If... Questions for the Soul

When it comes to understanding one's inner spirit, one's raison d'être, asking the right questions is often more important than finding the right answers. If...: Questions for the Soul does just that--providing a book full of key questions that can unlock mysteries or at the very least provoke some interesting dinner-party conversations. Questions include the following:

If you had to name the single most important ingredient for a spiritual life, what would you say it is? If you were to describe your attitude toward sin, what would you say? If you were to describe a way in which the soul of a person is tested, what would you say?

Although authors McFarlane and Saywell (If...: Questions for the Game of Life) avoid inserting their own conclusions or theories, the list of questions has an underlying goal. According to the authors, "This fourth collection of If...: Questions... is designed to help us explore--at our own pace, and to varying depth--that most hidden and essential part of ourselves." As a result, some questions have the weight of serious contemplation, while others offer a playful entry into the lifelong challenge of knowing one's soul. --Gail Hudson