Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1883) was an extraordinary preacher, essayist, poet, and philosopher. Known as "the Concord Sage," he was a Transcendentalist who offered a vision for those looking for new spiritual directions. This towering intellectual taught school and followed his father into the ministry. But six years later, after the death of his wife, he left the church to pursue his own special brand of philosophy.
This paperback is part of Orbis Books' Modern Spiritual Masters Series. In the enlightening introduction, editor Jon M. Sweeney notes that all of the selections here are taken from Emerson's published work. The intent is to deliver the matrix of his most mature spiritual writings. Sweeney has identified five themes which reveal the breadth and depth of this adventuresome thinker:
- After Christianity
- Divinity and the Soul
- Stoic Values
- To Cultivate Virtue
- Encountering the Holy
Emerson was ahead of his times with his enthusiasm for Indian philosophy, social change, and inwardness. Putting these three emphases together, he forged a mystical path that appealed to many who espoused a love of nature, solitude, and ethics.
A special treat is a concluding section on Emerson's Memorable Aphorisms. Here are two of our favorites:
- "Life is a series of surprises, and would not be worth taking or keeping, if it were not. God delights to isolate us every day, and hide from us the past and the future." (from "Experience," Essays: Second)
- "I unsettle all things. No facts are to me sacred; none are profane; I simply experiment, an endless seeker, with no Past at my back." (from "Circles," Essays: First)
