The Soul's Religion

Starred review from March 18, 2002
Moore's long-awaited companion volume to his popular 1992 book, Care of the Soul, delves into religion as a way of enhancing the life of the soul. A former monk and therapist, Moore reimagines religion not as a set of beliefs or a strict moral code, but as a romantic adventure. He draws heavily on his background in world religions, calling upon sources as diverse as poet Emily Dickinson, Lutheran martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Zen master Shunryu Suzuki. The result is not a frothy mixture of spiritual comfort and pat answers, but a thoughtful guidebook for seekers willing to go beyond instant messaging in their religious journeys and do their own work. Moore expresses some impatience with the "new spirituality" that has cropped up on the talk-show circuit with its "glowing, bloated terminology." But he clearly offers another way—one in which ignorance can be holy, unbelief is as important as belief and "God is as much in the mess as in the beauty." In this collection of short essays, Moore is provocative, yet respectful of traditional religion. His thoughts are not always wrapped tightly or arranged in an easy flow, but he never creates the expectation that they will be, depicting himself more as a fellow explorer than an all-knowing guru. Readers involved in traditional religious structures may not agree with all of Moore's ideas, but they cannot fail to be challenged by them, as will independent spiritual travelers who have forged their own paths.

December 1, 2001
Finding how the spirit moves you; from the author of the best-selling Care of the Soul.

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2002
Publishers are responding to an increased demand for books that can help people lead more meditative lives, and these inventive essay collections will please progressive Christian and New Age readers alike. In The Soul's Religion, Moore's companion volume to his 1992 best seller, Care of the Soul, brief essays by the famed therapist and former monk offer perspectives on the soul-deepening potential of coping with failed relationships, natural disaster, and the fools and saints around us. Moore uses a variety of spiritual traditions, including Zen, Taoism, and Christianity, to show readers how they can enhance their spiritual development. In Bringing God Home, a Unitarian minister and son of former senator Frank Church has crafted a poetic autobiography in the form of brief meditations. Lay people will savor Church's originality as well as his insights from childhood with a famous father, and English teachers will find inspiration for their classrooms in his thoughts on the pilgrimage literature of John Bunyan, Thomas Wolfe, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Teasdale's A Monk in the World gives practical tips for enhancing spirituality and promoting social justice. A Hindu monk with a Catholic upbringing, Teasdale teaches at three colleges in the Chicago area. His gentle reflections are punctuated by reminiscences of personal ordeals as well as poignant character sketches of street people. Teasdale's more ambitious The Mystic Heart: Discovering a Universal Spirituality in the World's Religions has been popular, and his new work should be, too. All three books can be added to larger public libraries, but those that can afford just one should consider purchasing Moore's, which will be in demand owing to the author's widespread popularity. Joyce Smothers, Student, Princeton Theological Seminary, NJ

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2002
In this companion to his biggest best-seller, " Care of the Soul "(1992), Moore focuses on spirituality and its many aspects. In personal anecdotes and thoughtful meditations, he explores spirituality not as a form of escape but as a way to appreciate the moral complexity of human life. An important theme throughout is suffering. The question to ask about it, he suggests, isn't why we suffer but how we should respond to suffering. Former therapist Moore knows that life, and certainly the spiritual life, cannot be approached in simple black-and-white terms. If the trend today is to view spirituality as something sweet and ineffable, then Moore takes the opposite tack, encouraging readers to acknowledge the power and accept the shadow side of spirituality. Lamenting the loss of religion as a way of life, he advocates a form of secular holiness, of linking the spiritual and the secular, as an ultimate antidote to the "soulless secularism" that he sees enveloping modern people. In toto, his new book" "is a rich, nuanced reflection on what it means to be human and a sophisticated look at early-twenty-first-century spiritual malaise. Moore neither coddles the ego nor offers fast and easy solutions to life's problems but instead encourages being open to mystery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)