CARE OF THE SOUL. A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life

New York: Harper Collins, 1992. First edition. Hardcover. A very good plus copy in a very good plus dust jacket. This copy is signed by Thomas Moore on the title page. An adventuresome meditation upon the sacred art of soulful living. The author, a psychotherapist, lived in a Catholic religious order for 12 years. In the introduction, Moore describes the book as "a program for bringing soul back to life." What does he mean by soul? He writes: "Soul is not a thing but a quality or dimension of experiencing life and ourselves. It has to do with depth, value, relatedness, heart and personal substance." For him, soul is the seat of the emotions and the hub of our lives. Moore claims that a loss of soul lies behind the restlessness, addiction, insecurity, and frustration of so many contemporary men and women. With lives devoid of meaning and purpose, people yearn for something to nourish their souls. Thomas Moore is to be commended for providing a recipe for soulful living in troubled times. He helps us see that we can survive and learn from our personal troubles, tragedies, and follies. He proclaims that soul cannot be separated from body, family, work, love, or power. And by challenging us to care for our souls, Moore draws a bead on the bounties of spirituality. In the end, he calls us to our true vocation which is to care for the world's soul and to celebrate the sacred arts of life. Care of the Soul is an essential primer for those who want to relate spirituality to everyday life. 309 pages with acknowledgments.