Finding Harmony

This is a self-help book with soul. Soul is not something we have, soul has to do with what we are, with inner quality, not outward expression or success or achievement. Soul is not about getting happiness, but about dwelling in melancholic enjoyment. The way of soul is a middle way between sensualism or materialism (consumerism) on one hand and effete spirituality and religiosity, or abstract modes of reflection including philosophizing and theologizing, on the other. We see soul alive in art and hear it in good music and we sing along with it in our favorite songs. Soul is not spirit or an idea, it is sensibility. Finding harmony has to do with developing sensibility, which we need to be able to distinguish from being religious, having ideas and beliefs, purpose-driven living, self-help techniques, and so on. Soul is deadened by techniques, tech-speak, and method, because soul is tied to creativity and inspiration and the power of now. With this book I hope to open my readers to soul and soulfulness as the primary business of life.


""A beautiful book that, if read wisely, opens up the reader to a new dimension of soulfulness. In our modern age the idea of an inner journey has been reduced to a psychologism. Del Nevo's book re-presents us with its origin in the sacred, as distinct from the profane. Music, that of harmonia, is one of the keys. The journey into sensibility begins when we once more open the door to our soul. A book heartily recommended.""
--James Cowan, Author of Desert Father

""Matthew Del Nevo has written a powerful, prophetic book that moves deeply into the spiritual and cultural malaise of our time. It is a profound work, and yet the lyrical style and narrative rhythm makes it far from difficult or heavy. Informed by scholarship, it wears its erudition lightly, and is thus one of the most accessible books available on soul and spirit. This is pitched to reach a wide and grateful audience.""
--David Tacey, Author of The Spirituality Revolution

""In his distinctive lyrical and creative style, Del Nevo works the magic of integration between social critique, philosophy, and spiritual tradition to recover what is essential to human flourishing: soul and soulfulness. This small work is one that, true to its themes, requires soulful reading, pondering, and time. It is as an exploration as meaningful for religious and non-religious people alike, a real gem for anyone who is serious about the spiritual endeavor.""
-- David Ranson, Vicar General of the Diocese of Broken Bay

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""This is a wonderful book of inspirational literature bringing together deep religious
reverence for life and profound existential meditation on the meaning of spirituality. . . . This is a remarkable synthesis of theology, philosophy and literature, a book that brings together the sensitivity of an individual and the current needs of a civilization on the brink of self-destruction. Is it's a swan song or the herald of new dawn? Readers must decide for themselves after reading this profound testament of beauty and spirituality.""
--Vrasidas Karalis, Professor of Byzantine and Greek Studies, The University of Sydney


Matthew Del Nevo is a creative writer, educationalist, and philosopher. He is the Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Catholic Institute of Sydney. Among his recent books are Art Music (2013) and The Work of Enchantment (2010).