Immortal Diamond (Richard Rohr)
[My 2-star Amazon review (NDA) of “The Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self” by Richard Rohr.)
This book is a less-than-mediocre rehash of the Perennial Philosphy cobbled together with warmed-over Christian mysticism. It offers nothing new, deep, or profound and fails to integrate the various aspects of spirituality that it broaches. For example, Rohr quotes Romans 5.5 -- “It is the Holy Spirit and it has been poured into your heart”—but never explains how this inpouring relates to realizing the True Self and experiencing the Risen Christ. Rohr just rambles, never tying together or penetrating the spiritual topics he considers. Rohr has read a great deal and has plenty of knowledge, but displays very little real Knowledge in this book. Clearly, he has not “cracked the Cosmic Egg.”
Rohr devotes considerable space to criticizing the Church, reprising its atrocious history and denigrating its twisted, judgmental morality. Off-the-assembly-line mainstream Christians might find this enlightening, but to anyone with his brain intact, it’s old hat.
Everything Rohr talks about spiritually has been talked about better elsewhere. Rohr’s teachings are a step up from “A Course in Miracles,” but a number of steps below innumerable other mystical teachings. Rohr’s popularity, like Eckhart Tolle’s (whom I’ve written two books about), is a result of marketing, not of particularly enlightening teachings.
This book tells you very little about the Immortal Diamond, the True Self, or Heart. If you’re really interested in understanding Immortal Diamond, you’ll have to expand the horizons of your search beyond the limited parameters of Richard Rohr’s teachings.
This book is a less-than-mediocre rehash of the Perennial Philosphy cobbled together with warmed-over Christian mysticism. It offers nothing new, deep, or profound and fails to integrate the various aspects of spirituality that it broaches. For example, Rohr quotes Romans 5.5 -- “It is the Holy Spirit and it has been poured into your heart”—but never explains how this inpouring relates to realizing the True Self and experiencing the Risen Christ. Rohr just rambles, never tying together or penetrating the spiritual topics he considers. Rohr has read a great deal and has plenty of knowledge, but displays very little real Knowledge in this book. Clearly, he has not “cracked the Cosmic Egg.”
Rohr devotes considerable space to criticizing the Church, reprising its atrocious history and denigrating its twisted, judgmental morality. Off-the-assembly-line mainstream Christians might find this enlightening, but to anyone with his brain intact, it’s old hat.
Everything Rohr talks about spiritually has been talked about better elsewhere. Rohr’s teachings are a step up from “A Course in Miracles,” but a number of steps below innumerable other mystical teachings. Rohr’s popularity, like Eckhart Tolle’s (whom I’ve written two books about), is a result of marketing, not of particularly enlightening teachings.
This book tells you very little about the Immortal Diamond, the True Self, or Heart. If you’re really interested in understanding Immortal Diamond, you’ll have to expand the horizons of your search beyond the limited parameters of Richard Rohr’s teachings.
