In October 1999, I reviewed Gary Zukav’s, The Seat of the Soul, making less than glowing comments, but referring to it as an important book for church leaders to read, nonetheless. The point I wanted to make was that Zukav’s book reflects the spiritual schizophrenia of many modern seekers. It presents a pastiche religion du jour, taking bits and bytes of many different belief systems and creating something new and -- sadly -- less than the sum of the parts.

In response to the review, a pastor from Michigan e-mailed me with the following message:

"Okay, now we know a bad book about what our culture offers spiritually, but is there a good book that you would recommend that helps pastors [and other church leaders] understand the spiritual landscape of our culture so that we can speak intelligently to seekers when they come in to check us out?"

The answer to that is a resounding "yes." Journalist Tony Schwartz presents a provocative survey of spiritual alternatives in What Really Matters: Searching for Wisdom in America. Using his own spiritual journey as context, Schwartz takes readers on a balanced, fair tour of the most attractive options for seekers in the latter half of the twentieth century. This well-written account provides an insightful exposé on contemporary culture.

Rather than attempting to show one approach to spiritual formation and true wisdom as superior, Schwartz examines a wide variety of popular groups, looking at both their strengths and shortcomings. Although the approaches vary greatly, common themes emerge; and many are closely aligned to the best elements of Christian formation and discipleship. Some of the shared themes throughout the book are:

• People have a hunger to understand themselves.
• People have a deep desire to be better.
• People have a sense of something greater than themselves.
• Service to others is essential for true growth.
• People are dissatisfied with easy answers.
• The practice of regular disciplines is essential for spiritual growth.
• We are trapped by our preconceptions and struggle to embrace the new and different.
• Personal growth and formation requires interaction with others.
• There is a sense of universal truth that is within our power to know.
• Each new generation believes it is making greater or deeper advances than the generation before.
• True spirituality isn’t about control, but letting go.

Ultimately, the real gift of a book like What Really Matters is that it reveals the value of other spiritual approaches and shows that they are not a threat to mainline Christianity. There is no proselytizing or hidden agenda to Schwartz’s work. He explores the alternatives to the mainline in a way that helps explain the appeal and attraction of spiritual fringe groups. His broad focus -- the book deals with eastern meditation, western psychology, biofeedback, dreamwork, Enneagrams, and the rising consciousness of the interrelationship of body, mind, and spirit -- helps show that modern alternatives to the traditional church are not wild or far out. In fact, many of the popular practices explored in What Really Matters are quite familiar to many people already sitting in our pews.

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, more and more people enter our church doors with a background in a grand spectrum of approaches to wisdom and things spiritual. Tony Schwartz presents a real gift by showing that there are many significant points of contact between traditional and nontraditional encounters with the divine. What Really Matters is a wonderful resource to equip Christian leaders to meet spiritual seekers where they are, to understand those seekers better, and to be able to enter into intelligent dialogue that can lead to an invitation to explore further within the faith and fellowship of the Christian church.

A discussion guide to What Really Matters is provided to enrich the reading process with a small group. The approach of the discussion guide is to highlight commonalties among the various spiritual approaches and Christianity. It is suggested that group members read the book on two levels: (1) simply react to what is written and (2) see the implications for the church in the twenty-first century. As you read What Really Matters, highlight the sections that most interest you and share them with your group. The discussion guide is offered as a supplemental guide to the unique journey each small group will take together.

Dan R. Dick is a former staff member of the General Board of Discipleship.

(October 25, 2000)

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