Book Description
Don’t Waste Your Pain. None of us escapes the heartache and disappointments of life. To live is to hurt, and we all have the wounds to prove it.
Regardless of how we’ve been hurt, we all face a common question: What should we do with our pain? Should we stoically ignore it? Should we just “get over it?” Should we let it “make us stronger?” Should we optimistically hope that everything will work out in the end?
If we fail to respond appropriately to the wounds that life and relationships inflict, our pain will be wasted; it will numb us or destroy us. But suffering doesn’t have to mangle our hearts and rob us of the joy of life. It can, instead, lead us to life–if we know the path to healing.
Healing is not the resolution of our past; it is the use of our past to draw us into deeper relationship with God and his purposes for our lives. We don’t have to be held captive by the hurts of our past. We can move from feelings of powerlessness, betrayal, and ambivalence into faith, hope and love. The Healing Path takes us beyond self-discovery to God-discovery, giving us the tools to excavate the riches that lay beneath the surface of our pain. If you’re ready to use the experiences of the past and present to shape a future characterized by love, service, and joy, now is the time to step out onto The Healing Path.
Customer Reviews:
Great author, great book!.......2006-02-17
This is a very interesting book--after I read it I wanted to read all of Allender's other publications. He is a great author and this book was very hard for me to put down once I started! A great book for any Christian who has ever faced challenges in their life.
Biblical Sufferology.......2005-11-07
"The Healing Path" traverses the middle ground in biblical sufferology (a theology of suffering). That is, it accurately avoids two common extremes as Christian writers attempt to address suffering: a.) the extreme of staying stuck in the past by blaming the past, b.) the extreme of denying the past by ignoring the past.
Instead, Allender, as his subtitle suggests "How the Hurts in Your Past Can Lead to a More Abundant Life"), explores what the Bible says about using your past in constructive ways. He divides his thinking into four primary categories: the experience of suffering, the exposure of evil, the enticement of redemption, and the empowerment of spiritual friendships.
A previous review, I think, misses the point when he bemoans the lack of exegesis of one central passage. While exegesis of one passage or book is always a core process, Allender takes the systematic theology approach by developing a comprehensive biblical model of suffering. It is obvious that Allender has done his homework by exegeting many passages, however, he prefers presenting the overriding concepts that he has uncovered, rather than a blow-by-blow commentary on how he discovered them.
The same reviewer, in my opinion, again misses the point in chastising Allender for a lack of practical relevance. Consistent throughout Allender's writing career is his belief that theological concepts distilled from Scripture and explained with relevance offer the reader the foundation needed to make specific application. Allender finds little usefulness for a series of secret steps, preferring to renew the mind, knowing that mind renewal leads to behavioral maturity.
Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction", "Soul Physicians," and "Spiritual Friends."
Not much to say..........2005-02-01
"Don't waste your pain", says the publisher's note on the rear cover of "The Healing Path", a recent offering from the prolific and popular Dan Allender. Allender suggest that life inevitably entails suffering, and that the key is to suffer successfully. Suffering leads to redemption and life, but most suffer pointlessly and unconstructively, not knowing how to suffer properly.
Healing Path wanders about to a great degree, as Allender ranges over what seems a disconnected landscape in what must be taken as his current reflection on the nature of the world and its suffering. He addresses in turn, 1) suffering as a sacred activity, 2) its pervasive nature, 3) aspirations toward healing, 3) the pain of betrayal, 4) the ubiquitous mistake of suffering improperly, 5) the value of living existentially, 6) the pain of powerlessness, 7) living with ambivalence, 8) fighting doubt with faith, 9) "redemptive living" at arms-length from conventional church forms, 10) a diagnosis of modern evangelical enfeeblement due to centralization, and 11) immersion in provocative cultural conversation as the best means of redemptive change. The result is a fairly incoherent and chaotic ramble through Allender's musings on the nature of a sinful world and his attempts to find integrative principles.
