Recommended Books
“A Course in Miracles,” published by the Foundation for Inner Peace. 3rd Edition, Combined Volume.
This official version of “A Course in Miracles” is the one with paragraph and line numbers, which is very convenient for group study. There are several non-copyrighted versions of the Course being distributed, based off of early photocopies of the manuscript. For consistency’s sake, it’s easiest for everyone to use the official, copyrighted version. The 2nd edition is identical, down to the page and sentence numbers, but does not include the supplements. If you find the 2nd edition in a used bookstore, it will suffice.
“Journey Without Distance — The Story Behind A Course in Miracles” by Robert Skutch, 136 pages.
An easy-to-read account of how A Course in Miracles came about, with interesting details about the lives of Helen Schuchman, Bill Thetford, Kenneth Wapnick and Judith Skutch. In particular, it describes how The Course came to be published and how it spread rapidly in its early years.
“A Course in Miracle Made Easy” by Alan Cohen
Published in 2017, by the author of many spiritual books, including “A Daily Dose of Sanity.”
“Love is Letting Go of Fear” by Gerald Jampolsky, 131 pages.
First published in 1979, this book is credited with introducing countless thousands to A Course in Miracles. Jerry is a physician and a child and adult psychiatrist. He founded the International Center for Attitudinal Healing in 1975.
“A Return to Love — Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles” by Marianne Williamson, 300 pages.
First published in 1992, this book is also credited with introducing many people to the Course. Marianne Williamson is a dynamic public speaker who served for a few years as the Senior Minister of The Church of Today, a large Unity church in Warren, Michigan. Marianne Williamson is close to Oprah Winfrey, and did a series on Oprah’s radio station.
“Disappearance of the Universe” by Gary Renard, 409 pages.
Published in 2004, this book is considered by many to be a fresh introduction to “A Course in Miracles” that meets us where we are. Gary shares his story of learning the principles of The Course in an open, honest and hilarious fashion. He remains 100% consistent with The Course, while at the same time making the sometimes obtuse language of The Course come alive with his layman’s version of spirituality. Many say this book has reinvigorated their study of The Course. If The Course is locked in a can, “Disappearance of the Universe” is the can opener.
“Absence From Felicity — The Story of Helen Schuchman and Her Scribing of A Course in Miracles” by Kenneth Wapnick, Ph.D. Published by Foundation for A Course in Miracles, 521 pages.
This book is a detailed accounting of Helen Schuchman’s (and to some extent Bill Thetford’s) experience from a few years before she started scribing The Course, all the way until her death. Kenneth Wapnick joined Helen and Bill after the Course had been scribed and assisted with the organization/punctuation/capitalization of the manuscript before it became published. This book is very scholarly in its approach (like a college textbook), making for some dry reading. But it also contains some gems and insights into Helen and Bill’s lives that cannot be found anywhere else.
Web References
Introductory Videos about “A Course in Miracles,” Helen Schuchman, and Bill Thetford
Part One – The Visionaries (8:10 minutes)
Part Two – The Visionaries (8:09 minutes)
Bill Thetford Talks About His Life & A Course in Miracles (mostly audio, with some video frames/slides)
Part 1/3 (7:43)
Part 2/3 (8:11)
Part 3/3 (13:40)
Web Sites
Foundation for Inner Peace
The Foundation for Inner Peace (FIP) publishes the only complete Course as authorized by its scribe and has sponsored its translation into 27 different languages. This official version of A Course in Miracles is the only one with the Section headings, paragraph and line numbers, and went through an extensive process of capitalization/punctuation by Kenneth Wapnick together with Helen Schuchman and Bill Thetford. There are several non-copyrighted versions of the Course being distributed, based off of early photocopies. The content is 99% the same, with the copyrighted version missing paragraphs here and there in the first 5 chapters that were intended as personal notes for Helen and Bill. There is some controversy surrounding this, but it’s not that big of a deal, and not worth the effort.
Foundation for A Course in Miracles (Ken Wapnick)
The web site and online store containing the extensive teachings of Kenneth Wapnick, who worked closely with Helen and Bill before the book was published. He was a prolific teacher of the Course, and clearly enunciated its key teachings.
Foundation for A Course in Miracles
Abbreviated Glossary
Wapnick’s YouTube Videos – hundreds of them!
Articles
Interview of William Thetford
The Professional World of the Scribes of A Course in Miracles (interesting article about Helen and Bill’s work before scribing the Course)
Electronic ACIM
A Windows application containing the entire combined volume of ACIM, with a powerful search feature that allows you to search for a combination of words near each other. That way, you don’t have to remember the exact quote or phrase you are looking for. Allows for easy copy and paste of selected text from the application. Available for $30 on the Foundation for Inner Peace Online Store.
Authors/Teachers of A Course in Miracles
- Kenneth Wapnick was a prolific teacher of “A Course in Miracles,” publishing dozens of books and teaching hundreds if not thousands of workshops, many of which have been recorded in audio or video form. His materials are available at the Foundation for a Course in Miracles.
- John Mundy
- Gary Renard
- Marianne Williamson
A Course in Miracles Study Groups and Classes at UCOH
- Wednesday evening Study Group 7:30 – 8:40pm (Neil Feiereisel)
- Saturday morning Study Group 11:00am – 12:30 pm (Gary Skiba)
- Thursday evening Class 7:15 – 8:45pm, seasonal (Jennifer Feiereisel)
- Friday morning Class 10:30am – 12:00pm, seasonal (Jennifer Feiereisel)
For more information about our study groups and classes, please visit A Course in Miracles.