Complete Story of the Course: The History, the People, and the Controversies Behind "A Course in Miracles

Presents a history of the popular spiritual text and answers questions about its origin, message, and students

The author of The Book of Practical Faith and A Little Book of Forgiveness sets the record straight about the much-maligned yet ever-popular spiritual phenomenon, A Course in Miracles. Some may feel Miller - a Course devotee - is too biased to write objectively, but given the material's complexity, he feels that an outsider could not write about it intelligently. When Miller recounts the origins of the text, which was channeled and transcribed by an agnostic 56-year-old research psychologist who resisted it every step of the way, his book has the undeniable appeal of a good story written in plain English. He also succeeds in clearing up many of the misconceptions that result from ignorance of The Course by refuting criticisms with textual evidence. Interviews with Marianne Williamson, who popularized the Course, as well as its various founders, enliven and deepen Miller's perspective. Anyone intrigued by or skeptical of The Course will find this a valuable introduction, but Miller's bias can be off-putting, as when he writes, "Perhaps a common identifying factor among serious...students is their decision to follow a new course away from the typical shoals of human shipwreck, and toward peace." Also, the devotees' testimonials belong in an infomercial. -- From Independent Publisher