Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution

In this heartfelt outing, actor Wilson (The Bassoon King), of Dwight from The Office fame, offers a broad array of spiritual ideas for finding hope in a cynical world. While there are no easy solutions to many contemporary problems—climate change, materialism, a lack of real community—Wilson digs into some big spiritual matters that have preoccupied him throughout life, among them concepts of holiness (the challenge is to “find what is holy in our lives”), and death as a source of meaning (it puts into perspective the “preciousness of life”). As well, he investigates whether God exists, and explains why he’s not an atheist: for one, the notion that “a universe of infinite complexity was born in a heartbeat because [of] science” seems “a bit of a stretch.” Finally, he lightheartedly proposes a new “religion,” Soul Boom, based on his spiritual adventuring. Its guiding principles include the “centrality of justice” and an emphasis on the arts. Animated by self-aware humor, this entry doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, and instead offers deceptively simple yet thought-provoking musings to help readers embark on a quest of spiritual self-awareness. This is a pleasure to read. (Apr.)