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Returning to Eden: A Field Guide for the Spiritual Journey
"Wherever I open Returning to Eden, I find wisdom, insight, and love! It is indeed a good 'Field Guide'! May this book do much good in the world."
-Fr. Richard Rohr
"Powerful and perfectly timed for the turbulent moment in which we all find ourselves."
-The Joseph Campbell Foundation
"Two out of three Harts agree...Heather Hamilton's book is worth reading."
-David Bentley Hart and Addison Hodges Hart
"This book is food that will benefit many on their own spiritual journeys."
-David Hayward (NakedPastor)
Do you resonate with aspects of Christianity, but struggle with the coherence of its claims? After having a mystical experience that upended her traditional evangelical beliefs, Heather Hamilton reluctantly found herself in this place. Her seeking led to the most unexpected insights. Returning to Eden is a field guide for the journey that every true spiritual seeker ultimately takes. The highest truths that set us free are hidden in places that most people are not looking.
Returning to Eden reexamines the Bible stories of childhood and opens them up as symbolic maps into the inner world. Stories like Jonah and the Whale, the Parting of the Red Sea, Noah's Ark, and the Virgin Birth are illuminated with penetrating depth and intellectual integrity. Faith is no longer a white-knuckled grip on implausible beliefs, but a relaxation into a deep inner knowing.
You may be surprised to find yourself reinvigorated and enlightened by stories you thought you knew inside and out. Returning to Eden has the potential to cultivate a renaissance of wonder and curiosity for anyone from the most seasoned Christians to the most committed atheists, and everyone in between.
-Fr. Richard Rohr
"Powerful and perfectly timed for the turbulent moment in which we all find ourselves."
-The Joseph Campbell Foundation
"Two out of three Harts agree...Heather Hamilton's book is worth reading."
-David Bentley Hart and Addison Hodges Hart
"This book is food that will benefit many on their own spiritual journeys."
-David Hayward (NakedPastor)
Do you resonate with aspects of Christianity, but struggle with the coherence of its claims? After having a mystical experience that upended her traditional evangelical beliefs, Heather Hamilton reluctantly found herself in this place. Her seeking led to the most unexpected insights. Returning to Eden is a field guide for the journey that every true spiritual seeker ultimately takes. The highest truths that set us free are hidden in places that most people are not looking.
Returning to Eden reexamines the Bible stories of childhood and opens them up as symbolic maps into the inner world. Stories like Jonah and the Whale, the Parting of the Red Sea, Noah's Ark, and the Virgin Birth are illuminated with penetrating depth and intellectual integrity. Faith is no longer a white-knuckled grip on implausible beliefs, but a relaxation into a deep inner knowing.
You may be surprised to find yourself reinvigorated and enlightened by stories you thought you knew inside and out. Returning to Eden has the potential to cultivate a renaissance of wonder and curiosity for anyone from the most seasoned Christians to the most committed atheists, and everyone in between.
308 pages, Paperback
Published February 22, 2023
35 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 2, 2023
Pretty disappointed in this, to be honest! I saw that the book was endorsed by David Bentley Hart and Addison Hart, so anticipated a lot. But this ends up, it seems to me, basically with a nondualism focusing on true/false self (akin to Jung shadow side) that decenters (or perhaps even redefines) Jesus, subsuming Jesus under the true/false self system. While the path this book takes away from fundamentalism is a good and necessary one, and I am aligned with her up to that point, I part ways with the author when it leads ultimately in the direction of a nonduality as ultimate (versus a form of non-duality within the broader frame of faith in Jesus).
I know with such few words that this ultimately isn't a fair review, but I am happy to chat with anyone who wants more about my opinions! I find much of it aesthetically and poetically beautiful/sublime, but not sufficiently a cruciform form of aesthetic.
---
Updated Review (May 2, 2023): Seeing that this work was endorsed by both DBH and his brother Addison Hodges Hart, whose interest in the interstitial space between Christian faith and eastern metaphysical thought (Buddhism, the occult, esotericism, perennialism, etc.) has fascinated me, I eagerly picked up this work to read. As a popular-level resource seeking a form of Christian reenchantment, this work did not disappoint, with the post-evangelical biographical narrative of its author, her emphasis on a Jungian distinction between the true and false self, her retrieval of Joseph Campbell on myth, her emphasis on non-duality and a interior-psychical-mythical reading of Scriptural stories (see, again, Jordan Peterson for a popular level contemporary example of this style of hermeneutics), a cosmic Christology that emphasizes the continuity between Jesus as the Christ and all of creation as Christ in nuce (she uses the example of the air - Christ - temporarily filling a balloon - Jesus - to help us realize the air that has always been there), a Jungian reading of Adam and Eve as masculine and feminine principles and semi-gnostic/Jungian reading of the fall as related to the necessary process of individuation and initial moving into duality on the way towards a higher non-duality. She seamlessly weaves together citations of mystics like Richard Rohr, Howard Thurman, Maya Angelou, Malcolm Guite, Cynthia Bourgeault, with various gnostic gospels, desert fathers, and Scripture. Nevertheless, I found myself disappointed in the author’s Christology, finding it weak and indistinguishable from New Age approaches, with not enough emphasis on the mystery of the incarnation or the uniqueness of the person of Jesus as the Christ. Additionally, I noticed what I will perhaps unfairly describe as psychologized readings of Jesus’ economic challenges (e.g. the rich man), which could be an upshot of a Christological decoupling of the incarnate Jesus from the cosmic Christ principle. While I myself do not find this attempt at a post-conservative, constructive, reenchanted theology to be appealing or robust enough to serve as a genuine alternative to non-Christian, occultural forms of reenchantment, I recognize that this form of spirituality is indeed an important form of Christian reenchantment to account for in the broader landscape of the Post-Christendom West. I also see this work as containing many of the necessary pieces of a enchanted spirituality, though I would configure it together in an overal pattern that is more Christologically centered on the God-man, the crucified and risen Lord, Jesus.
