A new edition of the modern spiritual classic that has transformed the lives of millions.
In 1965 Helen Schucman began to hear an inner voice that would spark the writing of A Course in Miracles. The Course, a one-year training program in forgiveness, is a practical answer to humankind’s most profound inner need.
1. The Text
Since its publication in 1976, A Course in Miracles has become a contemporary spiritual classic. Its teachings combine spiritual wisdom and psychological insight in a one-year training program. But in the process of editing the book for publication, about forty-five thousand words were removed from its Text. The Complete and Annotated Edition ucdm (CE) restores these missing words by going back to Course scribe Helen Schucman's shorthand notes.
The CE uses the URText [the first typing of the shorthand notes] as its basis, and then adds extensive footnotes to clarify difficult passages. Thirty-three Cameo essays provide commentary on personal guidance given to the scribes (Helen Schucman and Bill Thetford). Although too personal for inclusion in the Course, these insights can help us better understand the principles of the book.
Note: Unlike all other versions of the Text, this version preserves the original emphasis that was placed on certain words in the shorthand notes by underlining them. This is due to the fact that when the initial manuscript was typed from the shorthand notes and verbal information that was added by the scribes, it was done on a typewriter that did not italicize words. The scribes and Bill Thetford had to place an emphasis on words themselves by underlining them.
Moreover, this is the only version of the Text that reinstates the word Soul in its opening paragraph and places the chapters on Miracle Principles into their proper order. It also removes the confusing numbers from the sections and is much smaller than the Circle of Atonement version making it easier to bring with you everywhere. Also it includes the Manual for Teachers and Clarification of Terms.
2. The Workbook
A Course in Miracles has become a modern spiritual classic, with its teachings changing the lives of millions. It combines spiritual wisdom, psychological insight, and a one-year training program into a practical answer to humankind’s deep innermost need. Originally published in 1976, it has become a worldwide phenomenon.
In 1965, Helen Schucman began to hear an inner voice that would inspire the writing of a Course in Miracles. As she took notes every day, an inner teacher - who identified himself as Jesus - spoke to her about the principles of love, forgiveness, and peace. The Voice told her to teach them to anyone who wanted to learn, and to gather a class together to study the material.
When the Course was published, about forty-five thousand words were removed - most of which were the Voice’s teachings on nondualism. This new edition of the Course, called the Complete and Annotated Edition or CE, restores these lost teachings by going back to Helen’s shorthand notes and using a fresh editing approach.
The new CE also includes a parallel version of the Text, a Manual for Teachers and two supplements; Psychotherapy and The Song of Prayer. A reading schedule is also included so that a student can read the Text, Workbook, and Manual for Students in a year.
The CE uses the HLC manuscript, found in the ARE library in 1999, and the UR Text (see the ARE site for information on these) to form early renditions of the scribes' notes. The editors largely kept these as they were, with the exception of eliminating some of the extraneous material and changing some of the style, such as the use of all caps for Jesus's name and some of the underlining.
3. The Manual for Teachers
Since it was first published in 1976, A Course in Miracles has touched the hearts and lives of millions of people around the world. While the depth and complexity of this modern spiritual classic can sometimes make it difficult for us to understand, those who have embraced its message have found that it is, in fact, a clear presentation of truths that are already present within our hearts.
A Course in Miracles is composed of three volumes: the Text, the Workbook for Students and the Manual for Teachers. While the Text and the Workbook can be read by anyone, the Manual for Teachers is intended for those who will teach the Course’s thought system to others.
The curriculum of the Course is based on the belief that before this physical universe appeared to have come into being, all souls lived happily in heaven with God. However, the "separation" or fall of man resulted in the creation of this physical world and its contents, and placed all souls in need of salvation. The Course’s goal is to lead each soul back to its original home, where it will join once again with the Creator of all life and love.
While it is obvious that the teacher of pupils will have to study and practice the teachings set forth in the Text and the Workbook, it has not always been apparent what purpose the Manual for Teachers serves. Some have viewed it as a brief summary of the Course, which would make sense since it is the last volume in the set.
Another view is that the purpose of the manual is to help the teacher prepare his mind to teach the course by re-examining his beliefs, doubts and prejudices. In this way, the teacher will be ready to accept the teachings of the course, and to help his pupil do the same.
4. The Clarification of Terms
During the early weeks of the scribing of A Course in Miracles (which lasted 7 years), Helen and Jesus were sitting on her living room couch talking, as they did every day. Consequently, the dictation was much more personal than it is in the final published version. There were many questions asked and answered, corrections to mishearings, and some philosophic ponderings. There was also a great deal of blank verse and iambic pentameter, reminiscent of Shakespeare, which is evident in many parts of the book.
As a result, there are more words in the first edition of A Course in Miracles than there are in later editions. The vast majority of these words were removed in the editing for publication. However, Helen never made editorial decisions on her own. She was always clear that this was not her book, but a gift from Jesus.
In fact, she told Bill that her only responsibility was to get it on paper, not to decide what should be left out or added. Moreover, she did not want to change anything that came with Jesus' blessing.
While A Course in Miracles is Christian in form, it teaches universal spiritual themes. It has a carefully conceived curriculum that is taught at both the theoretical and practical levels. It is an educational system that stresses experience rather than theology.
While there are a number of different versions of A Course in Miracles, the "Original Edition" (which is a unified Text, Workbook and Manual) is available from the Foundation for Inner Peace. This edition includes a preface and the CLARIFICATION OF TERMS. It is also the only edition to include APPENDICES, consisting of Cameo Essays, that are special messages given to the scribe. A second edition has been printed, which is called the Sparkly/Sparkle/Thetford Edition. It contains the Text from the URtext, with the exception of a few capitalization/punctuation changes and a few of the supplemental materials.
5. The Song of Prayer
A Course in Miracles is a modern spiritual classic that has transformed the lives of millions of people around the world. Its teachings offer a new perspective on forgiveness, self-esteem, meditation, relationships, God and more. It is also widely respected for its depth, clarity, insight and beauty. However, it is not a book for everyone. It is difficult to read and has some highly controversial sections. Some people are adamant that it is evil or wrong while others recoil from it completely.
In 1965, Helen Schucman began to hear an inner voice which told her “This is a course in miracles. Please take notes”. Over the next seven years she transcribed every night what she heard into three volumes: The Text, the Workbook for Students and the Manual for Teachers. While writing the Course, Helen and her co-scribe Bill Thetford were frequently involved in heated arguments. Their personal experiences and their conflicting beliefs about what the Course was about influenced how they edited it for publication. During this process they removed about forty-five thousand words from the original edition.
What many people do not realize is that there are a number of other versions of the Course, including the urtext and several books published by the Foundation for Inner Peace (FIP). The most popular is the Complete and Annotated Edition, which includes the scribings made by Helen and Bill. It is based on a combination of the urtext, an early typing of Helen's notes and a later revision by the scribes.
All of these versions have some differences in style and punctuation. The Complete and Annotated Edition preserves the emphasis originally placed on certain words by Helen in her shorthand notes. This is done by underlining words in the original manuscript. It also retains the italicization used by Bill Thetford when he typed the text.