Book Review: Symbols, Meaning, and The Sacred Quest: Spiritual Awakening in Jewish, Christian and Islamic Stories

Are you on a personal spiritual quest? Then this book is for you.

Would you like to discover the 'How To' lessons for Spiritual Awakening that lie hidden in the wonderful myths and legends of the Western Tradition? Then this book is for you.

Are you fed up with bigotry and violence? In a world where religious differences often trigger hatred and war, here is a book that celebrates the Beauty, Decency, Wisdom and Unity of all our traditions. If you're seeking a world of peace, love and friendship, then this book is for you.

And if you're looking for hours of pleasure and entertainment as you discover and rediscover the splendid spiritual stories from around the world, this book is for you!

The real purpose of these stories is not to supply a questionable historical narrative, or to teach smarmy moral rules that no one can follow, or to command its followers to believe a lot of fantastic claims that defy all scientific logic!

Their real purpose is to present a great Wisdom Teaching - through Allegory, Symbol and Metaphor - that teaches our soul the inner psychological and spiritual steps that must be taken to achieve spiritual awakening. For example, the entire story of the "Return to the Promised Land" is a symbolic explanation of the soul's return from inner material slavery (which the Hebrew Bible calls "Egypt") to spiritual freedom and enlightenment (symbolized as "Canaan"). The story might be called the Quest for the Holy Grail, Muhammad's Journey to the 7 Heavens, or a host of other names. The esoteric meaning is universal.

But the stories are written in a perplexing symbolic code that requires a Key. Otherwise, they appear to be little more than unverified historical claims, punctuated with improbable miracles, and teeming with violence, cruelty and hopeless demands for an inconsistent and unrealistic morality. Fortunately, a key still exists in our time. A key to understanding the symbolism of ancient Myth and Scripture can still be found in many of the writings of Plato and several other early philosophers.

You will find the 'Key' in "Symbols, Meaning, and the Sacred Quest". As a result, you will read the spell-binding ancient stories with new eyes, new ears, and a new heart!

 A native of Boston (and life-long Red Sox fan) who came of age in the turbulent 1960's, Dr. Andrew Cort has followed a uniquely versatile path through life. He received his Bachelor's Degree (in English) and Master's in Teaching (Science Education) from Colgate University. He then went on to receive a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree from New York Chiropractic College (he practiced in New York City for ten years, focusing on nutrition, exercise, applied kinesiology, and the mind's impact on physical health), as well as a Law Degree from Boston College Law School (he is a member of the Massachusetts Bar). During his years in New York, Dr. Cort served on the Executive Board of H.E.A.L., Inc. ("Health Education AIDS Liaison") and wrote his first book, on issues of health care and the environment, Our Healing Birthright: Taking Responsibility for Ourselves and Our Planet (Inner Traditions, 1990, currently out of print)

Deeply committed to education, spirituality, and activism, Dr. Cort has taught in a variety of colleges and schools, private and public, including The State University of New York in Morrisville, NY; Bay State College, in Boston, MA; The Desisto School, in Stockbridge, MA (a private school for troubled youth); Berkshire Community College, in Pittsfield, MA; and the Springfield Public School System, in Springfield, MA. Dr. Cort has taught courses in Mathematics, Physics, English, Mythology, Business Law, General Science, and English.

In addition to academic studies in literature, science, law and mathematics, he has studied the work of many spiritual traditions -- from the Bible, Plato, the Qur'an, Dante, etc., to contemporary teachers including G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, Rudolf Steiner, Paul Brunton, Anthony Damiani, Sri Aurobindo, Mme. Blavatsky, Oscar Ichazo, and others.

Dr. Cort is the author of numerous books and articles on religion, spirituality, mythology, politics, history, science, education and healing, and how these all relate to contemporary American culture. Following in the tradition of Socrates, he considers himself a student, and not a teacher, of these extraordinary thinkers, philosophers, mystics, and writers. His work invites readers to study along with him.

He is also the Host of Spirit of the Berkshires on CTSB-TV, and available worldwide on Vimeo.com and on this site. Also on this site (and on YouTube) are his series of short videos on The Sacred Feminine: Women in the Bible.

Andrew Cort lives in the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, and can be reached at Andrew@AndrewCort.com. He is an accomplished, energetic, and articulate public speaker, and is available for interviews and speaking engagements.

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 MY REVIEW!!!

The more I read Andrew Cort's books the more I learn and open my mind to thoughts, ideas, and second guesses. I was never one to take something as is, I always search for a hidden meaning or a why question. As I've stated in other reviews of his work I am not a religious person. I have my beliefs and I tend to not get into the religious debates. However, Andrew has a way of bringing religions together. He does not leave his books sided with only ONE religion and he has tons of research to back each story and idea and facts.

If you are open to what could be out there and are willing to broaden your knowledge of what you think you know then Andrew Cort is an author you need to pick up. He will show you something that you didn't know before opening his book. And he may even enlighten you to the world of religion beliefs.