A Journey with Two Mystics

Having a careful ear and an open heart is vital to understanding the big ideas of the Universe. Two friends, Distefano and Machuga, put this on display here, vulnerably exploring some of humanity's most robust topics: what it means to be human, what it means to be saved, what it means to be lost, and what the meaning of life is. And while the authors agree on many things, including the ultimate fate of humanity, they do not necessarily agree on all the details of how we get there. But instead of ""agreeing to disagree,"" they model for their readers what conversations of this variety should look like--agreement with a little pushback, and even some poking fun at one another from time to time. So, as Distefano advises, ""take your time and enjoy these discussions."" They are transparent and hopeful, refreshingly liberating, and are imbued with complete awe toward the goodness of the Creator and her creation. ""Correspondence between friends is always illuminating. Here, Distefano and Machuga tackle issues close to the heart: what it means to be human, why religion does not work, and why a careful ear for listening to each other is essential to both friendship and knowledge. This is a truly fascinating read of two younger adults navigating their way into post-modernity."" --Michael Hardin, Executive Director, Preaching Peace; author of The Jesus Driven Life ""This book is about the collapse of a Christian worldview, the one that says the thing Jesus saves from is an eternal hell of torment. The anxieties and contradictions of this kind of theology are too awful to sustain, and A Journey With Two Mystics lays them all out with autobiographical clarity in a gentle epistolary exchange between two friends."" --Anthony W. Bartlett, author of Virtually Christian and Pascale's Wager ""Reading this book is like getting an accessible crash course in a range of interconnected ideas about the human predicament and the promise of salvation. But not the kind of course you'd get in a classroom. It's more like the voyeuristic pleasure of listening in on two friends, animated by philosophical and theological ideas, passionately sharing their thoughts by a bonfire. In fact, that's exactly how this book was born."" --Eric Reitan, Oklahoma State University ""In this book you are invited to listen in on a thrilling conversation between two pilgrims, one a follower of Rene Girard and the other a fan of Alan Watts. Perhaps you will overhear your own story. Perhaps you too will find your faith renewed."" --John E. Phelan, Jr., North Park Theological Seminary ""From Buddhism to Christianity to Rene Girard to Alan Watts to Gandalf--this book is full of profound wisdom. Distefano and Machuga are excellent guides to the truth found in these traditions."" --Adam Ericksen, Education Director, The Raven ReView; blogger, Teaching Nonviolent Atonement on Patheos ""Correspondence between friends is always illuminating. Here, Distefano and Machuga tackle issues close to the heart: what it means to be human, why religion does not work, and why a careful ear for listening to each other is essential to both friendship and knowledge. This is a truly fascinating read of two younger adults navigating their way into post-modernity."" --Michael Hardin, Executive Director, Preaching Peace, author of The Jesus Driven Life ""This book is about the collapse of a Christian worldview, the one that says the thing Jesus saves from is an eternal hell of torment. The anxieties and contradictions of this kind of theology are too awful to sustain, and A Journey With Two Mystics lays them all out with autobiographical clarity in a gentle epistolary exchange between two friends, Distefano and Machuga. Gentle but charged with consequence, one which might aptly be named Either Nike or Krisis!, Machuga finds relief from violent religion in a form of Buddhism where the point of life is the joyous peaceful now: there is no ulterior goal to human activity (e.g. heaven), so he quot