Eremos

In sum, I would go so far as to say that this one book, better than any other I know, presents the essence of what the founders of Eremos intended for our generation.           Don Meadows

Don Meadows leads off this issue of Eremos, reviewing Karen Armstrong’s latest book and making a clear statement about the aims of Eremos in reuniting head and heart. Armstrong’s book, The Case for God: What Religion Really Means, examines the way in which we have come to think and talk about God, especially as mythos, ‘the concern for meaning in life’, has given ground to logos, ‘the pragmatic mastery of the world’. I intend to read this book to see what has happened to the human race’s belief systems, and especially what has happened to mine.

Don’s review is followed Megan Schaffner’s poem, My Father and his God, then Fiona Johnston’s reflection on becoming a grandmother and her concern for meaning in the experience. Linda Turton attends a theatre performance by young people and finds parallels between their journey and the tale of the fisher king and the handless maiden. Our cover artist, Michael Galovic, is presented in the centre section, along with more examples of his work and his musings on life as an artist in Australia with a focus on icons.

The second half of the issue is headed by Peter Willis’s experiences of reading two authors with illness. Peter puts words around another essential aim of Eremos in printing longer responses to books along with the more traditional, shorter book reviews: ‘It [is] not so much reviewing the book as “listening” to it and allowing it to speak.’ Peter’s article is followed by a poem by Mark Burrows, visiting Adelaide from the US and falling under the spell of the magpie’s carolling. Mark will make appearances in both Adelaide and Sydney for Eremos members to hear more about the role of poetry in the spiritual life (see page 37 for details).

‘Our Lady of La Vang’ by Walter Mason is the last of the longer articles. The author, a traveller with a spiritual bent, explores an especially holy site in Vietnam and its representation of Mary with the Christ-Child.

Two short reviews by Eremos members conclude the magazine, Doug Dargaville on John Bodycomb’s No Fixed Address: Faith as Journey and Mary Emeleus on Dark Nights of the Soul by Thomas Moore.

The Eremos information pages have much to interest members and friends, including Susan Robertson’s report on the recent retreat day at Pennant Hills, NSW, with Susan Phillips, Noel Davis and Trish Watts—well attended and enjoyed by all.

That’s it for another quarter, as Eremos faithfully accompanies well over 500 members and probably many hundred more readers (please join up!) in the life of the spirit, lived with courage and truth.

Jacquie Pryor