Healing Path offers little by way of substantive reflection or practical remedy. The treatment of redemptive living makes almost no reference to Christ; indeed the entire book could have been written by a conscientious Mormon or moralist, so sparse are any references to Christian theological frameworks or Scripture. Allender attempts to integrate the discontinuous series of chapters by running a few anecdotes across the spans, but this effort largely fails.
He captions subsections with such embarrassingly gushy titles as "Hearts That Embrace-The Dance of Passion", and follows with observations that seem to evidence his mood on the day he drafted the chapter. Some chapters read as if you found him sitting in the bright sunshine of his study with an inspirational piece of music playing. Other sections sound like you caught the author entrenched in morose reflection on a rainy Monday afternoon. In all, the tone is uneven and the purpose is difficult to detect.
Allender may have reached the point in fame and stature where popular Christian culture requires nothing more of him than regularly released, mass-market soft-cover publications, offered in tandem, of course, with a small group study guide.
"My calling is to intrigue, disrupt, and invite the other person to consider his heart," says Allender. Far better for pastors and congregations would be a rich exploration of 1 Peter, where Christian suffering is seen to precede a staggering, disproportionately large recompense, and promise conformity to the delightful countenance of Christ.
In the top 3, most profound books I have ever read.......2000-05-25
As a Christian for 30 years and an evangelical pastor/US Army chaplain and licensed Therapist, I have read lots and lots and lots of books. This book by Dan is truely one of the most profound books that I have ever read. It is worth reading and re-reading. His stories and narrative portions put images and real-life flesh and blood on our living out the true power of the Gospel and Christ's love into our own real-life worlds.
True Healing and Preparing for a better place........2000-01-07
Chapter 8 has so much to offer. Hope in the biggest since. I love what Dan Alender does with words. Some things require deep meditation. As I read I feel myself coming alive in a way I never knew before. And as I read I think of all the hurting people I know who could be helped by reading, actually taking in this book and allowing themselves to be consumed by it. True healing does come and joy returns, or for some who have never experienced true joy, will expereince it for the first time. I think everyone should read this book. I want to put it into the hands of all of my loved ones. It has done me good. I wish to share the good with others. Thank You Dan Allender, you are my hero.
Book Description
Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson transformed his field with an audacity that did not always sit well with his publishers. Gonzo Judaism embraces that same spirit, challenging today’s Jews to reclaim their rebel roots, even if the consequences of their actions are disquieting to the leaders of a largely complacent Jewish establishment.
Rabbi Niles Elliot Goldstein explores how this revolutionary drive can reshape and revitalize contemporary Judaism—a Judaism many find out of touch and irrelevant. His fresh, maverick approach urges us to take risks and think freely, but also to look back into the past in order to move forward into our future. Gonzo Judaism offers practical tools for creating a more accessible, meaningful, and celebratory Jewish life.
· Learn why the current nostalgia- and fear-based Judaism has utterly failed to resonate with the modern Jew.
· Discover how to gain inspiration both inside and outside the conventional synagogue setting.
· Become a “spiritual archaeologist” and recover powerful practices that have been lost over the centuries.
This isn’t your run-of-the-mill Judaica book. It is a bold, no-holds-barred manifesto that meets us where we are, a much-needed and daring work that re-visions Jewish identity, community, holidays, and ritual, written with both the credibility of an insider toiling in the trenches and the piercing insight of an outsider observing from the margins. Gonzo Judaism is required reading for anyone in search of an adventurous but authentic path toward spiritual growth and religious wisdom.
Customer Reviews:
A Gonzo review.......2007-01-31
Okay! Wow! I devoured this book with ever-increasing hope that finally, a Leader in modern Judaism had finally "got" the idea that Jews had contributed the underlying values of Western Civilization and NOW it was time to come out of the closet and help this "Wounded World"- and, to stop just railing against hatred and violence, hunger and poverty, hypocrisy and corruption...that now it was time to once again contribute to civilization as responsible, caring Teachers of Humanity...to mend humanity!
