ROBERTS CONSULTING INC.

Initiation to Adulthood: An Ancient Rite of Passage in Contemporary Form (1982)

This book is an account of an innovative approach to the trials and tribulations of adolescence - a two-year rite of passage from childhood to adulthood.

Published in 1982, before there was much conversation in the American culture about rites of passage, the book has provided a model for many programs throughout this country and is presently the basis for a major project with the Lutheran Church of Norway.

The book is no longer in print. There are a few copies left in our east coast office. Please email bookrequest@robertsconsultinginc.com if you are interested.

 

Crossing the Soul's River: A Rite of Passage for Men (1998)

After living through a very turbulent midlife passage, Bill Roberts was invited to write a set of essays for a book on Celebrating Passages in the Church (see below). When he began to read the literature about men at midlife, he realized that his own experience led him to understand the issues which men face at midlife at a much deeper level than is customarily approached in our culture.

Therefore, he wrote this little book (151 pages), which has been greeted with very positive reviews:

"Moving, articulate, and insightful, this book is a welcome exploration of men's spiritual journey at midlife. Written by an author with his own extraordinary middle passage, the book provides practical insights for men, while offering women an invaluable window into men's souls."

• Allan Chinen, author of Beyond the Hero: Classic Stories of Men in Search of Soul

 

"Lively and unembarrassed, written with great psychological acumen, Crossing the Soul's River is a major contribution to our understanding of men at midlife. This is the conversation men need to have with another man when their familiar old assumption's and priorities no longer make sense. Give it to a man you really care about. Give it to a woman who wants to know men at the core."

• Stephen Bank, co-author of The Sibling Bond

 

"Crossing the Soul's River is one of the second generation of men's books that are trying to chart concrete steps men can take to do the work we need to do to become more self-actualized and, therefore, more responsible partners, citizens, and churchmen…. His articulation of men's needs for the wisdom of Sophia is the clearest I have ever read."

• Stephen Boyd, author of The Men We Long to Be: Beyond Lonely Warriors and Desperate Lovers

 

"Roberts' compelling book puts the male midlife crisis into its deepest context - the growth of ourselves as spiritual beings. In so doing it moves well beyond the treatments which focus solely on the psychological dimension of this process - though Roberts details these too with a sharp, insightful eye honed by his own personal experience. Most helpful is his detailing the various rites of passage designed to help men navigate through this difficult time. In this the book is of practical as well as intellectual use. I found the book deeply insightful and altogether illuminating."

• Brian Fay, author of Contemporary Philosophy of Social Science: A Multicultural Approach

Note: The following is a response to an article on masculine psychology, not the book itself.

"I enjoyed your piece in TRANSITIONS. I'm glad to see you bringing Jung in where he belongs. One understands - or I understood - his four stages of the anima - but then we forget. I read it this time in amazement as if I'd never seen it before. I look forward to finding your book."

Robert Bly, author of Iron John: A Book About Men

 

 

Celebrating Passages in the Church: Reflections and Resources (ed. Hugh W. Sanborn - 1999)

The milestones that mark the journey between life and death once were affirmed by ceremonies in the church. Today, particularly in mainline Protestant denominations, only a few of the old liturgies remain, but this book helps to revitalize these classic rituals to empower the passages of life. Bill Roberts' first book provides the basis for this set of essays. He also contributed two essays about Men at Midlife.

 

What Made King David Do It? (Published in Transitions, Jan-Feb, 1999)

This brief article was provoked by the behavior of President Clinton in his "inappropriate relationship" with Monica Lewinski. While deliberately avoiding any attempt to judge the President's behavior, the article seeks to understand it in terms of the issues that men face at midlife. It is this article that Robert Bly found so enlightening.