A Course in Miricles

Book excerpt: A Course in Miracles is the acclaimed spiritual guide that teaches the way to universal love and peace is by undoing guilt through forgiving others. The "miracles" of the title refers to shifts in perception from fear to love, which fosters the healing and sanctification of relationships. Although expressed in terms of traditional Christianity, this life-changing work constitutes nonsectarian, universal spiritual teachings. The three-part approach begins with an explanation of the course's theory and the development of the experience of forgiveness. The second consists of a workbook, comprising 365 lessons — an exercise for each day of the year — intended to influence students' perceptions. The third section presents a manual for teachers, in which the question-and-answer format provides responses for likely inquiries as well as definitions for terms used throughout the course. Written by Dr. Helen Schucman, a clinical and research psychologist, and edited by her colleague at Columbia University, Dr. William Thetford, from 1965 to 1970, A Course in Miracles has been translated into more than 20 languages and sold millions of copies around the world.