Kissing Sophia

There are many writings as to the nature of Goddess spirituality. In my life, Goddess spirituality is a way of life. It is a way of looking at the world that is much more unitive than the divisive, rational world of the patriarch. This does not mean the patriarch is not important. Without disctionctions and separation, there can be no knowledge. Knowledge needs context, an "I and Thou."

War and strife saturates our lives. Does this have to be? An event like a war is more than something that is an external manifestation of a conflict between two opposing factions. It is the manifestation of an internal philosophy that sees the world through the eyes of a dualistic philosophy. That's right, war is the result of a philosophy I call dualism. This dualism operates on multiple levels. In academia, for instance, it can be seen operating in opposing theoretical stances. These operating stances can be held so dearly that the parties involved will argue and actually attack each other.

Dualism is a philosophy. It is not reality. It is not THE way of life because by definition Nature is inclusive of all things. Tigers and deer are both part of Nature and comprise Her wholeness. What can be seen, felt, heard, touched and thought by definition is a product of Nature, that includes these words. This does not mean non-dualism is in contrast to dualism. By definition non-dualism has to include dualism because otherwise it would be dualistic.

This integration of the world in thought is the focus of my life. I have written about it in a book I call Sophia's Web: Understanding the Unity and Diversity of Religion, Science and Ourselves. In this book, I get into meditations on a Goddess that has appeared to me ever since childhood. I call this Goddess Sophia, meaning Wisdom. It is She that has put the non-dualistic bug in my ear.

Sophia is my deepest love. I don't call Her THE one and only God, but a metaphor for God. Indeed, I say She is inclusive of all Gods as all reflections of God are inclusive of all Gods. In Her, I say, there is no other. My writing is my love song to Her and hence to all Gods be they Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist or Native.

Can you imagine a world where Christian and Muslim can join hands? Can you picture yourself in a world where the ancients whisper personally in your ear? Perhaps you can even begin believing in a unified world with no war? More importantly, perhaps you can see yourself as that unified whole. If this kind of healing appeals to you, please think about my book:

Sophia's Web:

Understanding the Unity and Diversity
of Religion, Science and Ourselves

The following is a review of the book by MARIE D. JONES for CURLED UP WITH A GOOD BOOK:

SOPHIA’S WEB
Author: Burl B. Hall
Publisher: 1stBooksLibrary, 2000
147 pages
ISBN # 1-58500-333-6
4.5 stars

In a world dominated by patriarchal societies, male images and father figures, SOPHIA’S WEB: UNDERSTANDING THE UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF RELIGION, SCIENCE AND OURSELVES by Burl B. Hall comes as a breath of fresh wisdom, and air.

This intriguing and mind-opening book examines the importance, on both a cosmic and personal level, of the feminine principal of God, or the Goddess. The author offers up a series of essay style writings that combine personal experience with valid and in-depth research into the arenas of science and spirituality, from the angle of the feminine divine and its effects on mythology, sociology, religion and cultural beliefs.

Basically, according to Burl B. Hall, we are all made of the same stuff, all come from the same wise mind, and all believe in the same concepts at our innermost core. By showing how, through ancient teachings and modern scientific discoveries, the world is really made up of an integrated reality, the author challenges us to think in terms of wholeness, rather than our usual obsessions with separateness, duality, opposites and “us vs. them” mentalities.

I really enjoyed the enlightening experiences the author talks about with a beautiful and wise female entity that began in his youth, and followed him throughout his life, challenging him to think outside the “God-is-male” box. It is rare to read about such respect for Goddess wisdom coming from a male writer, and the fact that Burl B. Hall has such a respectful and well-educated grasp of the history of Goddess worship and belief adds to this book’s enchanting and illuminating qualities. The concept of a universal wisdom, Sophia, is not a new one, but the author gives it a refreshing new face and appearance for modern readers seeking to balance their lives and understand the power of the feminine face of God, and its ability to bring back healing to a planet that desperately needs it.

The examination of western symbolism, mythology and philosophy and its inherent similarities with ancient eastern wisdom is an eye-opener, as is the author’s wonderful presentation of the many ways the divine feminine has retained power even throughout historical times when all things female were scorned and even burned at the stake. Also, the author does a masterful job of introducing the reader to the various forms and faces of the Goddess of various cultures, religions and ancient belief systems. This guy did his research, and it clearly shows!

This is one of those books you will not see on the bookstore shelf along with the major players from major publishers. What a shame, too, because as a person who considers herself rather well-read on the subject of spirituality, it is a blast to be pleasantly surprised by a small book, often self-published or small-press published, by an author that does not have his or her own talk show.

SOPHIA’S WEB not only surprised me. It delighted, entertained, educated and enlightened me. What more could a Goddess-in-human-form ask for?

Reviewed by MARIE D. JONES for CURLED UP WITH A GOOD BOOK © 2003

You can order wholesale from the distributer from 1stbooks.com

Or, you can go to Amazon.com

TYPE	TITLE	SUMMARY
Contemplative	Sophia and Nature	Discussion of the relation between Sophia and Nature
Contemplative	Go With the Flow	Getting beyond false definitions of self
Poetic	In the Woods	Provides an erotic spiritual experience of Presence.
Poetic	In the Beginning	Personal Experiences with Sophia
Contemplative	We are Lovers	Discusses relationship as essence of Creative Process
Poetic	Who is Sophia	The Nature of Wisdom
Poetic	Nature and Truth	Discusses the relationship of Nature and Truth
Other sites	Bonding with Others	Links to Sophia sites throughout the web

I read
Athens City Times

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© 1997 burl3hall@hotmail.com

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