Take Off the Masks: The Classic Spiritual Autobiography: Revised, with a New Epilogue

Boyd, Malcolm. "Take Off the Masks", White Crane, Lethe Press, 2007. The Journey Amos Lassen "Take Off the Masks" is Malcolm Boyd's autobiography and he writes about his journey and his struggle to reconcile his sexuality and his love for G-d. He writes with great compassion and style and is totally clear and easy to read. Many of us have had this same struggle and I have always felt that by reading how someone else managed to come to terms with himself makes it that much easier for me to do the same. Many of us have been told that we have to make a choice between our sexuality and our religious convictions and that there is no compromise. We eventually learn that this is not necessarily true. Boyd approached thus situation and shows that if we "take off the masks" and be who we really are, than the struggle is that much easier. Spirituality can help us to overcome many issues and while each has to find his own way, Boyd's personal struggle can shed new light on how to approach the situation. If we look within ourselves and examine who we are, we are more apt to find a way of self-acceptance.