I know with such few words that this ultimately isn't a fair review, but I am happy to chat with anyone who wants more about my opinions! I find much of it aesthetically and poetically beautiful/sublime, but not sufficiently a cruciform form of aesthetic.
---
Updated Review (May 2, 2023): Seeing that this work was endorsed by both DBH and his brother Addison Hodges Hart, whose interest in the interstitial space between Christian faith and eastern metaphysical thought (Buddhism, the occult, esotericism, perennialism, etc.) has fascinated me, I eagerly picked up this work to read. As a popular-level resource seeking a form of Christian reenchantment, this work did not disappoint, with the post-evangelical biographical narrative of its author, her emphasis on a Jungian distinction between the true and false self, her retrieval of Joseph Campbell on myth, her emphasis on non-duality and a interior-psychical-mythical reading of Scriptural stories (see, again, Jordan Peterson for a popular level contemporary example of this style of hermeneutics), a cosmic Christology that emphasizes the continuity between Jesus as the Christ and all of creation as Christ in nuce (she uses the example of the air - Christ - temporarily filling a balloon - Jesus - to help us realize the air that has always been there), a Jungian reading of Adam and Eve as masculine and feminine principles and semi-gnostic/Jungian reading of the fall as related to the necessary process of individuation and initial moving into duality on the way towards a higher non-duality. She seamlessly weaves together citations of mystics like Richard Rohr, Howard Thurman, Maya Angelou, Malcolm Guite, Cynthia Bourgeault, with various gnostic gospels, desert fathers, and Scripture. Nevertheless, I found myself disappointed in the author’s Christology, finding it weak and indistinguishable from New Age approaches, with not enough emphasis on the mystery of the incarnation or the uniqueness of the person of Jesus as the Christ. Additionally, I noticed what I will perhaps unfairly describe as psychologized readings of Jesus’ economic challenges (e.g. the rich man), which could be an upshot of a Christological decoupling of the incarnate Jesus from the cosmic Christ principle. While I myself do not find this attempt at a post-conservative, constructive, reenchanted theology to be appealing or robust enough to serve as a genuine alternative to non-Christian, occultural forms of reenchantment, I recognize that this form of spirituality is indeed an important form of Christian reenchantment to account for in the broader landscape of the Post-Christendom West. I also see this work as containing many of the necessary pieces of a enchanted spirituality, though I would configure it together in an overal pattern that is more Christologically centered on the God-man, the crucified and risen Lord, Jesus.
July 19, 2023
I didn't know what to expect with this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. In the book, Hamilton explores biblical stories from the perspective of myth in a way that made considerable sense to me. I would strongly recommend this book to those who love the Bible, but have an uncertain relationship with it these days.
March 19, 2023
Return to Eden is a powerful book, especially if you have trouble seeing value as an adult in the bible stories many of us were taught as children, and that many adults continue to read as literal despite their mismatch with a modern understanding of the world.
Heather Hamilton helps us to see that we distort these stories because we do not understand how they are meant to function, directing us to a mythic perspective that alters how we see them. To paraphrase a metaphor from Paul's writing: we often look at these stories and the Bible as a whole through prescription glasses that are coated with centuries of misreading and misunderstanding and take the muddied image we see as the orthodox view. Hamilton's book helps us to clear the lens and see that the stories are only a window allowing us to see beyond to something much grander, all-encompassing, and life-affirming.
I love her overarching metaphor of the ego/seedpod containing the sprout/soul and its journey from oneness with the tree to the seedpod (ego) breaking apart and the sprout (soul) rooting down into the dark and then growing up into the light.
She traces this overarching mythic perspective starting from Genesis:
"As a seed falls from a tree, it takes with it a piece of the True Self (represented by the embryo within the seed). God putting Adam to sleep symbolizes this phase of development. We've seen already that this stage, being asleep in our consciousness, is what drives our growth. The shell of the False Self is the vehicle that protects the embryo within and allows it to be propelled forward. It's not Adam who chooses to sleep. He does not choose to "sin," or to lose contact with his True Self. It's God who puts him to sleep. It is the nature of reality to move us forward in growth. Although we come to identify completely with outer shell of the seed (the False Self) in our sleep, it is our True Self inside that yearns to realize itself and grow out of the shell."
…through many of the Bible's stories and eventually to the life and parables of Jesus:
"It is actually the [prodigal] son, by leaving everything he knows, who completes the development process of self-actualization: solidifying the False Self, falling asleep to his True Self, coming to the end of the False Self, dying to his old reality and illusionary identity, and finally discovering his True Self at home where he started -- only now he has the wisdom to understand the journey of his life as it comes full circle. He completes the cycle of self-forgetting, self-remembering, and self-actualizing. He fulfills his destiny."
Along the way Hamilton illuminates the Bible text to allow us see what it has always been pointing toward. Hamilton helps clear our lenses to we can see through to something much more real and true than simple literal historical fact. I found the journey she takes us on to be deeply transformative and recommend Returning to Eden to anyone who sees little value in the way these stories are often presented in our culture.
Heather Hamilton helps us to see that we distort these stories because we do not understand how they are meant to function, directing us to a mythic perspective that alters how we see them. To paraphrase a metaphor from Paul's writing: we often look at these stories and the Bible as a whole through prescription glasses that are coated with centuries of misreading and misunderstanding and take the muddied image we see as the orthodox view. Hamilton's book helps us to clear the lens and see that the stories are only a window allowing us to see beyond to something much grander, all-encompassing, and life-affirming.
I love her overarching metaphor of the ego/seedpod containing the sprout/soul and its journey from oneness with the tree to the seedpod (ego) breaking apart and the sprout (soul) rooting down into the dark and then growing up into the light.
