The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors

In this eclectic guide, Buddhist teacher Owens (Radical Dharma) urges readers to become “New Saints” by “free[ing] each other from suffering while we... reduce our own.” While acknowledging that it might seem like a “lofty and vague endeavor,” Owens contends that anyone can become a “new saint” so long as they “give a shit” about others’ liberation, and “figure out their work (what they are supposed to do), do that work, and return to that work,” whether such labor means prayer or being one’s most “authentic self” even within such rigid social systems as the patriarchy. Mining a wealth of traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, and Indigenous spiritualities, Owens explores how readers can become “aware of... the workings of the world” through meditation and somatic practices; model “restorative forgiveness”; and commune with their ancestors, whether using psilocybin to “journey into the spirit world” or through concrete rituals, such as how the author makes pound cake to connect with his Black heritage (“The taste is an energetic expression of all those who have come before us”). Owens corralls a wide array of practices, insights, and observations, and while the kitchen-sink organization might put off some, it will satisfy readers in search of sharp, creative insights on social justice, collective action, and compassion for oneself and others. This has the power to change perceptions. (Oct.)