This course both surprised and delighted me. The surprise was the focus on Religious Philosophy, and the delight was the focus on Philosophy. The course title lead me to believe that the teachings would be based on various forms of spiritual beliefs and practices, the surprise was finding this in Philosophy. The depth of thought that each included Philosopher expressed through his particular writings, on metaphysical subjects, by itself was impressive. The fact that these same great thinkers, using all their intellect, could reach such divergent conclusions is truly a testament to the complexity and perpetual change of creation.
Obviously from the above you can assume that my previous exposure to Philosophy was minimal. This fact alone made the course extremely valuable to me, by opening up many new avenues wherein to seek truth.
The first 17 chapters are so filled with great thoughts and truths, that it is hard to pick a particular favorite. Chapter 18; however, started out great in comparing Marx, Darwin, and Freud, then makes the statement that "nothing in any philosophical belief … can … give meaning to existence". The exact opposite seems perfectly clear to me. The flow of different thoughts & philosophies, thru the differing time periods proves and validates "existence" as a constantly changing 'educational tool' to prepare us for the next level of development in mankind.
A chick becomes alive within an egg, but has to learn to use its beak to first feed itself, then beak the shell, before it is allowed to join the next step in its existence. We are on a somewhat grander scheme than the chick, but the same principle, of learning before becoming, still applies. The flow of thought changes through history, delineated in the course lessons, clearly shows a development of our 'beak', our mind, toward our next becoming.
The 'dark night' description in chapter 19, in the authors' life, was an excellent inclusion. It may be a little 'out of sequence', but having gone through several 'dark nights' along the way, it is very valuable validation and preparation for any students who have limited experience with these phenomena.
The above exception notwithstanding, the course was delightful and very instructive. I would recommend the course and the author to any others seeking truth.
Sincerely,
Reverend William Fowler
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