She traces this overarching mythic perspective starting from Genesis:
"As a seed falls from a tree, it takes with it a piece of the True Self (represented by the embryo within the seed). God putting Adam to sleep symbolizes this phase of development. We've seen already that this stage, being asleep in our consciousness, is what drives our growth. The shell of the False Self is the vehicle that protects the embryo within and allows it to be propelled forward. It's not Adam who chooses to sleep. He does not choose to "sin," or to lose contact with his True Self. It's God who puts him to sleep. It is the nature of reality to move us forward in growth. Although we come to identify completely with outer shell of the seed (the False Self) in our sleep, it is our True Self inside that yearns to realize itself and grow out of the shell."
…through many of the Bible's stories and eventually to the life and parables of Jesus:
"It is actually the [prodigal] son, by leaving everything he knows, who completes the development process of self-actualization: solidifying the False Self, falling asleep to his True Self, coming to the end of the False Self, dying to his old reality and illusionary identity, and finally discovering his True Self at home where he started -- only now he has the wisdom to understand the journey of his life as it comes full circle. He completes the cycle of self-forgetting, self-remembering, and self-actualizing. He fulfills his destiny."
Along the way Hamilton illuminates the Bible text to allow us see what it has always been pointing toward. Hamilton helps clear our lenses to we can see through to something much more real and true than simple literal historical fact. I found the journey she takes us on to be deeply transformative and recommend Returning to Eden to anyone who sees little value in the way these stories are often presented in our culture.
May 18, 2023
I wish I had this book twenty years ago.
At the same time, I wonder if I would have been receptive to this book all those years ago. My background is similar to Heather Hamilton’s: growing up in an evangelical church, being told at the ripe young age of four or five that you’re a worthless sinner destined for hell and accepting Jesus into your heart as the only way to avoid this awful fate. But the fear of hell runs so deep that Heather, like me and so many others, felt the need to ask Jesus into her heart again and again, just to make sure.
Telling this message to children is borderline abusive. It’s only in the last few years that I’ve realized how deeply this traumatized me. My path out of it was much more gradual than Heather’s. I am thankful that my church community was open-minded, by evangelical standards, and thus not too dogmatic. Much of my young life was at a different church than the one that scared me into (out of) hell, and by the time I entered the wider evangelical world, I was already a little skeptical that every single person without explicit faith in Jesus was destined to go to hell forever.
This message of fearing hell and the scary God who will send you there is built on a way of reading the Bible that is both confident and shallow. Those who believe it - pastors, leaders, parents - do not question it. At least, not out loud. Questioning it is a sign you do not believe it and thus a sign you might be in danger of hell. Yet it is so incredibly shallow, rarely digging beneath the surface level of the text.
Hamilton’s book digs deep into the text, arguing that these scriptures offer us much more than what most of us were taught. Her reading of the stories of scripture is rooted in Jungian psychology and the Hero’s Journey of Joseph Campbell. Hamilton helps the reader see the timeless messages in scripture. Rather than a God who demands proper belief or else, the story of scripture is about us taking the path of spiritual growth. Through this we develop a False Self, a necessary step on the way to shedding this false self and living as our True Self.
I’m not going to try to explain the details of this psychological approach. I find Hamilton’s book is quite helpful. I am in agreement with much of it and I would recommend it to anyone who is disillusioned with their Christian faith but still wants to hang on to something.
Perhaps the best thing about Hamilton’s book is that the chapters are short and to the point. Unlike a book by a professional theologian or pastor, she does not get into minutiae and details. I suppose this means more theologically minded people could pick her book apart, if they were so inclined (For example, she makes a point and writes, “as we established” but if you look back to what she is referring to, she did not establish anything through an argument. She made an assertion which she later claimed as “established”. Even though I agree with her point, merely asserting something that could be contested does not establish it) . Yet it also means regular people who are in a similar place Hamilton was (and I was) could dive right into the book.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I heartily endorse it. I hope plenty of Christians, disillusioned or not, read it.
I’ve noticed over the years is I tend to be almost more critical of books I agree with. Perhaps this is because in the midst of agreeing, the parts I think fall short stick out a bit more. So I’ll share a few places where I think Hamilton’s book falls short.
Overcoming Dualisms - Except for One of Them
One of Hamilton’s basic arguments is that becoming spiritually mature, developing our True Self, means we overcome dualisms. Rather than seeing us vs. them or even good vs. evil, we see reality encompasses both. Yet, when it comes to scripture, she argues throughout that these stories are about us and what is going on inside of us. This is in opposition to more traditional interpretations that focus on the historical aspects of the story or what God is doing outside of us. Arguments such as Hamilton’s are a corrective for sure. But rather than overcoming this dualism and arguing the stories are about both what is going on inside of us AND the realities outside of us, she seems to put it all inside of us.
Hamilton’s more allegorical method of scripture is rooted in Christian history. The early Christians developed a method of interpretation, which held sway for over 1,000 years, the included both literal and metaphorical. This method began with the literal, surface-level, looking at what happened in the historical moment. Ironically, this is often where evangelical Christian wants to stay in their demand for a literal reading. The early Christians recognized these historical truths were not the point. They would dig deep into scripture looking for practical application and allegory. They would look for Christ. In this, they would go beyond the original authorial intention (which is the goal of evangelical interpretation) to follow the Spirit into the depths.
Hamilton is echoing this. But the difference is, this tradition did not discount the surface-level historical ideas.
Along with this, by placing the entire meaning of scripture inside of us, it becomes a self-help program. Again, this is not bad. Hamilton’s argument is that as we grow and learn we ultimately come not just to love God as an object, but to see God in all things and thus love God by loving all people. Here, to be fair, we do see an outward aspect in her interpretation. But I think of the prophets calling for justice for the oppressed and warning the oppressors that God’s judgment is coming. Is this really just about me as an individual looking inside myself, judging my false self and becoming a better person in my dealing with people?
