Table of Contents

Preface: The Way Things Are for Huston Smith No Wasted Journey: A Theological Autobiography Introduction by Huston Smith PART ONE: THE HEART OF RELIGION Chapter 1. The Way Things Are An interview with Timothy Beneke Chapter 2. The Primordial Tradition An interview with John Loudon Chapter 3. Winnowing the Wisdom Traditions An interview with Mark Kenaston Chapter 4. This Is It An interview with Richard Marranca Chapter 5. The Soul of the Community An interview with Philip and Bridgett Novak Chapter 6. Encountering God An essay by Huston Smith PART TWO: THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION Chapter 7. The Place of Science An interview with Steve Reuys Chapter 8. The Limits of the Scientific Worldview An interview with Jeffrey Mishlove Chapter 9. Science as the Oracle of Our Age An interview with Michael Toms Chapter 10. Science, Faith, and Infinity An interview with Tracy Knauss and the Reverend Jack Young Chapter 11. Toward a Partnership between Science and Religion An interview with April Thompson Chapter 12. The Battle for the Human Mind An interview with Richard Gazdayka Chapter 13. The New Paradigm An interview with Richard Smoley and Jay Kinney Chapter 14. Countering Scientism An essay by Marsha Newman Chapter 15. The Striking Parallels An interview with Phil Cousineau PART THREE: FROM PLATO'S CAVE TO THE ENCHANTED GARDEN Chapter 16. The Sacred Dimensions of Everyday Life An interview with Jeffrey Kane Chapter 17. Demystifying Spiritual Practice An essay by Huston Smith, with commentary by Sarah Ban Breathnach Chapter 18. The Varieties of Religious Explorations An interview with Jeffrey Mishlove Chapter 19. Cleansing the Doors of Perception An interview with Richard Scheinin Chapter 20. Fathoming Psychedelic Mysticism An interview with Timothy White Chapter 21. The Wisdom of Faith An interview with Bill Moyers Chapter 22. Why Religion Matters Now More Than Ever An interview with Phil Cousineau References Acknowledgments Index

About the Author

Huston Smith, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Syracuse University, is considered the country's preeminent public scholar of world religions. The author of The Religions of Man (1958, republished as The World's Religions in 1991) and Why Religion Matters (2001), Smith has influenced multiple generations of readers, artists, scholars, and students. He has been profiled in a PBS series by Bill Moyers and appears frequently on national TV and radio. Phil Cousineau is the author and editor of numerous books, including, most recently, Once and Future Myths: The Power of Ancient Stories in Modern Times (2001), The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred (1998), and Soul Moments: Marvelous Stories of Synchronicity (1997).

Reviews

"A remarkable autobiographical window into Smith's soul." - Library Journal "[An] engaging collection of interviews that cover Smith's rich career of inuiry into religion and the nature of consciousness." - Ions Review "Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that he would gladly walk 100 miles through a snowstorm for one good conversation. Fortunately, readers don't have to trudge through a blizzard or even leave their armchairs to listen in on these 22 fascinating conversations." - Publishers Weekly"