Day 12
Our Approach to the Course
In the previous emails, you have seen pieces of the Circle’s unique understanding of A Course in Miracles. This understanding flows directly from our approach to reading the Course, which is very simple: We take it at its word. As the Course itself puts it, “It means exactly what it says" (T-8.VIII.8:1). Our whole approach, then, is to try to discern, as honestly as we can, what the author was really trying to convey.
There are so many ways of reading the Course. Many students read it through the lens of some simple formula. Others see it as intentionally obscure, or as something we should just feel versus understand. Yet in our view, if this is Jesus, then these words have immense importance. He is trying to say something to us that is absolutely vital, and we should hang on his every word.
As an analogy, imagine that you are able to have a one-hour conversation with Jesus. He sincerely wants your suffering to end, and so he takes the time to explain to you your problem and its results. He tells you how, step by step, you can emerge from your suffering into freedom. In service of your release, he reasons with you, trying to persuade you to embrace his message. To motivate you, he encourages you and inspires you. At the end, he even gives you a practical exercise that you can do whenever certain challenges arise. In all of this, he speaks to you straightforwardly, because his whole intent is to reach you.
Imagine further that you transcribe this conversation and reread it periodically. As you do, you notice things about it that you had at first brushed over. You notice, for instance, that there is more content in each sentence than you had initially grasped. You notice that certain themes keep repeating and interweaving with other themes. You gradually realize that, whereas you had seen only one or two strands, there is in fact a whole rich tapestry of thought here, one that feels virtually endless. As a result, you continue to revisit this conversation throughout the rest of your life, each time seeing a little bit more.
What an untold gift that would be! That is exactly how we see A Course in Miracles, as a priceless gift of heavenly wisdom, set in words that are designed to reach us and heal us.
Our whole attempt at the Circle, then, is to faithfully interpret those words. This means that our authority is the book, not any human interpreter, and that includes me. My own interpretations, as they hit up against the Course’s words, are constantly experiencing revision as well as growth and new discovery. The Course really is a bottomless ocean, and exploring it is the intellectual and spiritual adventure of a lifetime.
Such a “by the book” approach probably sounds rigid, empty, and impractical. Yet the truth is the precise opposite. It is the simple formulas that tend to be rigid, empty, and impractical. The Course itself is an endless surprise, full of fresh insights, and exquisitely practical…if we take it as meaning “exactly what it says.”
Many years ago I wrote a 2-page overview called “The Circle’s Approach” that captures the essence of how we view the Course. You’re welcome to download it here or by clicking on the image below.
In tomorrow’s message we’ll be sharing our vision for the Course’s future. We sincerely believe the Course is meant to become one of the world’s great spiritual traditions, and we would love to tell you more and invite you to join us.
Until then,
Robert Perry
Founder
Circle of Atonement
Reminder:
This content is for registered participants of Getting to Know A Course in Miracles, a free 14-day guided journey from The Circle of Atonement. You are welcome to invite any friends to register for the series at no charge by sharing the following link: circleofa.org/events.
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