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{{Short description|1976 book by Helen Schucman}}
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'''''A Course in Miracles''''' (sometimes referred to as '''ACIM''' or simply '''The Course''') is a book of "] ]" or spiritual transformation. The author of the book is controversial. Most believe the author is Jesus Christ. The original scribes were ] and ].


{{Infobox book
The date of first publication is controversial and was between 1973 and 1975. According to FIP, over 1.5 million copies have been sold worldwide in 15 different languages. <ref name="source1">{{cite web
| name = ''A Course in Miracles''
|url=http://www.acim.org/about.html#brief
| image = ACIM3COVER.jpg
|title=About Foundation for Inner Peace
| caption = ''A Course in Miracles'', Combined Volume, Third Edition as published by the<br /> Foundation for Inner Peace
|accessdate=2006-07-10
| author = There is no author attributed to ''ACIM'', although it was "scribed" by Helen Schucman
|author=Foundation for Inner Peace
| editor = ], ], Kenneth Wapnick
|publisher=Foundation for Inner Peace
| illustrator =
}}{{Verify credibility}}
| cover_artist =
</ref>
| country = United States
| subject = ]
| publisher = 1976 (New York: Viking: The Foundation for Inner Peace) <br /> 2007 (The Foundation for Inner Peace, 3rd ed.)
| media_type = Print (hardback and paperback)
| pages = 1333
| isbn = 978-1-883360-24-5
| oclc = 190860865
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
}}
{{Paranormal}}
{{New Age beliefs sidebar}}
{{NewThought}}


'''''A Course in Miracles''''' (also referred to as '''''ACIM''''') is a 1976 book by ]. The underlying premise is that the greatest "]" is the act of simply gaining a full "awareness of love's presence" in a person's life.<ref>''A Course in Miracles''. Foundation for Inner Peace. , p. 1. Retrieved December 29, 2017.</ref> Schucman said that the book had been dictated to her, word for word, via a process of "inner dictation" from ] ].<ref name="scribes">{{cite web|title=ACIM: About the Scribes|url=http://www.acim.org/Scribing/about_scribes.html|website=acim.org|publisher=Foundation for Inner Peace|access-date=December 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name="ACIMPrefaceHowItCame">{{cite book|author=Foundation for Inner Peace|title=A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume|date=1992|publisher=The Foundation|location=Glen Ellen, Calif.|isbn=0-9606388-9-X|pages=vii–viii|edition=2nd|url=https://www.acim.org/AboutACIM/how.html|access-date=December 29, 2017}}</ref> The book is considered to have borrowed from ] movement writings.<ref name="Newport" /><ref name="Carroll" />
It is written in Christian terminology, but some of the teachings of The Course are inconsistent with commonly-accepted Christian beliefs (see below). ] is its central teaching.


''ACIM'' has three sections: "Text", "Workbook for Students", and "Manual for Teachers". Written from 1965 to 1972, some distribution occurred via photocopies before the Foundation for Inner Peace published a hardcover edition in 1976.<ref name="Miller2011">{{cite book|last1=Miller|first1=D. Patrick|title=Understanding A Course in Miracles: The History, Message, and Legacy of a Spiritual Path for Today|date=November 23, 2011|publisher=]|location=]|isbn=9780307807793|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1ugFYKozgIgC|access-date=December 29, 2017}}</ref> The copyright and trademarks, which had been held by two foundations, were revoked in 2004<ref name="Miller2011"/> after lengthy litigation because the earliest versions had been circulated without a copyright notice.<ref name="Beverley2009">{{cite book |last=Beverley |first=James |title=Nelson's Illustrated Guide to Religions: A Comprehensive Introduction to the Religions of the World |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ul0kFIxtMfkC&pg=PT397|access-date=December 29, 2017|date=May 19, 2009|publisher=]|isbn=9781418577469|pages=397–}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Recipient's Common Interest in Subject of Work Does Not Limit Publication|journal=]|year=2003|volume=67|issue=1645|pages=16–17|publisher=]}}</ref>
The great majority of the book is now in the public domain. The 1975 copyright of "A Course in Miracles" was voided by Federal District court judge Robert W. Sweet for the US Federal District Court in the Southern District of New York on 10/24/2003 on the grounds of general distribution prior to obtaining copyright thus placing it in the public domain, as Amended on 6/16/2004. The previously registered Trademark on the acronym, "ACIM" was canceled by the US Trademark Office on 10/25/2005 and the previously registered Service-mark on the book title, "A Course in Miracles" was canceled by the US Trademark Office on 8/10/2005.


Throughout the 1980s, annual sales of the book steadily increased each year; the largest growth in sales occurred in 1992 after ] discussed the book on '']'',<ref name="Miller2011"/> with more than two million volumes sold.<ref name="Miller2011"/> The book has been called everything from "New Age psychobabble"<ref name="BoaBowman1997">{{cite book |last1=Boa |first1=Kenneth |last2=Bowman |first2=Robert M. |title=An Unchanging Faith in a Changing World: Understanding and Responding to Critical Issues that Christians Face Today|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hJuUtcoUOysC|access-date=September 28, 2014|year=1997|publisher=Oliver Nelson|isbn=9780785273523}}</ref> to "a Satanic seduction"<ref name="Miller2011"/> to "The New Age Bible".<ref>{{Cite web |first=Suzette|last=van IJssel|url=http://www.bemidjistate.edu/academics/publications/social_work_journal/issue09/articles/2_Immanent.htm |title=The Imminent Heaven: Spiritual Post-Metaphysics and Ethics in a Postmodern Era |access-date=September 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621164247/http://www.bemidjistate.edu/academics/publications/social_work_journal/issue09/articles/2_Immanent.htm |archive-date=June 21, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to ], the psychiatrist and author ] was among the most effective promoters of ''ACIM''. Jampolsky's first book, ''Love is Letting Go of Fear'', based on the principles of ''ACIM'', was published in 1979 and, after being endorsed on ]'s show, sold over three million copies by 1990.<ref>Hammer (2021: p. 450)</ref>
==History==
Schucman and Tetford became acquainted during their tenure as psychologists at ]'s College of Physicians and Surgeons in ]. In the mid-1960s, Schucman told Thetford she was taking down a spiritual message she felt she was receiving from ]. This material developed into the book. There is some disagreement as to whether Helen Schucman meant that the Course was literally the result of communication with Jesus Christ, or if she meant it symbolically. Both Schucman and Thetford and the text itself claim that the true author of was the historical Jesus, and it is written in the ], though authorship is not attributed in the published version and the original copyright claim filed for the book lists the author as "Anonymous".{{fact}}


