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Rating: 
Summary: A Reprint of one of John's Best Organized Books.
Review: When John Claypool retired from his Episcopal Churches' duties, it gave him more time for writing. This newly published version of his "Stages of Life" (1977) speaks of those stages, first noted by Erik Erickson, C. G. Jung and Gail Sheehy in her "Passages." In lectures on Preaching, Mercer-McAfee he informs his young ministerial students of their uniqueness as results of changing stages in Life. Preparing their sermons carefully, they learn to reflect their stages as placed alongside unique stages seen in their parishoners. I got much of this flavor auditing John's first classes of "Preaching Genesis and Preaching the Gospels." In class discussions, as he writes in the "Saga of Life" he quotes Jung, Erickson, Sheehy, James Dobson and Sam Keen. His early quote of Keen becomes a neat beginning: It is the wise person, "who knows what time it is in his or her life." Due to the appearance of more young ladies in his classes... that makes good sense in its'inclusiveness! One of his best chapters is Childhood: Anointed with Delight. He
again refers to Sam Keen in being closer to his Father prior to his death, telling him "how you took delight in us." It is part of John's style to draw on contrasting illustrations from Gordon Cosby, well-known Washington Pastor, plus Charles Campbell, at the Federal Correctional Institute in Fort Worth are reminders for parents to "take delight in their children," to instill more confidence and self-esteem! King David serves him well as his single Biblical example. In the chapter on "Adolescence: The Valley of Transition," he again touches on David and that wonderful quote from Kahil Gibran's "The Prophet." Many of us use those words in Wedding Ceremonies. In his last two Chapters he fittingly concludes, Adulthood with his themes of generativity, intimacy and self-realization. These two sections on Adulthood have been the subjects for some of our best personal and relational exchanges. I wholeheartedly give my recommendation to Pastors!
Retired Chaplain Fred W. Hood
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