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Title: Elements of Pantheism
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Manufacturer: Llumina Press
List Price: $10.95
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| Elements of Pantheism by Llumina Press Paul Harrison's View of Pantheism | I bought this book interested in what pantheism was all about. I am a Christian but I tried to keep an open mind. This book struck me as atheism + nature reverence. Not that that isn't a valid position to take but I thought pantheism proposed a god of some sort, instead of equating God with the Universe, as Mr. Harrison has done.
I have since gone on to read Michael P. Levine's account of Pantheism which, though pricey, is an excellent study in traditional pantheism. I wasn't convinced either by his account but I see that pantheism is much richer than Paul Harrison makes it out to be.
Pantheism as a world-view posits an all-inclusive divine Unity that is something like a positive force that pervades the universe. Marcus Aurelius' Logos, Lao Tzu's Tao, and Hegel's Geist are all versions of this force.
Paul Harrison takes this basic understanding out of pantheism and then says that reverence of nature is the key to pantheism. But I don't think that's what pantheism is about at all. Harrison's is an atheistic nature mysticism, not a viable traditional pantheism.
Another problem I had with his book was the amount of errors in it. It apparently was rushed into publication because there are numerous errors throughout, one which I find particularly comical. On page 31 Harrison is speaking about various pantheists in the modern era and he lists Ralph Waldo Emerson, who no doubt is pantheistic, but he lists his life dates as 1803-1822. Which would make Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote most of his works in the middle of the 19th century, 19 when he died. Emerson of course lived from 1803-1882. It may seem like a small error but others of the like are scattered throughout the book and it makes the book a little choppy in places.
Pick this book up if you want someone's personal view of pantheism. If you want a broader sweep of Pantheism check out Levine's book. | | Elements of Pantheism by Llumina Press A poor representation of pantheism | | I am a philosophy major, and this book did not have what I was looking for. | | Elements of Pantheism by Llumina Press A very helpful, concise aid to Pantheism | Paul Harrison does an outstanding job of taking a vast subject and enabling the reader to acquire a remarkably complete understanding in a relatively few pages. Although written in very readable prose, this is not a book that one should sit down and read through at one time. Rather read a chapter at a time. Give a chance for your mind to work.
As for me, I came away from the book with a much more positive attitude toward pantheism.
This book centers chiefly on what Harrison calls "natural" or "scientific" pantheism in contrast to a more religious form of pantheism, which is often referred to as panentheism, which believes that absolute reality contains the known universe but is more than the known universe. Panentheism, IMO, is more suitable for those who seek a belief in supernatural or "spiritual" power/being rather than just the material dimension. | | Elements of Pantheism by Llumina Press A "must read" for the metaphysically-minded | With the volume of pro-atheist books coming to market, most of which suggest that there are only two choices - atheism or the Christian/Judaism/Islam God, it is a real blessing to encounter a book which creates context for spiritual belief and reveals the complexity of alternatives to Western belief concerning deities.
Harrison does a credible job explaining pantheism, what it is and is not, and where it fits on the broad continuum of belief. I particularly liked his forthright manner of confronting the soul-less and desolate landscape of atheism. Panthiesm is an ancient philosophy which can satisfy thinking humans who recognize that there is more to themselves than just their bodies in this one life.
Harrison falls short, in my opinion, in only one area, which is why I would not give the book "5 stars". His own orientation is toward "physicalist pantheism", which views the physical world as its own spiritual experience, as the only reality, and chooses to not address the issues of soul, afterlife, and the progession of humankind back to its divine origins. He acknowledges that there is a "dualist school of thought" in panthism, which does believe in a soul, and which does see a purpose to life beyond just this one life we are currently living. Unfortunately, he stops with this acknowledgement and really doesn't explain it thoroughly, and does not explore Eastern thought in any significant depth.
Since the book is short (and very readible), adding another 25 or 30 pages to explore Eastern Thought and the play of pantehism in those cultures, would have been a wonderful inclusion to Harrison's book. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend the book to any spiritual seekers - especuially those not up to reading Spinoza, but who still want to consider all the alternatives. | | Elements of Pantheism by Llumina Press This is a great book! | | I am a pagan and this book is one of my treasures. I read it over and over again. It covers all the pantheism basics on a very clearly stated form. | | Elements of Pantheism by Llumina Press Product Description | | This accessible, clear and authoritative handbook is the only available introduction to the history, theory and practice of Pantheism. One of the most extraordinary books written in recent years about the subject of religion. |
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