==Origins==
In addition to the substance of the notes themselves, Schucman claims to have received instruction from the "Voice" that directed how the notes were to be processed and used. The "Voice" directed that Thetford was in charge of the editing. After completing the original full set of notes, sometimes known as the ''Urtext'', Thetford and Schucman then edited, rearranged some of the material, and added chapter and section headings to it.{{fact}}
''A Course in Miracles'' was written as a collaborative venture between Schucman and William ("Bill") Thetford. In 1958, Schucman began her professional career at ] in New York City as Thetford's research associate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://acim.org/Scribing/about_scribes.html|title=Helen Schucman's Career}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://acim.biz/a-course-in-miracles-book-acim/|title=A Course in Miracles Book ACIM Lessons Online and Text|work=ACIM Portal|access-date=December 25, 2017}}</ref> In 1965, at a time when their weekly office meetings had become so contentious that they both dreaded them, Thetford suggested to Schucman that "here must be another way".<ref name="Collaboration">{{cite book | title=Helen Schucman: Autobiography, in "Origins of A Course in Miracles" 3:27–28 |publisher=Foundation for Inner Peace Archives, Tiburon, CA)}}</ref> Schucman believed that this interaction acted as a stimulus, triggering a series of inner experiences that were understood by her as visions, dreams, and heightened imagery, along with an "inner voice" that she identified as Jesus (although the ''ACIM'' text itself never explicitly claims that the voice she hears speaking is that of Jesus).<ref name="Hammer 2021 p. 153"/><ref name="Clarke2004"/> She said that on October 21, 1965, an "inner voice" told her: "This is a Course in Miracles, please take notes."


Schucman said the writing made her very uncomfortable, though it never seriously occurred to her to stop.<ref>Skutch, Robert. ''Journey Without Distance: The Story Behind A Course in Miracles''. ], Berkeley, CA, 1984, p. 58.</ref> The next day, she explained the events of her "note-taking" to Thetford. To her surprise, Thetford encouraged her to continue the process. He also offered to assist her in typing out her notes as she read them to him. The process continued the next day and repeated regularly for many years. In 1972, the writing of the three main sections of ''ACIM'' was completed, with some additional minor writing coming after that point.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.miraclestudies.net/Scribe.html|title=The Scribe: Helen Schucman and A Course in Miracles©|website=www.miraclestudies.net}}</ref>
The book was published and distributed between 1995 and 2000 by Penguin Books, but this appears to have ended with the dispute over copyright. The 1975 asserted copyright was finally voided in 2003 on the grounds of general distribution prior to obtaining copyright, thus placing it in the public domain. The previously registered Trademark on the acronymn, "ACIM" was cancelled by the US Trademark Office on 10/25/2005 and the previously registered Servicemark on the book title, "A Course in Miracles" was canceled by the US Trademark Office on 8/10/2005.{{fact}}


]
During the copyright litigation, three earlier editions surfaced. These are the Urtext edition, the Hugh Lynn Cayce edition, and the Criswell edition.{{fact}}


For copyright purposes, US courts determined that the author of the text was Schucman, not Jesus.<ref name="Joseph pp. 94–125"/> Kenneth Wapnick believed that Schucman did not channel Jesus, but was describing her "own mental experience of divine 'love{{'"}}.<ref name="Joseph pp. 94–125"/>
Over 1.5 million copies of ACIM are said to have have been distributed since its release. It is not associated with any one centralized church or body, but a groups and organizations have emerged that study ACIM or are centered on or significantly influenced by it. Those may meet in person or have an Internet presence. Some derivative works have been written, notably by the books by ].{{fact}}


==Reception==
==Doctrinal Highlights of ACIM==
Since it went on sale in 1976, the book has been translated into 27 languages.<ref name="translations">{{cite web | url = http://www.acim.org |title=ACIM Translations |publisher=Foundation for Inner Peace |access-date=August 10, 2021}}</ref> It is distributed globally, spawning a range of organized groups.<ref name="Cosgrove Cox Kuhling 2010 p. ">{{cite book | last=Bradby | first=Ruth | editor-last=Cosgrove |editor-first=Olivia |editor2-last=Cox |editor2-first=Laurence |editor3-last=Kuhling |editor3-first=Carmen | editor4-last=Mulholland | editor4-first=Peter | title=Ireland's New Religious Movements | publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing | year=2010 | isbn=978-1-4438-2615-0 | chapter=A course in miracles in Ireland | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vY0nBwAAQBAJ | access-date=21 January 2022 | pages=147–162}}</ref>


Wapnick said that "if the Bible were considered literally true, then (from a Biblical literalist's viewpoint) the Course would have to be viewed as demonically inspired".<ref>Dean C. Halverson, "Seeing Yourself as Sinless", ''SCP Journal'' 7, no. 1 (1987): 23.</ref> He also said, "I often taught in the context of the Bible, even though it is obvious to serious students of ''A Course in Miracles'' that it and the Bible are fundamentally incompatible."<ref name="Joseph pp. 94–125"/> "''Course''-teachers Robert Perry, Greg Mackie, and Allen Watson" disagreed about that.<ref name="Joseph pp. 94–125"/> Though a friend of Schucman, Thetford, and Wapnick, Catholic priest ] criticized ''ACIM'' and related organizations. Finding some elements of ''ACIM'' to be "severe and potentially dangerous distortions of Christian theology", he wrote that it is "a good example of a false revelation"<ref>Groeschel, Benedict J., ''A Still Small Voice'' (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1993) p. 80</ref> and that it has "become a spiritual menace to many".<ref>Groeschel, Benedict J., ''A Still Small Voice'' (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1993) p. 82.</ref> The evangelical editor Elliot Miller says that Christian terminology employed in ''ACIM'' is "thoroughly redefined" to resemble ] teachings. Other Christian critics say that ''ACIM'' is "intensely anti-biblical" and incompatible with Christianity, blurring the distinction between creator and created and forcefully supporting an occult and New Age worldview.<ref name="Newport">{{cite book|last=Newport|first= John P. |title=The New Age movement and the biblical worldview: conflict and dialogue |url=https://archive.org/details/newagemovementbi00newp|url-access=registration|page=|quote=a course in miracles christian criticism.|year=1998|publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|isbn=978-0-8028-4430-9}}</ref>
=== Unique Aspects of ACIM's Spiritual Belief System ===


