In a daring blend of scholarship, imagination, psychology and history, Lawrence Kushner gathers an inspiring range of interpretations of Genesis 28:16 given by sages, what each discovered about God's Self and what we can learn about ourselves as we ascend and descend Jacob's ladder. A 25th anniversary edition with a new preface from the author.
Selected as a Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) “Significant Jewish Book” Jacob was running away from home. One night he lay down in the wilderness to sleep and had one of the great mystical experiences of Western religion. He dreamed there was a ladder, with angels ascending and descending, stretched between heaven and earth. For thousands of years, people have tried to overhear what the messengers came down to tell Jacob, and us. Now in a daring blend of scholarship and imagination, psychology and history, Lawrence Kushner gathers an inspiring range of interpretations of Genesis 28:16 given by sages, from Shmuel bar Nachmani in third-century Palestine to Hannah Rachel Werbermacher of Ludomir who lived in Poland two hundred years ago. Through a fascinating new literary genre and Kushner’s creative reconstruction of the teachers’ lives and times, we enter the study halls and sit at the feet of these spiritual masters to learn what each discovered about God’s Self and ourselves as they ascend and descend Jacob’s ladder. In this illuminating journey, our spiritual guides ask and answer the fundamental questions of human experience: Who am I? Who is God? What is God’s role in history? What is the nature of evil? How should I relate to God and other people? Could the universe really have a self? Rabbi Lawrence Kushner brilliantly reclaims a millennium of Jewish spirituality for contemporary seekers of all faiths and backgrounds. God Was in This Place & I, i Did Not Know is about God and about you; it is about discovering God’s place in the universe, and yours.
A psychiatrist suggests ways in which confronting and resolving problems, a painful process most people try to avoid, can lead to greater self-understanding and spiritual growth.
“Suppose there is something going on in the universe which is to ordinary, everyday reality as our unconcious is to our daily lives? Softly, but unmistakably guiding it. Most of the time, we are unaware of it. Yet, every now and then, on account of some ‘fluke,’ we are startled by the results of its presence. We realize we have been part of something with neither consciousness nor consent. It is so sweet—and then it is gone. You say, ‘But I don’t believe in God.’ And I ask, ‘What makes you think it matters to God?"’ —from Lawrence Kushner, whose previous books have opened up new spiritual possibilities, now tells us stories in a new literary form. Through his everyday encounters with family, friends, colleagues and strangers, Kushner takes us deeply into our lives, finding flashes of spiritual insight in the process. Such otherwise ordinary moments as fighting with his children, shopping for bargain basement clothes, or just watching a movie are revealed to be touchstones for the sacred. This is a book where literature meets spirituality, where the sacred meets the ordinary, and, above all, where people of all faiths, all backgrounds can meet one another and themselves. Kushner ties together the stories of our lives into a roadmap showing how everything “ordinary” is supercharged with meaning—if we can just see it.
The Nature of Doctrine, originally published in 1984, is one of the most influential works of academic theology in the past fifty years. A true classic, this book sets forth the central tenets of a post-liberal approach to theology, emphasizing a cultural-linguistic approach to religion and a rule theory of doctrine. In addition to his account of the nature of religion, George Lindbeck also addresses the relationship between Christianity and other religions, the resolution of historic doctrinal conflict among Christian communities, and the nature and task of theology itself. This is a work that all theologians and advanced students should know. This twenty-fifth anniversary edition includes an English translation of the foreword to the German edition and a complete bibliography of Lindbeck's work.
William Barclay testifies to the Bible's unique value as an inspired book and gives clear advice on the best way to read it. He tells how the biblical writings came into being and finally gained acceptance as Scripture. And he explains the significance and the status of the Apocrypha. Most important of all, William Barclay presents the Bible as a book to be read and enjoyed today - a light in the darkness of a world that has lost its way. Barclay's original text has been edited and revised by Professor John W. Rogerson, who has also written a new introduction. Rogerson is the head of the Department of Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield and an authority on the Old Testament.
This book has served the missiological community for twenty-five years as a resource for understanding human spirituality in any context. Thousands of students have incorporated the principles of this book into ministry around the globe. This twenty-fifth anniversary edition seeks to enable those who now bring their passion for mission to contemporary contexts affected by globalization, climate change, and political perspectives unimagined when this book originally appeared. Every community, wherever it is on earth, has its share of beliefs and values that manifest themselves in practices that reflect spiritual engagement. Those engaged in mission need to appreciate how underlying beliefs and values are reflected in handling spiritual power, worship and blessing, and interaction with others. Gospel communicators must account for these elements as they seek to make God’s intentions known to people who are searching for God. The models presented early in the book are essential for establishing what people consider spiritually critical. Applying these models in any religious environment will enable message-bearers to engage with beliefs and practices that promote a gospel presentation that makes sense. To that end, we commend this book for effective missional engagement.
With incomparable ability to blend scholarship, imagination, psychology, mysticism, history and great writing, Rabbi Kushner offers something unique to both the spiritual seeker and the committed person of faith. With samplings from each of his books and a generous amount of previously unpublished material, "The Lawrence Kushner Reader" explores personal meaning in the sacred that animates each of our lives.
Originally published in 1987, Diet for a New America awakened the conscience of a nation with its startling examination of the food we buy and eat — and the moral, economic, and medical price we pay for it. Drawing a clear line connecting America’s factory farm system with disease, animal cruelty, and ecological crises, Robbins makes perhaps the most eloquent argument for vegetarianism ever published. Robbins walked away from his family’s business — the Baskin-Robbins ice cream empire — to pursue his dream of promoting a healthy society that practices “compassionate stewardship of a balanced ecosystem.” In Diet for a New America he presents both a disturbing portrait of our current system and a vision for the future that will educate and empower readers to change.
One of the most widely circulated prophecies in recent times, The Harvest is a panorama of coming events, many of which have been fulfilled. The 25th Anniversary Edition features the complete vision and showcases the greatest event yet to be fulfilled.
