Spiritual guidelines for religious readers that effectively emphasize love and acceptance.
A minister and a rabbi offer spiritual advice on how to live authentically in a post-pandemic world.
After their congregations experienced similar crises during the Covid-19 pandemic, rabbi Eger and United Church of Christ minister Thomas decided to join forces to learn from each other’s faith traditions and spread seven basic disciplines that can apply to a wide range of people who believe in God. “A Time To Mourn” tackles the group trauma of millions of Covid-19 deaths and emphasizes the importance of rituals. “A Time for Truth” tackles the importance of thinking for oneself, lamenting that those who speak the truth are lately “drowned out by the voices of those who appear to be vested in manifesting myths that cause confusion and division.” “A Time for Rest” defines downtime as a spiritual practice that’s supported by both science and “ancient wisdom”; “A Time for Love” examines its transformative nature, emphasizing that Jesus’ ministry was “one of radical inclusion, dismantling the systems of inequality that existed then so that we have the tools to do the same today.” The title activity in “A Time for Prayer” is discussed as an opportunity to reflect and do better, while “A Time for Joy” is characterized as the foundation for life’s happiness and meaning. Lastly, “A Time for Hope” suggests concrete ways in which to keep it alive, including faith in God’s eternal love. Although the Covid-19 pandemic is a major driver of this work (with masking and social distancing explicitly discussed), the authors also support their points with other relevant topics, such as the AIDS crisis and ongoing discrimination against people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. The guidelines are written with passion and patience, with numerous Bible passages, although Eger and Thomas also draw on elements from other spiritual practices, such as Buddhism, as well as scientific studies of physical and mental health. The result is a well-rounded, earnest look at religion through the lens of a post-pandemic society that many may find inspiring.
Spiritual guidelines for religious readers that effectively emphasize love and acceptance.Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 9798388256676
Page Count: 140
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: June 20, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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