2 comments about Hidden Spring: A Buddhist Woman Confronts Cancer.

1. I heard a review of this book on National Public Radio & had to see for myself if it was as great as it sounded. This is an inspiringly honest book. It would be a great read for anyone dealing with cancer, depression, or daily life.



2. With only a slight knowledge of Buddhist principles,but with much experience working with people with cancer, I began this book with curiosity and trust. Trust because I came upon it at a Buddhist retreat a friend was checking out before attending a class in a few months. It was at the library and I couldn't leave without it for some reason. Now I know the reason. There is such grace in the journey Sandy began as she struggled to continue her practice under most difficult, even dire circumstances. I laughed, cried and finally understood at a deeper level than ever before how to truly "practice" Buddhism on a daily basis no matter what is happening in your life. I get it now, when no reading I'd done before ever truly connected except on a mental level for me. I'm grateful for Sandy for sharing this experience and I am humbled by her story.

5 comments about Mary Baker Eddy (Radcliffe Biography Series).

1. Gill's book is 2 inches thick. Nothing is new and Eddy as all CS approved literature always comes out on top. She is the infallible prophet that without Rev. Wiggin's revisions of Science and Health, making sense of non-sense, she would have never suceeded in having individuals follow what she herself never did. Morphine was her friend when pain was present.

   For a more objective view see: Fraser's "God's Perfect Child" or Bliss "Destiny of the Mother Church" which really shows Eddy=Christ.

   Kessinger Publishers publish a lot of out of print Eddy Books/Christian Science books and is worth a look at.




2. For far too long, Mary Baker Eddy has been worshiped by Christian Scientists and either castigated or ignored by nearly everyone else. Thanks to this long-needed biography, we now know that Eddy provides an inspiring model for mid to late life accomplishment. As biographer Gill puts it, she was "conventional in her 20s, weak in her 30s, struggling in her 40s, a social outcast in her 50s, indefatigably working in her 60s, famous in her 70s, formidable in her 80s." Over her long life, Eddy overcame ill health, poverty, widowhood, divorce, accusations of plagiarism, lawsuits, mockery and deception, in addition to the expected obstacles of being born poor, uneducated and female in the 19th century. Yet this woman became the most influential and controversial woman in America at the turn of the century. Her writings so challenged contemporary mores that her detractors expended massive amounts of energy producing -- or manufacturing -- damning facts and damaging documents. Over the years, men from Mark Twain to Noel Coward stooped to cheap shots, calling her, variously, shallow, stupid, egotistic, illiterate, illogical, uncultured, poorly read, incapable of love, painted, bedizened, affected, hysteric , paranoiac, mad, ambitious, mercenary, tyrannical, a man eater, a husband killer, a drug addict, a mesmerist, a plagiarist, and even, long after her death, "Hitler with no mustache." Unhappily, most feminists have been so blinded by Eddy's religion that they have failed to properly acknowledge much less honor her considerable courage and accomplishments. Thank you Gillian Gill for setting this straight.



3. I have read a number of biographies about Mary Baker Eddy and this is probably one of the best. Don't skip the footnotes! They are long but well worth reading. I kept one bookmark in the book and another in the footnotes. A few parts that I really enjoyed was learning more about Mary Baker Eddy's life before her discovery of Christian Science. There seems to be very little reliable information on this time period and Gillian Gill fills this void. I also enjoyed reading about the Next Friends case. Gillian Gill seems to have gone further than any previous biographer and actually read what seems to be practically everything on this subject - from newspaper clippings in Lynn, court transcripts, letters between the individuals filing the lawsuit, and more. It is the clearest explanation of the lawsuit I have ever read. And on top of this, I have a little clearer idea of what life must have been like for women in the 1800s - whether you writing a book about the Bible and healing or not.



