Article 6: The Identity of the "Voice"

By Sheri Baker

If Helen Schucman didn’t write A Course in Miracles, to whom do we attribute this literary masterpiece?

When I first noticed the Course in a bookstore many years ago, I thought only someone with a healthy ego would publish a book instructing others how to perform miracles. As far as I knew, the only person qualified to write such a book had died about 2,000 years earlier, and had presumably long given up any desire to pen a bestseller.

To my surprise, the author’s identity was not readily apparent. How odd. Most writers love to take credit for their work, emblazoning their names on book covers and title pages, yet the name of the author of A Course in Miracles was conspicuously absent.

Helen repeatedly said she was merely the scribe of the Course, and disavowed any connection with the actual writing. The inner dictation process she described proceeded in spite of her frequent protests. If the Course really came through Helen’s inspiration, why would she have protested at all? Why not simply stop writing?

It’s also no secret that Helen was not a big fan of the content that came through her, a fact that would be highly unlikely had she been the actual source of the material. Even though she had difficulty applying Course principles to her own life, she never doubted the authenticity of the material, nor the identity of its author.

So who wrote A Course in Miracles? Not only was my “big ego” theory wrong, it was way wrong. Turns out, the actual “voice” behind this universal guide for spiritual transformation has no ego at all.

According to Helen, the voice of the Course clearly identified itself as Jesus. When reading the book, not only is it evident that he wrote the material, it becomes almost impossible to believe it could have come from anyone else. After all, how many people can discuss crucifixion and resurrection in terms of their own experience?

Aside from being written in a beautiful, symphonic, other worldly style, the Course puts forth concepts and principles that ring true at a level so profound, it literally touches everyone. Who but an enlightened being could bring such depth of awareness to the printed page?

Naturally, some people take issue with the Course’s authorship, not surprising since we also have a problem with our own. Fortunately, for those who find this idea a bit of a stretch, Jesus himself tells us we do not need to believe he wrote the Course in order to fully appreciate its message. If what you read helps you to become happier, more loving and peaceful, and does so consistently, would it really matter who was behind the pen? 

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