There has been quite a bit of media buzz over Proof of Heaven and whether the author, Dr. Eben Alexander, had an actual experience of the afterlife. The following interviews and articles are but a small sampling of what can be found online:
Click here for an audio interview with Dr. Alexander on WFPL.org
Click here for "Incredible Journeys: What to Make of Visits to Heaven" from Christianity Today
Click here for Huffington Post's partial transcript of Dr. Alexander's interview with Oprah
Click here for "Dr. Alexander's So-Called Afterlife" on Salon.com
This past fall he appeared on ABC's 20/20 to share a bit of what he expounds upon in the book. Here's the segment:
Does the media coverage of Dr. Alexander's experiences influence your opinion of his story?
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Proof of Heaven: A Different Kind of Journey
Thank you to everyone who read and commented as we discussed The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. We hope those of you who are still reading will stay with Harold until the end of his journey.
Our journey together in the Lenten Book Club is about to take a very different turn as we shift our focus to Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey Into the Afterlife by Dr. Eben Alexander.
The title itself is quite provocative. "Proof" that heaven exists? Some might wonder whether that is possible, welcome, or necessary. How are we to square our own personal notions of heaven with what Dr. Alexander claims to have experienced? How are we to square what Dr. Alexander has to say with the Gospels?
Alternately, some might suggest these questions are the wrong ones. What feelings and emotions arise as we read about Dr. Alexander's journey? Do his words resonate on a level deeper than logic or knowledge? How might the juxtaposition of Dr. Alexander's scientific training and this deeply spiritual experience open doors to those wary of faith?
We welcome your comments below as we prepare to explore these and other questions at length.
Our journey together in the Lenten Book Club is about to take a very different turn as we shift our focus to Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey Into the Afterlife by Dr. Eben Alexander.
The title itself is quite provocative. "Proof" that heaven exists? Some might wonder whether that is possible, welcome, or necessary. How are we to square our own personal notions of heaven with what Dr. Alexander claims to have experienced? How are we to square what Dr. Alexander has to say with the Gospels?
Alternately, some might suggest these questions are the wrong ones. What feelings and emotions arise as we read about Dr. Alexander's journey? Do his words resonate on a level deeper than logic or knowledge? How might the juxtaposition of Dr. Alexander's scientific training and this deeply spiritual experience open doors to those wary of faith?
We welcome your comments below as we prepare to explore these and other questions at length.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Harold Fry: Our Journey Ends
As we come to the end of our blogging focus on The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, we are especially eager to hear from you. How has your Lenten journey thus far been influenced by the book or its characters?
What plot points or characters do you find yourself revisiting again and again? What will you take away from the novel?
We look forward to seeing you this Sunday, February 24th, as the Rev. Gary Jones discusses Harold Fry in the Rector's Forum. For more information, please visit the St. Stephen's Web site.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
New Beginnings
Yesterday we mulled over the place of angels in The Unlikey Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Mid-way through the novel, Harold encounters one such angel--a former doctor facing her own deep struggles. The hospitality and aid she gives Harold at this crucial juncture represents a sort of sea-change in his journey: a reawakening of sorts. Shortly after, he reflects:
"Beginnings could happen more than once, or in different ways. You could think you were starting something afresh, when actually what you were doing was carrying on as before. He had faced his shortcomings and overcame them, and so the real business of walking was happening only now." The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, p. 156
Olive Trees With Yellow Sky, by Vincent van Gogh
Immediately after touching this bit of wisdom, Harold sits down in a cathedral. It is Wells Cathedral, which really exists and, by the looks of the website, has a marvelous Lenten season planned. In the novel, though, it is the setting for a humble and humbling moment in which Harold both reaches out to God and apologizes for not believing:
The famed Wells Cathedral clock
"He visited the cathedral, and sat in its chilled light, pouring like water from above, He reminded himself that centuries ago men had built churches, bridges, and ships, all of them a leap of madness and faith, if you thought about it. When no one was looking, Harold slipped to his knees and asked for the safety of the people he had left behind, and those who were ahead. He asked for the will to keep going. He also apologized for not believing." The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, p. 157
"I believe; help my unbelief." This cry of the father in Mark 9:24 is so poignant and is a familiar feeling to many of us. What is your relationship to doubt on your journey of faith? How do you navigate those times when belief is hard to come by?
How is Harold's walk, in its own way, a journey from doubt to belief?
