Casey Estep: Outside Reading

I've recently been reading a book called The Metaphysical Club by Louis Menand for my Leadership class this semester. It is an account of the development of early American philosophies, primarily pragmatism. It tells the story of a few different men during the 1860s and 70s, and the experiences in their lives that shaped their viewpoints on the world. One of these experiences was that of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr's time as an officer during the Civil War. Due to unmet expectations and some traumatic experiences, this was a time of great change for Holmes's outlook. Menand writes that it caused Holmes to "lose his belief in beliefs". This is no small claim and seems to be a significant encounter with the self and perhaps also the sacred. In class we often talk about encounters in nature and with other people, but this seems like a different type of encounter. For Holmes, I believe that his beliefs were being tested. I wonder if that would qualify as a type of spiritual encounter? It seems as if it should be, and if it were not, that it would at least lead one towards a spiritual encounter. Significant life events cause pressure and pressure causes questions. Questions tend to lead to sacred encounters. I want to be sure to not put limits on where I can find spiritual encounters within my life.