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Behold the spirit;: A study in the necessity of mystical religion
by Alan Watts
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Pantheon Books (1971)
ISBN: 0394473418
EAN: 9780394473413
Hardcover: 257 pages
SKU: 701q-14.49
Condition: Very Good
Comments: Very good overall condition. No writing, very tight binding. Ships same day or next in a bubble mailer. Enjoy.
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
This study of the necessity of mystical religion, also shows how traditional Western doctrine can be reconciled with the intuitive religion of the Orient.
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Customer Reviews
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One of the best things I've read recently
Rating  (5)
Date: 2008-07-16
This is quite simply a great book. I stayed away from it, even after a Catholic priest friend recommended it 30 years ago, because I knew Watts had essentially repudiated the church (in his case, the Anglican communion) and Christianity, and returned to his earlier Buddhist practice.
Whatever one may think of where Watts ended up late in life, this is quite simply outstanding and completely orthodox Christian theology, and treats the great doctrines of the faith through the prism of mystical experience while integrating the thought of many of the great Catholic mystics (e.g., JP de Cassaude, St. Theresa of Avila, St. Catherine of Genoa, Meister Eckhart).
I was quite surprised to find that his methodology relies so heavily on Aquinas. His grasp of Aquinas' theology is sound, and his idea that the incarnation is an eternal expression of God's loving acceptance and oneness with his creation, not a shield for divine wrath, is a refreshing antidote to much of what passes for theology in evangelical circles. His adaptation of Vedanta to convey the idea of God as non-dual...that God can create REAL, OTHER beings and things and yet remain in a sense the one and only reality...the "one without a second" (I doubt I am doing his argument justice here)...was really eye-opening.
There are also flashes of pure poetry...his lengthy description of the 'purposelessness' of much of creation as a testament to God's sense of humor and loving prodigality stands as a challenge to a variety of atheisms that are based on Western bourgeois notions of 'usefulness.'
I have already given a copy of this book to friend and bought another copy for myself, and am reading it through a second time.
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A mystical trail blazer
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-04-27
This book explores how traditional Western religious doctrine can be reconciled with the intuitive religion of the Orient.
For more than forty years, Alan Watts earned a reputation as the most authoritative and insightful interpreter of Eastern philosophies for Western readers. Author of more than twenty-five books (everyone a gem to read), he was an editor, Anglican priest, graduate dean, broadcaster, lecturer, and entertainer. He held fellowships from Harvard University and the Bollinger Foundation and was Episcopal Chaplain at Northwestern University during the Second World War. He became professor and dean of the American Academy of Asian Studies in San Francisco, created the series "Eastern Wisdom and Modern Life" for National Educational Television, and served as a visiting consultant for psychiatric institutions, hospitals, and the United States Air Force. He traveled widely, including such countries as Japan, Burma, Ceylon, and India. Watts died in 1973.
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A Needed Antidote To Extremism.
Rating  (4)
Date: 2005-07-17
4 out of 6 customers found this reveiw helpful
Being quite familiar with Watts and his many books,indeed he was one of the most freshest spirits available in print,and remains so, the basic message of direct experience with G-D never leaves his writing and this book.
The ongoing debate between mystical religion with it's intuitive grasp of direct experience on one side and practicing a code of conduct steeped within theological law on the other hand in essence boils down to a simple debate between using either one's head or one's heart in serving G-D for some,or in loving G-D for others without the extremities of blind practice of customs and rites.
The fusion of both is what Watts seeks to find by not confusing the finger pointing at the moon for the moon itself.
These days in an age where religious fundamentalism in most major religions rules as the only way to salvation,Watts Pluralism is refreshing.
This book is a difficult read and could be used as a theological textbook Yet,how to interpert "in his image" or how to engage in dialogue between dual or non-duality thinking between creator and created is a message that becomes clear and one of practical urgency in this world of religious intolerance,fanaticism,triumphalism and terrorism .
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A Return to Mysticism
Rating (5)
Date: 2005-03-21
9 out of 9 customers found this reveiw helpful
Christianity is, today, in a strange place. While the religion is in steep decline in Europe, conservative, literalist forms are on the rise in an America hungry for some spiritual depth. Yet these forms also invite a great deal of disdain from seekers hungry for a faith that gives deep meaning without insulting their intelligence.
Written almost sixty years ago, Alan Watts "Behold the Spirit" is as relevant today, if not moreso, than it was then. Addressing the acute problems within both Catholicism (which is used loosely, including Orthodoxy and "High Church" protestants such as Episcopalians and Anglicans) and Protestantism, Watts chalks them up to an irrelevancy steming from the periods they evolved out of. As Watts points out, the early Christianity of the bible, Paul, the Church Fathers, the Neoplatonists, and Augustine was the high wisdom of a dying civilization- Rome. The Christianity of the medieval era was the literalist religion of a newly born Western civilization, while the Christianity of the Renaissance and modernity is the stripped-down moral faith of an adolescent civilization rebelling against it's roots. In order to gain a wisdom appropriate for a mature civilization, Watts contends, we must look to the wisdom of other mature civilizations- the Christianity of the ancients, and the mystical wisdom of the Eastern religions.
Watts goes on to discuss what a "nondual" Christianity and Christian mysticism would look like ("we must develop a Christian way of washing our hands"), the problems with philosophical modernity and Protestant moralism, and the issues of spiritual "monkey business"- thinking that we can attain sanctity by imitating forms rather than recognizing the spirit.
Overall, an important contribution to modern theology, and a worthwhile, though quick, read.
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One of His Best!
Rating (5)
Date: 2003-05-13
23 out of 23 customers found this reveiw helpful
_Behold The Spirit_ is one of the most clearly written, profound, and enlightening books on theology I have ever read. This book represents the ideal combination of profundity and readability - never again will you say that a book must be difficult to read just because it deals with extremely complex and deep subject matter. Like most of Alan Watts' books, _Behold the Spirit_ is an absolute pleasure to read, yet competently deals with universal metaphysical questions which have troubled man for many centuries. For instance, Alan Watts talks at length about the problem of what God was doing before He created the universe. Was He just sitting there alone? The answer can be found in the book. To me, this type of theological question is quite fascinating. I appreciated the unorthodox and critical approach Watts took in examining a wide range of theological and general metaphysical issues. In other words, this is not an evangelical or fundamentalist Christian book; it is a critical and sceptical examination of Christianity and man's belief in God. I highly recommend this work to anyone, and if you only want to read one or two of Alan Watts' most important works, they should be _Behold the Spirit_ and _Psychotherapy East and West_. These two works represent the solid core of Alan Watts' philosophy. They are rigourous, profound, and comprehensive psychological works which are also remarkably succinct, miserly, and readable. With Alan Watts, you can obtain large amounts of elightenment in a short amount of time, with minimal aggravation and headache.
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