Bishop Karl Pruter discusses mysticism, from Plotinus and Dionysius the Areopogite to Walt Whitman and Kahlil Gibran.

Though its author called it The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, the prominence of said author led to the inevitable informal title by which it is known today: The Jefferson Bible. American legend THOMAS JEFFERSON (1743-1826)-author, statesman, and third president of the United States-was a deist, a believer in, at best, a watchmaker god, one who did not take a personal interest in the goings-on of humanity. But Jefferson took great comfort from the teachings of Jesus, and so, by editing and rearranging the traditional books of the Bible, Jefferson here retells the story of Jesus in chronological form, removing all supernatural elements but retaining the beauty and the wisdom of the philosophy of Jesus. Jefferson, who had no desire to preach, refused to let his Bible beyond a circle of close friends, and it remained unpublished until 1895. Today, it is one of the most astonishing-if oblique-works of cultural and theological criticism in the English language.

The chronological compilation of Letters to the Editor presented in ESPYLACOPA covers twenty-five years of opinions from the author published by various newspapers across America and Europe. The observations within ESPYLACOPA reflect the progressively relevancy of Muslim insight into the development of political, social and spiritual trends in America. As Islam continues to be more relevant in America in the days and years to come, the message offered in this little book may serve as a welcomed gift of enlightenment to those readers who seek a fuller understanding of Islam and Muslims and choose to prepare for the beginning of the journey into an inheritable tomorrow. The viewpoints offered in ESPYLACOPA by a Muslim born and raised in Mississippi and who is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force are intended to promote social justice and spiritual enhancement and shine a light on the path into the future as the relationship between Islam and the Americas becomes more intertwined and amicable, inshallah (God willing).