Arousing the Spirit

by McCaslin, Susan

• ISBN13: 9781551455976
• ISBN10: 1551455978
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-09-09
• Publisher: Copperhouse

Summary

These writings by author-poet Susan McCaslin offer fresh and alternative ways of seeing and understanding our relationship with Spirit. Christian-based, the 14 pieces that make up this collection (on topics such as perfectionism, paradise, the Beatitudes, Revelation, and presence) range beyond the compass of traditional Christianity to reveal universal wisdom and meaning. Written in beautifully nuanced language that articulates her clear thinking and captures her poet heart, the book reflects the central passions of McCaslin's life: "mysticism (or the direct experience of the sacred) and its place in everyday life; peacemaking and justice;⬦the relation of spirituality and sexuality; and the significance of Jesus of Nazareth once divested of outworn theology and his sappy Hollywood persona." McCaslin believes that actions speak louder than words or beliefs, and her pieces encourage us to explore ways to live life as a "mystical dance." Each chapter is prefaced by one of McCaslin's exquisite poems, leading the reader into a place of quiet contemplation from which to explore the writing.

Author Biography

Susan McCaslin is a prize-winning Canadian poet and educator whose work has appeared in literary journals across Canada and the United States. She has published 11 volumes of poetry, eight poetry chapbooks, academic articles, essays, and a children's book. Her most recent volume of poetry is Demeter Goes Skydiving. Susan is on the editorial board of Event: the Douglas College Review and is an editorial consultant for The Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion (Harvard Divinity School). Susan lives in Fort Langley, British Columbia with her husband.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. 10
The Problem with Perfect	p. 17
Jester Jesus	p. 35
Transforming the Shadow	p. 49
The Paradise Ear	p. 65
Countering War with Wonder	p. 83
Rapturous Ravishments	p. 99
The Palace of Presence	p. 119
A Warless World	p. 133
Blessed	p. 147
Peaceful Resisters	p. 163
Fire on Fire	p. 177
Opening to Mystery	p. 191
I Am	p. 207
Re-visioning Revelation	p. 223
Acknowledgements	p. 240
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