Introducing James Park

BACKGROUND:

    James Park grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota,
attended public school and the University of Minnesota,
where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (philosophy and humanities).
He also holds a Master of Divinity degree
from Union Theological Seminary in New York City.
(Thesis subject: Jean-Paul Sartre: "How is a Sartrean Theology Possible?")


PUBLICATIONS:

    James Park has written a dozen books, totaling over 1000 pages, including:

New Ways of Loving: How Authenticity Transforms Relationships

Designer Marriage: Write Your Own Relationship Contract

Imprinted Sexual Fantasies: A New Key for Sexology

Becoming More Authentic: The Positive Side of Existentialism

    His largest book, written and revised over a period of more than 30 years, is

Our Existential Predicament: Loneliness, Depression, Anxiety, & Death .

Besides the four inward dilemmas mentioned in the sub-title,
it includes chapters on: absurdity, meaninglessness, the existential void,
inward splitting, guilt, despair, & insecurity.

Your Last Year:
Creating Your Own Advance Directive for Medical Care


    He is currently working on 2 additional books:

Variations of Sex and Gender: Six Phenomena Frequently Confused

Spirituality without Gods: Developing our Capacities of Spirit

    Further information on all these books (and a few others)
will be found at the appropriate places on this home page.
For example, Becoming More Authentic
and Our Existential Predicament
will be found on the EXISTENTIALISM page.
Or if you want to see a complete list
of his works in print and in preparation,
click "Complete Works of James Park" .


LIFE-STYLE:

    James Park describes himself as an existential philosopher.
He advocates voluntary loving relationships, voluntary families,
voluntary simplicity, voluntary death, & voluntary execution.

    He spends about 10 hours a week in serious reading,
completing 50 books a year.
He has organized his notes on reading into 65 subject areas and sub-divisions.
The largest of these illustrate his main intellectual interests:
Women's Studies (120 books), Love (83), Sex (114),
Gender (47), Marriage (75), Men's Studies (33),
Death (73), Right to Die (90), Preparing for Death (17),
Advance Directives for Medical Care (13), Medical Ethics (70),
Hospice & Terminal Care (25), Existentialism (41),
Authenticity (25), and Cults (73).

    This home page contains over 60 bibliographies
of the best books in the areas of his interests,
containing reviews of over 600 books.
If interested, go to Best Books---Recommended Reading .
This index will lead you to the book reviews.


ADULT EDUCATION:

    For the last 40 years, he has led adult classes
thru a wide variety of organizations.
His current list of 65 classes is divided into 5 areas. 
The most important current possibilities are linked below:

(1) SPIRITUALITY & RELIGION

Spirituality for Humanists:
    Six Capacities of Our Human Spirits

Our Existential Predicament:
    Loneliness, Depression, Anxiety, & Death

Romans Demythologized  /  Exploring New Testament Mythology
       /  An Existential Interpretation of Paul's Letter to the Romans

(2) PERSONAL GROWTH & LIFE-STYLES

Becoming More Authentic: The Positive Side of Existentialism

Voluntary Poverty: How to Simplify Your Life

(3) LOVE, SEX, & RELATIONSHIPS

Romantic Love is a Hoax!  Emotional Programming to 'Fall in Love'

Loving without Needing: Seven Pre-Existing Needs and How to Transcend Them

Romantic & Sexual Jealousy: Cause and Prevention

New Ways of Loving: How Authenticity Transforms Relationships

Imprinted Sexual Fantasies: A New Key for Sexology

(4) EXISTENTIAL PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY & LITERATURE

(5) MEDICAL ETHICS & DEATH

'Living Will' Workshop: Writing Your Own Advance Directive for Medical Care


MORE INFORMATION:  

    Each section of this website contains more information about James Park,
including short essays on each of the major areas of his interests:
An Existential Philosopher's Museum

James Park
Lofts on Arts Avenue #218
1829 Third Avenue South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 5540
4-2185

Phone: (612) 871-PARK
E-mail: PARKx032@TC.UMN.EDU .

    Four specialized profiles have been created for the following groups:

Adult Alternative Education

Unitarian Universalism

Family

Advocates of the Right-to-Die


updated August 2005; 3-8-2009; 3-28-2009; 8-27-2009; 5-5-2010

Return to the opening page of this website:
An Existential Philosopher's Museum .



 
 
  
 
 



The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author.
The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota.