The monks originated logic as we know and study it today. Through the study of biblical teachings in a logical view (or what Daniel Helminiak refers to as historically reading) it is evident that the bible does not address the "sinfulness" of homosexuality. I would strongly recommend anyone, without exception, read this book. It does not matter what religious beliefs are held or what their sexual orientation is; this book is insightful and open. I have spoken with many pastors since reading this book and was surprised that many of the bibles that are being used today do not even follow the true word as it was written (I spoke with several Hebrew translators to discover this). A final note is that anyone who owns or reads a bible wherein Genesis 19 the words "have relations with" appears should question the validity of the translation of that book. According to several reputable translators this phrase is a serious mistranslation and anyone adhering to the gospel with such grievous mistakes should evaluate what they are reading as it is not translated accurately, therefore the words themselves cannot be seen as valid.

Required reading for those that think the Bible condemns what we today call homosexuality--and for those who must defend themselves against such condemnation. This short book is so thorough that it's almost overly reasoned. The only drawback for some readers will be the complexity of the background information. The methods of Biblical interpretation, and their validity, are explained particularly well. Argues convincingly that there is _no_ such thing as simply "reading the Bible without interpreting it." The literal, fundamentalist method makes the obviously flawed claim that the Bible means "just what it appears to mean, in translation, to us today"; in fact, the Bible means what it meant to 1st-century (and older) Palestinians who spoke ancient Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic--the language of Jesus

Helminiak's most important contribution to Biblical scholarship is not a new or creative viewpoint, but a readable summary of what we already know. And for me, the major revelation in Helminiak's book is not that homosexuality is okay, but that the Bible gives us what we need to understand this issue. A Christian only has to read Romans to learn that unrighteousness and uncleanness are two different things. The New Testament makes it clear that unrighteousness is inherently wrong, while uncleanness is not. And Paul clearly identifies homosexuality as uncleanness (Romans 1:26-27). We cannot honestly conclude from scripture, then, that homosexuality is wrong. This is only a small part of the Biblical evidence Helminiak presents, and all the evidence leads to the same conclusion.

With this information available, why do well-meaning Christians still argue that the Bible says homosexuality is wrong? I suggest that there are at least four reasons. First, the Bible has been mistranslated, and second, we read what we've been taught into scripture. Third, many Christians don't understand important Biblical concepts, such as uncleanness. And finally, people cling to their opinions so zealously that they even end up reinterpreting God's Word to avoid changing their own minds. As Helminiak suggests, Christians should get clear as to why they believe what they do, and stop imposing their own views on scripture. It's time to be honest about what the Bible says.

I hoped this book would offer a solid definition of "spirituality" and an attempt to survey a difficult area, already plagued by too many idiosyncratic definitions and approaches. This is one more; the author severs "psyche" from "spirit," then has trouble placing Jung and Grof and many others clearly writing about "both," or rather, refusing to make this separation. A more basic problem for scholars in religion, psychology and cultural studies is the author's wanting to have his cake- an intrinsic, essential, trans-cultural core of "spirituality" that is more primordial than any religion - and eat it too, by incorporating specific cultural/religious constructs into his definition of the above. Frustrating, and the charts and diagrams to not help.

Spirituality has recently become an acceptable topic of popular discussion outside of religious circles -- in psychology, medicine, nursing, social work, education, politics, philosophy. Yet most discussions of spirituality are loose and merely suggestive. Moreover, the frequent implication of God and differing religions complicates and befuddles this already difficult topic. My book sorts out these issues.

The basic argument is that spirituality is a human thing, grounded in the very make-up of the human being. To be sure, most spirituality expresses itself through religious belief and pious practice. Still, in essence, spirituality can be treated apart from religion and theology -- and it ought to be, if a coherent and accurate understanding of spirituality is the goal. And this is the goal of my book. This is also what our contemporary world needs.

Part I teases apart the theological and the human facets of the matter and, bracketing the theological temporarily, focuses attention on the human. Part II explains what human spirit is and how its unbounded unfolding grounds spirituality. Part III elaborates human psyche and shows how, for better or worse, psychological issues affect the functioning of the human spirit. And Part IV says what characterizes fully healthy humanity -- on-going personal integration that is ever respectful of the self-transcending dynamism of the human spirit.

A discussion of sexuality summarizes the book. This discussion provides an extended example of what spiritual integration would actually mean and also indicates what difference it would make to bring God back into the picture.

Such an approach calls the religions to open their eyes to what they all share in common and to stop contributing, through interdenominational bickering, to the fragmentation of the human family. Such an approach calls social science to take seriously the universal human realities that it has for too long ignored as "religious." And such an approach calls contemporary communities and nations to attend to the spiritual issues that undergird any human society, whether religious or secular.