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The Greatest Spiritual Secret of the Century
When Paul Abler, a young newspaper reporter, risks his own life to save that of a little girl, he begins an adventure unlike any he could imagine. Down in the echoing tunnels underneath Manhattan, where the homeless hide from the police, he meets a strange man who gives him one amazing insight after another. Paul's life undergoes vast changes as he experiences, for himself, the timeless moment of the universe's creation, the joyful surprise of finding true love, and an extraordinary truth that completely alters his life--and could change yours forever . . . The bestselling author of The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight explores the deep mysteries that have stirred the human soul since the beginning of time. In this modern-day parable, spirit guides take Paul Abler on a compelling adventure where he discovers, and experiences, the greatest spiritual secret. Paul's voyage is a journey that all of us would like to take, and provides answers each of us has hoped to find.
- GenresSpirituality
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
5 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Thom Hartmann
90 books377 followersThomas Carl Hartmann is an American radio personality, author, businessman, and progressive political commentator. Hartmann has been hosting a nationally syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, since 2003 and hosted a nightly television show, The Big Picture, between 2010 and 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 15, 2014
Although this book is not the most exciting spiritual adventure I have ever read and even seemed to be a bit condescending at times, it did really make me think a lot about my life and where it is going. Reading it, awakened the spiritual side of me which has been laying dormant for awhile and made me remember things that used to be important to me but then sort of got swept under the carpet in all the chaos and busyness of life. This is the sort of book you will either love or hate. If you enjoyed Celestine Prophecy, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, Ishmael and other spiritual adventure classics, you will most likely enjoy this as well. I enjoyed it more for the ideas and feelings it awakened within me rather than for the writing itself.
April 7, 2011
Old news for some, but the "Secret" may interest Christian readers.
Thom Hartman uses "A Christmas Carol" structure to reinterpret sections of the Bible within a broader spiritual context.
Story: When Paul Abler, a young newspaper reporter, risks his own life to save that of a little girl, he begins an adventure unlike any he could imagine. Down in the echoing tunnels underneath Manhattan, where the homeless hide from the police, he meets a strange man who gives him one amazing insight after another. Paul's life undergoes vast changes as he experiences, for himself, the timeless moment of the universe's creation, the joyful surprise of finding true love, and an extraordinary truth that completely alters his life. (From goodreads.com)
Spiritual/metaphysical content: High. After risking his life to save another, Paul is deemed worthy to enter the Wisdom School, where three wise teachers journey with him into the past, present, and future to teach him the "true meaning of the Secret" so that he can become a teacher himself. With Noah, he travels to 3,000 B.C. in the city of Ur, where he learns such things as that the Bible includes many guidelines covering hygiene, property law, and common sense specific to that time and region. That the Garden of Eden is a particular tribe's creation story, and that each tribe around world has their own. After learning some of the fundamentals, he pops back into the present. Escorted by a homeless man, he ventures into century-old train tunnels under New York. There he meets Joshua, a mystical figure who leads a group of people who choose to be homeless rather than subject themselves to the strictures of our corporate culture. He then meets a wondrous being named Wisdom who reveals the Spiritual Secret and Paul's true mission.
My take: Hartmann uses the time-trodden story structure of A Christmas Carol to introduce readers to a range of basic spiritual principles. Much of the book focuses on putting the Bible into a historical context and interpreting some elements within a broader spiritual perspective, similar to Neale Donald Walsch's Conversations With God series. Although the book is quite readable, Hartmann's writing style is bland, and the plot leaves little room for either suspense or unexpected twists. So what is the Greatest Spiritual Secret of the Century? It differs for each person, I would think. Hartmann's version didn't precisely align with my personal philosophy, but it may be a perfect fit for those seeking to move beyond the Christian tradition to broader universal truths. No spoilers here--you'll have to read the book yourself to learn the secret. For many, it may be well worth the journey.
For more reviews of new age novels, see Fiction For A New Age.
Thom Hartman uses "A Christmas Carol" structure to reinterpret sections of the Bible within a broader spiritual context.
Story: When Paul Abler, a young newspaper reporter, risks his own life to save that of a little girl, he begins an adventure unlike any he could imagine. Down in the echoing tunnels underneath Manhattan, where the homeless hide from the police, he meets a strange man who gives him one amazing insight after another. Paul's life undergoes vast changes as he experiences, for himself, the timeless moment of the universe's creation, the joyful surprise of finding true love, and an extraordinary truth that completely alters his life. (From goodreads.com)
Spiritual/metaphysical content: High. After risking his life to save another, Paul is deemed worthy to enter the Wisdom School, where three wise teachers journey with him into the past, present, and future to teach him the "true meaning of the Secret" so that he can become a teacher himself. With Noah, he travels to 3,000 B.C. in the city of Ur, where he learns such things as that the Bible includes many guidelines covering hygiene, property law, and common sense specific to that time and region. That the Garden of Eden is a particular tribe's creation story, and that each tribe around world has their own. After learning some of the fundamentals, he pops back into the present. Escorted by a homeless man, he ventures into century-old train tunnels under New York. There he meets Joshua, a mystical figure who leads a group of people who choose to be homeless rather than subject themselves to the strictures of our corporate culture. He then meets a wondrous being named Wisdom who reveals the Spiritual Secret and Paul's true mission.
My take: Hartmann uses the time-trodden story structure of A Christmas Carol to introduce readers to a range of basic spiritual principles. Much of the book focuses on putting the Bible into a historical context and interpreting some elements within a broader spiritual perspective, similar to Neale Donald Walsch's Conversations With God series. Although the book is quite readable, Hartmann's writing style is bland, and the plot leaves little room for either suspense or unexpected twists. So what is the Greatest Spiritual Secret of the Century? It differs for each person, I would think. Hartmann's version didn't precisely align with my personal philosophy, but it may be a perfect fit for those seeking to move beyond the Christian tradition to broader universal truths. No spoilers here--you'll have to read the book yourself to learn the secret. For many, it may be well worth the journey.
For more reviews of new age novels, see Fiction For A New Age.
February 2, 2021
(found read date in diary)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews