Download or read book Arousing the Spirit written by Susan McCaslin and published by Wood Lake Publishing Inc.. This book was released on 2011 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “[This book] is not just for the religious or for Christians, but also for anyone who is alienated from religion but interested in spirituality… It is even for atheists who can’t accept a theistic God who manipulates things from outside on behalf of ‘his chosen ones’ or tribe of ‘true believers.’” – Susan McCaslin These writings by author-poet Susan McCaslin offer fresh and alternative ways of seeing and understanding our relationship with the 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.