A New Ancient Harmony

** A New Ancient Harmony was previously published as A New Harmony.

John Philip Newell includes a new preface introducing the reprinting of A New Harmony, retitled as A New Ancient Harmony to better reflect the nature of the book.

In a world that seems increasingly fragmented, John Philip Newell calls us to a vision of life’s essential oneness. He invites us to be part of a new harmony. In his previous book, Christ of the Celts, Newell freshly expressed the ancient Celtic vision of creation’s sacredness and unity. In that poetic treatment of the wisdom of Celtic spirituality, he pointed the way to a Christianity more integrated with the earth and with the rest of humanity. A New Ancient Harmony takes the next step forward by articulating a vision and a pathway toward transformation in our lives and world. A New Ancient Harmony communicates across the boundaries of religion and race that have separated us and honors our distinct inheritances by serving what is deeper still—the oneness of our origins and the oneness of earth’s destiny.

Newell explores the ancient harmony that is deep in the matter of the universe, the essential interconnectedness of all things. Everything, whether the expanding light of distant galaxies or humanity’s inner light of mind and consciousness, carries within itself the life of the universe’s shared beginning. With keen insight and sensitivity, he confronts the brokenness of our harmony, as individuals and families and as nations and species. Only by knowing and naming the extent and depth of our disharmony will we find the way forward. Confronting our brokenness, individually and together, is integral to the hope for healing.

Throughout the book, Newell leads us on a pathway of discovery toward transforming the way we understand ourselves. He challenges us to consider the possibilities of a new, yet ancient, harmony in our lives—as individuals, as communities, and as nations—by asking “What is the cost, both personal and collective, of releasing life’s essential oneness in radically new and transformative ways?”