But, the deeper I got into gonzoland, the more I saw a repeat of the old, automatic, "them-and-us" mentality...loathingly swiping at everyone from Jesus to Tom Cruise; from Rabbi Schneerson to Mick Jagger. The author's solution for the Elite People of this wounded world? - Join his cool club to keep alive a thousand years of old un-inspected solutions and rituals; to keep us smelling incense, looking good and going nowhere. However, I suspect that the author knows he is gleefully dicing with the devil and should get over his grumpiness, lift his game, and write a manual of how 12 million Jews can teach the remaining 6 billion schmucks the secret of success...to enroll the entire world into living a better, more productive, happy, ethical life! Leviticus 19:34.
C'mon Rebbe, time to teach. 5 Gold stars for enthusiasm.
Smart and Fresh.......2006-12-13
Goldstein's vision and approach to redefine a practice of Judaism seems like a breath of fresh air in the dusty conventional rabbinic world.
At last, somebody understood why young jews desert synagogues!
A Jewish Hunter Thompson???.......2006-12-05
This is an impassioned take modern Judaism, but can serve as a clarion call to those who would wish to rejuvenate their lives. Goldstein is passionate, and humorous.
Whether you are Jewish or not, Gonzo Judaism presents an emphatic perspective on solitary and group worship.
Worth reading!!
A MUST READ!!!!!!!! .......2006-09-14
Goldstein is finally the voice that speaks to and can relate to the gen X and Y'ers whom are desperately looking for fresh and GONZO ways to enhance and enrich their Jewishness. His writing is honest and in your face. If you're looking to explore a Judaism that inspires YOU, read this book now! GOLDSTEIN's voice and vision are what the Jewish community has been looking for!
Makes Judaism work in the real world.......2006-09-12
For Jews who cannot find what they need from their faith in today's world, Gonzo Judaism makes it real and relatable. There is nothing else like this out there. This book is user friendly and fun. Perfect for anybody interested in Judaism today.
Customer Reviews:
Fabulous gift to start a child on the path to meditation.......2007-03-29
This Ignatian-retreat-in-a-book is so beautiful. I gave it to my daughter to use as an in-home "silent" retreat. For the three days prior to her First Holy Communion, she did 4 half-hour segments a day with a chapter each time, with other prayers throughout the day, like the Rosary, stations, etc. It made her feel very grown up to do her own retreat, and the silence and gentle introduction to prayer was such a wonderful experience, and preparation for receiving the One she loves a few days later.
Excellent content rich book to help children grow in faith.......2000-01-25
This book is rich in meticulous, thought-provoking illustrations coupled with in-depth reflexions to help children grow in understanding and living their Catholic faith. I hope all the children in my parish read it with their parents and godparents!
Product Description
IN THE AFTERMATH OF September 11, 2001, Dr. Patrick Swift probed the spiritual realm, asking Is world peace still within our reach? The answer can be found in the wisdom contained in this book. One Mountain, Many Paths illuminates the common threads of faith, hope, and love from the great religious traditions that weave the human family together in a tapestry of peace. Use them as guideposts in your spiritual journey.
Customer Reviews:
focus on the similarites....not the differences.......2007-08-26
All we hear about today are the differences between religions. These differences validate wars and hatred. This book takes a step back and looks at the similarities. Quotes from Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi start the book and set the tone. More people like Dr. Swift would make for a much more peaceful world.
Following the paths.......2007-08-22
I enjoyed the concept of the book and felt a sense of assurance; a feeling I am moving in the right direction. There is no urgency or fear of being human such as is defined so well in the book Ponder Rings. This is simply a comfortable journey. I enjoyed it.
Beautiful collection.......2007-07-12
What a wonderful collection of verse from many different religions showing that we are more similar than different. We need to focus on the similarities and celebrate them.
A Gem of a Book.......2007-04-08
When I was an undergrad at Yale, I majored in Comparative Religions. I probably would have majored in Psychology, but I didn't like enough of the course offerings. Everyone told me Psych would be better, and from a career point of view, that was probably true.
