Review by Bill Williams, Hartford Current, CT, USA January 8, 2000 Submitted by Gary T. Mallalieu
Wayne Teasdale calls this "the interspiritual age" and predicts that interspirituality will become "the religion of the third millennium." The author, who grew up in Windsor (CT) and now lives in Chicago as a Catholic lay monk, offers an inspiring vision of a world where people draw from the wisdom of all the great spiritual traditions.
He begins with the assertion that" every one of us is a mystic" capable of "direct contact with the divine, or ultimate mystery." As well as any recent writer, Teasdale draws on the insights of Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism to shed light on the spiritual journey. He sketches a vision that is at once practical and uplifting. He discusses social action, solitude, nature, solidarity with all living beings, nonviolence, simplicity, and other attributes of the spiritual quest.
The goal of any spiritual journey is to "prepare ourselves to be receptive and sensitive to the divine presence by slowly awakening our spiritual senses." This is a landmark book in the field of interreligious dialogue, written with sensitivity and deep respect for all the great traditions.