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| The issue of '''Authorship of A Course In Miracles''' has been widely debated by Course students, as well as by theologians, philosophers, and social critics <ref> Retrieved June 23, 2006</ref><ref> Retrieved June 23, 2006</ref> <ref> Retrieved June 23, 2006</ref>. The issue of authorship of ACIM was the underpinning of a lawsuit brought by ] against ACIM publisher ] and ACIM copyright holder ]. As a result of the case, ACIM is now in the public domain <ref> Retrieved June 23, 2006</ref><ref> Retrieved June 23, 2006 </ref>. | The issue of '''Authorship of A Course In Miracles''' has been widely debated by Course students, as well as by theologians, philosophers, and social critics <ref> Retrieved June 23, 2006 {{Verify credibility}}</ref><ref> Retrieved June 23, 2006 {{Verify credibility}}</ref> <ref> Retrieved June 23, 2006 {{Verify credibility}}</ref>. The issue of authorship of ACIM was the underpinning of a lawsuit brought by ] against ACIM publisher ] and ACIM copyright holder ]. As a result of the case, ACIM is now in the public domain <ref> Retrieved June 23, 2006</ref><ref> Retrieved June 23, 2006 </ref>. | ||
| ], or ''ACIM'', is a book of spiritual philosophy and practice ], or "scribed", by New York psychologist ]. First published in 1976, ACIM has since sold over one million copies worldwide and has been translated into over a dozen foreign languages <ref> Retrieved June 23, 2006</ref>. ACIM has been the basis for many bestselling books, such as ]'s book ]. ], president of the ] has predicted that one day ACIM will be as widely read as the ]. | ], or ''ACIM'', is a book of spiritual philosophy and practice ], or "scribed", by New York psychologist ]. First published in 1976, ACIM has since sold over one million copies worldwide and has been translated into over a dozen foreign languages <ref> Retrieved June 23, 2006</ref>. ACIM has been the basis for many bestselling books, such as ]'s book ]. ], president of the ] has predicted that one day ACIM will be as widely read as the ]. | ||
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The issue of Authorship of A Course In Miracles has been widely debated by Course students, as well as by theologians, philosophers, and social critics . The issue of authorship of ACIM was the underpinning of a lawsuit brought by Endeavor Academy against ACIM publisher Penguin Books and ACIM copyright holder Foundation for A Course In Miracles. As a result of the case, ACIM is now in the public domain .
A Course in Miracles, or ACIM, is a book of spiritual philosophy and practice channeled, or "scribed", by New York psychologist Helen Schucman. First published in 1976, ACIM has since sold over one million copies worldwide and has been translated into over a dozen foreign languages . ACIM has been the basis for many bestselling books, such as Marianne Williamson's book A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principals of A Course In Miracles. Kenneth Wapnick, president of the Foundation for A Course In Miracles has predicted that one day ACIM will be as widely read as the Bible.
Because A Course In Miracles uses the first person singular pronouns I and me in a number of places in reference to the life of Jesus, it is apparent it presents itself as authored by him. While such a claim of authorship is not accepted outside of the community of ACIM students for obvious reasons, within that community the question has become a matter of considerable controversy. The controversy is twofold; one argument holds that Jesus Christ is literally the source of A Course In Miracles, while the opposing argument holds that Jesus Christ is the symbolic source of A Course In Miracles.
The two perspectives
The controversy came to a head in the year 2000, when two organizations devoted to teaching the course, the Endeavor Academy and Foundation for A Course in Miracles (known as FACIM), came into conflict over the issue of copyright. According to ACIM student Robert Perry, however, "Penguin and Endeavor are actually embodying two poles that have been in tension ever since the Course came out." Some students and authors believe A Course In Miracles is the result of literal communication between Jesus Christ and Helen Schucman. This perspective can be assimilated to a variety of spiritual or psychical purported communications of various sorts. It might be seen as in the tradition of spiritualism, with the "inner voice" Helen Schucman claimed to have heard a form of clairaudience. It can be taken to be in the tradition of channeling, with Jesus in something of the same role as Jane Roberts Seth. It can also be taken in the tradition of the "special revelations" sometimes claimed by Christians, such as the Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love of Julian of Norwich. In each of these cases, however, there are elements which are hard to fit to the model likeness.
Others maintain that Jesus in some sense the symbolic , but not actual, source of A Course In Miracles. In this view, the Course is not seen as the result of a literal communication between Helen Schucman and present posthuman form of the former historical Jesus. Rather, Helen Schucman is interpreted to have provided the form of the Course (the words on paper), while Jesus-as-symbol provided the content of the Course (the lessons of forgiveness). In this view, the "Jesus" of A Course In Miracles is not a literal entity but a kind of Jungian archetype which can mold and focus the material of the subconscious. The Foundation for A Course In Miracles is an example of a teaching organization that takes this interpretation.
Jesus Christ as symbolic source
The premier exponent of the Jesus-as-symbol theory in the community of ACIM students is Kenneth Wapnick and the foundation for which he presides as president, Foundation for A Course In Miracles. On their website, FACIM has written, " is important for students of the Course not to confuse the voice Helen Schucman heard and identified as Jesus’, with the Jesus of traditional Christianity, nor to associate it with any particular image in form. The Course uses the term Jesus and the Holy Spirit as symbols reflecting the part of the mind of the Sonship that holds the memory of God. They are not real persons....". Wapnick theorizes that Helen adopted the symbolic authorship of Jesus because he was a potent symbol for her personally.
