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5 comments about The Year Mom Got Religion: One Woman's Midlife Journey into Judaism.

1. the title does not do justice to the depth and intelligence of this book. one of the best on the subject of Jewish identity in America -- and how to develop one -- that I have read.



2. While I found The Year Mom Got Religion to be an entertaining read, there are some reservations I would like to register. Meyerhoff Hendler herself suggests, there may be no such thing as an "average Jew," and thus appropriately confines her comments to her own spiritual journey. Her honesty in narrating the false steps, insecurities (initially not being able to follow the Shabbat service), and failures as well as her successes, joys and evolving relationship with God, is to be commended. Her story is poignant, humorous, inspiring, and extremely well written.

   However, those looking for a guide to their own spiritual development might be disappointed. In chapter 7, Meyerhoff Hendler addresses the issue, "That's Fine for You, But What About the Rest of Us?" Here she tries to prove the point that ANYONE can undertaken the kind of life altering steps that she has taken, to acquire more knowledge, deepen their spiritual committment and increase their religious participation. She claims this is not an exercise reserved for the "rich and powerful." She reports this from the comfort of a wealthy family upbringing that encouraged enormous freedoms, a stable, financially-secure marriage (where her husband seems to be the only wage earning spouse), and a family of relatively self-sufficient preteen through young twenty-something children. She has the luxury of not only money, but time. Readers struggling to juggle jobs, care for small children and/or aging parents, who can't afford to spend the time meeting with rabbis, attending extra lectures, buying or reading extra books, establishing a meeting/study group, or who are currently unaffiliated with a synagouge that will provide some of these functions, may well be out of luck. As a full-time working mom of toddlers in rural America (40 miles from the nearest synagogue), Meyerhoff Hendler's encouragement sounded hollow. She "doesn't get it." The "average Jew's" spiritual journey back into Judaism may not require wealth, but money helps "grease the wheels" to keep one's momentum going.

   I was happy for Lee Meyerhoff Hendler's awakening, and felt enriched by sharing her experiences, but the most practical knowledge I gained from reading the book was among her recommendations of other texts found in the appendix.




3. This book is an intriguing glimpse into the exhilirating, yet difficult journey of the author to lead a more Jewishly-informed life. Ms. Hendler describes her journey in a beautifully written style, with a no-holds-barred view of both the joy and difficulties in such a journey. The joy and meaning derived from her newfound literacy are beautiful to read. The personal difficulties faced in her newfound commitment to following more Jewish halakah are often disturbing. An example is her description of the time her family takes her to a crab house for Mother's Day, shortly after she has announced that she will keep kosher from now on. I highly recommend this well-told personal account and look foward to where Ms. Hendler next directs her literary talents.



4. I came to this book eagerly as an on-again-off-again "baalas teshuvah" myself. There are many books on the market about Jews becoming more religious, and many of these offer fascinating new insights. I was really hoping Hendler would have something to say that would resonate for me... but just a short way into the book, I realized I was going to be disappointed.

   I'm sure Hendler is a lovely person, but on paper, I found her rather self-absorbed. She seems obsessed with her family's wealth, status and influence in the Jewish community, and while I'm heartened to see the "elite" showing an interest in genuine Jewish life, I couldn't help resenting the touch of sanctimoniousness I detected here.

   I am also leery of anyone who claims to have "gotten religion" within the Conservative movement. My own past experience with Conservative Judaism has biased me here, but I think returning to your religious roots demands that you surround yourself with like-minded individuals. Frankly, I doubt there's any Conservative congregation on the continent where Shabbat, Kashrut and Taharat Hamishpacha are practiced in anything like a majority of homes.

   I remember all too well walking home from a Conservative shul and having other congregants beep at me from their cars as they drove past. That was just one more symptom of the underlying disdain within the laypeople of that movement for accepting halachic responsibility in their lives.

   I'm pleased that Hendler has taken on some of that responsibility, and that she's found joy and fulfillment in the process. However, I doubt that her message will resonate with most Conservative Jews, who are probably quite comfortable with their current lack of observance. What Hendler seems to have discovered is that while philanthropy alone isn't enough to elevate herself above the masses, halachic life might be.

