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Author Robertshaw applies rational thought and emotive memories to the exploration of divine mysteries in this far-ranging treatise. While acknowledging that scripture and logic do not always lead to the answers one is seeking, the author asserts that the life of Jesus is proof that one can rise from humble origins to be the purveyor of a transformative message, one that still resonates even in these troubled times.
The first half of Robertshaw’s book offers straightforward, salient biographies of men and women perceived and designated as saintly, beginning with Jesus Christ and citing such religious luminaries as Augustine, Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Avila, and Thomas Merton. In these segments, the author successfully builds the case that even though life begins in childlike innocence and ignorance, anyone can envision the Savior and reap the benefits of those experiences. The second portion of this intriguing theosophical investigation comprises a memoir detailing significant events in Robertshaw’s life, strongly suggesting the working of a higher power. Even as a young boy, he contemplated nature’s wonders and developed “warm feelings” for God. Later, his suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) would require God’s constant support.
Robertshaw, whose career concentrated on the complexities of high finance, brings to this work the precision associated with such endeavors but always imbues it with insights garnered through years of seeking and finding answers to spiritually evoked questioning. His portraits of saints from ancient to modern are factual while containing evidence—agreed on by many followers—of their higher, more purified outlook. This unique melding of what may be considered elevated religious standards with the memories of someone who calls himself “just a guy” is striking and offers an incentive for Robertshaw’s book to be studied and appreciated by readers across a wide range of secular beliefs and transcendental aspirations.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review