The Spiral Staircase : My Climb out of Darkness

Rating:
Summary: An Enduring Spiritual Classic
Review: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. John 12:24

This is a wonderful book, destined to become an enduring spiritual biography, a "Confessions" from the turn of the second Christian millennium. Through her life and experiences Ms. Armstrong provides a dispatch from the frontlines where spirituality meets medical science, pop culture meets age-old institutions and women's growing sense of spiritual self-consciousness confronts an inflexible and ossified religious order.

The book is intensely personal. For my taste, too personal at times. Even so, one gets a real sense of being there with her, throughout her life's journey, even to the point of feeling the weight of lugging groceries home without benefit of a car. (Been there, done that!)

Random musings and notes:

- Armstrong first put me on to the work of Henri Corbin, whom she extols in her annotated bibliography in "The History of God." I just wonder what she makes of the imaginal realm now that her visions are known to stem from epilepsy.

- The drama of her academic career is heartbreaking in the extreme. My wife just finished her dissertation in Bronze Age Aegean archaeology and is preparing to defend. As much as I want her to read this book, it may prove too much. If you are an aspiring academic, proceed with caution!

- It seems to me that after losing her way through life's labyrinth time and again, the Ariadne's thread that enabled her to find her way was keeping a journal. Note to self: start writing a journal.

- Toward the end, I really hoped she would not go in the "follow your bliss" direction, but she did. As much as I admire Armstrong, Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell (whom I once heard lecture - amazing guy) this bit of advice has never worked all that well for me. Naturally I found this annoying.

- Two especially vivid passages have stayed with me during the months since I read this book:
The clawing sense of loneliness.
The God-shaped hole in Consciousness.

Karen, I'm a huge fan. I wish we could get together and chat. I'll bring the wine.

About the book, I only wish I could say more. Most highly recommended.