   In "getting religion", Hendler has joined a different type of elite, one that exists only within the Conservative movement. In Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism, laypeople are often well-educated, services include more English, and there is a greater focus on making religion accessible. In Orthodoxy, the majority of participants are observant, and can lead traditional services and Torah readings in Hebrew. Only in Conservative Judaism is there a rift between the layperson and the "priesthood", the rabbis and chazzanim who drape themselves in robes and silly hats so they can stand above their congregants at the front of the synagogue.

   Hendler's "odyssey" (as another reviewer here called it) is really the tale of how she bought her way into that priesthood, acquiring everything but the long black robes through a pampered suburban journey into spiritual life. Though she contends that anyone can incorporate Judaism into his/her life, I doubt that's really what she's after, because then she wouldn't be (as the same reviewer commented), such a "sought-after lay speaker."

   She is sought-after because her thesis is that Torah-inspired Judaism isn't such a "dirty" concept after all... even the rich can do it! But I for one resent that kind of help, with its insinuation that there is something improper about religious life, that it needs the "hechsher" (imprimatur) of wealth and a good upbringing to make it palatable.

   In true Conservative fashion, Hendler's book ultimately touts Jewish life only as a means to personal fulfillment, rather than as a system of ancient responsibilities which are often as difficult and confounding as they are uplifting. Though she describes the difficulties of observance, her descriptions are often superficial and breezy, much like the title of this book. To me, both epitomize the Conservative obsession with being religious, but not TOO religious, that eventually drove me away from that movement altogether.

   Another reviewer commends Hendler for her patience, but at many points in this book, that could be interpreted as restraint and a less-than-wholehearted desire to make the major life changes Judaism demands.

   Read this book for its anecdotes and reminiscences, but don't expect any kind of epiphany. There isn't a lot of "take away" wisdom in this self-obsessed work. Hendler does provide a reading list, and the story of her journey might make a good starting point for Conservative Jews who want to stay that way. But there are better autobiographies to read for inspiration if you're interested in embarking on a full, open-minded Jewish journey.




5. I've read a lot of memoirs on Jewish identity recently, and this is one of the best.

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No comments about The Life of Gotama the Buddha, Compiled Exclusively from the Pali Canon: Trubner's Oriental Series.

2 comments about Dalai Lama: Man, Monk, Mystic.

1. As the spiritual leader of the once-obscure religion of Tibetan Buddhism, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama has become revered by people in all parts of the world for his sincerity, openness, common-sense, teaching of non-violence, and spirituality. In "Dalai Lama: Man, Monk, Mystic" (2007) the Indian journalist Mayank Chhaya has written an informative if somewhat limited biography of this charismatic spiritual leader. At times, the focus of the book seems to be more on the political conflict between China and Tibet rather than upon the life of the Dalai Lama himself. In his concluding chapter, Chhaya points out that for all the media attention he receives and the people he attacts, the Dalai Lama is difficult to know intimately. But with its focus on externals, this book still constitutes a good introduction to the Dalai Lama.
   
   Chayya does a good job of placing his biography in a proper context by giving an overview of Tibet's geography and history, and its interactions over the centuries with Buddhism, China, and India. Many Westerners have become fascinated with the religion of Tibetan Buddhism. Chayya describes himself as an agnostic. He points out how the spiritual teachings of Buddhism in Tibet became joined with the much earlier religious traditions in Tibet which featured animal sacrifice, nature worship, and shamanism. He also points out, and perhaps exaggerates, the difficulties which many Westerners, with their skepticism and science, have with the Buddhist teaching of rebirth. The author's treatment of Buddhist teachings shows well the dispassion and objectivity which characterize his biography.
   
   Chayya also discusses well, the current Dalai Lama's predecessor, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, who began the process of modernizing Tibet. He shows who the current Dalai Lama was discovered in a remote Tibetan village at the age of 3 brought to Lhasa, and assumed the spiritual and temporal responsibility of the Dalai Lama as an adolescent. China invaded Tibet in 1950 and in 1959 the Dalai Lama was forced to flee to India. He has not been back to Tibet since that time but has instead tried to work for a nonviolent resolution of the dispute with China and to preserve the essentials of Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan culture. The Dalai Lama received the Nobel Prize in 1989.
   
