Riding with the Lion

Library Journal

Despite his promising subtitle, Markides (sociology, Univ. of Maine) will disappoint readers interested in classical Christian mysticism. Anecdotal evidence for paranormal phenomena such as teleportation, clairvoyance, levitation, dematerialization, and channeling, along with a disorganized collage of references to Marx, Nietzsche, Plato, Huston Smith, P.D. Ouspensky, etc., are presented in the first part of the book. Markides does not succeed in his attempt to place New Age religion and paranormal psychology within the context of classical mysticism. Where he does succeed is in the account of his visit to the monasteries of Mount Athos on the coast of Greece and his encounter there with monks of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Libraries with collections in New Age materials and parapsychology will want to consider this book, but collections in Christian mysticism would be better served by such recent publications as Evelyn Underhill's classic Mysticism (Oxford Univ. Pr., 1993. reprint).-Linda V. Carlisle, Southern Illinois Univ., Edwardsville

Steve Schroeder

This is a difficult book to categorize. On one level, it is simply another addition to the mountain of New Age literature. On another level, it is an entertaining collection of stories from a gifted storyteller. On a third level, it is a corrective to the tendency of New Age literature to uncritically appropriate non-Western spiritual traditions, often without appropriate attribution or sensitivity to context. Markides speaks with an identifiably New Age voice, and he shares the New Age fascination with non-Western traditions and paranormal phenomenon. But he also searches for a spirituality that includes space for the paranormal within his own tradition and that seeks some guidelines for spiritual discernment. The book's autobiographical tone gives it spiritual authenticity as a report of Markides' experience. Encounter with the living mystical tradition of Mount Athos, rooted in ancient Christianity, commends it to a broader audience--as both entertainment and information.

From Barnes & Noble

Continuing the pursuit of knowledge begun in his bestselling book The Magus of Strovolos, the author plumbs divine sources for the nature of reality, mind, self, and divinity, revealing a vital, living mystical practice based in ancient Christian thought that links the most esoteric traditions of the East to the largely hidden esoteric traditions of the West. "Markides continues to explore the fascinating world of the mystical and deftly interprets its connections not just to Orthodox Christianity but to all spirituality."--Harvey Cox.