My own theological journey has been fed by Liberation theologians such as James Cone and Gustavo Gutierrez as well as other writers like Abraham Heschel, Willie James Jennings, Jemar Tisby and Grace Ji-Sun Kim. These writers all draw on scripture to challenge us to work for justice in the world. Not just that, they see scripture as speaking to topics from climate change to mass incarceration to much more. Limiting scripture to only speak of the interior life seems to reject the duality available and shrink scripture to just self-help.
It’s not an either or. It’s a both/and. I suspect Hamilton would agree and I do not want to fault her for what she did not write. But it is worth saying, since in saying the evangelical way is wrong, she presents her reading as the one right way without really recognizing (unless I missed it) other valid ways.
Christianity or Christian Perennialism
Prior to reading this book, I read Huxley’s The Perennial Philosophy. Perennialism is the basic idea that all religions have common teachings at their core. With this book in mind, it seems obvious Hamilton is promoting the Perennial Philosophy. To be clear, this is not a knock (see my review of Huxley for proof -https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...).
She writes that as we mature spiritually, we learn to see Christ everywhere. In other words, as we grow in our love of God we cannot but help grow in our love of others. In Matthew 25 Jesus says that those who feed the hungry or visit the prisoner are actually demonstrating love to Jesus. By serving and loving these humans, they are loving and serving the Christ in these humans. Christ is everywhere and in all things.
At the end of the book, in the epilogue, she compares religions to languages with all pointing to similar realities. While different religions deal in particulars, the common myth is the same.
The question I would ask is, is it right then for her to name all these things as “Christ”? To do so seems to take her Christian languages and assumptions and force them on everyone else. For example, the truth in Buddha would be Christ. The truth in Taoist scripture would be Christ. But would Buddhists or Taoists see it this way? Is it loving to take Christian words and use them to tell people what their scriptures really mean?
There’s a difference between saying “All truth in all religions is actually Christ” and “All religions have a common core which includes Christ.” The first one does fit into a more traditional Christian theology and seems to fit what many of the authors she cites would adhere to (pastor Brian Zahnd for example). The second seems to be what Hamilton sees as true.
As I’ve followed a similar journey, I cannot help but wonder if anything is unique about Jesus of Nazareth? And, if we jettison everything that makes Jesus different, are we still Christians in any sort of traditional sense? Is the resurrection is just a story about our own rebirth, told in Christian language? Did something truly unique happen to Jesus?
Maybe it doesn’t matter. At least, not in terms of how loving and kind we are to our friends, neighbors and enemies. We all know simply affirming belief in a literal resurrection, and uniqueness, of Jesus does not mean much in terms of the kind of person one is. But being Christian followers of the Perennial Philosophy is a step away from what it has meant to be a Christian for most of history.
I’m not sure how I feel about that.
In the end though, I love this book. I found it helpful. There are certainly more questions to be asked, discussions to be had, and perhaps even some clarity to be sought. In the end though, Hamilton presents a vision of spiritual growth that moves us to love God and others, to love all people and things because the light of God shines through them. Whether this fits in the Christian tradition or not, I imagine Jesus himself would be quite happy with the idea - love God, love your neighbor, love your enemy.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR,Part 255.
At the same time, I wonder if I would have been receptive to this book all those years ago. My background is similar to Heather Hamilton’s: growing up in an evangelical church, being told at the ripe young age of four or five that you’re a worthless sinner destined for hell and accepting Jesus into your heart as the only way to avoid this awful fate. But the fear of hell runs so deep that Heather, like me and so many others, felt the need to ask Jesus into her heart again and again, just to make sure.
Telling this message to children is borderline abusive. It’s only in the last few years that I’ve realized how deeply this traumatized me. My path out of it was much more gradual than Heather’s. I am thankful that my church community was open-minded, by evangelical standards, and thus not too dogmatic. Much of my young life was at a different church than the one that scared me into (out of) hell, and by the time I entered the wider evangelical world, I was already a little skeptical that every single person without explicit faith in Jesus was destined to go to hell forever.
This message of fearing hell and the scary God who will send you there is built on a way of reading the Bible that is both confident and shallow. Those who believe it - pastors, leaders, parents - do not question it. At least, not out loud. Questioning it is a sign you do not believe it and thus a sign you might be in danger of hell. Yet it is so incredibly shallow, rarely digging beneath the surface level of the text.
Hamilton’s book digs deep into the text, arguing that these scriptures offer us much more than what most of us were taught. Her reading of the stories of scripture is rooted in Jungian psychology and the Hero’s Journey of Joseph Campbell. Hamilton helps the reader see the timeless messages in scripture. Rather than a God who demands proper belief or else, the story of scripture is about us taking the path of spiritual growth. Through this we develop a False Self, a necessary step on the way to shedding this false self and living as our True Self.
I’m not going to try to explain the details of this psychological approach. I find Hamilton’s book is quite helpful. I am in agreement with much of it and I would recommend it to anyone who is disillusioned with their Christian faith but still wants to hang on to something.
Perhaps the best thing about Hamilton’s book is that the chapters are short and to the point. Unlike a book by a professional theologian or pastor, she does not get into minutiae and details. I suppose this means more theologically minded people could pick her book apart, if they were so inclined (For example, she makes a point and writes, “as we established” but if you look back to what she is referring to, she did not establish anything through an argument. She made an assertion which she later claimed as “established”. Even though I agree with her point, merely asserting something that could be contested does not establish it) . Yet it also means regular people who are in a similar place Hamilton was (and I was) could dive right into the book.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I heartily endorse it. I hope plenty of Christians, disillusioned or not, read it.
I’ve noticed over the years is I tend to be almost more critical of books I agree with. Perhaps this is because in the midst of agreeing, the parts I think fall short stick out a bit more. So I’ll share a few places where I think Hamilton’s book falls short.
