Synopses & Reviews
Winner of the Books for a Better Life Award
Chosen as one of "The 10 Best Spiritual Books of 2006" by Spirituality and Health magazine
Rabbi Irwin Kula explores desire in spiritual life. Rather than leading us astray, our longings are gateways to self discovery. Our yearnings, once understood, can lead us to discover an expansive vision of God or a wider reality. And when we embrace even our most painful or taboo desires, we can love more deeply and live more fully.
The Biblical authors wrote about characters who, rather than leading perfect lives, actually struggled with their longings for success, love, sex, and happiness. Through interpreting those stories and other spiritual traditions, as well as exploring his own desires and those of regular people, Rabbi Kula shows that "The more we allow ourselves to unfold, the less likely we are to unravel. The more we dive into our desires, the more exquisite life becomes."
Synopsis
The traditions of Jewish wisdom and religion hold answers to life??'s deepest questions.& nbsp; In this, his first book, Rabbi Kula mines those traditions to offer pragmatic insights into how to live hopefully and richly with the uncertainty, complexity, and fear that come with 21st century life.& nbsp; A new way of thinking about religion and spirituality that is neither New Age nor fundamentalist, Yearnings embraces the contradictions of modern experience???what Rabbi Kula calls the ???sacred messiness of life??????and explores the desire to reconcile the conflict between the unscripted course of our lives and our desire for certainty.& nbsp; Yearnings takes the reader on an excursion into the depths of ancient Jewish tradition, drawing parallels between today??'s experiences and the ancient stories of the Bible.& nbsp; A hopeful book for troubled times.
Synopsis
The traditions of Jewish wisdom and religion hold answers to life??'s deepest questions. In this, his first book, Rabbi Kula mines those traditions to offer pragmatic insights into how to live hopefully and richly with the uncertainty, complexity, and fear that come with 21st century life. A new way of thinking about religion and spirituality that is neither New Age nor fundamentalist, Yearnings embraces the contradictions of modern experience???what Rabbi Kula calls the ???sacred messiness of life??????and explores the desire to reconcile the conflict between the unscripted course of our lives and our desire for certainty. Yearnings takes the reader on an excursion into the depths of ancient Jewish tradition, drawing parallels between today??'s experiences and the ancient stories of the Bible. A hopeful book for troubled times.
About the Author
Rabbi Irwin Kula has appeared on Oprah and Frontline and serves as a consultant to corporate and family foundations, as well as to federations, synagogues, and agencies on issues of leadership and change. Fast Company has named Rabbi Kula as one of the new leaders shaping the American spiritual landscape and he has been featured in national publications such as the Washington Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Chicago Tribune. He lives in New York City.
Linda Loewenthal is a writer and literary agent and the founding director of One Spirit, the BOMC spiritual book club.