There is a new and controversial New Age a course in miracles teaching sweeping the country. It is called A Course in Miracles and its ecumenical teacher, Marianne Williamson, is appearing on Oprah's XM Satellite Radio program.

 

A Course in Miracles is a three-volume set of channeled literature: the Text, the Workbook for Students, and the Manual for Teachers. It teaches an ecumenical spiritual thought system that is very intellectually sophisticated.

What is a course in miracles?

 

A Course in Miracles is a self-study spiritual thought system that teaches forgiveness as the way to universal love and peace. It focuses on healing relationships and making them holy by undoing guilt through forgiving others. It uses the language of traditional Christianity but emphasizes that it is not a religion and that it is only one of many thousands of versions of "the universal course."

 

The three-volume set of channeled literature, consisting of a Text, a Workbook for Students, and an 88-page Manual for Teachers, was allegedly received through a process of inner dictation from a being identified as "Jesus" to Columbia University Professor of Medical Psychology Helen Schucman beginning in 1965. The Course is presented as a new revelation that is helping humanity deal with these troubled times. This is done by teaching that there is a different way of seeing the world and experiencing life.

 

The teachings of the Course are not theoretical or academic, but rather are very practical. The daily Workbook lessons present a step-by-step approach to applying the principles of the Course, which requires a willing willingness to question existing values and beliefs in order to see the world differently. The Course is also intellectually sophisticated and combines spiritual inspiration with deep psychological understanding of such phenomena as belief systems, defense mechanisms, and identification.

Who is Helen Schucman?

 

Helen Schucman was an American clinical and research psychologist who channeled the teachings that formed A Course in Miracles. A Course in Miracles was a spiritual thought system that teaches forgiveness and compassion as the path to God's love and peace. The language of the Course is often poetic and uses blank verse, and its intellectually sophisticated thought system has led many to compare it with some of the world's great literature. The Course claims to be a new revelation from Jesus that was received by Columbia University professor of medical psychology Helen Cohn Schucman between 1965 and 1976.

 

The Course teaches that we can return to our true home in Heaven by undoing our guilt through the forgiveness of others and of ourselves. It emphasizes that a universal theology is impossible, but that a universal experience is possible. It is a non-denominational, non-sectarian spirituality. The Course is one of many thousands of forms that have been received by people around the world, and it has gained a kind of scriptural status in some circles.

 

A Course in Miracles was not the first channelled work to achieve widespread popularity, but it became one of the most successful and is referred to as the New Age Bible. It was widely taught in workshops and on college campuses, but it did not reach a wider audience until a 1992 Oprah Winfrey Show appearance by New Age author Marianne Williamson.

 

After the show, Williamson's book on A Course in Miracles soared to the top of the bestseller list and was translated into several languages. She has since been a prominent spokesperson for the teachings of ACIM, lecturing widely and appearing on numerous television programs.

 

Although Helen had been raised Jewish and practiced Theosophy, she was not particularly religious and was agnostic. However, she suffered a severe illness in her early 20s that left her very debilitated and unable to work. During this time, she began to receive messages from a voice in her mind that she identified as Jesus. These messages were the basis for the Course, which she transcribed into shorthand and then dictated to her assistant William Thetford.

What is the Course about?

 

Marianne Williamson, author of the best-selling Conversations with God, will be teaching A Course in Miracles on Oprah Winfrey's XM satellite radio program. She and Neale Donald Walsch have been leading New Age groups for years. Their organizations have changed names several times and they are now called the Peace Alliance, a New Age/New Spirituality group that promotes what they call a "civil rights movement for the soul."

 

The Course is a three-volume set of channeled literature: the Text, Workbook for Students, and Manual for Teachers. It consists of 365 lessons, one for each day of the year. Its poetic language and blank verse have led some to compare it with the world's great literature. Its intellectually sophisticated thought system combines spiritual inspiration with deep psychological understanding of such phenomena as belief systems and defense mechanisms.

 

It offers a step-by-step system of spiritual thought, which emphasizes the healing of relationships by undoing guilt through forgiveness. Its main goal is to lead its students back to their natural inheritance of love and peace. Although it uses Christian terminology, the Course is ecumenical and does not attempt to establish a religion. It is also clear that the thought system it teaches is only one of many thousands that are part of the universal curriculum.

 

Its mystical approach to reality and the path to peace is fast becoming the foundation for many a New Age/New Spirituality movement. Its principles are clearly articulated in A Course in Miracles, a book that is rapidly being touted as the New Age Bible.

How do I study the Course?

 

In keeping with the Course’s theory, there is no one right way to study it. The curriculum is undertaken under the guidance of the Holy Spirit or Jesus and, as the Manual for Teachers specifically states, it should be “highly individualized.” It is recommended that students buy a copy of the Text and Workbook (or the audio CD version), as well as the daily Lesson Insights, so they can read and listen at a pace that feels comfortable to them.

 

The Course is written on a high intellectual level with sophisticated metaphysical, theological, and psychological concepts throughout its three books. Its language is often poetic and written in blank verse, which has led some to compare it to some of the world’s great literature. It is also ecumenical in nature, and while it uses Christian terminology, it does not claim to be the only way to God.

 

The Course offers a step-by-step approach for applying its teachings to the experience of everyday life. It requires a willingness to question our most basic values as we see them, and to look at everything that happens in our lives with fresh eyes, as if for the first time. The lessons are not intended to be difficult or require a lot of practice. However, they are certainly not easy to do. They do require a commitment to change, and a desire to be free from fear, suffering, and guilt. The reward for making that commitment is peace and happiness. For more information on how to apply the principles of the Course, visit Live Your Happy.