Includes bibliographical references (p. [282]-317) and indexes.

Introduction : a changing view of the spiritual world -- Antecedents of the new religious synthesis : a brief history of alternative spirituality in the West -- The rise of biblical criticism : allegory, myth, codes, and the end of history -- The ascent of reason : birth of a deity -- Science and shifting paradigms : salvation in a new cosmos -- Evolution and advancement : the Darwins' spiritual legacy -- Pantheism in the modern world : nature or God -- The rebirth of gnosticism : the secret path to self-salvation -- Modern shamanism : spirit contact and spiritual progress -- The mystical path to pluralism : discovering that all is one in religion -- Conclusion : a new spirituality for a new age.