In life however, Comparative Religions has served me well. It has helped me understand that good-hearted people in many religions believe many of the same things even though they say them in different ways. And that helped me be more accepting of people different from myself.
Patrick Swift's book reinforces this acceptance of others. It helps us see the commonality, rather than the differences, between believers in various religions.
I like how the book is organized. In the "Love Your Enemy" section, the title quote is taken from Christianity, but there are quotations from a half a dozen other religions that express the same sentiment in other ways. One of the things I like about this is that seeing other ways of expressing similar thoughts helps us better understand the one -- like "Love Your Enemy" for example -- that we may have heard for years.
But the real beauty of this little book is that it is inspirational. Whether you're in the executive suite or a cubicle, you might want to have a copy at work to remind you that God exists in the workplace as well as in the place of worship. Whatever your religion, it's in this book. And whoever stops by your desk, their religion is in the book too.
And if they don't have a religion? Well, themes like love, peace, and forgiveness are kind of attractive in their own right, don't you think? The book is full of brief, easy-to-read segments on these and other inspirational themes.
I recommend this little gem of a book for your own inspiration or for a gift to someone you care about.
Book Description
This is the long-awaited new prayer book for Jewish Sabbath and religious weekday services, which has just been completed by Chaim Stern, famed author of "Gates of Prayer" and "Gates of Repentence". These books have been used for the past 30 years in most of the 800+ Reform Jewish Congregations throughout North America.
This historic, gender-sensitive prayer book includes the most comprehensive transliteration of any prayerbook in the reform movement, and a special and timely section devoted to prayers and meditations for "Troubled Times."
In the words of the author: "I consider "Paths of Faith" my masterwork, the prayer book I always wanted to create. It is the summation of a lifetime devoted to creating liturgy. It developed out of the wisdom that comes with advanced years, and the complicated circumstances of our world. I hope the prayer book's poetry and spirituality illumines our worship in a time of uncertainty."
"Paths of Faith" reflects the traditions of classical liturgy and of Liberal-Reform Judaism, yet it contains many innovations:
· For each Sabbath there is a choice of introductory materials. The core of the service is fixed, from the Bar'chu to the end of the Tefilah. All passages are masterful new translations, with new accompanying passages likely to be sung by the congregation.
· Each service begins with a Kavannah ("prayer before prayer"), in the margin. These additions are taken from traditional texts, and the worshiper is encouraged to link prayer and meditation with the ethical behavior that ought to flow from the act of worship.
· Along side each of the classical prayers is a brief explanation of its content/significance, establishing the prayer's place in the structure of the liturgy.
· Thematic cross-references connect to other passages in the book, enhancing appreciation of the text and inviting readers to learn about its interconnections. This offers an interactive, highly personal approach to prayer.
· The Shema includes an optional passage culled from Deuteronomy, that restores the flavor of the traditional text. And in the Tefilah, the Gevurot restores "mechayei hameitim," and adds a passage about the seasons that goes beyond traditional seasonal inserts.
· Special innovations include: a selection of readings for "Troubled Times"; Prayers for Healing; a Betrothal Prayer; a special selection of newly-translated Psalms, and blessings and rituals for individuals and communities, at home and in the synagogue.
· Holidays: A complete liturgy is offered for Yom Tov, with special readings. A special Tefilah has inserts for Shabbat Shuvah, Chol HaMoeid Yom Tov, Rosh Chodesh, and Chanukah.
Chaim Stern, who has been described by the Central Conference of American Rabbis as "the poet laureate of the Reform movement," is also is the most prolific liturgist of Reform Judaism, and one of the most prolific of liturgists of any religion in history. His prayer books and his writings and translations are appreciated by readers world-wide.
Customer Reviews:
Not the *official* new siddur..........2005-10-15
Readers may be confused by the description of this book as the `long-awaited new prayer book' of the Reform movement because of the authorship by Stern. It is not. That siddur is called Mishkan T'filah (Tabernacle of Prayer) and has not yet been made available to the public. No slight intended to Mr. Stern, who has apparently incorporated the same changes agreed by the Reform movement into his version, but this really should be made clear in the description of the book.
