A Course in Miracles
A Course In Miracles is an allegedly channeled work written by Jesus himself[note 1] and first published in 1976. It was originally published in a set of three volumes, A Course In Miracles, the main text; a Workbook for Students consisting of 365 meditation exercises; and a Manual for Teachers. These three separate volumes were later combined and published as a single volume. The text is of course divided into chapters and verses so the reader knows this is a scripture and not just another New Age book. These verses are also used by numerous small and independent study groups which often meet on a weekly basis to debate its meaning, which students also seem to consider the book as their "scripture" for some strange reason. The original text of the book as first widely published was "channeled" and/ or edited by three career clinical psychologists.
“”Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God. |
| —Why can nothing real be threatened? Where is this peace? Fatuous quote from the book[1] |
Beliefs
As with many things New Age, it promotes pantheism using Christian terminology and framing, mixed with a pick-'n'-choose approach to other religions and a great deal of what has since been popularized as the law of attraction. The stated aim of the Course is to bring about a complete "thought reversal" in the reader. Some, but not all of the themes laid out within the book are familiar ones as found in the New Thought movement. Notable themes within the book include:
- Love is more powerful, and more rational, than fear.
- Love is a state of awareness that is attainable by all.
- The physical world as perceived through our senses is an illusion.
- Truth is found in God/love and his/its unchanging laws, not in the belief that nothing beyond the physical world exists.
- God's truth must be experienced first hand, not merely believed in.
- We are all children of God, who is Love and Light, who can live through us.
- Our separation from God is an illusion. Forgiveness and atonement mean realizing our oneness with God, and with one another.
- etc., etc.
Oprah Winfrey seems to be a big fan.[2] Surprise, surprise.
The introduction states, "it is not intended to become the basis for another cult,"[3] and no formal hierarchy, church, or claim of special authority (outside of being able to write a rather thick book about miracles) was ever established, endorsed, or made by its original authors and publishers. Still some of these people did claim that it made them "happy." For reasons which they did not assert that they fully understood, these psychologists and publishers also claimed that some rather seemingly miraculous/ serendipitous events appeared to be associated with the book, their "channeling" of its supposed supernatural author, and their publishing of the tome. They claimed that things like parking spaces in downtown Manhattan would occasionally seem to appear for them in important moments, and such nonsense.
See also
- Marianne Williamson, author of A Return to Love, a commentary on A Course in Miracles
- Book of Mormon
- Urantia Book
- Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ
- Oahspe
Notes
- The actual authors were Helen Schucman and William Thetford, both professors of medical psychology at Columbia University in New York, who claimed it was written through dictation by an "Inner Voice" they identify as Jesus or the Holy Spirit. They also claimed to have been atheist or agnostic until that point when this "course" was miraculously dropped in their lap by Big J. A third psychologist, Ken Wapnick, later collaborated with Schucman and Thetford in the final editing of the pre-publication draft.
References
- http://quotationsbook.com/quote/29581/
- Lesson 26 on Oprah radio
- A Course In Miracles, Preface, pg. viii