THE MISSING PIECE/PEACE - COMMENTS
THE MISSING PIECE/PEACE
Laudatory Comments
Bob Abernethy
Executive Editor and Host Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, PBS & coauthor of The Life of Meaning.
Sally Beaven Elsasser offers a fine combination of American religious history and stories from her life that are interesting and original, offering strong support for her arguments. They affirm the importance of spiritual experience – for individual believers and, through them, for the whole society.
Hal Stone, PhD and Sidra Stone, PhD
Originators of Voice Dialogue
Sally has written a wonderful book based on her long experience with psycho-spiritual work. It has to do with the inner journey and what that looks like in actual practice and also how the changes we make manifest in the world in which we live. She has an easy and flowing style that makes this book very readable by both professionals and non-professionals alike. We strongly recommend The Missing Piece/Peacefor anyone interested in personal transformation.
Mary McMahon Ph. D. in Social Work
Psychotherapist in Vermont agency and private practice in New Hampshire
I consider this to be a remarkable document. Her thinking is clear and her writing is very readable, and I enjoyed the insertion of her own creative prose and poetry. Her use of experiential exercises provides an authentic note to her overall concern with helping people access their spiritual resources. Her bibliography reflects her wide range of research in all these areas, including films, myths and fiction. They indicate her choices in demarcating how postmodern thinking has had to deconstruct some of the more dogmatic foundations of this domain. It also illustrates her personal search for understanding the paradigm shift, which she articulates eloquently. To use her own relational vocabulary, I found her "sharing" of her personal wisdom to be enlightening. The Missing Piece/Peace represents a profound attempt to "piece" together the mosaic of her own journey toward "peace."
Fred Taylor, Ph.D. in Religion, Literature and Environmental Thought, M.Div
Adjunct Faculty, Antioch New England; Assistant Professor of Graduate Studies, Norwich University
The Missing Piece/Peace is a monumental piece of work that reflects very accurately the vast range and interdisciplinary scope of graduate work undertaken by Sally Beaven Elsasser. She brought to her study a deep passion for the transformative dimension of learning, and her program was one of the most remarkable examples of transformation I have witnessed in this context. Her academic gift is that of the synthesizer and she capitalized on her ability and desire to make connections, synthesize, and apply her insights pragmatically with the people whom she hopes to serve . . . it enabled her to create a body of work of impressive breadth and compelling relevance: indeed, one of the most ambitiously interdisciplinary programs I have seen.
One of its unique features is its inclusion of significant portions of her own story of her personal journey. I felt it was admirable in its manner of translating academic concepts into stories and everyday language. This is another of Sally's gifts - translation - and she translates very well the ideas of psychology and spirituality into terms that a wide readership can understand.
Another quality that has distinguished Sally is her passion for meaning and service. She cares deeply about the importance of spiritual connection for a fulfilled life, and is committed to helping others find that connection. This comes through in her articulate and creative presentations and workshops, as well as her strong work as a practitioner. I was impressed with the way, in all her presentations, she wove together clear explanations, engaging stories, and creative experiential exercises, to inspire others with a vision of a spiritually engaged life, and help them to actually experience what that might feel like.
Sally has carved out some important new territory in interdisciplinary study and a foundation for a lifetime of service as a spiritual counselor, guide and workshop leader.
Pam Whitney, Ed.D.
Former Director, Cheshire Mediation, Keene, New Hampshire
Sally is a skilled storyteller. She is able to entertain as well as educate her reader. She expertly shares personal stories and relates those stories to her subject matter.
John Van Ness Ph.D. in Pastoral and Transpersonal Psychology
Sr. Staff Counselor, Antioch New England Faculty; Mentor, Global Program, Institute of Transpersonal Psychology; Ordained minister; private practice pastoral counseling
Sally has surprised me by her ability to integrate the many fields she studied [psychology, religion and gender] and to integrate her personal story with the academic work . . . She also presents techniques designed to assist her readers in their own personal and spiritual development.
Scott Heffner
Network Operations Manager
As a volunteer proofreader, my job was to focus on the technical aspects of The Missing Piece/Peace. I had no knowledge and, quite frankly, little interest in the subject matter. However, I found myself drawn into the content and spending an inordinate amount of time reflecting on what I had read. I wondered how Sally would weave it all together, but she did and it had a very deep and profound affect on me. I had a feeling of 'Yeah, I get it. That makes so much sense.' Really, for me, the value of the book was in how to treat others and how to interpret their actions towards you. It was eye opening because after reading it, I could palpably feel the difference in my interactions with everyone.
I was also impressed that she continuously, throughout the book, put "the answer" back on me, the reader. Even at the end she left it up to me. I liked that.
Hope O’Shaughnessy
Freelance Writer
When I volunteered to proofread what I thought was a “thesis,” naturally, I thought this was primarily an academic piece. I soon realized it had much farther reaching interdisciplinary meanings and could be read in a context beyond just the academic. It reaches into all our lives. I was literally on the edge of my seat as I read about Sally’s church experience and leadership in Eastern Mass. I was thinking: "where's the next page, the next paragraph, even
The Missing Piece/Peace is the result of not only four years of graduate research, but a lot of searching and reflection, life and loss, love and rewrites. It was written in lieu of a thesis. It is these wonderful, supportive and thoughtful comments of readers that have allowed me to keep the belief that life is a mystery that happens in its own time, and encourages me to continue updating for eventual publication in hopes that perhaps it will offer some piece of peace in these evolutionary times. For these and others who continue their support, I am deeply grateful.