Overcoming Dualisms - Except for One of Them
One of Hamilton’s basic arguments is that becoming spiritually mature, developing our True Self, means we overcome dualisms. Rather than seeing us vs. them or even good vs. evil, we see reality encompasses both. Yet, when it comes to scripture, she argues throughout that these stories are about us and what is going on inside of us. This is in opposition to more traditional interpretations that focus on the historical aspects of the story or what God is doing outside of us. Arguments such as Hamilton’s are a corrective for sure. But rather than overcoming this dualism and arguing the stories are about both what is going on inside of us AND the realities outside of us, she seems to put it all inside of us.
Hamilton’s more allegorical method of scripture is rooted in Christian history. The early Christians developed a method of interpretation, which held sway for over 1,000 years, the included both literal and metaphorical. This method began with the literal, surface-level, looking at what happened in the historical moment. Ironically, this is often where evangelical Christian wants to stay in their demand for a literal reading. The early Christians recognized these historical truths were not the point. They would dig deep into scripture looking for practical application and allegory. They would look for Christ. In this, they would go beyond the original authorial intention (which is the goal of evangelical interpretation) to follow the Spirit into the depths.
Hamilton is echoing this. But the difference is, this tradition did not discount the surface-level historical ideas.
Along with this, by placing the entire meaning of scripture inside of us, it becomes a self-help program. Again, this is not bad. Hamilton’s argument is that as we grow and learn we ultimately come not just to love God as an object, but to see God in all things and thus love God by loving all people. Here, to be fair, we do see an outward aspect in her interpretation. But I think of the prophets calling for justice for the oppressed and warning the oppressors that God’s judgment is coming. Is this really just about me as an individual looking inside myself, judging my false self and becoming a better person in my dealing with people?
My own theological journey has been fed by Liberation theologians such as James Cone and Gustavo Gutierrez as well as other writers like Abraham Heschel, Willie James Jennings, Jemar Tisby and Grace Ji-Sun Kim. These writers all draw on scripture to challenge us to work for justice in the world. Not just that, they see scripture as speaking to topics from climate change to mass incarceration to much more. Limiting scripture to only speak of the interior life seems to reject the duality available and shrink scripture to just self-help.
It’s not an either or. It’s a both/and. I suspect Hamilton would agree and I do not want to fault her for what she did not write. But it is worth saying, since in saying the evangelical way is wrong, she presents her reading as the one right way without really recognizing (unless I missed it) other valid ways.
Christianity or Christian Perennialism
Prior to reading this book, I read Huxley’s The Perennial Philosophy. Perennialism is the basic idea that all religions have common teachings at their core. With this book in mind, it seems obvious Hamilton is promoting the Perennial Philosophy. To be clear, this is not a knock (see my review of Huxley for proof -https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...).
She writes that as we mature spiritually, we learn to see Christ everywhere. In other words, as we grow in our love of God we cannot but help grow in our love of others. In Matthew 25 Jesus says that those who feed the hungry or visit the prisoner are actually demonstrating love to Jesus. By serving and loving these humans, they are loving and serving the Christ in these humans. Christ is everywhere and in all things.
At the end of the book, in the epilogue, she compares religions to languages with all pointing to similar realities. While different religions deal in particulars, the common myth is the same.
The question I would ask is, is it right then for her to name all these things as “Christ”? To do so seems to take her Christian languages and assumptions and force them on everyone else. For example, the truth in Buddha would be Christ. The truth in Taoist scripture would be Christ. But would Buddhists or Taoists see it this way? Is it loving to take Christian words and use them to tell people what their scriptures really mean?
There’s a difference between saying “All truth in all religions is actually Christ” and “All religions have a common core which includes Christ.” The first one does fit into a more traditional Christian theology and seems to fit what many of the authors she cites would adhere to (pastor Brian Zahnd for example). The second seems to be what Hamilton sees as true.
As I’ve followed a similar journey, I cannot help but wonder if anything is unique about Jesus of Nazareth? And, if we jettison everything that makes Jesus different, are we still Christians in any sort of traditional sense? Is the resurrection is just a story about our own rebirth, told in Christian language? Did something truly unique happen to Jesus?
Maybe it doesn’t matter. At least, not in terms of how loving and kind we are to our friends, neighbors and enemies. We all know simply affirming belief in a literal resurrection, and uniqueness, of Jesus does not mean much in terms of the kind of person one is. But being Christian followers of the Perennial Philosophy is a step away from what it has meant to be a Christian for most of history.
I’m not sure how I feel about that.
In the end though, I love this book. I found it helpful. There are certainly more questions to be asked, discussions to be had, and perhaps even some clarity to be sought. In the end though, Hamilton presents a vision of spiritual growth that moves us to love God and others, to love all people and things because the light of God shines through them. Whether this fits in the Christian tradition or not, I imagine Jesus himself would be quite happy with the idea - love God, love your neighbor, love your enemy.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR,Part 255.
December 10, 2023
Here’s another book of wisdom that I started ingesting this year.
This author shares my love of myths and legends – those stories that entertain while sharing universal truths about the world we live in and the relationships that mold us.
She takes the familiar tales from Sunday School and delves deep to mine the hidden wisdom, making the bible stories new again.
Drawing from personal epiphanies and life-changing struggles, Hamilton draws her readers along for the journey as “...Jesus flipped the table of my life.”
Buckle up.
This author shares my love of myths and legends – those stories that entertain while sharing universal truths about the world we live in and the relationships that mold us.
She takes the familiar tales from Sunday School and delves deep to mine the hidden wisdom, making the bible stories new again.
Drawing from personal epiphanies and life-changing struggles, Hamilton draws her readers along for the journey as “...Jesus flipped the table of my life.”
Buckle up.
November 17, 2023
I'm giving this a 5 star review but I'm not planning on finishing it right now.
It's a great book on the deconstruction journey of faith, and finding the Gnosis of truth within the hollowness of modern Evangelism.