4. Biographers of Eddy have assumed she was an ordinary woman in possession of an astonishing achievement and success. This strikes Gill as an absurdity. Surely her talent must account for her achievement. Mary Baker Eddy's freedom from domestic care was won at enormous cost when she was separated from her six year old son. She lived with her second husband, Daniel Patterson, in North Groton, New Hampshire between 1855 and 1860. After 1862 she began a transition. By 1875 she was active and independent. She first consulted Quimby, a healer, in 1862. Both Quimby and Mary Baker Eddy were autodicts. Mary Baker Eddy suffered from life-long loneliness. During the Civil War Daniel Patterson had the look of a fool and a failure because he was captured by the rebel forces while he was, remarkably, sight-seeing. The situation encouraged Mary to take an independent stand. For such an undertaking good health was requisite. Under the ministrations of P.P. Quimby she was healed. She became a Quimby disciple and publicist. She made several visits to Portland, Maine between 1863 and 1865. Quimby published nothing in his lifetime. He was barely literate. The Quimby papers were, in all probability, transcriptions of Quimby dictations. Quimby died in 1866. Eddy's healing in 1866 after a fall on the ice, as her marriage was collapsing, was produced through Bible reading. It was a turning point.
   
   Between 1866 and 1870 Mrs. Eddy moved nine times. She was penniless. Hiram Crafts was MBE's first student. While living with Mrs. Webster she met Richard Kennedy and Sarah Bagley. In 1870 MBE and Richard Kennedy moved to Lynn. Kennedy was a healer and MBE a teacher. The early students, except for Putney Bancroft, were a source of endless trouble to Eddy. By 1872 Kennedy had declared his independence. Nearly all of the Eddy-Kennedy correspondance has disappeared. SCIENCE AND HEALTH appeared in print in 1875. Many revisions took place in the foundational text, finally issued for posterity in 1907. MBE underwent social ostracism and cultural and intellectual isolation. She was writing alone in a cultural vacuum. Gill characterizes the work as the loneliest book she has encountered.
   
   The author of the biography functions as a sort of counsel to the defense as she evaluates MBE's essential intergrity and authenticity. She separates the strands of the rival schools of biographers, Milmine-Dakin-Dittemore versus Peel-Wilbur. Asa Gilbert Eddy and Mary Baker Glover, (after separating from Patterson she resumed using the Glover surname), were married January 1, 1877. Gilbert proved to be very useful. He died June 3, 1882. In August 1882 Calvin Frye was offered employment by Mrs. Eddy at her Massachusetts Metaphysical College. His employment with her extended to the end of her life in 1910. Calvin Frye had grown up in the shadow of his mother's insanity.
   
   Mrs. Eddy's religion succeeded as she created a persona appealing to both the rich financier and the aspiring artisan. John Wilson, University Press, became the printer of SCIENCE AND HEALTH to the great betterment of the book in its subsequent editions. Between 1885 and 1891 some editorial services were provided by James Henry Wiggin, a Unitarian minister. Gill argues that SCIENCE AND HEALTH is a flawed but fascinating and radical work. Mary Baker Eddy was unschooled but brilliant. By the end of the 1880's Christian Science was a religious force. It was challenged by the New Thought Movement.
   
   In 1889 Mrs. Eddy moved from Boston to New Hampshire and thereafter appeared in public infrequently. She closed the Metaphysical College and other Christian Science institutions underwent reorganization. In 1892 the Mother Church was established. The building of the church on Norway Street was completed in eight months. Joseph Armstrong wrote interestingly of the building of the church and the extension. The directors supplied on-site supervision of the work. Part of Mrs. Eddy wanted to be entertained and adored. There was, for example, her adopted son Ebenezer Foster. Unfortunately Foster exploited his influence. This biographer identifies one of the problems in Mrs. Eddy's dealings with others is that she hated noise. Pleasant View was a garden and a farm. In her first decade at Concord she enjoyed relative anonymity. In the nineteenth century New Hampshire was a tourist mecca.
   
   A rigid household routine enabled Mrs. Eddy to cope with uneven progress in Christian Science affairs. In her pursuit of domestic perfection Mrs. Eddy may have been a little mad. Household workers learned to fear her anger. Mrs. Eddy taught her last Christian Science class in 1898. Students received special invitations to join the gathering in Concord. In 1906 the New York WORLD reported that Mrs. Eddy was more dead than alive. Her reclusiveness puzzled friends and family. The citizens of Concord were prepared to combat the press attacks. After the Next of Friends law suit Mrs. Eddy moved to Chestnut Hill, (to a great barn of a place, she said). Within three weeks the rooms were reduced to the dimensions of those at Pleasant View and the dwelling became more tailored to Mrs. Eddy's needs. In the end Mrs. Eddy and her followers dealt with Josephine Woodbury and Augusta Stetson, errant leaders of the movement.
   
