Return Meaning
The American Psyche in Search of its Soul

PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

    All religions, Andrew Cort points out, have two aspects -- an external (or exoteric) teaching,
    and an internal (or esoteric) teaching.

    Externally, the wonderful diversity of stories that we find in different cultures is a tribute to
    the magnificence of the human imagination. Rather than using the differences in these
    stories as an excuse to hate each other and to find endless reasons for beating each other
    over the head, we ought to appreciate all the beauty and variety with which these stories
    teach their lessons about ethics, justice, and love. The Greeks presented their wisdom
    teaching in stories about fanciful gods and goddesses; the Jews presented their wisdom
    teaching in stories that chronicle the adventures of their ancestors; the Christians
    presented their wisdom teaching by telling the life-story of one amazing figure, Jesus; the
    Muslims also presented their wisdom teaching through the life-story of
    another amazing figure, Muhammad.

    All of these stories seem different on the outside. But on the inside, Cort shows, they all tell
    the same story. Through allegory and symbol, the stories consistently weave the tale of a
    soul - your soul - that has descended into material life and must now do the work to find its
    way home again. This inner journey, the basis for all 'Sacred Quest' legends, has been called
    "The Return to the Promised Land", "Persephone's Ascent to Olympus", "The Resurrection
    of the Soul", "The Quest for the Holy Grail", and many other names. Everything that happens
    along the way – the wars, the joys, the obstacles that are overcome - must all occur deep
    within oneself. In other words, the esoteric teaching always presents the psychological map
    for spiritual initiation.  

    In Part 1 of this groundbreaking book, Dr. Cort unlocks the universal symbolic code (which is
    still preserved in Plato and other ancient writers) that is used throughout these stories.

    Part 2 describes the soul’s inner journey of Creation and Return as it is revealed in Greek
    Mythology, the Torah, the Gospels, and the Qur’an, thus revealing the stunning underlying
    unity of all our western religious traditions.

    Lastly, Part 3 discusses the terrible cost that has resulted from ignoring, trivializing, or
    misunderstanding these traditions, and the possibility of restoring a genuine sense of
    meaning and purpose to our lives and culture.

Createspace   2008           Outskirts Press  2008
More Amazon Reviews

“Metaphor and myth come alive and are full of wonder. Arcane ritual points beyond itself
and disturbing Bible or Koran stories show a deeper, more mysterious, and profoundly
inspirational meaning. I loved reading this book -- rather meditatively because it is detailed
and rich -- and letting its hopeful message sink in.”     
                   
                                                                        -- Louisa Gilder,  author of The Age of Entanglement



“I have never in my long life read a better or clearer explanation of why things have gone awry
as much as they have…. Lastly, the author demonstrates an ongoing battle between freedom
and equality. This is a genuine contribution to understanding
what has happened to American society in the past fifty or sixty years."    

--  Peter O'Lalor,   author of The Never Realized Republic



"With Einstein, Cort believes that religion without science is blind and science without
religion is pointless. Failing to reach the deeper levels of meaning and truth, people are
stranded in a secular wasteland where they may engage in a lot of commerce, worship, sex,
and science. But the commerce, as Cort concludes, will twitter into trivia, the worship will sink
into an idolatry of soulless forms, or veer off into Jihad and vanity fair, and the science will
end up merely performing an autopsy on a universe that
it has declared dead and meaningless.

"This learned and inspirational book rescues philosophy from the mathematicians, sex from
the hedonists, religion from empty sanctimony, and science from barren materialism. A must
read for all of us who seek a guidebook for meaningful life in the new millennium."

               --  George Gilder,  noted social commentator and author



"He seems equally at home in Greek mythology, philosophy, Judaism, Islam, Christianity -- and
this wide and deep knowledge allows him to make connections and perceive commonalities
that are constantly surprising and enlightening for the reader.”

     --  Alan Elsner,  author of The Nazi Hunter



"I remain comfortable with my atheism, but Cort has given me a book that I can use as a
reference and review when I want to restudy a religion or philosophy. I plan on using his
section on education to stimulate the thinking of my interns and student teachers. One reason
for this is that ...[h]e has wedded the beauty and reality of our passions with our intellect."

-- Allen Mutant



The complete reviews can be read by clicking the Amazon link above
Return to Meaning is an Award Winning Finalist in
the Comparative Religion category of the
National Best Books 2008 Awards sponsored by
USA Book News.
"In this remarkable book, Dr. Andrew Cort takes us on a journey into the inner
sanctum of religious and spiritual meaning. Rather than viewing the Bible as history,
he reveals its symbolic and allegorical essence, and helps us answer the question
that should always be asked of great art:

What do these stories mean for my life?

Cort demonstrates that all religious traditions have the common aim of teaching a
method for enlightening our souls. When this shared noble purpose is understood,
a sense of sacred meaning is restored to our lives and there is no further need for
religious hatred and bigotry. All of this is made clear in a book that is entertaining,
inspiring, beautifully written, and filled with amazing insights into biblical passages
that have perplexed generations of scholars (I was especially moved by Cort's
exploration of the Feminine aspect of creation). His real genius is that he takes
complex theology and explains it for the everyday reader.

This is a must read for anyone on a spiritual quest. I highly recommend
that you buy 'Return to Meaning' and read it today."

                                     --  Rev. Janet McKinstry


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