But it's not my path or place in my spiritual journey. Goes to show you can appreciate something that wasn't meant for you.
It's a great book on the deconstruction journey of faith, and finding the Gnosis of truth within the hollowness of modern Evangelism.
But it's not my path or place in my spiritual journey. Goes to show you can appreciate something that wasn't meant for you.
April 11, 2023
I am so grateful this thoughtful, eloquent look at the spirituality – the God – who connect us all exists. Thank you, Heather, for your bravery and kindness in putting words to the truth my spirit has known for many years.
April 19, 2023
The Christian world needs this book. Although, admittedly, some are not ready for it, and that's ok.
Hamilton has woven together all the best lessons of Jung, Campbell, and Christianity into a single account of Christian witness that rescues the faith from the tyranny of literalism and reintroduces the sacred art of allegory to biblical interpretation for the 21st Century. It is not merely poetic, but it is in fact poetry... poetry that calls us to find ourselves in the story of the Christ, and embrace all the pain and redemption that it takes to be truly "born again." In fact, she may have just helped me recover that phrase.
This is "deconstruction" and "reconstruction" at its most coherent and inspiring.
The challenge for me in reading her work is a question of metaphysics. I'm left asking if the metaphysics handed down to us by Maximus, Macrina, and all the others are only a matter of psychological analogy, or if there is something more concrete...an "Ousia" that does in fact exist out there, up there, above and below and within, before and after.
After taking a lot of time with this book, I'm not at all sure. But because of Hamilton's work here, I don't think I'm afraid of either answer, and am willing to concede that asking the question may miss the point.
Hamilton has woven together all the best lessons of Jung, Campbell, and Christianity into a single account of Christian witness that rescues the faith from the tyranny of literalism and reintroduces the sacred art of allegory to biblical interpretation for the 21st Century. It is not merely poetic, but it is in fact poetry... poetry that calls us to find ourselves in the story of the Christ, and embrace all the pain and redemption that it takes to be truly "born again." In fact, she may have just helped me recover that phrase.
This is "deconstruction" and "reconstruction" at its most coherent and inspiring.
The challenge for me in reading her work is a question of metaphysics. I'm left asking if the metaphysics handed down to us by Maximus, Macrina, and all the others are only a matter of psychological analogy, or if there is something more concrete...an "Ousia" that does in fact exist out there, up there, above and below and within, before and after.
After taking a lot of time with this book, I'm not at all sure. But because of Hamilton's work here, I don't think I'm afraid of either answer, and am willing to concede that asking the question may miss the point.
April 1, 2023
It is hard to express the gratitude I feel at having read Heather Hamilton’s book, “Returning to Eden”. What she has done in these pages is nothing short of inspirational and life-giving. She doesn’t teach the reader anything new, but instead reminds us of what the soul already knows. We were made for love and relationship with the Divine, and we left the Garden so that we could return again at the appointed time. Life here on planet Earth is the journey of a lifetime, and Heather gives us a map to help direct us to our True Self. I cannot recommend this book enough.
April 29, 2024
Maybe I’m just not ready for this spiritual journey? I’m all for a reframing of biblical stories/mythology, but this feels like she’s trying to invent a brand new theology not historically rooted in anything at all, based on woo woo psychological theory. DNF.
May 28, 2024
“Do you resonate with aspects of Christianity, but struggle with the coherence of it claims?”
This is the question Heather Hamilton asks in Returning to Eden.
If your answer is yes, then Returning to Eden is for you.
And if you answer in the negative, and you think you are through with Christianity, then you definitely need to read Returning to Eden.
Returning to Eden is both Hamilton’s journey from Christianity to Christianity, but a far different Christianity that she left. It is a Christianity that returns us to the Garden of Eden. Hamilton takes us through the story of her discontent with Christianity as she experienced it. And then after a series of mystical experiences, her subsequent return to Eden.
Her story however, is not the story of an outright rejection of Christianity, but a discovery of what being a follower of Jesus actually is. Hamilton takes the stories of the bible to heart – not literally – but as spiritual stories, symbolic stories that give us hope, stories that share the pure love that is God. If you grew up in an Evangelical church, Hamilton’s take on the biblical stories will open your eyes to a new way of looking at what it means to follow God.
Returning to Eden is as delightful to read as it is a scholarly work. It is not some superficial work that flows from some imagined mystical experiences. This book is the real thing. Hamilton’s words need to be seriously digested, especially by those who are struggling with what passes as Christianity today. Returning to Eden is not a book about deconstructing. It is a book about transformation-- A book that transforms how we think about the biblical stories. A book that transforms Christianity to a mystical faith that is rooted in love. A book that can transform each of us if we allow it to do so. This latter transformation is nothing less than a return to Eden—the ability to fully inherit and comprehend our blessings as children of God.
Hamilton has written, as the subtitle suggests, “A Field Guide for the Spiritual Journey.”
Returning to Eden is rich with quotes and scriptural context. Within the 42 brief and meaty chapters of the book, Hamilton explores the meaning of Adam & Eve, the Tower of Babel, Jonah and the Whale and Noah’s Ark. Not just the stories from the Hebrew Testament, but also the Virgin Birth and the Cross. Just a sampling of what Hamilton tackled during her return to Eden.
Hamilton’s chapters on “The Anatomy of a Seed” (chap. 3) and “The function of Myth” (chap. 4) set the stage for why she sees the stories of the scriptures as she does. “The Christian of the Future” (chap. 1) is the manifesto for a different kind of Christianity—a mystical one, but yet one rooted solidly to the earth.
In addition to end notes, Hamilton has provided an expansive and helpful biography, definitely suggestions for further reading.
This is the question Heather Hamilton asks in Returning to Eden.
If your answer is yes, then Returning to Eden is for you.
And if you answer in the negative, and you think you are through with Christianity, then you definitely need to read Returning to Eden.
