are found in the philosophy of Plato, in whom Schucman had a personal interest. In addition, Schucman had a lifelong passion for the works of the major English poets, including Shakespeare, much of whose work is written in iambic pentameter. A significant portion of the Course is written in iambic pentameter, and there is a reference to Hamlet, which was Schucman's favorite play. Finally, the Course contains more than 800 references to the King James version of the Bible, a version which Schucman loved.
Schucman completed the final version of the manuscript in 1975. This version became the first published edition of the Course, and contained the three component sections: the Text, the Workbook, and the Manual. The Course, while described by Plaintiffs as a non-sectarian, non-denominational spiritual teaching, is unquestionably grounded in Christian theology and has been described as a "restatement of Christianity."
On May 29, 1975, Schucman, Thetford, and Wapnick met Judith Skutch (now Skutch-Whitson) ("Skutch Whitson"). Soon thereafter, they introduced her to the Course and the four of them met regularly to study, discuss, and share their common enthusiasm for it. A number of additional copies of the Course had been made by this time and distributed to certain select individuals for commentary. Wapnick recalls that ten copies of the second typed
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