[Scholar's Corner]

"...I was a stranger and you took me in." (Matt. 35:25)

The Scholar's Corner invites our reflective readers of varying faiths to consider a wide range of perspectives related to Marsha Sinetar's themes of spiritual maturing. Her top picks span spiritual ideas from metaphysics to traditional theology, drawn from Old (Hebrew) Testament and the New Testament to "New Age" and science. See also the list of wonderful books in our Featured Books and Members area.

As we read in the Book of Matthew, some of us are inclined to feed the poor or, perhaps, heal the sick; others give water to the thirsty. Many, many do "good works."

[Intent]

The Center's singular aim is to nourish and heal by providing living ideational water for those who feel hungry, pained or thirsty enough to grow spiritually. Our ideas and books tend to be "strong meat," relating less to reading as escapism or entertainment, and more to Sinetar's lifelong focus on spiritual maturity (aka: actualizing God-Consciousness and/or The Mind of Christ.).

[Perspective]

Our entire site, including reviews, supports The Center's Mission: To increase understanding of the progression and diverse expressions of the unity of the true self, the wholeness or spiritual completion toward which we strive. Understanding the principles in Marsha Sinetar's body of work is, of course, included in our Mission....

The Scholar's Corner highlights a wide variety of (mostly Western) spiritual thought, including metaphysical, and never says one school of thought is superior to another.

The Center does not support every dogmatical line (or vocabulary choice) in every book reviewed. Our primary goal (see Mission) is to uncover key qualities embodied by the spiritual completion of people from diverse walks of faith. A book by an Evangelist author necessarily describes spirituality and varying spiritual actualities in different words, images and idea-constructs than, say, a contemplative, artist or executive. The goal of all the authors we love seems identical: union with the Divive, the wholeness toward which we strive.

The Scholar's Corner avoids judging any one school of thought (or vocabulary unique to its thought system) "better" or "worse," even when some of these systems appear to judge! We tend not to review books that don't interest us.

Re: qualities of spiritual completion: As set forth in Ordinary People as Monks & Mystics, two critical faculties of mind -- self and social transcendence are shared by those who encounter Absolute Reality, or God. Such encounters are more than theoretical, more than anything one gains by "book knowledge," the input of others, etc. True encounters with the divine love makes us spiritual lights able to extinguish the personal tendency to judge others.

Our Perspective reinforces St. Paul's teaching (Rm. 14/15) of Jesus's new commandment (i.e., Love neighbor as self and God above all), essentially.... Let us uplift and edify our neighbor, not place a stumbling block of self-doubt in his or her path. Let us only judge how well we ourselves follow our highest understanding of the divine love....

[Books that Reflect the Divine Love]

We mention books that seem, to us, to reinforce our longstanding bias that every creed and every culture -- and nearly every aspect of every culture (e.g., art, dance, film, music, poetry, prayer) intuitively celebrates that state of consciousness that is living water. Certainly Marsha Sinetar's body of work rejoices in the universal understanding of the divine love as an available Presence and eternal Reality.

(See for example, Spiritual Intelligence, with its countless stories about children inspired, seemingly from birth, to express their apprehension of divinity. Many such children -- and the adults they become -- appear to live and breathe the Sacred; and, expressing that radical Reality or encounter. It breathes and lives them.)

[Your Follow-Up?]

We'd love your feedback, particularly if you resonate with any of these books. Whether you do or don't like our choices, please consider donating our selections to your local library, church or temple library or other appropriate organizations. A decent lending library is worth more than gold.

Visitors to this page may wish to evaluate any of the following titles for their teaching, counseling purposes, book clubs, professional meeting reports/newsletters, and of course, academic uses -- if only to augment their lectures in some fresh, inspirational fashion.

Most books we list are not new releases, but new to us. These titles seem more suitable for more serious readers, perhaps academics and helping professionals seeking to grasp more of The Center's aim of furthering the understanding of the progression and diverse expression of spiritual maturing, particularly along contemplative lines. All titles in the Scholar's Corner are discussed from the vantage point of The Center mission.

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