Bilingually presented in both Hebrew and English.......2003-03-10
Collected and translated by Rabbi Chaim Stern, Paths Of Faith: The New Jewish Prayer Book For Synagogue And Home is a new prayer book written and prepared especially for the Jewish Sabbath, religious weekday services, festivals, and other high and holy occasions, as celebrated and honored by Reform Jewish Congregations throughout North America. All of the prayers and all of the songs are bilingually presented in both Hebrew and English, making Paths Of Faith a completely accessible and very highly recommended resource intended for both the home and the synagogue.
A Blessing.......2002-12-25
Un excelente SIDUR que refleje el espiritu de la plegaria judía desde la perspectiva del judaismo progresista . En general sigue la estructura y distribución tradicional del sidur reformista. Los cambios introducidos en la AMIDA y el texto postrero al SHEMA parecen interesantes
Amazon.com
What is process? It is the way of doing, not what is being done, according to Anne Wilson Schaef. It is the tone of voice, not what is being said; the act of parenting, not the 21-year-old child product. In a world that emphasizes results, control, and material rewards, Schaef's process-oriented approach is a soothing antidote. "We are not static," she writes in her opening chapter. "The planet is not static. Life is not static. Life is unfolding.... We can participate, that is all. We cannot predict or control."
Chapter by chapter Schaef breaks down the daily situations that beg for attention to process, including "The Family," (which features intelligent essays on the various styles of parenting, such as "Benevolent Dictator" and "The Little King/Queen Approach") and "Relationships," (which includes helpful essays on "Intimacy" and "Making Love"). Occasionally Schaef meanders, especially in the beginning of the book, where she delves into the deep spiritual healing work involved in becoming process-conscious. However, her overriding voice is authoritative and intelligent, bringing in indigenous religions, spiritual leaders, and even poets to explain the how-tos and implications of process thinking. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
"Life is a process.
We are a process.
The universe is a process."
--ANNE WILSON SCHAEF
The bestselling meditation books by renowned writer and lecturer Anne Wilson Schaef have helped millions attain a healthy measure of calm in today's chaotic world. Now, in Living in Process, Dr. Schaef offers us a bold, new way of engaging in life--by shifting our obsession with "product" to a mindful participation in "process." Shaef teaches us an action philosophy that will reconnect us with our deep, long-forgotten spirituality--filling our souls and setting our spirits free.
What is process? It is the way of doing, not what is done. It is the tone of voice, not what is said. It is living life in three dimensions, from the inside, instead of trying to control it from the outside. It is a living, moving, evolving energy . . . a shift in our perception of reality . . . the interconnectedness of all things in the nonlinear motion of the universe. It is deeper than thought, more concrete than concept, more fluid than facts.
Drawing on inspiring real-life stories, the experiences of professionals worldwide who have participated in her "Living in Process" intensives, and her close association with native peoples from around the globe, Dr. Schaef shares her evolutionary model for maintaining our balance in the midst of life's seismic upheavals. With her inimitable wit and charm, she guides us to a larger spirituality and a rediscovery of our personal power. For Living in Process is a moment-by-moment revealing of, and reveling in, our life as mystery--and an honoring of its true challenges, truths, and joys.
Customer Reviews:
Very Practical!!! If you understand her premise.......2004-10-09
This book had improved my life. It had not changed the way other books had but this book does not try to do it all, but her premise is extremetly powerful. Yes, life is not static and that idea has very powerful consequences, and then you realize that it always was true and all she is saying is something that had always beein that way but now you see explicitly. The realization that Life is not static will bring your life to new heights. It did to me. I am more loving, less stressfull, more happy and feel a whole lot better after that simple realization. It is dificult at the begining but once you accept the difficult idea that life is not static then you become free!!! Great book. Not a one stop all, but a great and powerful simple idea. That simple idea has had very practical applications in my life.