   Gillian Gill finds that Eddy was not an hysteric, a drug-addict, or deficient in maternal feelings. Acts to change the structure of the religion undertaken subsequent to 1889 are called amusingly the great disestablishment by Gill. Notes, source book descriptions, and an index follow the epilogue in this accomplished and judicious retelling of the life of Mary Baker Eddy.



5. I bought this book at the Christian Science reading room in Boston next to the Mother Church at the recommendation of one of the staff members. She said the book was a good fit for someone who wasn't a Christian Scientist, but wanted to learn more about Mrs. Eddy. I found Gillian Gill's carefully documented biography to be thorough in most respects. Some of the financial issues were glossed over -- How did Ms. Eddy really become so wealthy? While she certainly isn't fawning, Ms. Gill seems too gentle in her treatment of Mrs. Eddy's paranoia about "malicious animal magnetism." The second half of the book is markedly more readable than the first.

No comments about D. L. Moody: The Greatest Evangelist of the Nineteenth Century.

3 comments about Going to Heaven: The Life and Election of Bishop Gene Robinson.

1. As soon as I finished reading Elizabeth Adams' biography, Going to Heaven: The Life and Election of Bishop Gene Robinson, I gave thanks. As a lifelong supporter of human rights, a clergy wife and committed Episcopalian, I was grateful that the biography taught me so much. It taught me more about Bishop Robinson, the man, than all of the news coverage, feature articles and specials that have swirled into the popular press since the announcement of his election. It taught me about Gene Robinson, the gay man, and all that that meant for this individual. It taught me about Gene Robinson, the reluctant poster child for gay rights, and the history of the gay rights movement in the states and in the world. It taught me about Gene Robinson, the committed clergyman, and the inner workings of the church I call mine. I gave thanks, believing that Adams wrote the book with people like me in mind.
   
   Now that I have had time to think more deeply about Adam's biography, something that her writing and approach encourage, I have another perspective. This book is also written for the many people honestly struggling with the issue of gay rights and all that means. I remember well the summer of 2003 and the small knots of committed Christians who gathered after mass despite the suspension of coffee hour to talk about Gene, gay rights and the powerful sermons my husband delivered. I remember their struggles, their confusion, their desire to know more, to go more deeply, to do and think the "right" thing. Adams' biography is for them. She gives them much to think about. She helps them see the bigger picture. She holds their hands as they get to know a not-so-perfect creation of God, the world he occupied and the church he serves. In the end, her biography talks about the power of love, not such a bad message in a time of strife.



2. The author of Going to Heaven is a life-long Episcopalian who is part of the Diocese of New Hampshire, so she is able to offer a lot of additional details about the process of electing Gene in this fascinating book. But what I loved most about the book is that it's not a salacious account of some flash-in-the-pan controversy; instead, it's the spiritual biography of a thought-provoking, deeply prayerful bishop.
   
   It is particularly interesting to see how a person as unassuming and grounded as +Gene steps into his new high profile role. In the numerous direct quotes from him, taken from his interviews with the author, he stresses that he didn't see himself in either side's depictions of him -- he sees himself neither as the devil conservatives paint him as, nor the angel he has become to progressives.
   
   I suspect the controversy over +Gene's election and consecration would be much less sharp if people on all sides were aware of who he is and what his agenda is. (Nine-tenths of that agenda is just being a good bishop for the Diocese of New Hampshire and dealing with the day-to-day needs of his flock.) This new biography is a great step toward clarifying precisely who he is and what he stands for, and I'm grateful to its author for bringing it to light.



3. "Going to Heaven" is less a biography or life of its subject, the first openly-Gay bishop in the history of Christendom, than it is a fine piece of journalism describing the death-grip of heterosexist patriarchy. The book's audiences include LGBT Christians of any denomination, those interested in the dynamics of church schism, and ordinary Episcopal laypeople who wonder what the heck is happening to their beloved Anglican Communion.
   
   Ms. Adams makes clear that the consecration of Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire is much more a symbol of schism than its cause. The wheels were set in motion long before anyone outside the diocese ever heard of the man. She traces the breakups within Anglicanism to the fall of the British Empire and the end of the Cold War, which left a shadowy, right-wing think tank called the Institute for Religion and Democracy, formerly aimed at destabilizing the Soviet Union, with nothing to do. So, like most such institutions, it simply traded missions and started focusing on liberal churches instead, lest they start influencing U.S. foreign policy toward such nightmares as world peace and justice for the poor.
   
