The Creed Room
From the inside cover
Sam Kramer is the kind of school teacher who is born to provoke—whether it’s his students’ thoughts or his principal’s anger. In his classroom, he’s in charge. But he soon finds himself a pawn in someone else’s classroom when he responds to a cryptic ad in the Washington Post and visits an old Victorian mansion. There, he and eight others are given a proposition: for a handsome fee, work together over the next several months to develop a new creed for humankind, a unifying philosophy that will give hope to an increasingly divided world. The group starts out with great devotion to the man who brought them together. What they don’t realize until later is that this “benefactor” may in fact have created the creed room for his own, more sinister purposes.
Daniel Spiro’s characters pull no punches as they spar about religious fundamentalism, racism, poverty and the question of God. Sometimes, these characters find common ground. They also find romance. And in the end, they change history.
The Creed Room is a dramatic, thought-provoking journey through the ideological divide that now strangles the American soul. Fortunately, Mr. Spiro doesn’t simply diagnose the problem; the “creed” he offers as a solution succeeds in marrying many of the best ideas on both sides of the Great Divide.
Published in 2006 by Aegis Press.
Order The Creed Room on Amazon
Sam Kramer is the kind of school teacher who is born to provoke—whether it’s his students’ thoughts or his principal’s anger. In his classroom, he’s in charge. But he soon finds himself a pawn in someone else’s classroom when he responds to a cryptic ad in the Washington Post and visits an old Victorian mansion. There, he and eight others are given a proposition: for a handsome fee, work together over the next several months to develop a new creed for humankind, a unifying philosophy that will give hope to an increasingly divided world. The group starts out with great devotion to the man who brought them together. What they don’t realize until later is that this “benefactor” may in fact have created the creed room for his own, more sinister purposes.
Daniel Spiro’s characters pull no punches as they spar about religious fundamentalism, racism, poverty and the question of God. Sometimes, these characters find common ground. They also find romance. And in the end, they change history.
The Creed Room is a dramatic, thought-provoking journey through the ideological divide that now strangles the American soul. Fortunately, Mr. Spiro doesn’t simply diagnose the problem; the “creed” he offers as a solution succeeds in marrying many of the best ideas on both sides of the Great Divide.
Published in 2006 by Aegis Press.
Order The Creed Room on Amazon
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What people are saying
“A terrific read. How wonderful to plunge into a book where ideas reign—delectable, relevant, accessible ideas about faith, justice, secularism, fairness, religion, politics and the nature of reality. America’s response to Sophie’s World.” --Irvin Yalom, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Stanford University, author of When Nietzsche Wept and The Schopenhauer Cure “Our greatest religions have always taught us to question, negotiate, and evolve them over time. In an era when this practice of collaborative inquiry is considered blasphemous or, worse, secular, The Creed Room presents a clever ‘what if’ in the spirit of George Bernard Shaw.” -- Douglas Rushkoff, author of Nothing Sacred: The Truth about Judaism, Coercion and Exit Strategy “Some books engage the heart, others the head. This wonderful first novel engages the head and the heart and is a terrific page turner.” --Mauricio Cortina, M.D., co-editor of A Prophet Analyst: Eric Fromm's Contribution to Psychoanalysis "As enlightening as it is entertaining, The Creed Room is a fine example of philosophical fiction. It looks at the chasm that separates fundamentalists from secularists and liberals from conservatives, and shows us a way in which we can find social unity and spiritual satisfaction. This book must be read by everyone who hates apathy and loves to be engaged by the power of ideas.” --Douglas Stone, co-author of Difficult Conversations “Attorney Daniel Spiro, a Spinoza-loving first-time novelist, serves up a case destined to make us elders pay attention to what we should continue to learn from the ancients. Intelligent design, abortion, schooling by testing, Katrina-bared poverty and gay marriage are a few of the hot buttons he presses into Talmudic, Socratic questioning. Spiro uses suspense and humor to make readers realize that human choices and risk-taking are basic to understanding religious and moral values linked to the Buddha and the children of Abraham.” --Wilton Dillon, Senior Scholar Emeritus, Smithsonian Institution "A thoughtful, thought-provoking and moving exploration of what really matters in life. A great read." --Alvin Rosenfeld, M.D., co-author with Bruno Bettelheim, The Art of the Obvious, author of Dissenter in the House of God "...a worthy model for the type of dialogue so urgently needed in the United States." --Sankara Saranam, author of God Without Religion ”Witty and clear, The Creed Room tells a compelling and brainy love story. It also portrays different religious traditions in a manner that is truly philosophical..." --Riccardo Pozzo, Professor of the History of Philosophy, Universita di Verona |