Naturally Miraculous
The Way of God as All
by Peter Stilla
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
Can Christianity experience a twenty-first-century renaissance? Can it again serve as a welcoming home for authentic Truth seekers who aspire to genuine spiritual and mystical experience? Naturally Miraculous describes the path of bringing this long-sought objective into being. First, it contains a strong refutation of today's sectarian, orthodox Christianity and argues for a return to what Christianity originally was before the rise of Roman Catholicism, when it was the more mystical, Universalist religion Jesus intended it to be. Second, it examines mysticism and cosmic consciousness from the theological, philosophical, and psychological perspectives and how it has been a part of humanity's spiritual quest and religious cultures, particularly Christianity, throughout history. It ultimately describes a new way of being Christian, a way in which we are to follow the example of Jesus and take the path he describes to the kingdom of God, which is the attainment of Christ consciousness or mystical realization. In Naturally Miraculous, we see how achieving the consciousness of Christ has been humanity's ultimate purpose all along.
Peter Stilla is a native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and spent most of his career working in journalism before earning a master’s degree in theology from the Boston Theological Institute. After graduation, he was ordained into Christian Universalist ministry by the Christian Universalist Association. He now lives in Western Massachusetts with his wife and two daughters and is a communications specialist for the University of Massachusetts.
“Peter Stilla calls the church back to its mystical heritage if it is to experience reawakening. Here is an articulate case that rather than hunker down into orthodoxy and fundamentalism, we need to experience the panentheism, the cosmic consciousness that Jesus, Paul, Meister Eckhart, Matthew Fox, Eckhart Tolle, Richard Rohr, Michael Pollan, Sri Ramana Maharshi, and the process theologians offer. Excellent section on Buddhist meditation/mindfulness. This is a strong, biblically-based case for Christian universalism.”
—Paul D. Sanderson, clinical psychologist
“Peter Stilla’s book is not just a good introduction to the ancient mystical tradition that was central to Christian experience in its early centuries; nor is it just a helpful text to see how the multiple religions can be reconciled with each other and with science as well. It’s also a gentle guide for each reader into a deeper inner awareness of the divine, whether through nature, meditation, or experience of the Christ. Highly recommended!”
—Philip Clayton, professor of theology, Claremont School of Theology