Overview of Text Chapters:

                                                                                                                                                                                                              (Based on Ken Wapnick’s Journey thru The Text)

The Preface:   written after the completion of taking down the entire Course, with the “What It Says”  third Preface section specifically written by Jesus (the first two preface sections are written by Helen herself).

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Chapters 1-4: Basically a conversation between Helen, the scribe, and Jesus… with material edited from the original dictation that was personal to Helen Schucman & Bill Thetford.

Chap. 1: The Meaning of Miracles…Introduction to the main Course themes that will be developed throughout the Text

Chap. 2: Separation & Atonement… Basic metaphysics of Chart (also addresses Helen’s and our own fear and resistance to Jesus & his Course)

Chap. 3: Innocent Perception… Basic definitions of terms used in Course

Chap. 4: Illusions of the Ego… Exploring what ego is and Jesus role in that exploration.

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First major shift in writing with Ch. 5, Sec. V (first discussion of our made-up guilt), from basically a dialogue with Helen in the first four and a half chapters, to Jesus dictating the rest of Text from this point on:

Chap. 5: Healing & Wholeness… Exploring who/what is the Holy Spirit & how He helps us with our recognizing and letting go of guilt.

Chap. 6: Lessons of Love… First discussion of anger, Four HS lessons (steps) to return to Heaven.

Chap. 7: Gifts of Kingdom… Heaven & Healing

Chap. 8: Our Journey Back… with the “Singing” Jesus

Chap. 9: Acceptance of Atonement… First discussion of forgiveness

Chap.10: Idols of Sickness… on Biblical 1st & 2nd commandments (shortest chap.)

Chap.11: God or Ego… our ‘authority problem’

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Next major shift in writing…  with more intense emphasis on process of looking at ego’s made-up insanity:

Ch.12: HS Curriculum… realizing the ego’s central teaching is always: that love is dangerous!

Ch.13: Guiltless World.. full blown exposé on our internal unrecognized guilt (longest chap.)

Ch.14: Teaching for Truth… the proverbial “calm before the storm” chapter, before the following three chapters (15-16-17) on special relationships…  Chap. 14 includes sections on two major Course themes: the “What is a Happy Learner” and  “Our Own Call for Help/ Our Own Call for Love “

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Ch. 15, 16, 17… all about Special Relationships

Ch. 18… on Our Dream “Life”

Ch.19… Our Own Four Obstacles to Peace of Mind

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Ch.20, 21, 22… Second “calm before the storm,” with three chapters on Vision, Reason, and Salvation in The Holy Relationship… before Chap. 23 on The Laws of Chaos & Specialness :

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Ch.23… The Laws of Chaos:  Ken calls this the “toughest” chapter in the Text, with very little reprieve in it… the five steps (laws of the ego) we took to methodically deceive ourselves into believing in separation form God and each other.

Ch. 24… The Goal of Specialness, extended description of the “Substitute for Love” in the fifth Law of Chaos.

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Ch. 25-26… Third and final ‘calm’ (a breather), on equal justice for all of God’s one Son, how to move from injustice to real justice (is life really not fair?)… before the last part of the Text

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Ch. 27-28… more on Dreams: the dreaming of the world and its underlying horrific “secret dream” of the wrong mind.

Ch. 29-30… In-depth discussion of the ego’s idols… and and the steps or ‘rules’ on how to move past those idols (The Seven Rules for Decision-making).

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Ch. 31… The capstone of the Text : all the themes of the Course are brought together, coalescing in this last great movement of the Course’s grand symphony.