A Place at the Table

A Place at the Table
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A Place at the Table : A Journey to Redicover the Real Jesus with Guidance of Various Teachers, from Billy Graham to Deepak Chopra

About A Place at the Table:

A mixture of Studs Terkel's oral histories and the Dalai Lama's The Art of Happiness, this charming chronicle of William Elliott's quest to understand Jesus interweaves his personal, often quirky epiphanies with the insights of well-known men and women of every spiritual tradition.

Raised in the Catholic Church, William Elliott's faith was shattered at the age of twelve when both his parents died. Many years later, he embarked on a journey to find answers to the questions that continued to haunt him-What is the purpose of life? Does God exist? What happens after death? His travels resulted in Tying Rocks to Clouds, an engaging narrative about the renewal of faith he achieved through the simple act of presenting his questions to a broad spectrum of thinkers and spiritual leaders. The review in Publishers Weekly summed it up this way: "This invaluable record deserves to be a bestseller, not only for its inherent wisdom but also for its clarity and respect for the many ways there are to be and to believe."

A Place at the Table is an account of Elliott's latest pilgrimage, and like its predecessor, it is a magical blend of humor and idealism. Triggered by the memory of praying for his dying mother beneath an ornately framed painting of The Last Supper in their living room, Elliott set out to discover the role Jesus plays in people's lives. Over the course of several years, he interviewed such spiritual teachers and icons as Deepak Chopra, Neale Donald Walsch, Marianne Williamson, and Billy Graham. He went to Jerusalem to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, and even conceived of a bold (if ultimately unsuccessful ) plan to meet with Pope John Paul II in Rome. Each encounter illuminates another facet of Jesus' teachings, but it is Elliott's wry and sincere commentary on his own spiritual journey that reveals the most insight.

A Place at the Table is at once down to earth and rich in spirit. The story of one man's persistent search for answers, it provides invaluable guideposts for everyone seeking to understand Jesus' centrality in Western civilization and the meaning of Christianity in today's world.

More on A Place at the Table:

Praise for Tying Rocks to Clouds

"This invaluable record deserves to be a bestseller, not only for its inherent wisdom but also for its clarity and respect for the many ways there are to be and to believe."
-Publishers Weekly

"This is an utterly winsome book, one that will win a special place in readers' hearts . . . It's not just the wise and spiritual things his respondents say that make it sing-it's the search that Bill Elliott undertook and his bold idea of finding wisdom by simply asking. By the book's end, Elliott is wiser, more spiritual. So will be many of his readers."
-Booklist

"A treasury of talks about the treasure of life, the great hidden pearl that is out there right in the open."
-Book Reader

Description of A Place at the Table:

A mixture of Studs Terkel's oral histories and the Dalai Lama's The Art of Happiness, this charming chronicle of William Elliott's quest to understand Jesus interweaves his personal, often quirky epiphanies with the insights of well-known men and women of every spiritual tradition.

Raised in the Catholic Church, William Elliott's faith was shattered at the age of twelve when both his parents died. Many years later, he embarked on a journey to find answers to the questions that continued to haunt him-What is the purpose of life? Does God exist? What happens after death? His travels resulted in Tying Rocks to Clouds, an engaging narrative about the renewal of faith he achieved through the simple act of presenting his questions to a broad spectrum of thinkers and spiritual leaders. The review in Publishers Weekly summed it up this way: "This invaluable record deserves to be a bestseller, not only for its inherent wisdom but also for its clarity and respect for the many ways there are to be and to believe."

A Place at the Table is an account of Elliott's latest pilgrimage, and like its predecessor, it is a magical blend of humor and idealism. Triggered by the memory of praying for his dying mother beneath an ornately framed painting of The Last Supper in their living room, Elliott set out to discover the role Jesus plays in people's lives. Over the course of several years, he interviewed such spiritual teachers and icons as Deepak Chopra, Neale Donald Walsch, Marianne Williamson, and Billy Graham. He went to Jerusalem to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, and even conceived of a bold (if ultimately unsuccessful ) plan to meet with Pope John Paul II in Rome. Each encounter illuminates another facet of Jesus' teachings, but it is Elliott's wry and sincere commentary on his own spiritual journey that reveals the most insight.

A Place at the Table is at once down to earth and rich in spirit. The story of one man's persistent search for answers, it provides invaluable guideposts for everyone seeking to understand Jesus' centrality in Western civilization and the meaning of Christianity in today's world.

About William Elliott:

WILLIAM ELLIOTT is the author of Tying Rocks to Clouds. He devotes most of his time to traveling in his motor home, interviewing spiritual leaders, and giving talks at universities, hospices, churches, and bookstores. When he's not on the road, he likes to play golf and drink coffee with friends. He makes his home in Madison, Wisconsin.