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A groundbreaking and hopeful new look at contemporary
spirituality, transpersonal psychology, integral education, and religious
diversity and pluralism.
Participation and the Mystery is both an
introduction to and expansion of Jorge N. Ferrer’s groundbreaking work on
participatory spirituality, which holds that human beings are active
cocreators of spiritual phenomena, worlds, and even ultimates. After
examining the impact of his work since the publication of Revisioning
Transpersonal Theory, Ferrer discusses the relationship between science
and transpersonal psychology, the nature of a fully embodied spirituality,
and the features of integral spiritual practice. The book also introduces a
participatory philosophy of education and applies it to the academic teaching
of mysticism and a novel approach to embodied spiritual inquiry. Critically
engaging the influential work of Stanislav Grof, Ken Wilber, and A. H.
Almaas, Ferrer concludes with an original solution to the problem of
religious pluralism that affirms the ontological richness of religious worlds
while avoiding the extremes of perennialism and contextualism, offering a
hopeful vision for the future of world religion. Participation and
the Mystery is an invaluable resource to anyone seeking to deepen
their understanding of participatory approaches to transpersonal psychology,
integral and contemplative education, contemporary spirituality, and
religious studies.
“…these brilliant new essays are required reading for
anyone seriously interested in spirituality, psychology, religion, mysticism,
philosophy of science and education … the volume is highly stimulating and
thought-provoking in articulating a participatory perspective across a number
of disciplines and challenging us to become more integral, embodied and
responsible.” — Paradigm Explorer
“…a fine book, serving as a compelling addition to Jorge
Ferrer’s distinctive approach to transpersonal psychology. For those who are
unfamiliar with the field, this volume might well serve as an initiation to
further reading. For those conversant with transpersonalism, there is a rich
and wide-ranging engagement here with relevant fields of research, and Ferrer
advances and elucidates his previous work in a number of new and valuable
ways.” — Reading Religion
“The range of ideas expressed in this compelling series
of papers is extensive.” — Journal of Analytical Psychology
“In Participation and the Mystery, we are
given the opportunity to dive into the engaging, provocative, and stunningly
erudite thought of Jorge N. Ferrer, arguably one of the premier transpersonal
theorists of our time. Building on the key essays written after the
publication of his seminal work, Revisioning Transpersonal Theory,
Ferrer shows us how his compelling and extremely fertile participatory model
can be applied, with intriguing and rewarding results, to multiple, highly
distinct fields of discourse. Read this book if you want your worldview to be
both challenged and enriched.” — G. William Barnard, author of Living
Consciousness: The Metaphysical Vision of Henri Bergson
“Ferrer is a leading figure in transpersonal psychology.
His participatory perspective explains both the deep commonalities and the
creative diversity of spiritual traditions. It provides a way to understand
the general phenomenon of spirituality without falling prey to ideological
dogmatism or the tendency to privilege one’s own spiritual tradition or
practice over others. Ferrer’s work deserves to be widely read.” — Michael
Washburn, author of Transpersonal Psychology in Psychoanalytic
Perspective
“This is an important collection of essays from one of
the leading contemporary thinkers in transpersonal studies. Ferrer’s
participatory approach represents the most significant development in
transpersonal theory and practice to have emerged this century, and this book
is the ideal introduction to Ferrer’s work. It will become required reading
for all students of transpersonal psychology, as well as for anyone seeking
to deepen their understanding of transformational practice, transpersonal
education, spirituality, and religion.” — Michael Daniels, author of Shadow,
Self, Spirit: Essays in Transpersonal Psychology
“Rich and thought-provoking, this book ranges widely
through Ferrer’s reflections on the participatory worldview in relation to
psychology, education, and religion.” — Andrew O. Fort, Texas Christian
University
Jorge N.
Ferrer is Professor of East-West
Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies. He is the author
of Revisioning Transpersonal Theory: A Participatory Vision of Human
Spirituality and the coeditor, with
Jacob H. Sherman, of The Participatory Turn: Spirituality, Mysticism,
Religious Studies, both also published by SUNY Press.
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