   Most of the book is given over to a summary of the China-Tibet conflict and of the Dalai Lama's role in trying to secure a peaceful solution. Chayya offers a balanced, circumspect view of this conflict, which does not permit of a clear-cut solution. The Dalai Lama does not advocate an independent Tibet; rather he seeks spiritual and local autonomy for Tibet under the general government supervision of China. His position is too timid for some, too radical for others. For all the sympathy the Dalai Lama's cause has engendered, it has secured only a small place at best on the international political agenda.
   
   With all the attention the book gives to the Tibet-China controversy, Chayya is too short in his consideration of the spiritual, internal dimension of the Dalai Lama and his teaching. He does point out some of the internal spiritual divisions within Tibetan Buddhism, as it involves the worship of spirits, and he points to the great appeal of the Dalai Lama's teaching to those of other faiths -- as well as to those who profess no faith at all. He offers a portrayal of the Dalai Lama -- with his sense of humor, kindness, and interest in the sciences, that is consistent with much other readily accessible public information about him. Yet I finished this book glad that I had read it but feeling that I wanted to know more about the Dalai Lama, his teachings, and the factors that contributed to making him what he is.
   
   Chayya has written a worthwhile book about an inspiring spiritual leader. But I think that many of the Dalai Lama's own published books (I would have liked Chayya to have told more about them) offer better insight into what the Dalai Lama is about.
   
   Robin Friedman



2. Mayank Chhaya's Dalai Lama: Man, Monk, Mystic pays tribute to the man who has captured the world's attention with his advocacy for Tibet and dedication to nonviolence. The author offers a unique perspective as he approaches the subjects of Tibet, Buddhism, and the Dalai Lama himself with a sense of awe and admiration. As an Indian journalist, Chhaya is able to provide readers with ample background information regarding the ongoing conflict between China and Tibet as well as offer insights into the Dalai Lama's life in exile in India. That the biography is infused with personal anecdotes that the Dalai Lama shared with the author in series of interviews sets it apart from other accounts of the life of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and makes it appropriate for audiences with different levels of familiarity with the subject. Even when the author lauds the Dalai Lama's strides toward increasing awareness of the Tibetan cause, Chhaya is still able to convey the humble nature of this leader and make it clear how this revered leader perceives himself.
   
   However, at some parts of the biography, the high regard this author has for this Buddhist monk becomes a little too apparent and reaches levels that the Dalai Lama would probably not approve of. Mayank Chhaya responds to the idea that the Dalai Lama is Gandhi's successor by explaining how the Dalai Lama has had to face more significant challenges and essentially asserting that the Dalai Lama has managed to surpass Gandhi's achievements. Chhaya claims that Gandhi "was up against an imperial power in precipitous decline. The Dalai Lama, on the other hand, has no defined context of a country to operate from...He remains the only leader of consequence for his cause, unlike Gandhi" (166). While the Dalai Lama undeniably faced many hardships in his cause to preserve Tibetan culture and stand up to the Chinese, it is not necessary for the author to diminish the accomplishments of Gandhi to achieve this purpose. In another instance, the author includes an interview with a young girl who asserts that "the Dalai Lama is far more universal in his message than the pope" (220). While it is clear that the author is attempting to convey the perception that the Dalai Lama is very accessible and down-to-earth, this argument could have been more effective by discussing the Dalai Lama in his own right rather than comparing him to other famous proponents of peace.

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No comments about Medicine and Duty: The World War I Memoir of Captain Harold W. Mcgill, Medical Officer 31st Battalion C.E.F. (Legacies Shared).

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3 comments about Life of Edward Irving: Fore-Runner of the Charismatic Movement.

1. The late Arnold Dallimore, a Canadian pastor and popular biographer, begins this book by declaring his intent to write "without bias" and to present "historic truth with honesty and accuracy." Most readers of a Calvinist--or at least non-Charismatic--persuasion will agree that Dallimore has done his job carefully, thoughtfully, and well. Dallimore stresses Irving's great gifts and even empathizes with the eccentricities of character that propelled Irving from the pinnacle of success as a London clergyman of the 1820s to ridicule as a fanatic, a charlatan, and even a madman before his premature death in 1834.

   Irving seems to have been a man hard to dislike. His longtime friend, Thomas Carlyle called him "the freest, brotherliest, bravest human soul mine ever came in contact with." Yet an instability of temperament led Irving to endorse charismatic gifts such as prophecy, healing, and speaking in tongues; and support of these gifts ended with Irving's virtual subservience to their practitioners and thus to the virtual destruction of his ministry.

