About the Book and Author

Now Featured in the Patheos Book Club
The Soul of Christmas
by Thomas Moore

About the Book

"If you enter the spirit of Christmas, the child could be born in you. You have a chance to rise above the unconsciousness that is widespread in the world today."

With his trademark blend of storytelling, faith, and psychological insight, New York Times bestselling author Thomas Moore turns his poetic attention to the most enduring story of them all: the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. Carefully and lovingly, he looks at passages from the Gospels, both canonical and non-canonical, comparing them to archetypal stories and ancient myths in order to understand his own beliefs and to gaze in wonder at the Holy Child.

Christmas, says Moore, belongs to everyone. It has meaning only as a plan for the entire human race. Christmas shouldn't be sentimentalized or turned into consumer frenzy: "The child lying in the manger is perhaps the most radical of all spiritual reformers."

The Christ Child reminds us of the infinite possibilities of life available to us, and we celebrate that vitality in the season of good cheer, gift-giving, and community. Christmas also offers an opportunity to get in touch with our own mystical side, to recreate the Nativity in our hearts. "If we could but mix just a small measure of the child's naïveté with an intelligent appreciation of the traditional Christmas symbols, myths, and images," Moore asserts, "we might be surprised at the profundity." The enchantment of Christmas is a taste of what is possible if human beings could really love each other. The infant in the manger symbolizes new life, the potential all human beings have to be a new kind of being dedicated to agape, a love of the other—whoever that "other" may be.

This may be the most profound reflection on the meaning of Christmas in a generation.

About the Author

Thomas Moore is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Care of the Soul, Soul Mates, and twenty other books on deepening spirituality and cultivating soul in every aspect of life. He has been a monk, a musician, a university professor, and a psychotherapist, and today he lectures widely on holistic medicine, spirituality, and psychotherapy. He has PhD in religion from Syracuse University, has won several awards for his work, and writes regular columns for Resurgence and Spirituality & Health magazines. He blogs at Patheos at Soul & Spirit.

Other Works by Thomas Moore

Gospel: The Book of Matthew

This new translation with commentary strips the Gospels of their theological agendas and reclaims them as a radically new way of imagining human life. It blends scholarship and pastoral guidance in an accurate, accessible translation with profound insights that, free of religious moralism and dogmatism, is beautifully imaginative and inspirational.

A Religion of One's Own

Explore the myriad possibilities of creating a personal spiritual style, either inside or outside formal religion.

The Guru of Golf

18 stories about the game of life, each set on a golf course, using golf as the root metaphor for many of life's issues. The stories are subtle, funny and instructive.

Care of the Soul in Medicine

A book on how to make the practice and experience of modern medicine soulful. It addresses both patients and healthcare workers, taking the popular idea of the patient as a whole person deeper and suggesting ways to make a hospital and a medical center a place of soul and healing.

Writing in the Sand

A book on the Gospels for either Christians or non-Christians and especially conceived for those who have lost touch with Gospel spirituality. This is a radically new approach to the meaning of the Jesus Kingdom.

A Life at Work

Many books tell you how to get a job and work on your career. This book goes deep into a sense of calling, childhood influences, failures and setbacks and is all about finding your life work (may include hobbies, several jobs, or community service).

Dark Nights of the Soul

How can we talk about depression and difficult moments in life from the perspective of the soul? This book, widely read by people going through tough times, explores ways to deal with hopelessness and anxiety, trouble and loss, positively. It considers a dark night as a rite of passage.

The Soul's Religion

This is religion seen from the deep perspective of the soul, rather than the spirit. The book explores various aspects of religious life for their deep meaning, apart from belief and traditional practices. It offers a way to take the spiritual life more deeply and to give ordinary life a sacred dimension.