   The poor bishop ends up caught in the crossfire. Born to landless farmers in rural Kentucky, raised in fundamentalist simplicity, attracted to piety, music, books and boys, he somehow lands a scholarship at the (Episcopal) University of the South, and from there his future is set in motion. He is introduced to a whole different world of liturgy, scholarship, gentility and faded wealth, which accomodates his own gifts of energy and open gregariousness. He goes to seminary, gets ordained and happily married, has two daughters; but inevitably he must confront his own inner nature. With the help of his gracious wife, he does so successfully; the day of their divorce, they dissolve their wedding vows in church and take communion together.
   
   He works long, hard and well as a bishop's assistant, and at some point meets the man of his dreams. Who this partner is is never quite made clear here, nor is Canon Robinson's ex-wife interviewed. Both those omissions weaken the book somewhat and keep it from being a complete biography. Privacy is respected a bit too much; some quotations fail of attribution and certain villains of the piece (other churchmen) are allowed to scamper away. But this reveals the author's real purpose: solid, insightful and original reporting on the hidden drama of church politics. There she seldom disappoints.
   
   The book is greatly enhanced by scores of photographs by Jonathan Sa'adah showing the bishop, his lover Mark and ex-wife Boo, their daughters, various church personalities, even Sir Elton John.
   
   What we are left with is a humble priest who has grown into the job of diocesan bishop and international symbol. In extensive, self-disclosive interviews, he shows himself to be just the sort of open personalty by whom some people come to know Christ. That he is the object of others' scorn, derision and death threats says everything we need to know about his enemies' willingness to use Gene Robinson for their own purposes.
   
   I hope that Ms. Adams will go on from here to produce another book about the Anglicans' schisms, which continue to unfold in worldwide headlines. She already has the background and covers its complexity with clarity and insight here. The issues now go beyond Gene Robinson and the Episcopal Church; there is much to discover about the secret promoters of division, in the United States, England, Nigeria and elsewhere. A good place to start is in Falls Church, Virginia, where a breakaway megachurch is populated by conservative Baptists and Methodists in high positions in the current U.S. government.
   
   By the time former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold spoke out against the invasion of Iraq and consecrated Gene Robinson, the Institute for Religion and Democracy had long since been cutting the ground out from under them.++

4 comments about A Stranger in Tibet: The Adventures of a Wandering Zen Monk.

