Talisman, Second Edition

Mentoring is the primary vehicle for spiritual insight and holistic growth today, and Talisman is written from the perspective of a mentee reflecting on the teachings of his/her mentor. It ends with the mentee becoming the mentor.

This is why the second edition of this book is shorter, with the second section significantly revised. Originally, the second section took the reader back in time, to follow some of the dialogue Echo remembered. Most readers, however, were intrigued by Echo and wanted to go forward in time. They intuited correctly that the voice of ""Echo"" was a composite of real people. What happened to Echo?

So the first section of this book remains an assessment of the spiritual quest for God in the postmodern world. It explores the significance of incarnation, but in the context of the power and depth of being rather than any dogmatic point of view: experience and mystery over knowledge and certainty. The goal is not to answer questions of existence, but to sustain the courage to be and provide reason to hope.

The second section of the book introduces a methodology to reflect on one's position vis-a-vis the ""eternal"" in any particular ""now."" Echo not only continues to grow personally, but helps other spiritual travelers understand their own quest for God: Life-on-the-Edge, Life-in-Between, and Life-at-Peace. Meditation on the principles expressed through the ""talisman"" helps the spiritual traveler see where they have been, and discern where they are going.

A talisman can be any form (object, song, data, etc.) that is grasped by Unconditional Being to become a portal linking finite yearning to infinite meaning. Here the talisman is a six-pointed star which has mystical significance for many religions. But whatever your talisman is, it will help you experience the nearness of God, in your unique cultural context, and find hope.


For the bankrupt soul, the soul numbed, the soul withered in the drought of engineered existence, Tom Bandy's Talisman offers a way back. If you are ready to move beyond task and technique to the tending of your inner being, don't miss this book. The gasp of the heart--hearing what it already knows to be true--awaits.
Sally Morgenthaler
Ministry Coach and Author

If you consider yourself among those Christians who comprise the ""Legion of the Lapsed,"" this book will open a new world--or one that you remember from long ago--of ""seeing things with the peripheral vision of the soul"". Dr. Bandy does a masterful job of making the point of intersection of the infinite and the finite real and at the heart of life, where the reader will encounter Jesus the Christ in a strikingly different way.

Weaving theology and story together, Talisman will take you on a journey through kairos, logos, and mythos to a deeper awareness of life in the Spirit. This book is a vibrant and challenging spirituality for postmoderns, as rich in theology as it is in practical wisdom. It is a truly catholic book were Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox can all find a place to rest from the journey.

Talisman is essential reading for all those people on a quest for a new sense of meaning, wholeness, and holiness in their lives, and for those guides helping them on the journey.
Frederick J. Parrella
Santa Clara University

Tom Bandy is the author of over 35 books on spirituality, leadership, and organizational change. He is a leading interpreter of demographic change and lifestyle sensitivity for churches, religious organizations, and non-profits. His most recent books are about demographic diversity and lifestyle expectations for ministry and mentoring: See, Know, and Serve, and Worship Ways, and Spiritual Leadership. Tom consults acros