(08-17-2011 02:33 AM)Jon Wrote:  

(08-16-2011 09:39 PM)Mark Wrote:  I highly, highly recommend starting with Ken Wilbur. I'd start with "A Brief History of Everything" or "Up From Eden."

Interesting. I actually am not wild about Wilbur. While he is a good writer and certainly knowledgeable, I do feel like he glosses over serious difficulties in reconciling religious traditions with science, and with eachother.

I agree with that. It's unfortunate his health went to shit a while back, because I would have loved to see him address those issues.

I was huge on him when I was younger. Now, I realize that there are a lot of inconsistencies in his details and the practical applications of integral theory to every day life are close to none. But still, his overall model and worldview has been highly influential on me throughout my adult life. My approach to many things is always colored through that lens, as you may or may not have noticed.

And all in all, I think when it comes to explaining why some religions behave in certain ways during certain time periods, he nails the explanation as well as just about anybody. He's excellent at navigating explanations of religion as both anthropology and spirituality without ever over-stepping either way.

Cool to see another Wilber reader. They're not common.