Olav Hammer locates ''A Course in Miracles'' in the tradition of channeled works from those of ] to ]'s<ref name="Hammer 2021 p. 153">{{cite book | last=Hammer | first=Olav | title=Claiming Knowledge: Strategies of Epistemology from Theosophy to the New Age | publisher=Brill | series=Numen Book Series | year=2021 | origyear=2004 | isbn=978-90-04-49399-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zpJOEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA153 | access-date=21 January 2022 | page=153 | quote=''A Course in Miracles'' is said to have been channeled from a discarnate entity perceived as Jesus but never explicitly named as such in the ensuing text.}}</ref> and notes the close parallels between ] and the teachings of the Course.<ref>Hammer (2021: 444)</ref><!-- no source has been provided for this: Alternatively, it can be seen more broadly as part of the tradition of mystical literature described in ]' '']'' and ]'s '']''.--> Hammer called it "gnosticizing beliefs".<ref>Hammer (2021: 55)</ref> In "'Knowledge is Truth': A Course in Miracles as Neo-Gnostic Scripture" in ''Gnosis'': '']'', Simon J. Joseph outlines the relationship between the Course and ] thinking.<ref name="Joseph pp. 94–125">{{cite journal | last=Joseph | first=Simon J. | title='Knowledge is Truth': A Course in Miracles as Neo-Gnostic Scripture | journal=GNOSIS | publisher=Brill | volume=2 | issue=1 | date=22 March 2017 | issn=2451-8581 | doi=10.1163/2451859x-12340028 | pages=94–125}}</ref> Daren Kemp also considers ''ACIM'' neo-Gnostic and agrees with Hammer that it is a channeled text.<ref name="Clarke2004">{{cite book|editor-first=Peter|editor-last=Clarke|first=Daren|last=Kemp|chapter=A COURSE IN MIRACLES|title=Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DouBAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA1|date=March 2004|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-49970-0|page=1}}</ref> The course has been viewed as a way that "integrates a psychological world view with a universal spiritual perspective" and linked to ].<ref name=ACIM>Miracles with Counselors, David Aldrich Osgood, University of Massachusetts Amherst (1991), Transpersonal Psychology and A Course in Miracles P.43 https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5794&context=dissertations_1</ref>
ACIM professes ] that may be used to reach the same goals it pursues. ACIM describes its main benefit as saving time toward the eventual remembering of the unity of the seemingly separated parts of Christ, and cites ] as its special mode for doing so. The theology of ACIM is decidedly ] in its orientation.{{fact}}


Joseph declared: {{blockquote|Consequently, new manuscript discoveries, lost gospels, and new “scriptural” revelations represent an effective way of subverting the traditional picture of early Christian origins and destabilizing traditional Christian authority by redefining the cultural boundaries of Christianity in contemporary culture. Since the Course’s redefinition of terms is so offensive to its critics, the Gospel narrative that the Course subverts and redefines is the suffering, death, and crucifixion of Jesus.<ref name="Joseph pp. 94–125"/>|Simon J. Joseph}}
One striking feature of the methodology laid out in ACIM is the great attention paid to the nature of the faulty ''belief system'' of the ego. ACIM goes to great length to evaluate the psychological underpinnings and dynamics that support this belief system, attempting to shift one’s focus away from seeming external causes to awareness of internal states, claiming that everything we see "outside" of us actually has an internal mental cause. Accordingly, our state of peace and happiness (or lack thereof) is not caused by the state of things around us, but by our mental reactions, evaluations and judgments about things. It then describes what must be accomplished in order for one to achieve release from, and afterwards to continue to avoid a return to this belief system. Such subjects as the root causes of anger, guilt, shame, projection, denial, and dishonesty are thoroughly addressed in ACIM, as well as the best methodologies that one can use to overcome such perceptual limitations. It also spends considerable time discussing the ''special relationships'' of the ego (''special'' as in... "I don’t have what another person has" and so it’s OK not to love them or, conversely, "Another person doesn’t have what I have" and so again it’s OK not to love them), and the Holy Spirit's equivalent transformative equivalent to this, the ''holy relationship''.{{fact}}


Another dismissal of ACIM and claim for its subversiveness comes from some on the political left, who note that ], who encouraged and helped bring Schucman's work to press, was a ] operative and psychologist. In ], ] quotes a post asserting the CIA sought "to infiltrate and dilute the American left with New Age ideas and inwardly-focused, anti-rational religious movements".<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Heti| first1=Sheila |title=The New Age Bible| magazine=Harper's Magazine|date=September 2024 |page=48 |url=https://harpers.org/archive/2024/09/the-new-age-bible-sheila-heti-a-course-in-miracles/
=== Introduction to "A Course in Miracles" ===
}}</ref>
The introduction to A Course In Miracles briefly summarizes the Course. According to the Preface, it emphasizes the fundemental distinction the the Course draws between the real and unreal, truth and perception, and that in this proper discernment is the realization of the "peace of God."{{fact}}


'']'' describes ''ACIM'' as "a minor industry" that is overly commercialized and characterizes it as "Christianity improved". ] wrote that the teachings are not original but culled from "various sources, east, and west". He adds that it has gained increased popularity as New Age spirituality writer Marianne Williamson promoted a variant.<ref name="Carroll">{{cite book|last=Carroll|first=Robert Todd |title=The skeptic's dictionary: a collection of strange beliefs, amusing deceptions, and dangerous delusions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6FPqDFx40vYC&q=skeptic+%22a+course+in+miracles&pg=PA84|year=2003|publisher=John Wiley and Sons|isbn=978-0-471-27242-7}}</ref>
''<blockquote>"This is A Course in Miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary. Free will does not mean that you can establish the curriculum. It means only that you can elect what you want to take at a given time. The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence, which is your natural inheritance. The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite. This course can therefore be summed up very simply in this way:''{{fact}}

<blockquote>'''Nothing real can be threatened.''' <br>
'''Nothing unreal exists.''' </blockquote>
''Herein lies the peace of God."</blockquote>''{{fact}}

=== The Affliction of Separation ===
In the Course's ], God the Father and ] the Son are united in a single purpose, for God is understood as creating perfectly like Himself, sharing his whole Self with Creation, eternally and changelessly. ] is said to be ], but this cannot be realized without letting go of all misperception and judgement. Such cannot do the Son justice, for, according to ACIM, to give is to receive, and who condemns another, seeing him as less than a Son of God Who creates only like Himself, is not spared the effect of the guilt. Who believes he can see another as capable of separating or distancing himself from God, must believe that he himself can likewise separate himself from God. Since sin and evil go against God, and going against God is impossible, the Course argues sin and evil must have never been possible. However, so long as we do not see that there are no orders or differences in sins or evils, we will will not look at our mistakes and ignorance, fearing they have separated us. If this were true, such mistakes would be unforgiveable, blameworthy, and not mere mistakes at all, but sins. Separation would render us as contradictions, according to the Course, for what goes against God is eternally at war and will never find peace. But, the Course emphasizes, contradictions are nothing at all, and none exist.{{fact}}

