What They're Saying about:

 

The Five Stages of the Soul

 

"A rare and remarkable glimpse into the human heart."

 

                                                                           -International Religion News Service

 

"The gifts we can receive from people who have tasted spiritual possibility are maps which we then use to guide our own journey.  This is such a map. Enjoy!"

 

                                                                            -Ram Dass

 

"I can't imagine anyone who doesn't think about the issues The Five Stages of the Soul deals with, but I know of very few who can discuss them freely on a personal level.  This is a truly inspiring book that should prove liberating as well."

 

                                                                             -Hugh Downs

 

"Presented with wisdom, enthusiasm, and respect for the mysteries of life."

 

                                                                             -Frederick and Mary Ann Brussat

                                                                                     Spirituality and Health

 

"With stories from the Bible and Star Wars, Zen masters and Jack Benny, Moody has refashioned soul-searching for today's baby boomers.  A sophisticated view of the life-cycle."

 

                                                                               -St. Petersburgh-Tampa Times

 

"A very good book.  An A.  It takes a look at the search for spiritual meaning. All of us at one time or another get that feeling for something more.  What I like best about the book is the broad range of ethnicities, religions and beliefs that it looks at in answering the spiritual meaning question.  Yet it doesn't say one is better than the other nor does it sugar-coat the answers to finding spiritual meaning.  A very good book no matter where you are in life or what you believe."

                                                                                -StuPage Book Reviews

 

"Moody move beyond Jung, Erikson, or Maslow.  His work could be the counterpart to Gail Sheehy's Passages.  An extensive bibliography demonstrates Moody's knowledge of his subject.  Recommended for public and academic libraries."

 

                                                                                  -Powells.Com

 

"Written in richly textured narrative that constantly inspires as it offers a detailed road map of our spiritual lives. The Five Stages of the Soul is reminiscent in its approach of the best work of M. Scott Peck and Thomas Moore."

 

                                                                                  -Books@Random

 

"The Five Stages of the Soul is a beautifully written book; it might prove to even be a landmark publication."

 

                                                                                  -Alternative Psychotherapy

 

"The first book to explore the spiritual passages we go through as we age-- from midlife crisis to the search for inner purpose-- and the rich possibilities they offer for fulfillment in our life's journey.  Has been compared to Thomas Moore's Care of the Soul."

 

                                                                                   -NetStore USA

 

"Based on 20 years of research, The Five Stages of the Soul is the first book to focus squarely on the spiritual passages the majority of us go through.  It approaches questions of philosophy and religion from a psychological point of view, and offers readers-- specifically baby boomers who are disillusioned with popular panaceas and are turning back to their lost spiritual roots-- a detailed road map of their quest for meaning and self-discovery."

 

                                                                                    -Omega Centre Bookstore

 

"No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, this book will help you to understand your place on the spiritual path and what you can expect on the road ahead.  Although the book can, at times, get a little academic, the insights it reveals using real-life examples are invaluable."

 

                                                                                    -Urban Monk Press

 

"This is the first book to explore the specific stage of spiritual awakening that we go through as we age-- from midlife crisis and the search for inner purpose-- to the true happiness and fulfillment hat can be achieved once we find the path to spiritual wholeness. The Five Stages of the Soul offers guidance and inspiration to those searching to regain a sense of meaning in their lives."

 

                                                                                    -Pure Reviews

 

"The quintessential baby-boom seeker of spiritual fulfillment, Harry Moody came of age in the late '60s, began his search for deeper meaning, gradually assimilated into professional life, married, and became 'normal.' The only difference is that Moody never stopped searching, and The Five Stages of the Soul is the culmination of his efforts. Everyone, especially in the middle years, he says, takes an interest in the spiritual life, and more or less goes through five stages of development: the Call, the Search, the Struggle, the Breakthrough, the Return. In a colorful array of stories from contemporary America and legends and myths from religious traditions around the world, Moody unveils the varieties of spiritual paths and the common threads that bind them all together. As a mirror of our own search, The Five Stages of the Soul is as useful as it is informative.

 

                                                                                    -Amazon.com Review

 

"Moody, cofounder of the Brookdale Center on Aging at Hunter College in New York City, has studied the field of aging for two decades. Through Sufi masters, Buddhist monks, and personal spiritual reflections, he illustrates five stages of spiritual development that play a part in every individual's life journey. The call comes first, then the search, struggle, and breakthrough. Finally, the return finishes the cycle. Moody moves beyond Jung, Erikson, or Maslow, whom he claims neglected the spiritual in their theories on human development. His work could be the counterpart to Gail Sheehy's Passages. An extensive bibliography demonstrates Moody's knowledge of his subject. Recommended for public and academic libraries.

 

                                                                                    -Library Journal

 

In a groundbreaking book that interweaves twenty years of case studies and research in the field of aging with an exhaustive knowledge of psychology, religion, and literature, Harry R. Moody, cofounder and director of the Brookdale Institute of Aging, reveals the spiritual passages that the vast majority of us encounter in life and explores the opportunities those spiritual stages offer us in achieving a sense of inner fulfillment.

 

At some point in our lives, most of us begin to question what life is all about, what the purpose of our existence is. The first of the passages in our spiritual lives often arises as the result of the death of a parent or other loved one, the birth of a child, or any number of life-changing events that force us to rethink who and what we are. Described as The Call, it may lead some back to traditional religion, to community work; to mysticism. The Call is an opportunity to reflect on one's inner life, to explore and fulfill a deeper part of one's self. In The Five Stages of the Soul, Dr. Moody goes on to identify the four additional spiritual stages most of us go through on the quest for inner fulfillment, bringing together the psychology of our spiritual development with insights from Western and Eastern spiritual masters to illuminate our passage through the labyrinth of life.

 

Written in richly textured narrative that constantly inspires as it offers a detailed road map of our spiritual lives, The Five Stages of the Soul is reminiscent in its approach of the best work of M. Scott Peck and Thomas Moore.

 

                                                                                    -Summary on Amazon.com