Returning to Eden is both Hamilton’s journey from Christianity to Christianity, but a far different Christianity that she left. It is a Christianity that returns us to the Garden of Eden. Hamilton takes us through the story of her discontent with Christianity as she experienced it. And then after a series of mystical experiences, her subsequent return to Eden.
Her story however, is not the story of an outright rejection of Christianity, but a discovery of what being a follower of Jesus actually is. Hamilton takes the stories of the bible to heart – not literally – but as spiritual stories, symbolic stories that give us hope, stories that share the pure love that is God. If you grew up in an Evangelical church, Hamilton’s take on the biblical stories will open your eyes to a new way of looking at what it means to follow God.
Returning to Eden is as delightful to read as it is a scholarly work. It is not some superficial work that flows from some imagined mystical experiences. This book is the real thing. Hamilton’s words need to be seriously digested, especially by those who are struggling with what passes as Christianity today. Returning to Eden is not a book about deconstructing. It is a book about transformation-- A book that transforms how we think about the biblical stories. A book that transforms Christianity to a mystical faith that is rooted in love. A book that can transform each of us if we allow it to do so. This latter transformation is nothing less than a return to Eden—the ability to fully inherit and comprehend our blessings as children of God.
Hamilton has written, as the subtitle suggests, “A Field Guide for the Spiritual Journey.”
Returning to Eden is rich with quotes and scriptural context. Within the 42 brief and meaty chapters of the book, Hamilton explores the meaning of Adam & Eve, the Tower of Babel, Jonah and the Whale and Noah’s Ark. Not just the stories from the Hebrew Testament, but also the Virgin Birth and the Cross. Just a sampling of what Hamilton tackled during her return to Eden.
Hamilton’s chapters on “The Anatomy of a Seed” (chap. 3) and “The function of Myth” (chap. 4) set the stage for why she sees the stories of the scriptures as she does. “The Christian of the Future” (chap. 1) is the manifesto for a different kind of Christianity—a mystical one, but yet one rooted solidly to the earth.
In addition to end notes, Hamilton has provided an expansive and helpful biography, definitely suggestions for further reading.
August 22, 2023
In Heather Hamilton’s book Return To Eden A Field Guide for the Spiritual she describes a mystical experience she had. “I knew that this whole experience would sound not only unbelievable , but insane,” she writes.. “I knew it was real , but I also knew how crazy it would sound to others , because it would have sounded crazy to me before my own experience . It contradicted everything I understood about my faith and religion.” Those words exactly describe a mystical experience I had when I was in my 20s.
Hamilton’s main theme in her book is not to discard the Bible, rather with her new perspective to interpret Bible stories as metaphors for aide in spiritual growth. “Mythological stories and symbols are not ends in themselves,” she writes. “They point towards something deeper; something beyond the image or story . They provide clues by which we might navigate the inner workings of our psyches — yielding insights into our behaviors, addictions ,neurosis, longings, and meanings of our particular and collective life .”
I was familiar with many of the Bible passages Hamilton quotes in her book. It was refreshing to read her view of these stories from her mystical lens. It reminded me of what another Christian mystic, Marcus Borg, who wrote in his book The God We Never Knew: “the God I have met as an adult is the God I never knew growing up in the church.” (page 12)
In addition to the many passages from the Bible in Return to Eden, Hamilton includes quotes from great thinkers of the past. Joseph Campbell, Richard Rohr, and others are quoted. This was a well researched book.
Return to Eden is over 300 pages long. Hamilton breaks down her words in much shorter easy to read chapters (43 of them). I liked to read a chapter to contemplate before bedtime each evening. This is not a book to rush through.
A mystical experience of the past, like what the author experienced and what I experienced, can be more than a distant memory. It’s a place I can return to now, today, as a better way to live. One of my favorite sentences in the book was this: “The Christian mystic is one who has made the leap from loving Jesus to loving everything because they see Jesus in everyone and everything else.”
Hamilton’s main theme in her book is not to discard the Bible, rather with her new perspective to interpret Bible stories as metaphors for aide in spiritual growth. “Mythological stories and symbols are not ends in themselves,” she writes. “They point towards something deeper; something beyond the image or story . They provide clues by which we might navigate the inner workings of our psyches — yielding insights into our behaviors, addictions ,neurosis, longings, and meanings of our particular and collective life .”
I was familiar with many of the Bible passages Hamilton quotes in her book. It was refreshing to read her view of these stories from her mystical lens. It reminded me of what another Christian mystic, Marcus Borg, who wrote in his book The God We Never Knew: “the God I have met as an adult is the God I never knew growing up in the church.” (page 12)
In addition to the many passages from the Bible in Return to Eden, Hamilton includes quotes from great thinkers of the past. Joseph Campbell, Richard Rohr, and others are quoted. This was a well researched book.
Return to Eden is over 300 pages long. Hamilton breaks down her words in much shorter easy to read chapters (43 of them). I liked to read a chapter to contemplate before bedtime each evening. This is not a book to rush through.
A mystical experience of the past, like what the author experienced and what I experienced, can be more than a distant memory. It’s a place I can return to now, today, as a better way to live. One of my favorite sentences in the book was this: “The Christian mystic is one who has made the leap from loving Jesus to loving everything because they see Jesus in everyone and everything else.”
January 15, 2024
𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙀𝙙𝙚𝙣 : 𝘼 𝙁𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙂𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙅𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮 𝙗𝙮 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙃𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙤𝙣
🌌 Have you ever had a mysterious encounter or experience ⁉️ Well believe it or not we all have had our fair share of the experiencing mystical and mysterious encounters.
📖 So today I have a book which is inspired by the same phenomenon and the discovery through experiencing the mystical events. "Returning to Eden", the book namely serves as a guide to Spiritual Journey.
📖 The book vividly explores the possibilities from the Bible Stories and offers them in a freshly wovened thread of perspectives which can be implemented in your daily life.
