Product Description

"One Course, Two Visions" explores two ways of seeing "A Course in Miracles": that of Ken Wapnick, and that of the Circle of Atonement. Presented in an even-handed and scholarly style, this book is a must-read for those fascinated by the question: What does "A Course in Miracles" actually teach?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #837594 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 239 pages

Review
"If you've…lived with unresolved confusion [about the Course],…do yourself a favor and take a look." -- Sharon Edwards, in

Facilitators like myself are devoting much time to group study of this material. It is stirring much interest, but most importantly is a major clarification of Course study. -- Carl Banholzer

I found your argument entirely logical and convincing. Thanks for having the guts to state your convictions. -- Ray Giddens

From the Author
This book grew out of a series of requests we received to clarify the relationship between our view of A Course in Miracles and Ken Wapnick's. Many people felt we shouldn't discuss differences, but we also received quite a number of priceless letters from people saying that this book had really renewed their relationship with the Course.

From the Inside Flap
"A Course in Miracles" has emerged within our lifetime as an authoritative spiritual text. Yet what does it really say? In the Course's brief history, two comprehensive visions have been offered, each by respected teachers and organizations, each based on many years of personal dedication and scholarly investigation. One vision comes from Ken Wapnick and the Foundation for "A Course in Miracles" (FACIM).The other comes from Robert Perry and his colleagues at the Circle of Atonement.

One might assume that these visions would differ only in the details; yet in fact they diverge dramatically, leading to different ways of approaching, understanding, and living the Course. These differences have naturally led to confusion for Course students. The purpose of this book is to clear up that confusion. It addresses how the two visions relate to each other, delineating both their similarities and their differences. It then goes on to explore the key differences, and how they impact the Course student's life.

Customer Reviews

Worth reading but not entirely successful
"One Course, Two Visions" attempts a comparison of the teachings of Kenneth Wapnick with those of the Circle of Atonement. Initially it needs to be said that a document of the Course's magnitude is far richer than any teacher's vision of it. As scholarship develops there will be many visions of the Course, not just two.

Robert Perry addresses some important issues about Course metaphysics, in particular about God and the separation, and questions the adequacy of Kenneth Wapnick's approach. Perry also challenges Wapnick's views about the metaphorical language of the Course. Perry's case is closely argued, if not completely comprehensive. These are not simple topics and, at the very least, he offers some alternatives to the accepted wisdom largely dominated by Wapnick's ideas. Wapnick's teachings on the Course contain extraordinary depth, insight, and helpfulness to the student. On the other hand he tends to over intellectualize some topics to a point where meaning is lost. Often he penetrates to the heart of the Course, but there are times when he seems to lose touch with important teachings.

Greg Mackie's chapter about the Holy Spirit shows up some of the difficulties produced by some of Wapnick's ideas. Sometimes there seem to be contradictions. For example in some places Wapnick tells us the Holy Spirit is not a person but an abstract presence of love in our minds. At the same time he constantly teaches the importance of going to Him for guidance, as only the Holy Spirit is aware of the whole hologram of the Atonement plan. While raising some important points Mackie himself is not entirely accurate, and his misunderstanding of the Course's teaching on the special function is apparent here, and elsewhere in the book. Wapnick is a much more accurate guide on this subject than the Circle of Atonement, as any careful reading of the Course would show.

The subject of the special function is such a crucial one that more needs to be said here. Mackie suggests that Wapnick redefines the term "special function" in a way that contradicts what the Course means by the term. On the contrary, Wapnick understands exactly what the special function is: "Our special function is to forgive our special relationships" (Wapnick - Glossary Index to A Course in Miracles). This, very precisely, gives us all a unique and special part in the Atonement Plan. Those who want to verify this for themselves can read, in particular, Chapters 25 and 26 of the Text. Unfortunately, it is Mackie who has redefined the term. A good commentary on the special function and how it extends can be read in Wapnick's booklet The Healing Power of Kindness, v.2: Forgiving our Limitations (2005).

Allen Watson gives us an excellent chapter about the Course and the Bible and effectively challenges Wapnick's opinion that the Course and the Bible are completely incompatible. Watson presents a clear, coherent case regarding God, Jesus, the Bible, and the Course. Watson has written at greater length on the subject in his booklet "Seeing the Bible Differently" which is well worth reading.

The weakest chapters of the book are the last two by Greg Mackie. Here Mackie attempts a comprehensive critique of Wapnick's teachings in comparison with the Circle's, without showing evidence that he understands the teachings. On the subject of extension Mackie shows no grasp of what Wapnick actually teaches on this. For example, Mackie makes much of the phrase "the privacy of our own minds" when attempting to discuss Wapnick's teaching about forgiveness and its extension. Not only does Wapnick never use this phrase or anything like it, the whole point of his teaching is that minds are joined. The concept is an impossibility in the teaching of the Course, and Wapnick's teaching is perfectly in line with this. There are many errors and misreadings of Wapnick here regarding true and false empathy, the role of the teacher, the Manual for Teachers, and more. To unravel all of this would take a much longer article. In short, Mackie's inadequate understanding of Wapnick's views largely invalidates the comparisons offered.

In summary: the book offers some good things but is weakened by the misunderstandings displayed particularly in the last two chapters.

An excellent exploration for sincere students of "A Course in Miracles"
This book should be of interest to many sincere students of "A Course in Miracles." The authors, in a spirit of good faith and friendship, have expertly delineated the differences between Kenneth Wapnick's teachings on the "Course" and the teachings of the Circle of Atonement. The text is both clear and precise.

I have read some of Wapnick's work and appreciate the depth of his knowledge and the brilliance with which he often illuminates key principles of the "Course." Still, I found the arguments advanced by the Circle of Atonement to be very persuasive.

Regardless of which of the two teachings a reader might be inclined to favor, the distinctions addressed throughout this book should help many students clarify and deepen their own understanding of "A Course in Miracles."

The format used throughout the book is very conducive to gaining a real understanding of the differences between these two groups in how they approach some of the important metaphysics of the "Course." This is not all subtlety and nuance.

Kenneth Wapnick and his teachings may be considered by many as sacrosanct, but this in no way dissuaded the authors of "One Course, Two Visions" from exploring the distinctions between his vision of the "Course" and their own.

I heartily recommend this book to those students of "A Course in Miracles" who are interested in both its metaphysics and its application in daily life.

too soon to teach
I mostly agree with the reviewer's Perera and Benton comments. As a professor of philosopy and spiritual seeker like most of us I find ACIM complex in its metaphysics and theory of knowledge and deeply transforming in its ethical approach. The scholarship of this spiritual path needs to be done with much prudence and humility after a long, long time practicing its teaching, and then, perhaps, a long, long time practicing silence and love for all beings. In some cultures in the Western tradition, knowledge (including spiritual knowledge) can be interpreted and practiced as another commodity to be sold like an object, and manipulated, even mentally. It is too soon and too risky to begin to establish conceptual and empirical differences in the doctrine, ideas and premises of the Course among "teachers" of the Course. My feeling is that this path needs many decades to seek in the consciousness of humanity. Perhaps Wapnick and the group that were closely related to the origin are more apt to understand the complexity and demanding approach of ACIM. Why this Course was revealed in the US is a mystery to me. This country has a cultural tendency to manufacture all types of knowledges into products for mass consumption. Beware of a shooping mall approach to ACIM adapted for all tastes. Pedro