A new way of seeing.......2002-02-16
Living in Process is a deep jewelry box of ideas. Slowly, you must sort thru the anecdotes and stories to find glittering meaning. I found some other reviews of the book amusing, "where are the exercises?" other readers demand. This is a gentle book that invites you to change your world. Change your viewpoint. Open your mind. It invites you to change your entire view on how you live your life, not a chance to scurry through a set of exercises or mantras. I adored it. "You are what you read" I've heard. If you are a seeker on a path of enlightenment, I recommend this book as a companion.
New Age Revision.......2000-06-08
Readers of this book consistently report to me that they find this book unintelligible. This is no surprize. The author gives us an endless array of jargon cobbled together in a way that obviously makes sense to her. To others better acquainted with her meanderings it is not only poorly written, but what is presented as fact is fiction, and what is fiction is frightful. One reader repeatedly copied and recopied a phraze from the book, over and over, as if by doing so she could make sense of it. Sadly enough, there was no sense to be found. But people are unreasonably trusting and that trust is egregiously exploited by anyone who promotes this book as something of quality and worth reading. It is unintelligible. When no longer looking for the sense in nonsense, it becomes humorous and pathetic.
It's where it's at - Holistic Bible.......1999-06-25
I loved this book. I've been a fan of Anne Wilson Shaef since "Women's Reality". What a remarkable mind - and spirit. Her views of living in process parallel some of Zen teachings of being in the "now" - or fully present in the moment. The examples and quotes from other people feel as if you can hear the diversity of the individuals - and the respect for that diversity. The sense of allowing others to be in their own process while "being true to yourself" as Jesus, Buddah, and many other spiritual leaders have professed is honored in a practical way, while not ignoring the reponsibility of owning one's garbage - "not puking up your process" on other's (she loves that statement and has used it in other books - I enjoy it too - so graffic - and makes the point>) As of all her books - you should get a marker and "own" this one. I highly recommend it. It reads smoothly and easily. Mental, Spiritual, Emotional, and Physical areas of your soul will be moved - as they should with a powerful Holistic healing book. It's "where it's at" today - and she is there before us again. May be seen as the "bible" of process. I'm right behind you Ann - keep on - keeping on
Book Description
The Prayer Path is a unique event with profound spiritual impact that will help participants draw closer to God. Using a CD "journey guide," participants will take a meditative prayer-walk with activities along the way that help them focus on their spiritual journey with God.
Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has only one path in and one path out--there are no dead ends or false paths. Churches will set-up their own labyrinth in a large room or gymnasium, enabling participants to walk through at their leisure. It takes at least one hour to walk through the labyrinth and reflect at each of the 11 "stations" along the way. Participants will reflect and meditate on different areas of their lives including hurts, distractions and "noise"--all for the purpose of drawing closer to God. After spending a personal time encountering God, participants are challenged to take that experience and make a difference in their life for God. It's a devotional experience like no other!
Average customer rating:
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Paths Of Faith: Conversations About Religion And Spirituality
Michael Thomas Ford
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
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Amazon.com
The teen years are often a time of spiritual crisis, as young people struggle to sort out their own beliefs. Yet most would die of embarrassment if anybody suspected their preoccupation with such ideas. Guidance and comfort for this challenging task has been scarce in young-adult literature, so this wonderfully illuminating and readable collection of interviews is doubly welcome. People from 11 different faiths speak of their own youthful spiritual struggles and the joys and challenges of living out their beliefs. Some of them are leading figures in their religious traditions: John Cardinal O'Connor, the former archbishop of the Catholic Diocese of New York, or Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman, the president of Hebrew Union College. Other exciting perspectives are offered by the cofounder of the International Association of Buddhist Women and the Episcopal Church's maverick Bishop Spong. Some of the interviews add dimension to the major traditional world religions, but we hear from a Shaker eldress, a Wiccan, and the founder of the gay and lesbian Metropolitan Community Churches as well. American proponents of Islam and Hinduism speak, and there are voices from the Society of Friends and the Interfaith Alliance. Each interview begins with a marvelously succinct overview of the religion being discussed and ends with a useful list of sources for teens who want to know more. The questions are hard-hitting and imaginative, and the answers offer direction and inspiration for young spiritual seekers. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell
Book Description
There are as many different ways of expressing religious faith and spirituality as there are people in the world. In this fascinating collection Michael Thomas Ford speaks to eleven people who have spent their lives within various spiritual traditions. In candid, revealing interviews they discuss the challenges they've faced, the issues they've struggled with, and the joys they've experienced from being part of a religious tradition.
