By Chariss K. Walker

Chariss Walker's new book, Make a Joyful Noise , is aptly described in the subtitle: Searching for a Spiritual Path in a Material World: A Book of Hope. Ms. Walker's goal is clearly to help individuals sail a straighter course through today's seas of spiritual confusion and improve their lives. While Make a Joyful Noise has a very strong Deist and Christian focus and relies heavily upon biblical wisdom and direction, Walker does make an effort to be as inclusive as possible within those parameters, and stresses at several points in the text the need to respect the faith of others. As it says on the jacket: "Chariss Walker uses liberal Biblical references to explain Spiritual Laws, their relevance in your life and how to put them into practical use without destroying your present convictions." She is also spiritually eclectic in her selection of fine quotes throughout the book, including for example, snippets of Zen Buddhist wisdom, and a quote from the Bhagavad-Gita.

Distilling the wisdom of the ages into an easy to understand self-help book on spiritual growth is an extraordinarily ambitious task, and that makes it interesting to see how she goes about it. And Ms. Walker does take an interesting approach, marshaling her personal beliefs to shape and buttress the text, but also striving to be inclusive and allow for some imaginative flexibility as she strives to create a book which will appeal to those whose faiths may differ subtly or substantially from her own.

She proceeds toward by this goal by identifying herself and her prospective readers as "seekers," and by laying out a series of Spiritual Laws which each seeker is invited to follow. These laws, each encompassing a mini-chapter, include the laws of Oneness, Vibration, Attraction, Polarity, Action, Rhythm, Cause and Effect, Asking and Receiving, Increase, Compensation, Transmutation, Relativity, Reciprocation, and Forgiveness. These laws, she believes, are anchored in science and natural law as well as God's will. The laws are supplemented with examples from real life and a large number of intriguing quotes. After describing the laws and the principles behind them, she provides seekers with a toolkit for moving forward. The tools include: Prayer, Meditation, Thanksgiving, Praise, Affirmations, Visualization, Dreams, Miracles, Light of The World, and Angels.

This book is worth reading just for the rich treasury of quotes it contains. In addition to many passages from the Bible, Ms. Walker cites diverse religious texts as well as a huge array of quotes from an amazing assortment of individuals, including: Aristotle, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Albert Einstein, Muhammad Ali, Billy Graham and Pliny the Elder. Joyful Noise concludes with two appendices: one containing a glossary of terms and one containing a list of recommended reading. Finally a set of endnotes provides a profusion of web links for those who would like to pursue some of these topics on the internet.

Individuals, especially Christians, interested in seeking a clearer path to spiritual growth are sure to enjoy this thoughtful and serious book.

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