I am a big fan of " A Course in Miracles'. I know there is at least one other member out there who is also, maybe "Mystictrek"?

I foresee the day when a new kind of "progressive Christianity" will be the "survivor" faith in our culture and " A Course in Miracles" will be referenced by many of these progressive survivors. " A Course in Miracles' will be an "extra-biblical" authority just as The Book of Mormon is to Mormons and the Talmud and Mishnah is to Jews.

As I have studied Borg, and Spong, and Fox, I have came to realize that what 'A Course in Miracles" teaches is in their writings too. The Course is in the Bible, too. Actually before discovering "A Course in Miracles" I had pretty much given up on the Bible and what seemed to be its mixed message. It was only after becoming a student of ACIM (A Course in Miracles) that I was able once again to see the love and the truth in the Bible. Only after ACIM, was I able to understand Borg, and Fox, and Spong.

I am not saying, by the way, that everyone needs to study ACIM. They do not. However some do.If you asked me to define my spirituality, I would say that exoterically I am a progressive, non-traditional Christian, who ascribes to a non-literalist metaphysical interpretation of the Bible, and esoterically and mystically I study a path defined by a work called "A Course in Miracles" .

"A Course in Miracles" was written by Jesus and scribed by a woman named Helen Schucman.The book itself is published by A Foundation for Inner Peace. It has a lengthy text, a workbook, and a teacher's manual. The text is very biblical like in its writing though much more consisitent in content and theme. The workbook is 365 lessons, one a day, that brings the student into a new reality and a new consciousness, step by step, by undergoing a reversal in thought process.(I was a dull student and took a year and a half to do my lessons). ACIM is very psychological as well as spiritual in its content. In this, it is more like Eastern religion,especially Buddhism,than traditional Christianity.Although,some of the more disciplined Catholic orders, such as the Jesuits, have their spiritual "exercises" so the mind training isn't without precedent. The Teachers manual is for those who would teach the course, though I would recommend it as a good synopsis of the course.

If your Jesus is dead and "up there" some where, very far removed, this would make no sense whatsoever. However, if your Jesus is very much alive and lives in you heart, and the mind and heart of others, then such a phenomena as " A Course in Miracles" could exist.

If something is still missing in your spiritual study, try "A Course in Miracles'. If the Bible just isn't enough, or you need something else, try the course. If you are satisfied, and your spiritual hunger has been met, then good for you and you do not need the course. There are actually several schools of thought out there already,and I recomend "The Circle of Atonement" as a school to study the course.

I put this under "Other Wisdom Traditions" and will not project my beleifs about ACIM into other forums , so I hope no one feels this is inappropriate for this site.

Jim, I'm not too keen on the Course on Miracles (I find it to be too gnostic, too new agey, and too self-focused) but here is a link to a thread started by Jeep a while back that you might wish to explore:

A Course on Miracles http://tcpc.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=49

And here's another related thread:
http://tcpc.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=46

Peace.

Roger

Thank you Brother Rog, I looked up Jeep's posts and explored some of the links you supplied.

Before I settled into the course I spent hours and hours exploring criticisms of ACIM. I entered into the course not beleiving or at least doubting that Jesus had dictated ACIM. It was only after some time in ACIM that I understood that truly its author is Jesus. Like Marcus Borg I think too much emphasis in traditional Christianity is put on believing and not enough on experiencing and knowing.
Some don't believe that ACIM is divine in its origins they just practice its spiritual psychology and find it a good guide to life.

If ACIM is not for you, then so be it, it is not for you. Many feel a spiritual hunger though that the Bible doesn't always meet. They need another point of reference to approach sprirituality. Those are the people that may need ACIM. The Bible became much more relevant for me AFTER a couple of years in ACIM.

See my latest post on the The Scandal of Partcularity string where I claim that ACIM makes it possible for Christianity to become more aligned with Mysticism or the Perennial Philosophy.