Rarely have I read so captivating a dicussion of the evolution of life, indeed of the universe, in terms of self organization. Bruteau shows that the natural selection of random mutations by themselves cannot explain evolution; the improbabillities are too high. But an inherent capacity for self organization gets around the improbabillities. Self organization is apparent from the Big Bang on, from the first particles combining into atoms all the way up to humans combining into cultures and societies. Her discussion of the Big Bang in terms of Guth's inflation theory is the clearest I have yet read. She well explains how, as new levels of complexity evolve, so also do new emergent properties that are not inherent in the component parts. She makes an excellent case for the argument that reality arises from the relationship between things and not in the things as such independent of other connections. She also makes a good case for the existence of mind and consciousness as a ground of being, and not an epiphenomenon of the material brain although our brain clearly governs how we experience that consciousness. In this discussion I wish she had drawn more from quantum physics and the nature of the wave/particle duality of the sub-atomic physical particles that make up matter to reinforce her point. (Unobserved, a sub-atomic particle behaves like a wave distributed in space and lacking either matter or energy. It is merely a set of probabilities. But once the wave is subjected to observation, it collapses into a definite particle of matter containing both matter and energy in a specific location. Conclusion: it takes a pre-existing observer-mind or consciousness to collapse the wave function. Thus one can argue that matter arises from mind and not the other way around and thus support the belief in some kind of cosmic consciousness in which we all share.

An extremely interesting book which gives an original view of the world, as a dynamic symbiosis reproducing the pattern of the Trinity at every scale of the cosmos. It starts with an original insight on Trinity itself, based on the conclusion that if God is to be personalized, the minimum required is to do so in three divine persons. Most civilizations have recognized that plural begins at three and not two, which is only a dual, sometimes with a special vocabulary attached to it. This minimum requirement of a plurality of persons is in turn due to the fact that there is no such thing as one person. Persons exist only in terms of relationship to one another. To exist is dynamic, not static. Persons are subjects, not objects, they are differentiated not by their descriptions but by their acts. The book offers a lot of scientific material on how the universe developed, including the inflation scenario, and subsequent evolution up to chemistry and biology. The evolution of life is seen as the natural result of replication of living creatures, plus variations due to random errors in the replication process and selection of the fittest among these variations. One amazing conclusion of this process is that all these marvelous things that we can admire in nature are not there by chance, but simply because being possible, they were necessarily bound to come into being one day or the other. The presence of God is felt everywhere in the world, but not by means of interference, because only finite beings can be agents in finite interactions. The infinite cannot take one point of view rather than another. Many details support the theory, but can be skipped without major damage by the readers who do not feel at ease in such technical considerations. The book is full of valuable material for helping understand the intricate relationship of everything in this world. It is also interesting on the practical level as it leads towards a consistent harmony between religious and secular life, between the concern for God and the concern for the world including ourselves.

This is one of the most beautiful, short, multidisciplined, easy to be engaged with but not simple books I've read on reframing the relationship of science and christianity. She sees them as complementary. Beatrice addresses many of the questions I had that unanswered, moved me away from Christianity. She also reinterprets key Christion concepts that made little sense to me in the past. Now I am reconsidering. Beatrice sees the process known as complexity at the heart of this self creating world, God as person-community, the Trinity as balancing unity and diversity and its value in the refusal to let the tension collapse either in favor of unity or diversity. She sees us as pregnant with emerging Divinity, but knows our pregnancy may go undetected- we may not interpret our life in such terms. She sees the real basis for sin in the failure to find the Absolute in oneself and therefore not in others, in being love deficient, and the whole program of sin 'as founded on falsehood and ignorance.' She challenges us to live consciously in this self-creating world, finding our meaningful contribution in the general improvisation. Can the Creator create a universe that will more and more particiapte in its own conscious creation? How are we engaging in this co-creation?

Beatrice Bruteau is a mystical genius. She writes with the authority of a woman who has deep knowledge of Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and science, and her musings on meditation, stillness, the finite and the infinite are inspired. The section of the "mystery" of evil is alone worth the price of the book--a very timely analysis. Originally conceived as a guidebook for creating a retreat for yourself in your own home, this book goes far beyond the "spirituality lite" produced by many popular authors and will profoundly deepen your understanding of both human and divine nature. A book for the closet contemplatives among us.