   Besides providing a portrait of a nearly forgotten preacher of the early nineteenth century, Dallimore employes Irving's instability to demonstrate the weakness of the modern charismatic movement. To my mind, his admonition to modern charismatics is sound, although they will undoubtedly disagree. Secular historians will also wonder if Dallimore's frankly stated theological agenda can coexist with the writing of unbiased history.

   My own most serious criticism of the biography is that in his decision to treat Irving as "the fore-runner of the charismatic movement," Dallimore has brushed lightly over Irving's other claim to theological importance, his emphasis on premillenialist eschatology, an important component of modern Protestant fundamentalism. Reviewers are rightfully warned not to criticize a book that the author has not written. Still, it is unfortunate that an author of Dallimore's abilities did not fill this void in what is likely to remain a standard biography of Edward Irving for some time to come.




2. I purchased Arnold Dallimore's book because the life and ministry of Edward Irving has always intrigued me. Having grown up in the Pentecostal Church and then spent several years in the Pentecostal Church as a minister before studying the Bible and leaving the Pentecostal Church, I had heard of Edward Irving. While modern Pentecostals have little knowledge of who Irving was, older Pentecostals (and especially Pentecostal colleges and seminaries) know who he was. Irving, to many Pentecostals, was way ahead of his time in his theology and practices.
   
   In this book Dallimore seeks to give us the life of Irving. This is not a collection of Irving's sermons or his theological writings. This is Irving's life on paper. Dallimore covers Irving's life from birth to death. He covers Irving's spiritual background, his early ministry, his conversion, and his fall into mystical experiences. Had Irving not become involved in the charismatics gifts, many evangelicals would probably remember him along with greats such as Jonathan Edwards or Charles Spurgeon.
   
   The book does a good job of presenting us to the man Edward Irving. By the end of the book you will want to be a lot like Irving in many ways. He was humble, he loved God, he longed to see the Spirit of God at work in the dead established Church he was apart of in 19th century England. Where he got off base was in went his desire went beyound the Scriptures to seeking personal experiences and "words from the Lord" rather than Jesus Himself. Irving was a noted preacher, a man of passion, and a man who was unwilling to just go along with popular notions and doctrines simply to fit in. He wanted to see people radically living for Jesus. Sadly, he is best remembered for his teachings on the charismatic gifts and not his ministry.
   
   My only reason for not giving Dallimore a five star rating for this book is that Dallimore tends to lump all charismatics along with Irving. If a person is charismatic in their theology then they must be a person who places personal experience above Scripture. This is simply not true of all charismatics. I would argue that my theology is somewhat charismatic (not all of it) but I certainly don't agree with Irving's entire thoughts nor do I seek personal experiences above the truth of the Word (John 8:31-32). Experience must flow from the truth of the Bible rather than vise versa (2 Timothy 3:16-4:6).
   
   However, the life of Edward Irving is a must study. I have read books on the lives of great saints such as A.W. Tozer, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and many others but the life of Edward Irving is one that many of us can identify with. We want more out of our Christian experience and so it is easy (like Irving) to get off base as we seek more. May we learn from his example. May we stay biblical.



3. The Banner of Truth Trust is known for its biased hero-worshipping scholarship that tends to exhault the Puritans and other early Calvinists at the expense of those who disagreed with them. I think Dallimore's "Life of Edward Irving" is a good example of the latter tendency, for I can think of no other reason why the Trust would publish a biography of Irving, if not for the purpose of discrediting the Charismatic and Pentecostal movements, hence the explanatory subtitle, "Fore-Runner of the Charismatic Movement."
   
   That being said, I did mildly enjoy Dallimore's work. It often seemed as though the biographer labored to be charitable to Irving, despite the man's character and theological flaws. One might read Dallimore's biography of Whitefield (one of the most edifying books I've ever come across) by contrast, where Whitefield is presented almost without flaws, whereas Irving is barely even credited with having come to full faith in Christ, and certainly not an orthodox faith. Since I do not have any knowledge of Irving beyond this book, I cannot judge its accuracy. In any case, its certainly worth a look.

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