John Philip Newell's 'The Great Search' Book Study 2025

John Philip Newell's new book is titled The Great Search: Turning to Earth and Soul In the Search for Healing and Home. The book addresses seekers of any religious background, especially the growing number of people hungry to reconnect to Earth, their inner lives, and others. Newell profiles 9 visionary "messengers" from a variety of traditions and historic eras to help illuminate the path of seekers. This is the right book at the right time to guide all of us who are looking for a deeper connection.

Join CSW Director Rob Field during six Sundays in January and February to dive into a book destined to be called a spiritual classic. The Great Search is in keeping with Newell’s 2021 book, Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul. If you know and appreciate that book, you will want to read this one. And if you’ve never read anything by John Philip Newell, this is an excellent point of entry. The Great Search is a clear call to move forward with our spiritual evolution and maturity — whether we consider ourselves “religious,” “spiritual,” or “spiritual but not religious.” 

Newell writes, “We are in a time of transition, not only religiously but politically and ecologically. What is the spiritual vision at the heart of our religious inheritance that we have forgotten or neglected? The Spirit is urging us to remember that we are to do to others, including Earth and every species, what we would most want done unto ourselves. This is the teaching of Jesus at the heart of our Christian inheritance, with its equivalent in the Golden Rule of nearly every great spiritual tradition in the world. And this is the teaching that will guide us into new beginnings.”

See Rob Field's full review of the book HERE.

For the book study, we will gather on Zoom each week at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. For 90 minutes, we will explore the themes from one or two of the book's rich chapters. Rob will make brief presentations, using audio & visual resources, to get the discussion started. The remainder of each session will be a facilitated conversation around the key points of the book. Registration is available at two ticket levels: Basic Admission @ $40 per person and Admission Plus @ $60 per person (helps support other CSW events for those who otherwise could not afford to attend).

Rob has led numerous book discussions since the Center's founding, and loves the process of reading, reflecting, and encouraging a deep dive into important works like this one. He especially looks forward to interacting with readers of Newell's The Great Search.