Behold the Spirit: A Study in the Necessity of Mystical Religion

by Alan W. Watts

Book Overview

The perfect guide for a course correction in life (Deepak Chopra) that teaches us how to enjoy a deeper, more meaningful relationship with the spiritual in our present troubled times.

Drawing on his experiences as a former priest, Watts skillfully explains how the intuition of Eastern religion--Zen Buddhism, in particular--can be incorporated into the doctrines of Western Christianity, offering a timeless argument for the place of mystical...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394717619
• ISBN13: 9780394717616
• Release Date: February 1972
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.3" x 7.3"

Customer Reviews

A Return to Mysticism

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.

One of His Best!

_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.

better than a cup of steaming java

During my days as a resident assistance of a christian fellowship i discovered this book in a rather large box donated to me by my sister. Amongst the books their were titles by Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copland. I perused these and hastily laid them aside. then i commenced this book by Dr. Watts and my my jaw hit the floor. what a radical departure from the sterile christianity I was mired in. I started to incorporate Watt's teaching in my bible studiesand eventually i left that bastion of provincial thought and started my own search. All of alan's writings are absolutely enlightening i would recommend this book to anyone, no matter what they denominate themselves

Amazing book!

This book has touched me in ways unimaginable. After reading this book, I started to evaluate my whole outlook on my religion. It helped me reorganize my beliefs in a way that truly reflected my true beliefs. I have read several of Watts' books including "Myth and Ritual In Christianity" and "The Book: On the taboos against knowing who you are." EXCELLENT BOOK!

My 2nd Favorite Book

This is, next to the Gospel of John, my all-time favorite book & I've read a good 500 or so books in my 32 years. If everyone were to read & believe this, the entire world would change for the better