The Course claims that if we believe our reality lies somewhere between the extremes of Heaven and hell, it is only for our lack of recognition that changing the form of our thinking or or its circumstance never changes the content, for such an insane notion is the very same insane arrogance of the thought that we could have had the power to distance ourselves from God in any way.{{fact}}

=== Atonement and Healing ===
According to ACIM, Atonement is realized in the instant we allow sin to be forgiven, for such a thought at last recognizes the true sinless nature of the Son, at last doing him justice, seeing him truly. Again, to give is to receive. Atonement is the means by which the entire "reality" of sin is undone, for we see that we had never anything to fear, and we are left only with what must be true.{{fact}}

The Holy Spirit is understood as the Voice of God, whose purpose is healing, so long as healing is necessary to bring us into awareness of our exceptionless union with God and the Sonship (collective humanity), so we might share in His creation and perfection. The answer to the question, "What am I?" could be said to be love, communication, reason, or perhaps light simpliciter ... these are understood as synonymous. (cf. "Thou art That"){{fact}}

=== Common Terminological Misunderstandings ===
Within the terminology used by ''A Course in Miracles'', the term ''miracle'' still incorporates its original meaning, but additional connotations are added. These are roughly synonymous with those usually associated with the term ''love''. As such, the book shifts its focus towards teaching various aspects of love and its presence in one’s life.{{fact}}

Within the terminology used by ''A Course in Miracles'', the term ''ego'' is roughly synonymous with the term ''self-concept''. As such, the ego as described by the Course is something which is often misinformed or confused about itself, and which by definition requires correction.{{fact}}

One point of note regarding ACIM standard phraseology is its nearly exclusive use of masculine pronouns. Nowhere in ACIM is the existence of gender treated as anything more than one of the many different temporary aspects of what ACIM refers to as 'The Separation'. On at least one occasion Schucman was known to have expressed some concern about this choice of pronoun phraseology within ACIM.{{fact}}

== Practical Study and Lifestyle ==
The preface of ACIM advises that: <blockquote> ''"(ACIM) is not intended to become the basis for another cult. Its only purpose is to provide a way in which some people will be able to find their own Internal Teacher."''</blockquote>

The book states that religion is best when it is practiced at the internal, personal level, as an act directly between a person and God, or another person. Accordingly, no central organization or authority exists within ACIM that is fully analogous to the central authority structure found in most other spiritual belief systems. Neither does any system of formalized membership, or membership tracking exist amongst the majority of the students of ACIM. {{fact}}

The teachings make no attempt to codify or structuralize any system of earthly spiritual authority. Instead the material stresses that true authority comes from within the individual who has come to see God truly. ACIM teaches that setting up a ''spiritual'' authority from one person over another is inherently unnatural, and temporary at best. ACIM's teachings state that:<blockquote>''"Freedom cannot be learned by tyranny of any kind, and the perfect equality of all God's Sons cannot be recognized through the dominion of one mind over another."''</blockquote>{{fact}}

The teachings of ACIM also make it clear that anyone who would 'teach' ACIM must also be able to 'learn' from each person he or she meets, because teaching and learning are understood as synonymous.<ref>''There is no one from whom a teacher of God cannot learn...'' ACIM Manual, 3 1:3.</ref> This egalitarian type of teaching is found consistently throughout the material and appears to contrast sharply with most contemporary interpretations of the Christian Bible. Compared to most other young spiritual movements, the teachings of ACIM are relatively uncontroversial.

ACIM material also advises that formality in religion is only useful if it has a clear, practical purpose. The truest type of church or formal institution for ACIM is more of an inner habit of reverence for the presence of God, seen in everyone, rather than any kind of sanctified external physical building or human organization. {{fact}}

ACIM places no specific limits on the methods by which it may be learned or taught, emphasizing that all spiritual and non-spiritual paths alike must eventually lead to the same awakening. However, according to ACIM, some paths will take far longer than others, and the purpose of the Course is to minimize the time this takes. Accordingly, ACIM students are free to seek out whichever learning-teaching format works best for them. {{fact}}

Currently, the majority of the students of ACIM appear to prefer to study ACIM in an informal setting, ranging from the ''individual ACIM student'' who may make no effort to contact any other students of ACIM, to the ''informal ACIM study group member'', who may join a small local study group that may meet on a weekly basis.{{fact}}

Regardless of the fact that, to date, these ACIM church-like organizations appear to attract only a minority of ACIM students, their impact on the larger body of ACIM students has often been disproportionate to their size. These organizations often serve as a means by which the students of ACIM might gather together with one another, where this wouldn't otherwise be practical.{{fact}}

At least two organizations are known to present the teachings of ACIM in an environment that appears to be similar in some ways to a more traditional Christian church setting. These organizations provide traditional style gathering places for weekly Sunday morning services, a pastoral staff, ordained ministers, seminary training, and many of the other institutional systems and practices that are normally associated with more traditional Christian churches. These are the ''Community Miracles Center'', situated in the Castro district of San Francisco, California, and the ''Pathways of Light Center'' in Kiel, Wisconsin. For more information regarding these organizations, please refer to the external links section below.

== Comparisons of ACIM to other spiritual belief systems ==
=== Comparison of ACIM and Christianity ===
==== On forgiveness, brotherly love, and the 'fatherhood' of God ====
Most theologians agree that some of the most radical spiritual principles first introduced by the historical Jesus include:

* Jesus' teaching about radical forgiveness.
* Jesus' radical reformulation of the old Jewish law to highlight the need for 'brotherly love' to mean ''neighbor-as-self''.
* Jesus' teaching regarding the ''parental'' relationship between all men and ''"God the Father"''.

