Speakeasy Review: Adventures in Soul Making by Troy Caldwell, MD

This book drew me in immediately on three levels. One, it addresses the connection between Spirituality and Psychology. Two, it uses Scripture and Science to explore the concept that we are made of three parts - Body, Soul and Spirit and the importance of understanding how they are interconnected. And three, the picture on the cover includes the image of a spiral figure containing roman numerals that is quite reminiscent of the opening sequence of "Dr. Who" - one of the best television shows ever created!

I like the structure of the book with a combination of personal testimonies from various people sharing their spiritual journeys. Caldwell does a good job of explaining what a spiritual director does and how he has been assisted in his life through this kind of direction as well as how he has been able to become a spiritual director himself. His discussion of these practices are very reminiscent of my own experiences in the Sozo emotional healing and deliverance ministry I was a part of for several years.

I think I will reference this inspiring and encouraging book for a long time to come.

The only problem I had was that Caldwell kept referring to the journey of soul making being a road to get closer to God, become one with the divine, etc. while at the same time quoting scripture and sharing testimonials confirming the fact that through Christ we are ALREADY one with the divine, as close to God as we can be, etc. Which is the lens through which I view things. The journey for me is not so much in MAKING my soul, but in traveling deeper and deeper into what it means to be a complete being, fully loved by God and fully one with Christ, not through my own effort but in trusting that it is finished. Moving from 'glory to glory' if you will. It's a bit frustrating to spend a paragraph being reminded of the wonderfulness and benefits of that wholeness to then, in the next paragraph, be plunged back into the idea that the journey is one of acquiring it, trying to achieve it, etc. I find this dichotomy present in many Christian books, though, so it isn't a new problem. I think it is just symptomatic of a worldview that is terrified of really letting Christ's work be enough. I struggle with it myself still as I continually run up against my own inability to rest sometimes.

It's all good, though. I'd recommend this book to anyone who was looking for more information on going deeper, getting more personal in their relationship with the Spirit and who likes to have a connection to science along with their faith-based pursuits.