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J. Craig Woods served in the US Navy and lived in Japan. After discharge, he 
attended the University of California majoring in
psychology and philosophy. For the last twenty-five
years, he has worked as a UNIX system engineer. Craig
now lives near Dallas, Texas, with his wife, Verdelle,
and their cat, Rosie.
"I have accomplished many of the goals that I have set for myself but now the only accomplishment that really matters to me, as a human being, is the accomplishment that I can take with me after I depart from the physical world." http://authorjcwoods.posterous.com/pages/about-the-book http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000442527/A-New-Age-of-Vision.aspx
Books-and-Authors.net: Where did you grow up and was reading and
writing a part of your life? Who were your earliest influences and
why?
J. Craig Woods: I grew up in and around the Los Angeles area
of Southern California. I took to reading very early, starting with
fiction. I still recall with fondness the joy I found in reading Ian
Fleming's James Bond books. I began a serious interest in
non-fiction books during my teenage years. I was mainly interested
in books with a philosophical content, especially those with a
spiritual and/or metaphysical message. I explored the works of many
authors, and my influences were wide and diverse.
Books-and-Authors.net: Why do you write?
J. Craig Woods: The first and foremost reason for why I write
is because I think and I feel that I have an important message to
impart. I think that it is my duty to share any thoughts I have
about making this world a better place to live in. I am totally
message driven in my writing. I would love to, at the end of my
life, believe that I added something of lasting value to the human
condition while I was here. Secondly, I love the creative process of
writing.
Books-and-Authors.net: Discuss your book, "A New Age of Vision".
J. Craig Woods: I am dismayed by all the fear surrounding the
impending end to a Mayan cycle of time. According to the Mayan Long
Count Calendar, a cycle of time will be ending on December 21, 2012,
and we are hearing all kinds of negative projections about this
event. Yet, there is nothing in Mayan literature that would suggest
that an end to humanity is being predicted by the Mayans. We are
being motivated by our own fears, and we are in danger of allowing
these fears to overtake us. The message in "A New Age of Vision" is
a message of hope. It is a message about the future with unlimited
potential. We will make our own destiny, and I hope to share how we
can insure that our future is filled with love, compassion, and
empathy. I believe that we can do this by establishing a spiritual
foundation in our human existence.
Books-and-Authors.net: In your opinion what makes "A New Age of
Vision" different from other books of it's genre?
J. Craig Woods: It is my attempt to lay out a spiritual path that will lead us back to our Spiritual Home. In so doing, I have chosen to use the words of Jesus Christ but I have chosen to strip away 2000 years of man-made obfuscation. It is my contention that true Christianity has yet to appear. In fact, we have actually been mislead by our religious institutions. When we discover the Christ Message, we will know Universal Brotherhood and, consequently, we will experience Universal Peace. Yes, it is a "tall order" but the real Founder of Christianity imparted, through his words, a method for achieving this kind of spiritual growth within mankind. In A New Age of Vision, we will replace "churchianity" with true Christianity.
Books-and-Authors.net: Did you do much research for "A New Age of
Vision" - if so how?
J. Craig Woods: One could say that my entire life has been the research for this book. More specifically, I would point to my years of academic work in the area of psychology and philosophy as having provided me with a solid foundation for writing a book of this type. In addition to this work, I have spent the last few years preparing to write this book by availing myself of the many books on the specific topics of Church history such as the history of creating Christian theology and the history of the men who created the doctrines and dogmas that currently constitute our Christian theology. I have also spent time researching the four canonical gospels and the other Christian gospels that did not make it into the New Testament Canon.
Books-and-Authors.net: In "A New Age of Vision" you write -- "I
think we can safely assert that God is not responsible for the evil
we see in the world."
Because of our fear-based attitudes, we often have a tendency to
blame God for our current human condition. We might even be
attributing the problems we see to some evil character that God has
allowed to exist, and this demonic entity is driving us to commit
unspeakable acts. These are fallacious beliefs, and we must
eliminate the fear that produces such beliefs. We are not victims of
some demonic force that randomly plays with our lives. We are
responsible for the world in which we live, and each one of us, as
individuals, must learn how we are accountable for our own lives. By
learning that we are the captains of our own vessels, we will begin
to proactively make the changes to ourselves that will both improve
us and the world in which we live.
Books-and-Authors.net: What are readers saying about "A New Age of
Vision"?
J. Craig Woods: I have mostly received positive feed back
about my book. Most people have told me that it was well written,
and that my message of hope and love was welcomed as a refreshing
alternative to much of the doom and gloom books that are now hitting
the bookstores. While I chose the words of Jesus Christ to
illustrate my message, I could have just as easily chose the words
of the Buddha or Lao Tzu or Plato to make the point about Love and
Universal Brotherhood. People have told me that they appreciated my
flexible approach to finding the Truth in their life.
Books-and-Authors.net: What do you hope to achieve with "A New Age
of Vision"?
J. Craig Woods: I really hope to help others find real
meaning in their lives. The reason for human existence is for the
growth of the Human Spirit. God has sent us forth to learn from our
experiences, and our task is to find our way back to our Spiritual
Home. We will accomplish this homecoming when the growth of the
Human Spirit has reached a sufficient level of spiritual progress,
and, in my book, I share the path to spiritual growth as outlined by
Jesus Christ. I hope people will investigate the book with an open
mind, and find that the book has changed their lives for the better.
Oh yeah, I should also add that it would be very nice to make enough
money to keep a roof over my head.
Books-and-Authors.net: What was the last book you read?
J. Craig Woods: The Gnostics by David Brakke
Books-and-Authors.net: What's next?
J. Craig Woods: I am working on a new book that will
specifically address some of our political and economic problems
from a spiritual point of view. The solution to all problems can be
found in the understanding of the causes to such problems. While
this may sound like a very simple and straightforward statement, we
are, however, often without clues when it comes to understanding the
causes for our human woe. I would like to see us make progress
replacing some of our material pursuits with spiritual goals, and if
I can help in this regard, I will do my best to do so.
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