Despite these three radical departures made in Jesus’ teachings from all prior religions, many Christians have noted that the Bible provides precious few details about what exactly was meant by the teaching of these three new spiritual principles. Some passages in the Bible regarding these principles appear to be slightly inconsistent with other Biblical passages regarding these same principles. For example: Jesus, teaching in the 'Lord's Prayer' about forgiveness, says, "God forgives our trespasses just as we forgive (the trespasses of) those who trespass against us." This seems to be slightly inconsistent with other Biblical passages describing how we are forgiven only through "Christ's blood, even the forgiveness of sins".{{fact}}

For some, the teachings of ACIM are believed to clarify many of these types of apparent Biblical inconsistencies and shortcomings. Teachings regarding the exact ''mechanics'' of the spiritual principle of forgiveness are central to the ACIM teachings. Regarding forgiveness, ACIM goes into far greater detail, providing far more instruction regarding the logic of, the purpose for, and the practical application of this principle, than does the Christian Bible. Many students of ACIM who are (or have been) involved in traditional Christian churches, and who have faithfully studied ACIM for a significant length of time, report their sense that the teachings of ACIM on forgiveness have finally clarified for them, in very practical ways, how forgiveness can now be fully realized in their daily lives.{{fact}}

==== Theological differences ====
The teachings of ACIM place little importance on theology, stating that "a universal theology is impossible, but a universal experience is not only possible but necessary." Still, a very definite, consistent, and unique theology can be derived from the teachings of ACIM. The theology of ACIM provides a radically different perspective regarding many common concepts.{{fact}}

Because of ACIM's perspective on reality, separation, and forgiveness, ACIM does not accept ], ], or ] as being real. ACIM rejects the definition of sin as an ] act having unalterable consequences and necessarily deserving of ] by God or by others. This is because under its cosmology sin exists only as an illusion or a mistake, and therefore the most logical response to it is to simply correct the mistake, rather than to give it more weight via punishment. ACIM defines mistakes as mental misconceptions having no real (eternal) consequences beyond the need for correction. Accordingly, all acts of others are to be ] either as expressions of love, or as calls for love, and nothing more. {{fact}}

Death is both illusory and ultimately meaningless for ACIM, because of its position that only by salvation, and not by death, do separated minds cease to believe in the illusory world of separation and return to unity in the Sonship. Sacrifice is similarly impossible for ACIM because of the eternal wholeness of the Sonship. ACIM thus rejects the more traditional Christian belief that Jesus's ] was meant as a sacrificial proxy in payment for the sins of mankind. Instead ACIM explains the crucifixion as a necessary part of the lesson of the resurrection. As such it is a part of an amazing demonstration of the invulnerability of the spirit and of love.{{fact}}

The ] of most Christian denominations is present in ACIM, but the definitions that ACIM uses for the Son, and for the Holy Spirit are somewhat different from most traditional Christian definitions. The Son, or Christ, is the unity of all of God’s creation, rather than being synonymous with Jesus only, and thus encompasses all of God's children. The ] is the Voice for God and the means given to the seemingly separated (yet in reality, united) minds of God's Sonship to first remember and then to return to their natural inheritance of unity with God. The Holy Spirit is the aspect of God the Creator that understands the world we live in. The Holy Spirit is aware of the perceptions of people, and is simultaneously aware of the knowledge of God (Heaven's version of perception). The Holy Spirit is the aspect of God which leads us back home to Heaven, as it sees clearly the way back home, which is where God would have us be.{{fact}}

The teachings of ACIM about how the world will one day end (or the '']'' of ACIM) differ significantly from most traditional ]. ACIM makes only one prediction regarding the future. ACIM predicts that the Atonement (when all seemingly separated minds have recognized their unity as Christ) will require millions of years to complete. In ACIM's counterpart to the Biblical prediction of the Apocalypse as expressed in the book of Revelation, ACIM teaches that the illusory material world will not be tumultuously destroyed by fire, famine, and pestilence, but instead that it “will simply cease to seem to be,” once it has fulfilled its true purpose of enabling the Atonement. It will then be gently replaced in our awareness by the ''real'' world of God's eternal love. Should one interpret the apocalyptic symbolism of the 'lamb' ruling over the 'beast' as portrayed in the book of Revelation, as the power of peace, gentleness and innocence, reigning over the powers of war, brutality, and sin, then this particular symbolism might be considered to be consistent with the teachings of ACIM. {{fact}}

Regarding the question of reincarnation, although ACIM does contain passages that would seem to imply the likelihood of the existence of reincarnation, nowhere does it unequivocally state it as fact. In comparison to Biblical statements about reincarnation, this is actually a less firm endorsement of it than some of those who adhere to a belief in reincarnation would claim can be found the Bible. These adherents to this belief in reincarnation point to the Biblical description of the origins of John the Baptist as found in the Gospel of Matthew, which states that "John ''is'' Elijah". These adherents to this belief assert that if this Biblical assertion is to be taken literally, then it can only mean that John the Baptist was the reincarnation of Elijah. (Most Christians do not accept this interpretation of this verse.) ACIM neither directly supports, nor does it directly deny the possibility of reincarnation. Instead it attempts to focus one's energies on gaining a fuller awareness of the present moment, to the exclusion of concerns for the past or for the future.{{fact}}

==== On the role of the Savior ====
Another big difference between The Course and The Bible is that The Course teaches that Jesus is not the only savior. According to The Course, "We don't need a savior. Salvation is nothing more than right-mindedness."''We do not need a savior. Salvation is nothing more than right mindedness. We are the source of our own salvation.''" This belief obviously strays greatly from what Christianity teaches.."<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/course.html
|title=Religious Movements Homepage-A Course in Miracles
|author=Whittaker, Holly
|publisher=University of Virginia: Soc 452: Sociology of Religious Behavior
|date=]]
|accessdate=2006-07-09
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.ewtn.com/library/NEWAGE/COURSE.TXT
|title=A COURSE IN MIRACLES
|author=Hryczyk, Edward R.
|publisher=Eternal Word Television Network
|date=]]
|accessdate=2006-07-09
}}
</ref> ACIM does radically reinterpret the crucifixion and the resurrection to be an example of how the power and example of Christ's forgiveness was so great that ultimately even the greatest of physical assaults could not hold or affect him <ref>The only message of the crucifixion is that...'' ACIM Text, 4 Intro, 3:8.</ref>. Still, nowhere does ACIM teach that a 'Savior' is unnecessary for salvation. In fact, the need for a 'Savior' is stressed consistently throughout ACIM. According to ACIM, only full recognition of the exceptionless presence of the sinlessness of Christ, the 'Savior', in the Sonship is required for salvation <ref>''When brothers join in purpose .. (recognizing the Christ in one another)... they quickly reach the gate of Heaven itself.'' ACIM Text, 30-V, 7:1 through 8:2.</ref>.