"Beginnings could happen more than once, or in different ways. You could think you were starting something afresh, when actually what you were doing was carrying on as before. He had faced his shortcomings and overcame them, and so the real business of walking was happening only now." The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, p. 156
Olive Trees With Yellow Sky, by Vincent van Gogh
Immediately after touching this bit of wisdom, Harold sits down in a cathedral. It is Wells Cathedral, which really exists and, by the looks of the website, has a marvelous Lenten season planned. In the novel, though, it is the setting for a humble and humbling moment in which Harold both reaches out to God and apologizes for not believing:
The famed Wells Cathedral clock
"He visited the cathedral, and sat in its chilled light, pouring like water from above, He reminded himself that centuries ago men had built churches, bridges, and ships, all of them a leap of madness and faith, if you thought about it. When no one was looking, Harold slipped to his knees and asked for the safety of the people he had left behind, and those who were ahead. He asked for the will to keep going. He also apologized for not believing." The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, p. 157
"I believe; help my unbelief." This cry of the father in Mark 9:24 is so poignant and is a familiar feeling to many of us. What is your relationship to doubt on your journey of faith? How do you navigate those times when belief is hard to come by?
How is Harold's walk, in its own way, a journey from doubt to belief?
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Angels Unaware
The strangers Harold meets are among the most memorable aspects of the novel. Often they step in at just the right moment with an inspiring word of advice or offer of help, opening their hearts or homes in honest and unqualified hospitality.
In Genesis 18, three strangers visit Abraham in the middle of a hot, dusty day, and Abraham and Sarah give them food, water, and a place to rest. They turn out to be visitors from God, and the return on the hospitality shown to them is rich: the promise of a son. At this news, famously, Sarah laughs.
Russian icon of the Old Testament Trinity by Andrey Rublev; between 1408-25
Not every brush with an agent of the Lord is as marvelous as this one, but encounters with angels do leave us forever changed. Who are some of the angels Harold encounters? Let us know your favorites in the comments below. Is Harold an angel to Queenie or to others?
In Genesis 18, three strangers visit Abraham in the middle of a hot, dusty day, and Abraham and Sarah give them food, water, and a place to rest. They turn out to be visitors from God, and the return on the hospitality shown to them is rich: the promise of a son. At this news, famously, Sarah laughs.
Russian icon of the Old Testament Trinity by Andrey Rublev; between 1408-25
Not every brush with an agent of the Lord is as marvelous as this one, but encounters with angels do leave us forever changed. Who are some of the angels Harold encounters? Let us know your favorites in the comments below. Is Harold an angel to Queenie or to others?
Monday, February 18, 2013
An Interview with Rachel Joyce
Watch as the author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry discusses the origins of the story, how she wrote it for her father, and an interesting connection between her journey as an author and the notion of achievement against all odds.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Harold's Brand of Belief
Harold Fry does not claim to be a religious man. Yet here he is, committed to this pilgrimage, inspiring the hearts and minds of those he meets along the way. He finds solace and renewal in nature, in others, and in quiet places. We might even see him as "spiritual, but not religious."
Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Harold's ultimate destination
Many faithful churchgoers find this to be distasteful-- a sort of side-stepping of the doctrines, creeds, and practices that under-gird scripture and proclaim Christ to the world.
For others, however, this notion rings a bell. There are many ways for the purity of God's love to be overshadowed by rigidity, intolerance, and all the other human foibles that remind us that the Church is, if nothing else, a human institution.
Perhaps some who step away from organized religion have been wounded by it. To hold on to spirituality at all might be seen as a brave thing-- a way to reconcile a yearning for that love that binds us all. The hope, of course, is that the Church constantly strive to be a place where best intentions and the Holy Spirit meet up and shine forth as a beacon for the wary. Sharing and uplifting the mission of such communities is worthy work indeed.
How would you describe Harold's brand of belief? Are there parallels between the ups and downs he experiences on his walk and the ups and downs we experience in our own faith journeys? Are you spiritual, religious, or somewhere in between?
Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Harold's ultimate destination
Many faithful churchgoers find this to be distasteful-- a sort of side-stepping of the doctrines, creeds, and practices that under-gird scripture and proclaim Christ to the world.
For others, however, this notion rings a bell. There are many ways for the purity of God's love to be overshadowed by rigidity, intolerance, and all the other human foibles that remind us that the Church is, if nothing else, a human institution.
Perhaps some who step away from organized religion have been wounded by it. To hold on to spirituality at all might be seen as a brave thing-- a way to reconcile a yearning for that love that binds us all. The hope, of course, is that the Church constantly strive to be a place where best intentions and the Holy Spirit meet up and shine forth as a beacon for the wary. Sharing and uplifting the mission of such communities is worthy work indeed.
How would you describe Harold's brand of belief? Are there parallels between the ups and downs he experiences on his walk and the ups and downs we experience in our own faith journeys? Are you spiritual, religious, or somewhere in between?
