c. 1996 Religion News Service

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (RNS)-Being married to the author of one of the most successful spiritual novels ever has given Salle Merrill-Redfield a high profile for promoting feminine spirituality and women’s issues. “My mission is to help women feel good about themselves,”she said.”There’s so much depression, so much anger and sadness.” By virtue of the success of James Redfield’s first novel,”The Celestine Prophecy,”the couple have become world celebrities in great demand for lecture tours. Merrill-Redfield recorded a cassette tape,”The Celestine Meditations,”that was marketed with her husband’s book. She has since written an introductory book on meditation called”The Joy of Meditating.””It’s for people who want to start meditating, but they don’t want to wear a robe or have a mantra,”she said.

Redfield’s sequel,”The Tenth Insight,”is due in bookstores April 25. His wife once again has made an accompanying cassette tape,”Meditations for the Tenth Insight.” Merrill-Redfield has been a participant in Women of Vision, a group of about 20 women who have been meeting monthly in Birmingham since July of last year for prayer and meditation. “We become a support for each other and talk about issues that matter to women-dealing with death, illness, recovering from divorce, self-help,”she said. “We’re really hoping that our prayers will be felt by those in a position to make world change, the people who are in the right place to say no to some of the killing, to some of the violence,”Merrill-Redfield said.

They are hopeful their prayers and meditation about war in Bosnia, French nuclear testing and other issues will have an effect on the world, she said. Such issues should be of concern to all people, she said, and praying and meditating about them is a place to start. “It’s a small planet and what we do affects each other,”Merrill-Redfield said.

She views meditation as a listening version of prayer. “I believe it is a form of prayer,”Merrill-Redfield said.”Prayer is more putting words or thoughts out. Meditation is more listening for God’s response. It’s getting clear so we can hear God answer us. If we’re too busy watching TV, cooking dinner or writing a screenplay, we can’t hear God’s response.””The Celestine Prophecy”has sold more than 5 million copies in 40 countries, Redfield said. “It’s still accelerating in most places,”he said.”Everybody is looking for more spiritual fulfillment, looking at how they can see more meaning in their lives.” Redfield said he has refused at least 25 offers for movie rights. He plans to work with an independent production company, he said, to make a film over which he will have creative control. “That’s the only way to ensure it turns out the way it needs to,”Redfield said.

His book has remained near the top of the New York Times bestseller list for about two years.

The very popularity of the book has been a cause of concern to some religion scholars, who say many readers don’t understand that the”ancient wisdom”articulated in the book is the product of a novelist’s imagination, unconnected to any traditional religious teaching.”People seem hungry to believe anything, any sort of promise-especially if it’s in the category of a prophecy or ancient wisdom,”said New York University religion scholar James Carse in a 1995 interview.”They tend to accept it without a whole lot of criticism.” Merrill-Redfield plans another book on meditation to overcome personal struggles, while her husband says there are to be four books in the”Celestine”series.

They will go on a 12-city book tour and do a series of benefit lectures to raise money for programs aimed at helping inner-city residents and protecting wilderness areas. “It’s our way to give back a little bit,”Redfield said.

LJB END GARRISON