📌 One is going to find a variety of biblical references. The book consists of 43 chapters and each chapter takes its inspiration from the very concept of offering a clear perspective of spiritual growth and development for the greater good of all.
📌 While having only a little knowledge about the Bible. I can say that I personally liked the relatability in between the core concepts and everyday life, which Heather has possibly created in the book, which not only makes it comprehensive but significant also.
📌 From the point of view of a curious person, the book is food for thought and would be a delightful experience for every intellectually curious person out their to satisfy their curiosity and offer some answers to already known questions.
📌 Returning to Eden is not just a guide to Spiritual Journey but a calling to all those who seek to achieve much more in their life and those who would like to explore freshly wovened perspectives from a unique approach.
🌌 Have you ever had a mysterious encounter or experience ⁉️ Well believe it or not we all have had our fair share of the experiencing mystical and mysterious encounters.
📖 So today I have a book which is inspired by the same phenomenon and the discovery through experiencing the mystical events. "Returning to Eden", the book namely serves as a guide to Spiritual Journey.
📖 The book vividly explores the possibilities from the Bible Stories and offers them in a freshly wovened thread of perspectives which can be implemented in your daily life.
📌 One is going to find a variety of biblical references. The book consists of 43 chapters and each chapter takes its inspiration from the very concept of offering a clear perspective of spiritual growth and development for the greater good of all.
📌 While having only a little knowledge about the Bible. I can say that I personally liked the relatability in between the core concepts and everyday life, which Heather has possibly created in the book, which not only makes it comprehensive but significant also.
📌 From the point of view of a curious person, the book is food for thought and would be a delightful experience for every intellectually curious person out their to satisfy their curiosity and offer some answers to already known questions.
📌 Returning to Eden is not just a guide to Spiritual Journey but a calling to all those who seek to achieve much more in their life and those who would like to explore freshly wovened perspectives from a unique approach.
August 30, 2025
A revelatory book
To describe Returning to Eden as a 'deconstruction' book seems too vague and simplistic. Hamilton takes us on a scholarly and mystical journey through the psychology of faith as so many contemporary Christians have experienced it. In discussing the human need for a False Self, which serves a purpose early in life but must eventually die to reveal the True Self, she exposes the lie that we were ever separated from God. The divine is in each one of us, and Hamilton admits that her evangelical faith tradition blinded her to the truth for many years, but when the revelation came it was quick and transformative. This book is rich fare to be savored, not devoured in one sitting, and I highly recommend it!
To describe Returning to Eden as a 'deconstruction' book seems too vague and simplistic. Hamilton takes us on a scholarly and mystical journey through the psychology of faith as so many contemporary Christians have experienced it. In discussing the human need for a False Self, which serves a purpose early in life but must eventually die to reveal the True Self, she exposes the lie that we were ever separated from God. The divine is in each one of us, and Hamilton admits that her evangelical faith tradition blinded her to the truth for many years, but when the revelation came it was quick and transformative. This book is rich fare to be savored, not devoured in one sitting, and I highly recommend it!
May 13, 2023
I appreciate her message of shaking free from the view of Christianity as a literal reading of the Bible and promoting fear and hate of others (something I've never found in the words of Jesus). However, I have read much better books on this subject. She gave up the exculsive literalist view of the Bible, but tried to force an exclusive Jungian view on the Bible and that just doesn't work either. She sounds like she is trying to write a self-help book, but wants her readers to think it is all coming from the Bible. If you are interested in a Christian book that focuses on love, read "Universal Christ" by Richard Rohr instead.
February 22, 2023
For all my exvangelical friends navigating the choppy waters of what you thought you once knew, what you realized you didn’t know, and what you now want to know, you need to check out Heather Hamilton’s amazing book!
Prepare to be amazed, challenged, and moved by Heather's experiences, intelligence, and understanding of who God is as she unravels her own journey of spiritual exploration.
This book is beautifully and intelligently written--a must-read for anyone traveling the bumpy roads of deconstruction and reconstruction.
Prepare to be amazed, challenged, and moved by Heather's experiences, intelligence, and understanding of who God is as she unravels her own journey of spiritual exploration.
This book is beautifully and intelligently written--a must-read for anyone traveling the bumpy roads of deconstruction and reconstruction.
July 6, 2024
This is a book that will stay on my bookshelf as a resource for the future. It came to me at the right time as I was wrestling with a deep spiritual shift and trying to figure out how to reconcile the Catholic/Christian belief system I have known and loved as I live into what my new understanding means for my life and how to be in the world. It's the book I wish I could have written for myself! The chapters are short and easy to read one or two at a time. I know I will return to different topics to reread for further insight.
January 9, 2024
This was a pretty good read, with some interesting allegorical and psychological approaches to scriptural interpretation. I could see this being really, really helpful to certain people on a particular path of deconstruction or recovery from fundamentalism. It didn't quite resonate with me on all those levels, but I appreciated it for what it is.
Full video review here: https://youtu.be/Pd18LyPyTBs
Full video review here: https://youtu.be/Pd18LyPyTBs
January 10, 2024
I had always hoped a book like this would be written. I strongly identified with the stories Heather shared, as well as the beliefs she held growing up. This is one of the most refreshing and approachable books I have read in a while. I would love it if Heather Hamilton was to create a study Bible.
January 15, 2024
Listen. Heather Hamilton provides a new and fresh way to look at spirituality. She turns evangelicalism on it’s head and allows you to see a larger, more accepting view and a way to understand spiritual matters in a new light. This book is powerful and helped me to open my mind. I highly recommend it.
March 11, 2024
A great book! I listened on audio and upon completion, bought the paper copy so I could engage with it further alongside the Bible itself. A textbook of sorts. This book helped me, as a Exvangelical Christian renew my love of the Bible again with a new fresh perspective. So many of us feel as though we have to ditch the Bible once we dismiss inerrancy and this book shows us how we can find love and value in the Bible’s pages again in deeper ways.
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