This is a work of synthesizing and expressing a deep spirituality out of the forms of the common religious experience of our day-- the writing is both scholarly and touching...a splash of color-- like the flower on the cover-- in world gone blue...highly recommended.

This is not a book about psychic phenomena. It is a work of philosophy about how our perceptions are conditioned by the world view of the culture we are raised in. Each human being carries a "lens" through which he perceives everything that happens around and within himself, and with which he filters out bits of information which do not jive with the lens he carries. Our lenses are a product of family, school, workplace, regional, religious, and national influences--indeed there are many layers to each person's lens, and the layers begin to be formed when we are infants and continue to be added on throughout our formative years.

The consensus reality of one's community therefore bestows upon each individual a field of knowledge, and this field determines what new knowledge we pick up. It is this field which Bruteau refers to as the "psychic grid." There are a multitude of psychic grids. They are simply different belief niches which people can inhabit. You might think of them as subcultures. No one psychic grid is "right," according to Bruteau. What makes a psychic grid "right" is if it works for a group of people, if it allows them to find meaning. If it does not, it will be replaced.

Since The Psychic Grid addresses the question of how we can know what is real, it is a work of epistemology. However, it goes beyond rational epistemology, since the author presupposes a spiritual realm, or higher reality, which can only be approached intuitively. This higher reality stands behind, or you could say beyond, beneath, or above, the material world in which most of us spend our thinking lives. But just like the material world around us, we cannot perceive it as it really is, but only through one or another lens. According to Bruteau, you can never jump outside of your lens, and perceive what is REALLY there. That would bring in an overwhelming amount of information, which humans in their current stage of development cannot process ("you cannot look upon the face of God and live"). However, you can change your lens. For Bruteau, conversion experiences are about entering into another psychic grid and replacing your prior lens with a new one. It may be a psychic grid which is shared by fewer people than that of the mainstream reality, but that does not detract from its value in any way if it allows you a wider and more creative vision.

Furthermore, there have been (and probably are now) people who have entered into a psychic grid not shared by any other human. Think of Jesus, Mohammed, or Buddha. They shared consciousness with something outside of the human realm, and brought back a way of seeing which they shared with others, thus renovating the psychic grids of their own cultures.

Beatrice Bruteau is a thinking Catholic, and an astute scholar. She has studied mathematics as well as Western and Eastern philosophy, including Vedanta. Although she is an intuitive and something of a visionary, she lays out her arguments with earnest precision. Conclusions follow premises with inexorable dependability. This book is not an easy read, but it is invaluable if you are interested in the human mind and the development of consciousness. As Bruteau points out, you can evaluate the way you perceive, and discover and question the underlying assumptions which have covertly guided you without your being aware of it. You can then choose to craft another way to perceive that can provide you with a more powerful and creative vision.

It's not everyday that an author catches my attention. Beatrice Bruteau, Philosopher,Contemplative, Christian, shines a new light on the deepest truths about ourselves: each of us has at-one-ment with God, here and now and with each other.

The book has been praised by many well known and established authors in this field:
Dom Bede Griffiths, George Maloney SJ, Patrick Hart, OCSO, John Shea, Swami
Yogeshananda and Thomas Keating, OCSO.

Themes that the author touches upon:
1) Leisure: Relaxing Ego-Consciousness_Stop thinking of ourselves as past or future.
Concentrate on the present moment, reality. "Harden not your hearts, be still and be
open".
2) Stillness: Relaxing the Body_Help from Jesus, the teacher. In John 16:33 Jesus says,
" I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace. In the world you have
tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
3) Meditation
4) The Finite and the Infinite
5) Sin and Salvation

6) Heart of Jesus, Root of Reality
7) The Communion of Saints
8) Trinitarian Manifestation: This is the ultimate desire, to be one with God and with one
another. MT 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I
in the midst of them."

