Why do we speak of a "Free" Catholicism? Christianity has experienced many developments, reformations, and a counter-reformation, since the time of the primitive Church, when the message of Jesus was passed along from person to person. Perhaps it is because we have come to recognize that the dogma and structure of the historic Church is in need of new inspiration, which honors tradition, but which more fully embraces people where they are now, and which is more truly open to Spirit's movement in the world today. This book provides an introduction to the philosophy and "charism" of the...

Herman Adrian Spruit was an uncommon visionary who appeared on the scene at a time when religion in the U.S. was firmly rooted in religious conservatism. Himself a prominent Methodist minister (indeed, he was a representative at the founding of the World Council of Churches), he would leave the comfort of his denominational home to embark on a quest. As it turns out, he became dissatisfied with mainstream Christianity at the same time in history when the country's young people were rebelling against "old time religion" and opening up to alternative spiritualities of all kinds, including...