==== On the meaning of Jesus’ incarnation ====
A great deal of controversy has arisen regarding ACIM's teaching that, “Strictly speaking.. (it) is impossible (for) the Word (to be made flesh).””<ref>“The Bible says, "The Word (or thought) was made flesh...” ACIM Text, 8-VII, 7:1 through 7:2.</ref>, in reference to the Biblical quote from the book of John <ref>“And the Word was made flesh...” Bible, John 1:14.</ref> about the relationship between God and the Christ. Some have taken this quote out of context to imply that ACIM teaches that the historical Jesus was never fully human in the same sense as all other humans are. ACIM does teach specifically that, “Jesus is the name of one who was a man <ref>“The name of Jesus is the name of one who was a man...” ACIM C. of Terms, 5, 2:1.</ref>", however ACIM also teaches that all humans are not truly the bodies that they seem to be, but that all bodies are essentially illusory. This includes Jesus’ body as well. Thus, the manner in which ACIM differs sharply from traditional Christianity in its interpretation of all of the material world as being fundamentally illusory, is cause for some theological debate on the question of the nature of Jesus’ incarnation.

==== Differences regarding Jesus' suffering ====
While ACIM does not specifically state whether or not Jesus suffered during the crucifixion, it does consistently teach that the knowledge and awareness of God’s love is capable of removing ''all'' pain and suffering in ''every'' psychological and/ or physical circumstance. From this teaching it can be inferred that according to the teachings of ACIM, one with the awareness that ACIM claims that Jesus had, would not have truly suffered, even as he was rejected and crucified. This apparent teaching of ACIM is in marked contrast to the Biblical teaching found primarily in the ] of the New Testament, that Jesus did indeed suffer greatly during the crucifixion, and that his suffering in this was somehow necessary in order to prevent God from justly punishing the rest of mankind, being some form of a ''substitutionary'' punishment.{{fact}}

=== Comparison to philosophical idealism and the New Thought Movement ===
ACIM displays a strong orientation toward the concepts of mentalistic monism (see also ]), particularly Attributive Monism, ]), and ], in its prescription that the mind and its thoughts are causally responsible for the everything in the physical world. ACIM shares this outlook with the ], including ] and ]. In contrast to these belief systems, ACIM focuses heavily on ''inner'' healing, as opposed to ''outer'', physical healing, which is a consequence of ACIM's complete disassociation of self-identity and limited physical bodies. Focus on ''outer'' healing over ''inner'' healing ''first'' would be similar to taking an aspirin to remove the symptoms of a far more serious problem underneath.{{fact}}

Some observers have noted the fact that ACIM teachings have many things in common with the teachings of Christian Science, including the metaphysical appeal to a perfect, absolute, divine reality of which material existence is a distorted perception, or unhealed thought; the Idealist idea of healing or resurrection through improved thought and understanding; the subordination of imperfection as illusory; the reformulation of the Atonement; the reformulation of the ]; and the emphasis on God's love and forgiveness rather than eternal ].{{fact}}

One Urtext passage that was not included in the published version calls Christian Science "clearly incomplete," but praises one of the observations of Christian Science founder ]. This is Eddy's observation that while the Bible describes how ], while in the ] was put into a deep sleep, nowhere does the Bible ever describe that Adam was awakened from that sleep. This same observation about Adam is also made within the pages of ACIM.{{fact}}

== Critical reviews ==
=== Some negative reviews ===
Some conservative Christian reviewers have expressed concerns that the doctrines of ACIM may incorporate some ] tendencies. Citing the theological and philosophical differences between ACIM and traditional Christian theology and philosophy, such apologists have sometimes labeled ACIM as heretical, counterfeit, and as possibly even demonically inspired. <ref>The Complete Story of the Course/ by D. Patrick Miller/ Fearless Books, 1997/ ISBN 0-9656809-0-8/ pg. 2.</ref> Some skeptical groups look askance at the material's origins in (so-called) channeling, allegedly emanating from Jesus. Some such reviewers hold that ACIM's doctrines are subversive to the proper functioning of a rational society, as nowhere does ACIM encourage its students to actively attempt to improve or change the world for the better, and instead ACIM teaches that the material world is merely an illusion.{{fact}}

In ''The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power'', Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad argue that ACIM is not a path to liberation but an authoritarian cult.

=== Some positive reviews ===
Popular commentators such as ] and ] have praised the teachings of ACIM as beneficial and helpful. In response to claims that ACIM is a defeatist or disengaged philosophy preaching nonparticipation in the world, students of ACIM point out that nowhere does ACIM advise that one should ''drop out'' from society or alter one’s daily routines in any way. Admittedly ACIM places primary emphasis on the development of one’s inner awareness first, before the development of any one particular external goal or cause. Still, the philosophy of ACIM also stresses that by first securing a solid foundation in one’s life and a unified purpose, one is thereby enabled to then achieve far greater rewards in one's life. ACIM teaches that such an inner foundation enables one to fulfill all of one’s spiritual and material needs with ease.{{fact}}

==Organization==
There is no single organizational structure for "A Course in Miracles". Most of the study is conducted either individually or in small groups either locally or on the internet. Several organizations have formed based on "A Course in Miracles".

== Lawsuit involvement ==
The 1975 copyright of "A Course in Miracles" was voided by Federal District court judge Robert W. Sweet for the US Federal District Court in the Southern District of New York on 10/24/2003 on the grounds of general distribution prior to obtaining copyright thus placing it in the public domain, as Amended on 6/16/2004. The previously registered Trademark on the acronym, "ACIM" was canceled by the US Trademark Office on 10/25/2005 and the previously registered Service-mark on the book title, "A Course in Miracles" was canceled by the US Trademark Office on 8/10/2005.