Paths of Faith features the stories of unforgettable people, including the late John Cardinal O'Connor, former Catholic archbishop of New York, who discusses the pressures and rewards of being one of the most recognized religious figures in the world; Sister Frances Carr, eldress of the last remaining Shaker community, who tells how she came to the Shakers and how she maintains her faith even as her community faces possible extinction; and the Reverend Troy Perry, who talks about how he founded the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches when he was told there was no place for him in the church of his childhood. Other interviews include discussions of Judaism, the Episcopal Church, Islam, the Orthodox Church in America, Buddhism, the Quakers, Hinduism, and witchcraft.
Paths of Faith will help readers appreciate both the things that connect different religions and the things that make each one unique.
Customer Reviews:
Many voices.......2001-02-16
This is a fine book for teenagers, many of whom have serious and important questions about spirituality and religion. Libraries would do well to own it, as would browsers and thoughtful seekers. Here we find interviews with Americans from a range of faith traditions - everyone from a Catholic Bishop to a Quaker pacifist to a Wiccan writer to a Hindu doctor. Each one recounts their own personal experiences, and how they were drawn to the paths they chose to follow. It is this personal storytelling that makes the book most appealing - too often religion is seen merely as a set of stories or rules. Here we see it operating in the lives of individuals. There is a distinct emphasis on interfaith tolerance, acceptance of all (women, gays, etc.), and social activism that may prove inspiring to young people. Some interviews are more interesting or relevant than others to me, but of course it depends on your point of view. Each chapter ends with a helpful list of further readings and approved web sites.
Book Description
A Basic Hanafi Primer on Faith, Prayer, & the Path of Salvation
God has commanded us to worship and obey Him, with sincerity, out of reverence, love, and thankfulness. He says in the Qur'an, "And they are ordered only to serve God, keeping religion pure for Him, to remain upright, and to establish worship and to pay the poor-due. That is true religion" (Qur'an, 98.5).
This worship is not possible without knowledge. This short work outlines the absolute essentials of this knowledge: in faith, prayer, and key points related to one's life and dealings.
It is based on the methodology of traditional Sunni Islam, according to the Hanafi school, the largest school of Islamic law, and its purpose is to make one's worship valid, sound, and proper in a short amount of time.
• Learn the basics & essentials of Islamic beliefs
• Make your purification and prayer proper, sound, & valid
• Learn key issues on the path to Paradise
Customer Reviews:
The Essentials.......2006-08-13
Despite the title of this work, the contents are better summarized by the subtitle - "Faith, Prayer & The Path to Salvation..."
In restricting his focus to these topics, the author does a fairly good job at presenting it. The writing is crisp and to the point and the material is laid out well. Transitions between chapters are smooth and logical and supplementary materials are well chosen.
However, the author would have done well to engage the reader with a bit more explanation of his choice of topics. In only discussing two pillars of Islam, the author has limited his breath of its essentials considerably. Greater depth of the subject matter would not have been antithetical though a broader coverage would be the more ideal solution.
Overall, a very informative work.
A clear and beneficial book.......2005-12-08
This book serves as a useful introduction for those wishing to learn the basics of their faith and worship (according to the Hanafi school of Sunni law), in a clear and concise manner.
Absolute Essentials of Islam.......2005-05-29
this book makes a great gift for people who want to start to pray and practice their faith.
