Practicing Transcendence: Axial Age Spiritualities for a World in Crisis

by Christopher Peet

This book introduces readers to the concept of the Axial Age and its relevance for a world in crisis. Scholars have become increasingly interested in philosopher Karl Jaspers’ thesis that a spiritual revolution in consciousness during the first millennium BCE decisively shaped world history. Axial ideas of transcendence develop into ideologies for world religions and civilizations, in turn coalescing into a Eurasian world-system that spreads globally to become the foundation of our contemporary world. Alongside ideas and ideologies, the Axial Age also taught spiritual practices critically resisting the new scale of civilizational power: in small counter-cultural communities on the margins of society, they turn our conscious focus inward to transform ourselves and overcome the destructive potentials within human nature.  Axial spiritualities offer humanity a practical wisdom, a profound psychology, and deep hope: to transform despair into resilience, helping us face with courage the ecological and political challenges confronting us today.

354 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2019

Reviews

[emily | pagewraith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practicing Transcendence carefully takes the time to familiarize the reader with the necessary historical/scholarly background information to understand its thesis: That the Axial Age’s great contribution is the development of sustained, systematic spiritual practice, that this invites the practitioner to overcome their own ego and see the world with selfless eyes, that this has implications for us today, as we face an world in such a universal state of crisis that it is overwhelming. Even this summary doesn’t do it justice. It really does have to be read and savoured and appreciated. As someone who is 5 years into her undergraduate degree, but who has little experience in psychology, I found Practicing Transcendence to be surprisingly accessible – the argument put forth is complex, but it really requires that complexity, and Peet guides the reader through with the care and repetition necessary to really bring his ideas home. As someone with personal experience with anxiety and depression and feeling absolutely, hopelessly overwhelmed by “the world”, this book was such a beacon of hope, such an enriching read, such a healthy reminder to take things one day at a time, with a posture of love. I couldn't stop talking about this book while I was reading and studying it, and I couldn't stop seeing connections to it throughout my life and in other things I'm reading and studying. If you care about the climate crisis, if you are interested in world religions and/or spirituality and/or history, if you are curious about the intersection of spirituality and psychology, this book is for you.