou and Annie Dillard. With its diverse prose and poetry, there is much to inspire readers to "read the signs that point to the active presence of Spirit in the world around us."

In the introduction, the editors comment, "Do you need to have reached some state of enlightenment to be able to decode the world? Some traditions do see such understanding as a gift or 'awakening', but we believe it is a skill that can be developed." This cornucopia of readings can be a guiding and enriching way to help do just that.

This book is arranged in a series of topics, covering the gamut from the simple (the spirituality of the things in our life, ordinary objects we take for granted), to the most complex (the spirituality of community) and all the steps in between. What is especially marvellous about this book is the way that it doesn't merely state a concept or a lesson. It deomstrates it, via the several quotes and story-lets per topic taken from all spiritual traditions and ways. If it were possible to rate a book with six stars, I would rate this book that high.

When a friend gave me "Spiritual Literacy," I had no idea what a treasure I was holding in my hands. I love this book so much, I have gifted many copies to other friends, and it is among my top favorite spiritual books in my permanent nightstand collection. No matter your religious faith, one cannot help but be deeply moved, inspired, enlightened and comforted by reading one short story or "reading" after another, being reminded that the sacred truly is in the every day and the ordinary. Every page is a full of the gifts of wisdom and pleasure. "Spiritual Literacy" is a book I'll read and cherish throughout my entire life. And, I'll continue to gift it to as many people as I can. That's how wonderful it is!