Review by Bill Williams, Hartford Current, CT, USA January 8, 2000 Submitted by Gary T. Mallalieu

Wayne Teasdale calls this "the interspiritual age" and predicts that interspirituality will become "the religion of the third millennium." The author, who grew up in Windsor (CT) and now lives in Chicago as a Catholic lay monk, offers an inspiring vision of a world where people draw from the wisdom of all the great spiritual traditions.

He begins with the assertion that" every one of us is a mystic" capable of "direct contact with the divine, or ultimate mystery." As well as any recent writer, Teasdale draws on the insights of Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism to shed light on the spiritual journey. He sketches a vision that is at once practical and uplifting. He discusses social action, solitude, nature, solidarity with all living beings, nonviolence, simplicity, and other attributes of the spiritual quest.

The goal of any spiritual journey is to "prepare ourselves to be receptive and sensitive to the divine presence by slowly awakening our spiritual senses." This is a landmark book in the field of interreligious dialogue, written with sensitivity and deep respect for all the great traditions.

Wayne Teasdale is an exceptional writer and a profound thinker. Most of all he truly lives what he advocates in his writings. The Mystic Heart offers you an understanding of the spiritual traditions of the world in a style that is enjoyable and easy to read. Don't underestimate this book! It can have deep and lasting effect on your life if you allow it to.

Brother Wayne Teasdale's book is an inspiration for all readers
interested in learning about the commonalities between religions,
in an attempt to find a common ground on which to build fruitful
inter-religious dialogue and appreciate the mystic core of all the major religious traditions. This book is affirming and helpful because it points to a future possibility and present reality in which cooperation, love, respect, and understanding of the mystic heart of all spiritual traditions is one and the same.
Most wars that have been fought throughout history have been religious wars. If the human family can begin to nurture its spiritual and religious commonalities, then I believe that we will have less war and more peace. The Mystic Heart eloquently and optimistically speaks of the infinite spiritual potential of the human family that can be realized. This book is so critically important for readers to ponder, read, and pray--especially in this post September 11 world we inhabit. A member of the Parliament of the World's Religions, Teasdale offers readers a glimpse into a new understanding of the enormous potential of the human family to transcend religious devisions and strive toward higher levels of spiritual awareness. As the old adage says, "There are no fences in heaven," Mystic Heart speaks about the possibility of having no fences on earth between religions, but rather gates where there is potential for mutual understanding, sharing, and living, in harmony with one another and the cosmos. I highly recommend this book for all readers interested in cultivating their mystic heart of understanding!

Bede was a great inspiration. The difficulty I have with this book is that many of the writers have failed to fully grasp the beauty of Bede's simplicity. The analysis in the book are a little too academic and mental and do not generally match the shining clarity of Bede's work.

This is a wonderful guide to the understanding and teaching of truths which connect the pathway to the Supreme in both Eastern and Western traditions We meet a tender soul, Father Bede Griffiths, who realizes and teaches the global interrelations and understanding in the values and beliefs of Hinduism and Christianity. This is the type book which can bring real understanding for people of both religions. These are writings of peace and of great souls who can bring unity to our small world

I am one of the contributors to the book so my opinion is probably biased. Be that as it may, I still think it is a good book. What you think of it will probably depend on what your expectations were before reading it.

This book is largely a book of perspectives. While many of the authors have excellent scholarly credentials (I'm one of the few that don't) as should be clear from the title, the purpose of this book is to present the subject from a particular perspective, namely the perspective of Jews.

As with many investigative endeavors, your preconceived notions can frequently influence your conclusions. While I like to think that my perspective is fairly objective, I am sure that who I am as a person has influenced my conclusions about Jesus. When it comes to rather fuzzy topics such as the historical Jesus, you can be sure that we generally find the Jesus that suits our needs or perspectives.

So, don't buy this book thinking you are going to find definitive answers to the question, "Who was Jesus?" However, if you are like me and like hearing different perspectives on a subject then I think you will find the book interesting. Yes, some authors repeat the same theories that have been around for some time. Yes, all authors are subject to their own biases. But who isn't? I still enjoyed reading the many essays of my co-authors just as I enjoyed reading works by those with radically different perspectives than my own.