Very well translated and very helpful.
Excellent Source for Praying Properly.......2005-05-15
The Absolute Essntials of Islam is a short work that comprises of great details on praying properly according to the Hanafi madhab (One of the four schools of Islamic law). The text also includes the basics of Islamic tenets of faith. One of the exceptional features of this work is that it lists all actions that can invalidate your prayers, and exlains additional actions that are allowed within your prayer. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani has a great depth of knowledge about many aspects of Islamic law- He answers questions on many matters within the hanafi madhab that are available at www.sunnipath.com (a great source to answering all your questions in Islamic law, Theology, and Spirituality).
I can pray now!!!!!.......2005-03-11
I wasn't performing all the obligitory steps in my prayer, now I can pray, and at least assume allah is accepting my prayers. The book flows and allows the reader to easily understand just what the basics of islam are. I recommend anyone and everyone to read it.
Customer Reviews:
all faiths matter.......2005-09-30
I found this book to be very thought-provoking and stimulating. It is well wriiten and reasoned.It is well worth the reading.
Significant and Timely.......2005-05-24
"This small book is written for the spiritually interested general reader who would like to learn about and from the world religions; who is troubled by the arrogance and violence that can sometimes be inflicted on the world in the name of religion; who believes that despite their shortcomings all religions embody wisdom that is essential to the well-being of life; and who is especially interested in prospects for peace between religions"(1).
Thus begins the introduction of GANDHI'S HOPE, a significant and timely new offering on process thought and religious pluralism. McDaniel's religious philosophy cuts deeply and decisively into the fundamentalist and violent fabric of our present culture. In this respect GANDHI'S HOPE is refreshingly countercultural. It is an original work, comprehensive in scope, and abundant in fresh approaches to the understanding of the process view of God and the world.
GANDHI'S HOPE offers a professor's clear guidance in using Whitehead's cosmology as a framework for valuing complimentary-and even contradictory-differences in religious experience and belief, moving the reader toward a liberating expansion of mind and heart. McDaniel's interplay of philosophy, religion, poetry, science, and history is indeed a rare and rich treat. GANDHI'S HOPE represents perhaps the finest expression of McDaniel's signature style: integrating numerous strands of human experience into a wholly satisfying and creative synthesis (a decidedly Whiteheadian approach!).
The "Five Challenges" for all religions are elegantly stated: to live compassionately, to live self-critically, to live simply, to live ecologically, and to welcome religious diversity. McDaniel says candidly, "To the degree that religiously affiliated people respond to these challenges, there will be hope for the world, and religion will be part of the solution. And to the degree that they do not, there will be tragedy in the world, and religion will be part of the problem" (23). It is the last challenge of religious diversity that constitutes the meat of this book.
A concept of particular interest to this reader is McDaniel's focus on "Deep Listening," out of which emerges "an acoustic vision of reality." McDaniel writes, "Consider listening to music in a live concert. If we close our eyes while listening, we realize that the sound of the music is inside us and outside us at the same time, such that we would have a difficult time saying exactly where it is. It is present in us, and yet it is also beyond us. It is this sensation-this feeling of something being both part of us and more than us-that is at the heart of an acoustic vision of reality" (35).
McDaniel likens a Whiteheadian universe, then, to "an unfinished symphony or perhaps a jazz concert." Having established a process world view, the whole concept of peace becomes quite a different matter than is usually supposed (e.g., absence of conflict), paving a path to "peace as beauty-in-the-making" (78).
GANDHI'S HOPE gives us not only hope, but a way through the present morass of violence, intolerance, fear, and ignorance. We rediscover on this journey the cosmic value of "delight in diversity," with Gandhi and Whitehead as our companions and a culture of peace as our destination.
Reviewed by Patricia Adams Farmer, author of EMBRACING A BEAUTIFUL GOD
Note: This review was originally written for CREATIVE TRANSFORMATION, a publication of Process & Faith (...)
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