The author of Sacred Journeys in a Modern World discusses the growth of spirituality in America on the brink of the millennium, its interfaith and ecumenical origins, and its influence on all aspects of American society and culture. Roger Housden was researching a book on the survival of the sacred in India when a floating thought settled smack in front of his third eye. "India for all its living spiritual wisdom, is not the land that holds the seal of the sacred for the next millennium," he realized. "That country is America." From then on, Housden, a native of Britain, began his quest to document the spiritual breadth and depth of America. Some of his fascinating destinations include a native Sun Dance at the Crow Fair powwow in Montana, a Rosh Hashanah retreat in the Catskill Mountains of New York, and a catholic Easter celebration in Old New Mexico. Rather than dryly cataloging all the spiritual diversity that America hosts, Housden allows himself to truly spend time with the people and places he visits. As a result, his reflections carry the substance of a wise man who dwells with people and ideas, asking penetrating questions and listening attentively. As a result, this is armchair pilgrimage at its best--offering keen insight and rich storytelling to grasp "one of the most spiritually vibrant cultures on earth." --Gail Hudson British chronicler Housden (Sacred Journeys in a Modern World, 1998, not reviewed, etc.) makes a mixed contribution to that honored genre, the American travelogue, by traipsing across the country with his eyes on the spiritual. The US, he believes, holds the seal of the sacred for the next millennium. Housdens cast of characters is an intriguing bunch: Jewish renewal devotees celebrating Rosh Hashana in the Catskills; green-conscious architects in Charlottesville, Virginia; leftist evangelicals in D.C. Housden introduces us to Doug Conwell, the leader of a program that takes people with AIDS walking in the wilderness; Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity; and Eddie Hauben, a Jewbue (Jews who practice Buddhism and observe all the Jewish holy days). Taken together, Housdens assorted spiritual snapshots reveal a varied, vibrant, and idiosyncratic sacred America. Unfortunately, Housden overemphasizes the idiosyncratic. Where, one wonders, are the Episcopalians, the Southern Baptists, the Orthodox Jews? Where are the believers whose beliefs Housden, in his ecumenical indulgence of everything left-of-center, cannot embrace? And how can one offer a portrait of spiritual life in America without a trip to Salt Lake City? Housden imagines he is a latter-day Tocqueville, but he is deceived. Worth skimming, but dont confuse Sacred America with the definitive portrait of spiritual life in the US. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. Coleman Barks author of The Essential Rumi Roger Housden wanders far and listens deeply to sound the spiritual depths of our culture. Beautifully written, with a keen European sensibility, this important book honors the uniqueness of the American spirit in a way that perhaps only an outsider could do. There are stories here to read over and over. -- Review Roger Housden is a writer, explorer of sacred traditions, and leader of contemplative journeys in the Sahara, India, and the United States. He gives inspirational talks on the theme of Sacred America and also public recitals of ecstatic poetry from the world's spiritual traditions. Sacred America is his eighth book. For information on his books, journeys, talks, and recitals, visit his Web site at http://www.sacredamerica.com, or e-mail rogerhous@aol.com.