==Associated works==
Two works have been described as extensions of ''A Course in Miracles'', Gary Renard's 2003 ''The Disappearance of the Universe'' and Marianne Williamson's '']'' published in 1992.<ref name="Miller2011"/><ref>].. ], 2010. p. 223.</ref><ref>]. . ], 2013. p. 223.</ref><ref>Coburn, Lorri. . ], 2011. p. 193.</ref> ''The Disappearance of the Universe'', published in 2003 by Fearless Books, was republished by ] in 2004.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Brandy |date=July 29, 2006 |title=Community of Faith: News from Houses of Worship: 'Disappearance of Universe' author to host workshop |url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/1132C530A58FA578?p=WORLDNEWS |newspaper=] |access-date=August 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181201143022/http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/1132C530A58FA578?p=WORLDNEWS |archive-date=December 1, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> '']'' reported that Renard's examination of ''A Course in Miracles'' influenced his book.<ref>{{cite news |last=Garrett |first=Lynn |date=March 7, 2005 |title='Disappearance' Appears Big Time |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20050307/28564-disappearance-appears-big-time.html |newspaper=] |access-date=August 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809091512/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20050307/28564-disappearance-appears-big-time.html |archive-date=August 9, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{portal|Books}}


== References == == References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
* Anonymous (1992). ''A Course in Miracles'' (2d ed.). Mill Valley: Foundation for Inner Peace. ISBN 0-9606388-8-1.
* Anonymous (1996). ''Supplements to A Course in Miracles''. New York: Viking Penguin. ISBN 0-670-86994-5. Contains the pamphlets, ''Psychotherapy: Purpose, Process and Practice'' and ''The Song of Prayer: Prayer, Forgiveness, Healing''.
* Wapnick, Kenneth (1997). Amazon.com listing, ISBN 0670869953.
* Miller, D. Patrick (1997). ''The Complete Story of the Course: The History, the People, and the Contoversies Behind A Course in Miracles''. Berkeley: Fearless Books. ISBN 0-9656809-0-8. Discusses the post-publication history of ACIM and various pertinent groups.
* Skutch, Robert (1996). ''Journey Without Distance: The Story Behind A Course in Miracles''. Mill Valley: Foundation for Inner Peace. ISBN 1-883360-02-1. Discusses the pre-publication history of ACIM.
* Wapnick, Kenneth (1999). ''Absence from Felicity: The Story of Helen Schucman and Her Scribing of A Course in Miracles'' (2d ed.). New York: Foundation for A Course in Miracles. ISBN 0-933291-08-6. Discusses Helen Schucman and the pre-publication history of ACIM.
* Williamson, Marianne (1996). ''A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles''. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060927488. Widely-read adaptation of ACIM principles.

== Notes ==
<div class="references-small">
<references/>
</div>

==See also==
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==External links== ==External links==
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Latest revision as of 07:39, 1 January 2025

1976 book by Helen Schucman

A Course in Miracles
A Course in Miracles, Combined Volume, Third Edition as published by the
Foundation for Inner Peace
EditorHelen Schucman, Bill Thetford, Kenneth Wapnick
AuthorThere is no author attributed to ACIM, although it was "scribed" by Helen Schucman
SubjectSpiritual transformation
Publisher1976 (New York: Viking: The Foundation for Inner Peace)
2007 (The Foundation for Inner Peace, 3rd ed.)
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback and paperback)
Pages1333
ISBN978-1-883360-24-5
OCLC190860865
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A Course in Miracles (also referred to as ACIM) is a 1976 book by Helen Schucman. The underlying premise is that the greatest "miracle" is the act of simply gaining a full "awareness of love's presence" in a person's life. Schucman said that the book had been dictated to her, word for word, via a process of "inner dictation" from Jesus Christ. The book is considered to have borrowed from New Age movement writings.

ACIM has three sections: "Text", "Workbook for Students", and "Manual for Teachers". Written from 1965 to 1972, some distribution occurred via photocopies before the Foundation for Inner Peace published a hardcover edition in 1976. The copyright and trademarks, which had been held by two foundations, were revoked in 2004 after lengthy litigation because the earliest versions had been circulated without a copyright notice.

Throughout the 1980s, annual sales of the book steadily increased each year; the largest growth in sales occurred in 1992 after Marianne Williamson discussed the book on The Oprah Winfrey Show, with more than two million volumes sold. The book has been called everything from "New Age psychobabble" to "a Satanic seduction" to "The New Age Bible". According to Olav Hammer, the psychiatrist and author Gerald G. Jampolsky was among the most effective promoters of ACIM. Jampolsky's first book, Love is Letting Go of Fear, based on the principles of ACIM, was published in 1979 and, after being endorsed on Johnny Carson's show, sold over three million copies by 1990.

Origins

A Course in Miracles was written as a collaborative venture between Schucman and William ("Bill") Thetford. In 1958, Schucman began her professional career at Columbia–Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City as Thetford's research associate. In 1965, at a time when their weekly office meetings had become so contentious that they both dreaded them, Thetford suggested to Schucman that "here must be another way". Schucman believed that this interaction acted as a stimulus, triggering a series of inner experiences that were understood by her as visions, dreams, and heightened imagery, along with an "inner voice" that she identified as Jesus (although the ACIM text itself never explicitly claims that the voice she hears speaking is that of Jesus). She said that on October 21, 1965, an "inner voice" told her: "This is a Course in Miracles, please take notes."

Schucman said the writing made her very uncomfortable, though it never seriously occurred to her to stop. The next day, she explained the events of her "note-taking" to Thetford. To her surprise, Thetford encouraged her to continue the process. He also offered to assist her in typing out her notes as she read them to him. The process continued the next day and repeated regularly for many years. In 1972, the writing of the three main sections of ACIM was completed, with some additional minor writing coming after that point.

Kenneth Wapnick helped edit the book and founded the Foundation for A Course in Miracles.

For copyright purposes, US courts determined that the author of the text was Schucman, not Jesus. Kenneth Wapnick believed that Schucman did not channel Jesus, but was describing her "own mental experience of divine 'love'".

Reception

Since it went on sale in 1976, the book has been translated into 27 languages. It is distributed globally, spawning a range of organized groups.

Wapnick said that "if the Bible were considered literally true, then (from a Biblical literalist's viewpoint) the Course would have to be viewed as demonically inspired". He also said, "I often taught in the context of the Bible, even though it is obvious to serious students of A Course in Miracles that it and the Bible are fundamentally incompatible." "Course-teachers Robert Perry, Greg Mackie, and Allen Watson" disagreed about that. Though a friend of Schucman, Thetford, and Wapnick, Catholic priest Benedict Groeschel criticized ACIM and related organizations. Finding some elements of ACIM to be "severe and potentially dangerous distortions of Christian theology", he wrote that it is "a good example of a false revelation" and that it has "become a spiritual menace to many". The evangelical editor Elliot Miller says that Christian terminology employed in ACIM is "thoroughly redefined" to resemble New Age teachings. Other Christian critics say that ACIM is "intensely anti-biblical" and incompatible with Christianity, blurring the distinction between creator and created and forcefully supporting an occult and New Age worldview.

Olav Hammer locates A Course in Miracles in the tradition of channeled works from those of Madam Blavatsky to Rudolf Steiner's and notes the close parallels between Christian Science and the teachings of the Course. Hammer called it "gnosticizing beliefs". In "'Knowledge is Truth': A Course in Miracles as Neo-Gnostic Scripture" in Gnosis: Journal of Gnostic Studies, Simon J. Joseph outlines the relationship between the Course and Gnostic thinking. Daren Kemp also considers ACIM neo-Gnostic and agrees with Hammer that it is a channeled text. The course has been viewed as a way that "integrates a psychological world view with a universal spiritual perspective" and linked to transpersonal psychology.

