Holy Clues - by Stephen Kendrick (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

If God is the greatest mystery of them all, then why not, in pursuit of God, consult the greatest detective of them all? In this imaginative and surprisingly profound book, Stephen Kendrick reveals Sherlock Holmes as spiritual guide.

Drawing on the teachings of Christianity, Buddhism, and Judaism--as well as a host of thinkers as varied as Albert Einstein, Gandhi, and Vincent van Gogh--Kendrick explores the stories of Sherlock Holmes and finds remarkably prescient religious insights. He shows us the link between careful observation of clues and the Buddhist concept of "Bare Attention." He illuminates the parallel between the great sleuth's pursuit of justice and God's actions on the scene of the first murder, when Cain slew Abel. And in the detective's open, engaged mind, Kendrick finds a model for uniting the principles of science with a sincere spiritual quest. The result is a book of inspiration for the modern, skeptical searcher--and an entertaining work that sheds new light on the methods of the world's greatest detective.

From the Back Cover

IF GOD IS THE GREATEST MYSTERY OF THEM ALL, then why not, in pursuit of God, consult the greatest detective of them all? In this imaginative and surprisingly profound book, Stephen Kendrick reveals Sherlock Holmes as spiritual guide.

Drawing on the teachings of Christianity, Buddhism, and Judaism -- as well as a host of thinkers as varied as Albert Einstein, Gandhi, and Vincent van Gogh -- Kendrick explores the stories of Sherlock Holmes and finds remarkably prescient religious insights. He shows us the link between careful observation of clues and the Buddhist concept of "Bare Attention". He illuminates the parallel between the great sleuth's pursuit of justice and God's actions on the scene of the first murder, when Cain slew Abel. And in the detective's open, engaged mind, Kendrick finds a model for uniting the principles of science with a sincere spiritual quest. The result is a book of inspiration for the modern, skeptical searcher -- and an entertaining work that sheds new light on the methods of the world's greatest detective.

Review Quotes

"An energetic, incisive, and persuasive.. . treatise on the great detective as spiritual guide." --Seattle Times

"Holy Clues makes a convincing case for the proposition that a mystery story is always and inevitably a kind of morality tale." --Jonathan Kirsch, Los Angeles Times

"It has always been my contention that the complete Sherlock Holmes stories form a sort of secular Bible. . . . Beyond being merely clever, Holy Clues is unexpectedly moving and wise." -Nicholas Meyer, author of The Seven-Percent Solution

"Kendrock's lively readings of the Sherlock Holmes stories contain a deep sense of how attentiveness to the details of ordinary life can yield extraordinary insights into the life of the spirit." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Stephen Kendrick is the Parish Minister of the Universalist Church of West Hartford, Connecticut, and has peviouslty served churches in Maryland and Pennsylvania and Unitarian chapels in West Midlands of England. He recieved his B.A. from Princeton, his M.Div. from the Harvard Divinity School, and a master's degree in creative writing from the Hollins College Writing Program. His articles have appeared in The Christian Century, The Hartford Courant, and The Hartford Advocate. He lives in West Hartford.