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
A Leap of Faith
" 'You have to believe. That's what I think. It's not about medicine and all that stuff. You have to believe a person can get better. There is so much in the human mind we don't understand. But, you see, if you have faith, you can do anything...I don't mean, like, religious. I mean, trusting what you don't know and going for it. Believing you can make a difference.' "
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, p. 15
Directly after this encounter with the girl at the gas station, Harold-- who has never done much of anything worth noting, let alone something extraordinary-- begins his walk. This is the very definition of a leap of faith: dispensing with the odds and stepping out in trust.
Harold trusts that Queenie will hold on for the duration of his pilgrimage. The word "pilgrimage" has a religious connotation, as the practice of sacred journey is one found in many world religions. In Christianity the common image is of a visit to the Holy Land, though a figurative journey towards the Christ within us can be just as defining.
What makes Harold's walk more than just a walk? Have you ever taken a leap of faith?
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, p. 15
Directly after this encounter with the girl at the gas station, Harold-- who has never done much of anything worth noting, let alone something extraordinary-- begins his walk. This is the very definition of a leap of faith: dispensing with the odds and stepping out in trust.
Harold trusts that Queenie will hold on for the duration of his pilgrimage. The word "pilgrimage" has a religious connotation, as the practice of sacred journey is one found in many world religions. In Christianity the common image is of a visit to the Holy Land, though a figurative journey towards the Christ within us can be just as defining.
What makes Harold's walk more than just a walk? Have you ever taken a leap of faith?
Monday, February 11, 2013
Harold and Maureen
"She kept on looking up at him, with her moss-green eyes and her fragile chin, and he wished he knew what to say but he didn't; at least not in a way that would make any difference. He longed to touch her like in the old days, to lower his head on her shoulder and rest there. 'Cheerio, Maureen.' He shut the front door between them, taking care not to let it slam." The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, p. 8
One of the most difficult relationships to witness in the novel is that of Harold and Maureen. The politeness with which Harold shuts the door is indicative of the distance that's grown between him and his bride, who sleeps in a separate bedroom and cleans the house with such ferocity it's as if she's trying to erase Harold completely. Harold, at this point in the novel, is a man of such inaction that he's all but erased himself. What brings a marriage to this point?
Bride With Blue Face, by Marc Chagall
"It occured to him it was Maureen who spoke to David and told him their news. It was Maureen who had always written Harold's name ('Dad') in the letters and cards. It was even Maureen who had found the nursing home for his father. And it raised the question-- as he pushed the button at the pelican crossing-- that if she was, in effect, Harold, 'then who am I?' p.12
Is there a formula for a happy marriage? How do we maintain separate identities outside of our romantic partnerships, and why should we bother? What advice might you give this unhappy couple?
One of the most difficult relationships to witness in the novel is that of Harold and Maureen. The politeness with which Harold shuts the door is indicative of the distance that's grown between him and his bride, who sleeps in a separate bedroom and cleans the house with such ferocity it's as if she's trying to erase Harold completely. Harold, at this point in the novel, is a man of such inaction that he's all but erased himself. What brings a marriage to this point?
Bride With Blue Face, by Marc Chagall
"It occured to him it was Maureen who spoke to David and told him their news. It was Maureen who had always written Harold's name ('Dad') in the letters and cards. It was even Maureen who had found the nursing home for his father. And it raised the question-- as he pushed the button at the pelican crossing-- that if she was, in effect, Harold, 'then who am I?' p.12
Is there a formula for a happy marriage? How do we maintain separate identities outside of our romantic partnerships, and why should we bother? What advice might you give this unhappy couple?
Friday, February 8, 2013
An Intro to Harold Fry
Check out this marvelous teaser for The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, which was released as a promotion for its American debut. Do you have a copy yet? It is available for purchase from The Bookshop @ St. Stephen's, and may also be borrowed from the parish library.
If you've read the book, we're curious-- does this video capture the essence of the novel for you? If you haven't read the book, is your interest piqued?
If you've read the book, we're curious-- does this video capture the essence of the novel for you? If you haven't read the book, is your interest piqued?
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Join the Conversation
This Lent, St. Stephen's invites you to join in as we read two books:
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry follows Harold, a recent retiree for whom life has become routine, through his unexpected decision to walk 600 miles across the English countryside. Convinced a long lost friend in hospice will stay alive as long as he walks, he encounters a cast of characters who unlock his spirit and renew his sense of purpose in life. This inspiring novel prompts reevaluation of our own mundane routines and spurs us on towards change where it is needed most.
In Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey Into the Afterlife, Dr. Eben Alexander experiences heaven as a shocking and unexpected reality that flies in the face of his scientific training. What might it mean to balance belief in God and eternity with a fundamental understanding of logic and science?
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Stay tuned to this space for more as we read, discuss, and journey together! Both selections are available for purchase at The Bookshop @ St. Stephen's, open whenever the parish house is open.
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