Joseph declared:

Consequently, new manuscript discoveries, lost gospels, and new “scriptural” revelations represent an effective way of subverting the traditional picture of early Christian origins and destabilizing traditional Christian authority by redefining the cultural boundaries of Christianity in contemporary culture. Since the Course’s redefinition of terms is so offensive to its critics, the Gospel narrative that the Course subverts and redefines is the suffering, death, and crucifixion of Jesus.

— Simon J. Joseph

Another dismissal of ACIM and claim for its subversiveness comes from some on the political left, who note that William Thetford, who encouraged and helped bring Schucman's work to press, was a CIA operative and psychologist. In Harper's Magazine, Sheila Heti quotes a post asserting the CIA sought "to infiltrate and dilute the American left with New Age ideas and inwardly-focused, anti-rational religious movements".

The Skeptic's Dictionary describes ACIM as "a minor industry" that is overly commercialized and characterizes it as "Christianity improved". Robert T. Carroll wrote that the teachings are not original but culled from "various sources, east, and west". He adds that it has gained increased popularity as New Age spirituality writer Marianne Williamson promoted a variant.

Associated works

Two works have been described as extensions of A Course in Miracles, Gary Renard's 2003 The Disappearance of the Universe and Marianne Williamson's A Return to Love published in 1992. The Disappearance of the Universe, published in 2003 by Fearless Books, was republished by Hay House in 2004. Publishers Weekly reported that Renard's examination of A Course in Miracles influenced his book.

References

  1. A Course in Miracles. Foundation for Inner Peace. Introduction, p. 1. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  2. "ACIM: About the Scribes". acim.org. Foundation for Inner Peace. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  3. Foundation for Inner Peace (1992). A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume (2nd ed.). Glen Ellen, Calif.: The Foundation. pp. vii–viii. ISBN 0-9606388-9-X. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  4. ^ Newport, John P. (1998). The New Age movement and the biblical worldview: conflict and dialogue. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 176. ISBN 978-0-8028-4430-9. a course in miracles christian criticism.
  5. ^ Carroll, Robert Todd (2003). The skeptic's dictionary: a collection of strange beliefs, amusing deceptions, and dangerous delusions. John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-27242-7.
  6. ^ Miller, D. Patrick (November 23, 2011). Understanding A Course in Miracles: The History, Message, and Legacy of a Spiritual Path for Today. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts. ISBN 9780307807793. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  7. Beverley, James (May 19, 2009). Nelson's Illustrated Guide to Religions: A Comprehensive Introduction to the Religions of the World. Thomas Nelson Inc. pp. 397–. ISBN 9781418577469. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  8. "Recipient's Common Interest in Subject of Work Does Not Limit Publication". Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal. 67 (1645). Bureau of National Affairs (BNA): 16–17. 2003.
  9. Boa, Kenneth; Bowman, Robert M. (1997). An Unchanging Faith in a Changing World: Understanding and Responding to Critical Issues that Christians Face Today. Oliver Nelson. ISBN 9780785273523. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  10. van IJssel, Suzette. "The Imminent Heaven: Spiritual Post-Metaphysics and Ethics in a Postmodern Era". Archived from the original on June 21, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  11. Hammer (2021: p. 450)
  12. "Helen Schucman's Career".
  13. "A Course in Miracles Book ACIM Lessons Online and Text". ACIM Portal. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  14. Helen Schucman: Autobiography, in "Origins of A Course in Miracles" 3:27–28. Foundation for Inner Peace Archives, Tiburon, CA).
  15. ^ Hammer, Olav (2021) . Claiming Knowledge: Strategies of Epistemology from Theosophy to the New Age. Numen Book Series. Brill. p. 153. ISBN 978-90-04-49399-5. Retrieved January 21, 2022. A Course in Miracles is said to have been channeled from a discarnate entity perceived as Jesus but never explicitly named as such in the ensuing text.
  16. ^ Kemp, Daren (March 2004). "A COURSE IN MIRACLES". In Clarke, Peter (ed.). Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements. Routledge. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-134-49970-0.
  17. Skutch, Robert. Journey Without Distance: The Story Behind A Course in Miracles. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA, 1984, p. 58.
  18. "The Scribe: Helen Schucman and A Course in Miracles©". www.miraclestudies.net.
  19. ^ Joseph, Simon J. (March 22, 2017). "'Knowledge is Truth': A Course in Miracles as Neo-Gnostic Scripture". GNOSIS. 2 (1). Brill: 94–125. doi:10.1163/2451859x-12340028. ISSN 2451-8581.
  20. "ACIM Translations". Foundation for Inner Peace. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  21. Bradby, Ruth (2010). "A course in miracles in Ireland". In Cosgrove, Olivia; Cox, Laurence; Kuhling, Carmen; Mulholland, Peter (eds.). Ireland's New Religious Movements. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 147–162. ISBN 978-1-4438-2615-0. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  22. Dean C. Halverson, "Seeing Yourself as Sinless", SCP Journal 7, no. 1 (1987): 23.
  23. Groeschel, Benedict J., A Still Small Voice (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1993) p. 80
  24. Groeschel, Benedict J., A Still Small Voice (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1993) p. 82.
  25. Hammer (2021: 444)
  26. Hammer (2021: 55)
  27. Miracles with Counselors, David Aldrich Osgood, University of Massachusetts Amherst (1991), Transpersonal Psychology and A Course in Miracles P.43 https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5794&context=dissertations_1
  28. Heti, Sheila (September 2024). "The New Age Bible". Harper's Magazine. p. 48.
  29. Butler-Bowdon, Tom.50 Spiritual Classics: Timeless Wisdom From 50 Great Books of Inner Discovery, Enlightenment and Purpose. Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2010. p. 223.
  30. Butler-Bowdon, Tom. The Literature of Possibility. Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2013. p. 223.
  31. Coburn, Lorri. Breaking Free: How Forgiveness and A Course in Miracles Can Set You Free. Balboa Press, 2011. p. 193.
  32. Wilson, Brandy (July 29, 2006). "Community of Faith: News from Houses of Worship: 'Disappearance of Universe' author to host workshop". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 1, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  33. Garrett, Lynn (March 7, 2005). "'Disappearance' Appears Big Time". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.

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