Exploring A Course in Miracles

In the early part of the Course’s story, there are at least three instances where its scribe, Helen Schucman, prays for others in an unusual way. On these occasions, she is joining with Jesus and speaking directly to someone in her mind. In this episode of Exploring A Course in Miracles, Robert Perry and Emily Bennington discuss Helen’s unique style of prayer and how we can all use it to help ourselves and others adopt a healed point of view.

In the previous episode, Robert and Emily talked about the Course’s radical view of war—that, rather than being good or evil, war is simply senseless. But knowing this is merely a starting point. What we really need to know is how we ourselves should respond to war. That is the subject of this second episode: What is our role in relation to war? To answer that question, Robert will share six points gleaned from A Course in Miracles. Through these points we will discover the surprising relevance of war for our personal lives. For ultimately, there is no difference between wars in distant countries and the small wars we wage every day in our homes and workplaces. We are all combatants on the battlefield, and we all can choose to rise above it and become a force for peace in a world that desperately needs it.

What does A Course in Miracles have to say about war? Does it even address the subject? In fact, the Course contains over a hundred references to war and battle, along with many depictions of warfare and weaponry. In addition, there are hidden references to two wars in particular: World War II and the Vietnam War. Through it all, a consistent view of war emerges, which is radical and challenging, yet which should be no surprise if we believe that the Course really comes from Jesus, the one who told us “resist not evil” and who went willingly to his own death. This view includes war as we think of it—war between countries—yet its main focus is on the battleground that we call daily life. Join us for a discussion of one of the central issues in our lives and in this world: the issue of war.

Forming new habits sounds like a very mundane issue, hardly one we expect to see in the pages of A Course in Miracles, yet the Course mentions “habit” or “habits” seventeen times. Out of these references, a fascinating pattern emerges of why we need new habits, what new habits we should form, and how we form them. One of the most striking things is that three habits in particular are mentioned again and again. Join us for a discussion of a topic we may not have associated with the Course, but one that has surprising relevance for our lives and our journey to God.

Inequality may seem like a strictly social issue, far from the concerns of the spiritual path. Yet according to A Course in Miracles, the desire and attempt to be unequal—above others—is at the very center of the ego. It was the root of the separation and even now it drives our personal lives. The inequality we see on a social level is just the end result of masses of individuals striving to be above their fellows. In the face of this universal desire, the Course teaches a radical equality, in which, despite all our surface differences, we are all inherently equal. This even includes history’s most “superior” individual: Jesus. Join us for a discussion of this central issue, in which we explore the ego’s need for inequality, why it backfires, and how we can apply the truth of our fundamental equality in our relationships and daily interactions. 

The Course tells us that its goal is true perception, which it also calls Christ’s vision, or usually just vision. All our learning, all our study and practice, all our forgiveness, all our giving of miracles, then, is meant to bring us to the point where we see with this vision. But what is vision? In this podcast, Robert and Emily explore the topic of vision to help you understand this central Course teaching. To download the episode guide and follow along with this discussion, please visit circleofa.org/12. A Course in Miracles Radio offers in-depth conversations on Course-related topics from Circle of Atonement founder Robert Perry and Executive Director Emily Bennington. To learn more about Circle of Atonement offerings for your spiritual journey, including our Complete and Annotated Edition (CE) of A Course in Miracles and our Course Companions online learning community, please visit circleofa.org.

Forgiveness is the Course’s central teaching and yet there is a lot of confusion around this topic given that what we are often taught about forgiveness tends to be at odds with what the Course says about it. In this podcast, Robert and Emily explore the Course’s conceptual approach to forgiveness and also offer a composite forgiveness exercise based on the Workbook’s forgiveness teachings. To download the episode guide and follow along with this discussion, please visit circleofa.org/11. A Course in Miracles Radio offers in-depth conversations on Course-related topics from Circle of Atonement founder Robert Perry and Executive Director Emily Bennington. To learn more about Circle of Atonement offerings for your spiritual journey, including our Complete and Annotated Edition (CE) of A Course in Miracles and our Course Companions online learning community, please visit circleofa.org.

Meditation has been a significant part of the Course’s history and practice from the very beginning. This, however, can be difficult to spot since the word itself doesn’t appear much in any volume. Even so, the Workbook in particular wants to train us to use meditation to obtain a state of peace and, eventually, an experience of God and our true Self. In this podcast, Robert and Emily explore meditation in a Course context. Topics covered include the role of meditation in the Course’s origin, three techniques of Workbook meditation, essential characteristics of Course-based meditation, when to meditate, how long, and more. To download the handout and follow along with this discussion, please visit circleofa.org/10. A Course in Miracles Radio offers in-depth conversations on Course-related topics from Circle of Atonement founder Robert Perry and Executive Director Emily Bennington. To learn more about Circle of Atonement offerings for your spiritual journey, including our Complete and Annotated Edition (CE) of A Course in Miracles and our Course Companions online learning community, please visit circleofa.org.

This conversation is a follow-up to A Course in Miracles Radio Episode 6 entitled “What is God’s Role in the Trials and Tragedies of the World?” Based on the feedback received from that interview, there was some confusion around two seemingly conflicting ideas addressed: How can we choose everything that happens to us, and How can everything that happens be part of God’s larger plan at the same time? In this podcast, Robert and Emily go deeper into this issue and much more on the topic of God’s role in our lives. To download the handout and follow along with this discussion, please visit circleofa.org/9. A Course in Miracles Radio offers in-depth conversations on Course-related topics from Circle of Atonement founder Robert Perry and Executive Director Emily Bennington. To learn more about Circle of Atonement offerings for your spiritual journey, including our Complete and Annotated Edition (CE) of A Course in Miracles and our Course Companions online learning community, please visit circleofa.org.

How we view God colors how we view everything. If we see an angry God, we will always be looking over our shoulder waiting for Him to catch up with us. If we see a remote, indifferent God, we will always feel cast adrift in the open ocean. But what if we only saw a loving God? In this episode of A Course in Miracles Radio, Robert Perry and Emily Bennington examine our attitudes toward God and, especially, how A Course in Miracles portrays Him. To download the handout and follow along with this discussion, please visit circleofa.org/8. A Course in Miracles Radio offers in-depth conversations on Course-related topics from Circle of Atonement founder Robert Perry and Executive Director Emily Bennington. To learn more about Circle of Atonement offerings for your spiritual journey, including our Complete and Annotated Edition (CE) of A Course in Miracles and our Course Companions online learning community, please visit circleofa.org.