CTMU Reading List! · The CTMU Club

CTMU Reading List!

Here's my reading list for CTMU novices who want a general, full-depth education (many of which will be incorporated into Compatriot Academy curricula!). Happy reading!

Science

The Mind of God: The Scientific Basis for a Rational World
Quantum Reality: Beyond the New Physics by Nick Herbert

Easy, accessible guides to deep ideas in cosmology and quantum physics. I especially liked The Mind of God. It provided a lot of insight into very important topics that shaped the way that Langan thought about/formulated the CTMU in the 1980s and '90s, as seen in a couple of early CTMU papers.

Philosophy:

A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell

It reviews every philosopher in the Western canon and provides a full-depth summary of their thinking from the perspective of Russell, himself one of the greatest thinkers of the modern era.

Religion

The Bible (in particular, the books of Genesis, Isaiah, and John)
World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored and Explained by John Bowker
Whatever your preferred religious scripture is (e.g., if you are a Muslim, read the Quran; if you are a Hindu, read the Bhagavad Gita, etc.)

One should be familiar with the basic elements of all of the world's religious traditions and make an effort to read the entirety of one's preferred religious scripture. As far as I'm aware, most people on this server follow the Bible, so I put that first. The entirety of the Bible can be interpreted using the CTMU.

Math:

An Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
The Mathematical Experience by Phillip J. Davis and Reuben Hirsh

A basic understanding of the principles of mathematics will help one understand the CTMU. The CTMU formulates mathematics as the syntax of SCSPL, meaning that it is technically an aspect of the divine. Therefore, at a certain level, the study of math is its own form of theology.

CTMU:

CTMU Major Papers 1989-2020: Study Version by Chris Langan

This was by far the most useful instructional material for learning the CTMU. Just read this book over and over again, and after each re-read, you will unpack a whole new layer of meaning and depth of understanding in the CTMU.

Fiction:

The Aeneid by Virgil
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

The Aeneid is an important work for our movement because it is an epic poem about a group of men who, through their hard work and initiative, became the ancestors of the Romans. Thus, Aeneas and his men form a model and a 'founding myth' for the Compatriots movement. The Divine Comedy is one of the most sublime and perfect works of literature ever composed. It represents the soul's journey to God, away from sin and towards "The Love which moves the sun and the other stars."

Share in the comments if you think I missed anything good!

God bless,

Tommy

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