Paschal Paradox: Reflections on a Life of Spiritual Evolution

by Diarmuid O'Murchu

The comfort of the cross. Death giving way to resurrection and eternal life. The poor and meek are blessed beyond all. The last will be first, and the first will be last. Christianity is filled with mysteries and paradoxes that seemingly defy understanding. How do we make sense of it all, especially from within a Church that can at times seem overly focused on hierarchy, rules, and black-and-white thinking?

In Paschal Reflections on a Life of Spiritual Evolution, internationally acclaimed author and speaker Diarmuid O’Murchu explores these ideas, grounding them with his own life experiences, to offer a provocative new take on the questions that confound skeptics and believers alike. O’Murchu’s faith is ever-evolving, stretching and growing to embrace the unexplainable.

Part memoir and part meditation, Paschal Paradox digs deep into the author’s life before soaring to grapple with the big transpersonal ideas inspired by each personal story. True spiritual growth, O’Murchu believes, comes from rejecting duality, embracing paradox, and being open to the divine, wherever and however it may appear in our lives. It is in the gray areas and liminal spaces where the true work of understanding can begin, and that understanding begins with the unknown. This, too, is a paradox to cherish.

Genres: Spirituality, Religion

229 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 22, 2022

About the author

Diarmuid O'Murchu, a member of the Sacred Heart Missionary Order, and a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin Ireland, is a social psychologist most of whose working life has been in social ministry, predominantly in London, UK. In that capacity he has worked as a couple's counsellor, in bereavement work, AIDS-HIV counselling, and laterally with homeless people and refugees. As a workshop leader and group facilitator he has worked in Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, The Philippines, Thailand,
India, Peru and in several African countries, facilitating programmes on Adult Faith Development.

His best known books include Quantum Theology (1996 - revised in 2004), Reclaiming Spirituality (1998), Evolutionary Faith (2002), Catching Up with Jesus (2005), The Transformation of Desire (2007), Ancestral Grace (2008), Jesus in the Power of Poetry (2009).

Reviews

[Richard Pütz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teilhard de Chardin said, "we are spiritual beings having a human experience."
Diarmuid shares his personal experiences, and in many ways, you have excellent material for mediation and reflection. Life is a journey were we are seeking to meet the significant other many of us call God.

[Dan Charnas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I conclude that I am too much of a traditionalist to agree with the ideas about religion put forth in this book. However, it made me think quite a bit about my opinions about a variety of religious topics and helped me to validate them.