Julia Cameron fans are quite used to her using references to God, as well as spirituality in general, in her works. She normally makes these references decently accessible to people of multiple faiths, allowing for different interpretations and use in the artist’s work. Her recent book Faith and Will is quite different from these other books.

Faith and Will draws upon Cameron’s own experience in the twelve-step recovery program for alcoholics. She heavily references the Bible, with plenty of quotes to make non-Christians turn away. Much of her previous teachings about God are still present, however, including the belief in a loving, caring God rather than a wrath-filled vengeful deity. In fact, if you’ve already read Cameron’s other books about spirituality there’s not much here that’s new to read.

Cameron’s text is mainly about what happens in our lives when our plans don’t work out the way we want them to. She says that God has a plan for us, whether we know or believe it or not, and that we should step aside and let that plan unfold. Of course, doing this alone would nullify Cameron’s other bestsellers; she’s mainly saying that we have to stop being our own worst enemies, stop sabotaging ourselves, and Let Thy Will Be Done, or whatever.

Told in a long (240 page) stream of consciousness, there’s no organization to Cameron’s thoughts in this text; it’s pretty much just a long journal entry about God with some experiences thrown in. I did enjoy some of these experiences, however. Cameron discusses a friend who had an abortion and found peace with God throughout the experience.

I found that to be a moving passage, since most Christians deem people who get abortions as evil; I would think, as Cameron does, that God would be an understanding being who would put his or her children first—and if a pregnancy put one of his or her children in danger or at a risk of any sort, he or she would be supportive in his or her child’s decision. (I also have a problem with people who claim that every single thing on Earth is “God’s will,” and then they proceed to protest thousands of things that are, apparently, contradictory to that belief.)

That said, this is definitely not one of my favorite Cameron books because of the narrow scope of religion. I really like her views about a loving Creator, but prefer it when she keeps the playing field neutral and accepting of all faiths.