Review: Secular Wholeness
By AtheistDad
of AtheistParents.org
The religious often express their inability to understand how the non-religious can be happy without accepting that the divine light of god shines down upon them. David Cortesi, a lifelong skeptic, considers the same issue, though he does so from a different perspective: He is a happy secularist. In writing Secular Wholeness, Cortesi seeks to formalize the ways in which the non-religious can feel whole.
He starts off by acknowledging the value of religion. Things key to wholeness that it provides are community, tranquility, ritual, mythical ecstasy (to some), self-transcendence, ethical structure (in a can), and comfort facing death and loss. By finding non-religious ways to acquire these ideas and states of mind, Cortesi argues, secularists too can live fulfilling lives
Cortesi's background as a technical writer is apparent in Secular Wholeness. The book itself is very structured, and each chapter is laid out systematically, with a helpful summary at the end. Carefully documented, the book points you to interesting extra information and a long list of other resources both print and Web in its end notes and works cited sections. Because it is so well-organized, it's easy to find exactly what information most interests you, whether it be an outline of Buddhist ideology or a step-by-step guide for how most efficiently to put your estate in order before dying. Cortesi is the first to admit that some portions of his text might not be universally appealing and even invites his readers to skip ahead a couple of times. How amusing that a book about wholeness need not be read in full!
Secular Wholeness is not for people who find little value in the idea of the spiritual or emotional journey. Cautiously embracing things like meditation and epiphanic bliss (though not without touching on the science behind them), it seems at times to lean toward just the sort of mysticism that the jaw-clenching cynic finds laughable. Again, Cortesi carefully qualifies each such leaning, but any reader whose mind is made up on such matters will derive little satisfaction from reading the book. The target audience -- and it is a big one -- contains those people who believe in no god but require a more uplifting definition of existence than that human beings are meaningless bundles of random electrons. Members of this audience stand a good chance of finding the book encouraging and practical, as it deals not only in abstract concepts, but provides pragmatic advice on how to (physically and mentally) achieve many of the goals it outlines as fundamental parts of wholeness, secular or otherwise.
By AtheistDad
of AtheistParents.org
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He starts off by acknowledging the value of religion. Things key to wholeness that it provides are community, tranquility, ritual, mythical ecstasy (to some), self-transcendence, ethical structure (in a can), and comfort facing death and loss. By finding non-religious ways to acquire these ideas and states of mind, Cortesi argues, secularists too can live fulfilling lives
Cortesi's background as a technical writer is apparent in Secular Wholeness. The book itself is very structured, and each chapter is laid out systematically, with a helpful summary at the end. Carefully documented, the book points you to interesting extra information and a long list of other resources both print and Web in its end notes and works cited sections. Because it is so well-organized, it's easy to find exactly what information most interests you, whether it be an outline of Buddhist ideology or a step-by-step guide for how most efficiently to put your estate in order before dying. Cortesi is the first to admit that some portions of his text might not be universally appealing and even invites his readers to skip ahead a couple of times. How amusing that a book about wholeness need not be read in full!
Secular Wholeness is not for people who find little value in the idea of the spiritual or emotional journey. Cautiously embracing things like meditation and epiphanic bliss (though not without touching on the science behind them), it seems at times to lean toward just the sort of mysticism that the jaw-clenching cynic finds laughable. Again, Cortesi carefully qualifies each such leaning, but any reader whose mind is made up on such matters will derive little satisfaction from reading the book. The target audience -- and it is a big one -- contains those people who believe in no god but require a more uplifting definition of existence than that human beings are meaningless bundles of random electrons. Members of this audience stand a good chance of finding the book encouraging and practical, as it deals not only in abstract concepts, but provides pragmatic advice on how to (physically and mentally) achieve many of the goals it outlines as fundamental parts of wholeness, secular or otherwise.
March 30, 2002