Universal Spirit The Seasons of the Christian Year in the Company of Northrop Frye

To a church that increasingly addresses itself to biblically illiterate people, to people who may have little or no church experience, and to those who simply call themselves spiritual-but-not-religious, Don Collett’s look at the Christian year inspired by the work of the great Canadian scholar Northrop Frye offers a priceless gift. “Frye conceived of a world beyond the normal confines of Christian doctrine and theology,” writes Collett, “and then found a place for Christian doctrine and theology to provide the hope this world needs.” This movement, says Collett, allows us to “begin conversations that seem wholly secular” – conversation that happen in “language” most familiar to people today, both inside and outside the church – “and arrive at the vocabulary of the spiritual life.” While the seasons of the Christian year – Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost – may seem arcane to many, Collett uses this method of structuring the year as a way to draw forth insights into what he calls the Universal Spirit, spiritual truths which may be applied in the course of a person’s everyday life. Says Collett, “These pieces will appeal to the person who desires to make sense of spiritual concepts and topics, and to the way both intersect with the challenging events of our times.”