“Spirituality is living according to the internal law of love, versus the external laws of commands, judgment, regulations, or control.”
In this book, which the author describes as a sequel to his memoir about his life in Communist-controlled Romania and his subsequent journey to freedom in the US, he thoughtfully and enthusiastically explores the territory beyond the physical journey to freedom. Tackling the immense topic of humankind’s spiritual nature, Hansen utilizes biblical scripture and the influential 1976 book A Course in Miracles by Helen Schucman. Schucman’s narrative examines subconscious and conscious beliefs about separation from God in order to fully recognize one’s natural state of union with the Divine. In a somewhat similar vein, Hansen does a deep dive into the exploration of true liberation, taking exception to some common Christian beliefs that he feels are misaligned with Jesus’ actual messages about the true nature of his life and the human ability to manifest a connection to God. He posits that true liberation is an internal process brought about through examination of humanity’s relationship to God. Hansen writes in his prologue, “Our minds must be connected to the mind of our Creator. Start with the assumption that there is no other mind in the universe but God’s. He must have invested something of Himself in His creation of us.”
Hansen’s thought-provoking narrative begins with a historical examination of the meaning and purpose of life, a rather large topic to digest. Hansen distills this challenge into an intriguing discussion of physicality and spirituality and how our choices within those realms influence “whom you choose to be: a perfect spiritual mind, a citizen of the physical world or a debased victim of physicality’s trap.” Hansen then analyzes the ongoing historical interpretation of the life and teachings of Jesus by religious scholars and practitioners of Christianity. He points out that “what worked for Jesus, works for us all,” a clear-minded embrace of truth and love. The notion that Jesus “died for our sins” is a major point of contention with the author, and he works to debunk that notion with his assertions that many try to “humanize the divine rather than divinizing our humanness.” The principles of redemption, salvation, and atonement are thoroughly explored with an eye toward redefining the notion of sin and of surrogate sacrifice. Hansen provides an extensive and well-argued discussion of his position that the sacrifice of Jesus is misinterpreted, and the nature of physical and spiritual understandings has been confused over centuries of analysis. As Jesus did, the author argues, we can also maintain our spiritual awareness and claim the spiritual enlightenment that is free from the dualities that are illusory and a human concept.
Although Hansen’s discussions are purely Christian-based, his understanding moves beyond the typical moral precepts of Abrahamic religion to display influences of the less dualistic concepts found in Eastern philosophies such as Buddhism and Taoism. At times, the narrative is almost burdened by the weight of its own complexity. The book’s narrative is well-cited whenever references to other volumes are made, but the lack of a conventional index also makes the book a bit harder to navigate. Overall, the sincerity of the author’s thoughts and his heartfelt life’s journey make this volume worth reading for anyone wanting a different perspective on various tenets of Christianity.