Joe Jesseph, former employee of Foundation for A Course In Miracles, has commented, "I believe that the Love of God that inspired Helen to write the Course took the symbolic form of Jesus for her. The figure of Jesus was a very personal and highly significant symbol for Helen who had much to forgive in her relationship with the Love of God which Jesus symbolized, just as others of us raised in the Judeo Christian tradition have important forgiveness lessons with Jesus, as is pointed out in the Course".
Kenneth and Gloria Wapnick, co-founders of Foundation for A Course In Miracles, have stated in interviews that students who have a familiarity with the works of Carl Jung or Joseph Campbell will be more likely to understand the symbolic role of Jesus Christ as source of A Course In Miracles . Conversely, those with no familiarity with symbolism in the vein of Jung and Campbell are more likely to be confused by Jesus' symbolic role in the Course and to interpret the Course as being the result of "channeling" roughly in the tradition of a seance.
In the book The Most Commonly Asked Questions about A Course In Miracles, Kenneth and Gloria Wapnick write, "The Jesus of the Bible and of the Course are mutally exclusive figures, with only the common name linking them together."
Wapnick does, however, concede that Helen's symbolc Jesus did take the subjective form of an inner voice. In his book Absence from Felicity The Story of Helen Schucman and Her Scribing of A Course in Miracles, he writes, "At first blush, and as the story of the scribing is usually told, it would seem as if the person of Jesus stood within Helen's mind with a microphone, dictating to her-word for word, in English!--the three books of the Course. It must be remembered, of course, that on one level this was Helen's experience. But similar to the misperception of the sun's rising and setting every day, one's experience, though valid for the individual, nonetheless, should not be taken for the actual truth, let alone as a model in form for other people's experience."
Jesus Christ as literal source
The principle argument of those who take the authorship of Jesus literally is literalism: this is what ACIM says about its own authorship. This position is argued by, among others, the teachers of the Circle of Atonement school. Not only do the many first person references seem to make no sense unless Jesus is the author, the Manuel for Teachers at one point says he is the author, or at least that the Course comes from him. Moreover, in many passages, particularly in the unpublished (but now available) early versions of ACIM, Helen's Voice exhibits a lively and distinctive personality.
In a number of places ACIM states that Jesus has "remained" with us, to help guide us to our own salvation; in other words has taken the role of what in Buddhism is called a Bodhisattva, one who has attained enlightenment and dedicated himself to enlightening all others.
The claim is made that the author has chosen his words carefully, which seems, if true, to be incompatible with the thesis that Helen supplied the form. Moreover, the highly structured form of much of ACIM, for instance the 365 daily lessons, mostly in blank verse, are not the sort of amorphous effusions one might have expected under the hypothesis that Helen's subconscious mind was responsible for the form.
The copyright case
In 1996, the Penguin Books and Foundation for Inner Peace, which at that time held the copyright later transferred to FACIM, sued The New Christian Church of Full Endeavor, sibling organization of the Endeavor Academy, for copyright infringement, asking for one million dollars in damages. In its response, Endeavor argued that the author is a divine being, and hence ACIM is uncopyrightable per the regulations of the US Copyright Office. In response, the plaintiffs maintained that Helen Schucman was the author.
In 1999, in response of a denial to Robert Perry of his request to publish a book on ACIM metaphysics, and a Cease and Desist order demanding that the Circle of Atonement cease distibution of most of their materials, COA filed for declaratory relief. In response, Penguin and FACIM (now the holder of the copyright) deny that the Course contains the words of Jesus, is a divine revelation, or is a modern day scripture. Helen Schucman is described as the author of the Course, not its scribe, and Jesus is not mentioned as having a role in the origin of the Course.
In 2000, the two perspectives met in a court of law presided over by Federal judge Robert Sweet. Oral arguments were heard on FACIM’s motion for partial summary judgment and on the Church's cross-motion for summary judgment. In its motion for summary judgment, the Church claimed that fraud was committed by not informing the Copyright Office of the true authorship; they also invoked estoppel, based on the claim that for many years Jesus had been presented as the author, and prepublication, distributing copies without notice of copyright prior to any attempt to obtain a copyright. In the end, Sweet rejected the first two claims, which went to the question of authorship, but ruled in favor of the last, which invalidated the copyright.
The position of Endeavor was not initially anti-copyright, but was always based on the premise that Jesus was the author and ACIM sacred scripture: "The New Christian Church, while never denying the copyright, has maintained its will and determination to freely disseminate with no charge whatsoever the teachings of A Course In Miracles as directed by Jesus. ... What is becoming increasingly evident in this case, as the truth concerning the whole nature of the source of origination of the entire content of material is revealed, is simply that A Course In Miracles cannot lawfully be copyrighted."
Notes
- A Course In Miracles A Biblical Evaluation Retrieved June 23, 2006
- Watchman Fellowship Profile of A Course In Miracles Retrieved June 23, 2006
- Bible Probe article Retrieved June 23, 2006
- The preliminary judgement on A Course in Miracles ruling Retrieved June 23, 2006
- Final ruling on A Course in Miracles ruling Retrieved June 23, 2006
- The Translation Program Retrieved June 23, 2006
- Who Wrote A Course In Miracles? by Robert Perry
- Circle of Atonement ACIM Frequently Asked Questions
- Who Was the Jesus of History and Did He Write A Course in Miracles?
- FACIM Outreach Question #97
- Faculty of Foundation for A Course In Miracles as published on their Question and Answer Internet forum .
- Joe Jesseph's essay "Jesus as Symbol"
- Miracle Studies interview with Wapnicks
- The Most Commonly Asked Questions about A Course In Miracles pages 102-3
- "Absence from Felicity", Kenneth Wapnick's biography of Helen Schucman.
- Timeline of the copyright controversy
- Endeavor Academy's statement regarding authorship of A Course In Miracles