In God and the Evolving Universe three spiritual visionaries--authors James Redfield and Michael Murphy, and filmmaker Sylvia Timbers--join together to offer a hopeful prophecy. Their basic premise is that we have reached an exciting point in history where human evolution and planetary evolution are about to collide, creating an entirely new and spiritually enlightened world. On the human track, the authors claim we have been working toward this era of enlightenment for some time. They point to the emergence of extraordinary human capabilities, such as clairvoyants and even amazing athletic feats that incorporate an altered state of consciousness. (They site baseball slugger Mark McGwire's mind-altering visualization techniques before a game.) The authors also offer stories and events that suggest an increase in love and spiritual growth around the world. Redfield gave us The Celestine Prophecy, a bestseller that was faulted for being too simplistic. While the writing in God and the Evolving Universe is not simplistic, it sometimes falters into metaphysical black holes and psycho-spiritual labyrinths. Yet the message is inspirational: We're on the right path and good things are ahead. And God knows, the world could use more of these positive visions. --Gail Hudson

From Publishers Weekly
When is perennial wisdom more perennial than wise? Perhaps when it follows this commonplace opener: "Today we stand poised at a threshold in human history." Popular and prolific author Redfield (The Celestine Prophecy) is teamed here with Esalen Institute cofounder Murphy and documentary filmmaker Timbers. This trio of writers presents the history of human consciousness as an unfolding map of human potential, extrapolating from empirically documented peak human experiences a future norm of sensation and sensibility. An emphasis on empiricism and an 80-plus page annotated bibliography (almost one-quarter of the book) anchor the text; a chapter of exercises provides application. Perhaps the historic framework dwarfs the picture of what is new: it's difficult to discern progress in the argument for forthcoming human advancement in this latest work from writers who have already persuasively or profitably ploughed the ground. It's also difficult to find the God of the title, except as the Divine One who primed the evolutionary pump at its outset and inspired many of the visionaries the authors cite. The text is accessible but dry; Redfield's visionary fiction and Murphy's genre-bending books (e.g., Golf in the Kingdom) offer more fun. The book may be most valuable to those not familiar with the work of Redfield or Murphy; as a synergistic addition to their work, there's not much new. (Jan.) Forecast: The Celestine Prophecy spent more than three years on the New York Times bestseller list, making it one of the hottest spiritual books of the late 20th century. A 13-city author tour should help Redfield (who has an outstanding history in promoting his books directly to readers) and his colleagues sell through their 75,000-copy initial print run. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
The universe, of which the earth and humans are a part, is still evolving. People, however, are so busy living that they are often unaware of that process. Redfield (The Celestine Prophecy) and coauthors Michael Murphy, cofounder of the Esalen Institute, and writer/producer Silvia Timbers aim to make readers more aware of their world and themselves. For those whose knowledge of evolutionary theory is scant, this book provides a good introduction in three parts: "Awakening," which summarizes both Western and Eastern visionary thinkers; "The Emerging Human Being," which explains the new spiritual potential; and "Participating," which looks at the possible outcome of people operating on a superhuman level. The authors point out that evolution is not an even process but one of spurts and jumps, and they present exercises to help readers participate in it more fully, develop psychic abilities, deepen education, work on social transformation, and the like. Now, they argue, regardless of the events of September 11, we are experiencing a spurt that could change the face of humanity. Informative, thought-provoking, and challenging, this is a worthwhile acquisition for public libraries. John Moryl, Yeshiva Univ. Lib., New York Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Spiritual evolution in the universal sense is the topic of this profound essay on where humanity is going. It's a historical view, a picture of spiritual thought from the time of the ancients and up through the major religious movements of the last 2000 years. It's a dense and compact survey of a vast amount of ideological and biographical information. The fabric running through it is the author's belief that we are willful participants in the broader notions of God that are emerging across the world today. Without rejecting our own religious tradition, we can adopt an expanded view of God that integrates the idea of a benevolent intelligence with the many spiritual practices and phenomena that fall outside Western religion and science. A spellbinding and well-documented proposal is read with dignity and flawless pacing by Chris Ryan. T.W. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
Redfield, author of The Celestine Prophecy, and Michael Murphy, one of the founders of the Esalen Institute and author of Golf in the Kingdom, team up with coauthor Sylvia Timbers for this surprisingly staid guide to "the next step in personal evolution." What the book lacks in excitement, it makes up for with solid coverage of religious and other meditative practices as well as an overview, spanning both time and geography, of the human-awakening phenomenon. The book is divided into three sections. In the first, the authors trace the emergence of human consciousness on the planet and then point out the moments in our history in which human potential took profound and sometimes unexpected leaps. The second section discusses the emergence of human capabilities and discusses further developments. The third and final section focuses on ways of transforming the culture and offers individual meditative techniques. This last section is the most disappointing. The authors provide little new for those who are already experienced visualizers and meditators--probably the primary audience for the book. The extensive annotated bibliography, on the other hand, is a definite plus. Expect the Redfield name to create demand, but don't expect Celestine-like success. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In a world racked by violence and conflict, James Redfield and Michael Murphy-leading cocreators of today's spiritual boom-present a message of hope and a vision for the future.

It is no accident, they argue, that the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have witnessed a revolution in new human capacities. Daily we hear and read about supernormal athletic feats; clairvoyant perception; lives transformed by meditative practices; healing through prayer-and we ourselves experience these things.

The authors contend that thousands of years of human striving have delivered us to this very moment, in which each act of self-development is creating a new stage in planetary evolution-and the emergence of a human species possessed of vastly expanded potential.

Author Biography: James Redfield is the author of The Celestine Prophecy, one of the bestselling spiritual novels of all time. Redfield's other bestsellers include The Tenth Insight, The Celestine Vision, and The Secret of Shambhala.

Michael Murphy is the cofounder of the Esalen Institute, the leading personal and spiritual growth center in the world, in Big Sur, California. Murphy is the author of Golf in the Kingdom, The Future of the Body, and The Life We Are Given (with George Leonard).

FROM THE CRITICS

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