Carol Ruth Knox has left us two short writings (about 80 pages each) that explore Unity and mysticism. Prayer of the Heart (written between 1977 and 1983) is a compilation of her ideas on prayer, which she describes as an art form which gradually develops to become a constant presence in one's life. She combines Unity's teachings on the silence and stillness with classic texts on prayer, such as the 19th century Christian classic The Way of the Pilgrim and Thomas Merton's The Solitary Life, to lead us to a state she calls The Flame of the Heart. Besides leading us to a deeper understanding of our own interior life, she has left a unique and refreshing contribution to western spirituality in the name of Unity.
Carol Ruth Knox's Unity - The Teachings and Principles builds on The Prayer of the Heart to provide an introduction and overview of Unity from the perspective of mystic Christianity. What she has written is personal (filled with many of her own life stories), powerful (the sort of thing that gets men out of gutters) and candid (the best answer I've ever read to the charge "Is Unity a cult?").
A third resource from Carol Ruth Knox, her Lay Ministry Student Manual, is a practical outline for fostering and empowering lay ministry in a Unity congregation. After arriving at Unity of Walnut Creek she built one of the largest Unity ministries in the United States. This outline provides an insight into how she was able to manage that growth.
Ruth Carol Knox was obviously one of the most innovative ministers produced by Unity. We need to learn from her. The materials she has left us can help guide Unity to a richer spiritual tradition and to building more loving, vibrant churches.
