Thoreau as Spiritual Guide
A Companion to Walden for Personal Reflection and Group Discussion
Barry M. Andrews
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."
—Henry David Thoreau"Thoreau and his fellow Transcendentalists felt they were writing modern-day scripture to promote what they termed 'self-culture,' the cultivation of the soul. First and foremost, Walden is a book about spiritual renewal and reformation …."
—from Thoreau as Spiritual Guide
A fresh reading of Walden as a meditative companion, teaching tool and guide to personal growth. Discussion questions included for group or personal use.
Barry M. Andrews is minister of religious education at the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, Manhasset, New York.
Praise for Thoreau as Spiritual Guide:
"Andrews is a knowledgeable
and articulate advocate for the continuing religious relevance of the New
England Transcendentalists, and his study guide on Thoreau's Walden will be a
valuable resource to contemporary Unitarian Universalists. As Andrews shows us,
disciplined spiritual practice was a crucial component of the Transcendentalist
ethos. Thoreau's experiment at the pond can serve as a guide for readers
today."
—David M. Robinson, Distinguished Professor of American Literature,
Oregon State University, and author of The Unitarians and the
Universalists
For more information contact skinnerhouse @ uua.org.
Last updated on Thursday, April 5, 2007.
