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A New Way to Be Human: 7 Spiritual Pathways to Becoming Fully Alive Reviewed By John Cowans of Bookpleasures.com
- By John Cowans
- Published May 25, 2012
- Religion and Spirituality , Self Help
John Cowans
Reviewer John Cowans: John lives in
retirement in Chester, NS ,where he has been an Instructor with
Seniors College Association of Nova Scotia.
He is currently working on a personal memoir, Other People’s Children, and his first poetry collection, Hope.
View all articles by John Cowans
Follow Here To Purchase A New Way to Be Human: 7 Spiritual Pathways to Becoming Fully Alive
Author: Robert V. Taylor
Publisher: New Page Books
ISBN 13: 978-1-60163-215-9
In his Forward to Robert V. Taylor’s A
New Way to Be Human: 7 Spiritual Pathways to Becoming Fully Alive,
Archbishop Desmond Tutu asks, “What footprint will you leave in
this world among the rest of God’s family and the fragile beauty of
Creation?”For most of us, this is a question that would make us
pause, searching uneasily for an answer. This would not be the case
with the author of this imaginative spiritual pilgrimage.
Robert
V. Taylor is an openly gay, white South African priest who for more
than 20 years has worked to end homelessness in New York and Seattle.
For eight years he was Dean of St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle and
was nominated for Bishop of California. He is Co-Founder of Faith
Forward, a multi-faith initiative for people of many spiritual
traditions; he has led Christian and Jewish groups to Palestine,
Israel, and Jordan; he now lives in Seattle,Washington and invests
his life in helping individuals and organizations to realize their
full human potential and impact in the world.
The seven
spiritual pathways in A New Way to Be Human which we are encouraged
to follow, each contain stepping stones leading us forward to a place
where we can experience a new spirituality, a place where we can
become more fully alive. Each of these pathways is illustrated by
events in Robert Taylor’s own remarkable life as well as the
extraordinary experiences of those whom he has met along the way. But
as readers, as fellow travelers, we too can add our part, through
‘Spirited Practices’ listed at the end of each portion of the
journey. For example Pathway Two: Breaking Through Enclosures
contains the following Stepping Stones: Listening to your Voice and
Discerning the Voice of Others, Becoming Present to Self, and
The Way to Compassion. At the end of this part of the journey
‘Spirited Practices’ asks us to give thanks daily for one
experience of trusting, to create one or two ‘Being Present’
moments every day, and to begin each day with intention. Thus,
this is not a book to pick up, read through, and discard. This is a
book that you will keep and refer to many times thereafter.
Archbishop Tutu suggests that A New Way to Be Human: 7
Spiritual Pathways to Becoming Fully Alive presents an invaluable
spiritual opportunity for anyone who is searching for new meaning in
their lives. He writes, “ In a time of unprecedented global and
local changes, leaving many feeling dislocated or wondering how to
make a difference in the world, this book will become a timeless
resource in your spiritual quest.
In a time when many hungrily
search for values and meaning, this book will repeatedly inspire and
draw you deeper and deeper into a spirituality of love and compassion
for Creation, the human family, and yourself.......”
A New
Way to Be Human is an excellent book, attractively presented and
thoughtfully written and will prove helpful to many, I believe, over
the years. Thus, Robert Taylor’s footprint is more clearly
established in this world as a result