1. Scott Berry brought to light a most unusual book on Tibet based on the turn of the century manuscript of a Zen Monk's adventures in Tibet. Kawaguchi Ekai "Three Years In Tibet" was the contemporary of Alexandra David-Neel and Sir Francis Younghusband, the famous Tibetologist. The uniqueness of this book is that for the very first time, an account of Tibet was told from the Asian point of view. Kawaguchi was born in the Meiji Restoration Era, but he was certainly not a conformist of that era, he was much too eccentric for his time. Although the Meiji Era symbolizes the modernization and opening of Japan as well as the adoption of a strong Japanese identity; Kawaguchi was the direct opposite, a throwback to a much earlier age of high adventure focusing on Buddhist spiritual development. During the Meiji Restoration, western culture and western scientific methods were making inroads into the Japanese system, downplaying China's symbolic role in Japan. All things Chinese especially Buddhism was despise at, instead the state cult of Shintoism gained much favour of the Royal Court and the ruling clique. The Emperor though still a puppet emperor became the focus of the new cult of the emperor as the living embodiment of Amaretsu, the so called descendant of the Sun God. Kawaguchi had very strong affinity with Buddhism. In his early life although not yet a monk, he took the shojin vows of refraining from meat, alcohol and maintaining celibacy. Kawaguchi was first ordained in the Obaku sect (Obakusan or Mampukuji) a Buddhist sect imported to Japan during the Ming Dynasty retaining much of its Chinese influences like liturgy recitation and even the style of vegetarian cooking remained close to its Chinese identity. Although a member of this sect, Kawaguchi was disillusion with the worldliness of the members of the Sangha, his quest was for the original teachings that remains the heart and soul of the Buddhist Tripitaka. No other place suits his quest except for Tibet, where Sanskrit Buddhist texts remains locked up in the various monasteries as a safeguard from the Muslim invasion of India. Scott Berry illustrated the zest of Kawaguchi, comparing him with Hsuan Tung, the illustrious pilgrim criss-crossing deserts, vast nations, various tribes etc in his quest for Buddhist holy texts. Kawaguchi was not unlike the modern incarnation of Hsuan Tung. His quest for Buddhist texts brought him to Darjeeling, India (Little Tibet) where he stayed for almost a year, accustoming to the Tibetan culture and language. Tibet at the turn of the century was a very feudal nation, the rule of the Dalai Lama was totalitarian and unquestionable. China's influence in Tibet remained very strong, the Chinese Ambans acted as agents of the Manchu Court influencing various policies of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. Tibet did not welcome visitors to her land, she was closed to foreigners except Buddhist pilgrims from Mongolia, Bhutan, Nepal and India. Many visitors gate-crashed into Tibet, including zealous Christian missionaries like Ippolito Desideri, and adventurers like Peter Hopkirk (Tresspasser On The Roof Of The World). Still, forays into the Tibetan heartland remained few and far in between, remaining rather impossible for the curious westerners or in this scenario a lone Japanese monk. Kawaguchi's comments on Tibetan Buddhism was rather critical, he was not apprehensive to snide on the various practices of the Tibetans including the worship Guru Rinpoche or Guru Padmasambhava, in his views, he questioned the equality that Tibetans placed upon Guru Rinpoche and Sakyamuni Buddha. For him, he evaluated Guru Rinpoche not as a true Buddha but a charlatan, murderer, fornicator and a drunkard as observed in his quotation. "Lobon (Guru Rinpoche) was in practice a devil in disguise of a priest and behaved if he has been born for the very purpose of corrupting and preventing the spread of holy doctrines of Buddhism". Scott Berry made known Kawaguchi cultural prejudices against Tibetans, he saw himself as culturally superior compared to backward and superstitious Tibetans. It is interesting to note that Kawaguchi took devotedly to the daily bath seriously, he was aghast of the Tibetans view of bathing that which at most was 3 times in a lifetime, at birth, marriage and death. In Darjeeling, Sagauli, Kathmandu and Thak Khola, Kawaguchi befriended many people including Chandra Das and Chiniya Lama. It was during this time, Kawaguchi replaced his Chinese Mahayana robes for the Tibetan maroon-coloured robes. Probably by then, Kawaguchi was in diguise not as a Japanese monk but a Chinese monk bending on making a sacred pilgrimage to the holy city of Lhasa. I am rather impressed by the author's account of life in Nepal as very few authors have touched on the palace intrigue of Nepal during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The author too wrote some very good narrative of daily practices of the Tibetans including a well-liked account of the hermit Gelong Rinpoche. Kawaguchi forays into Tibet was indeed very interesting, texts from his book "Three Years In Tibet" was well quoted and duly explained and detailed by Berry. Differences between the various religious factions of Tibetan Buddhism were highlighted, from the tulku line of the Karmapa-Dalai Lama to the degeneration of various Buddhist practices to tantrism. It is a pity, the climax of Berry's account was extremely short as compared to the overall account of Kawaguchi biography. The features of Kawaguchi in Lhasa (U Tsang) was indeed short (only two chapters) though I would say this should be given the most attention as it was the goal of Kawaguchi's prime destination. Kawaguchi indeed managed to realize his goals of collecting sacred text in Sanskrit, he was to become a student at the prime monastery of Sera, one of the three greatest monasteries in Tibet, i.e. Ganden, Drepung and Sera. Nevertheless, it is indeed very enlightening to read about Kawaguchi's encounters with the 7th Panchen Lama (although I would question the validity of Berry's numbering, as it seems strange to have a 7th Panchen Lama in the early 1900s and the 11th Panchen Lama enthroned in 1995), the 13th Dalai Lama and to the much admired Kyabje Tri Ganden Rinpoche. Kawaguchi never failed to mention his high admiration for Kyabje Tri Ganden Rinpoche, for him Kyabje was the ideal monk not corrupted by worldliness or politics. As a Doctor of Sera and at times personal physician to the 13th Dalai Lama, Kawaguchi wrote at long of health conditions and various medical practices among the Tibetans. Kawaguchi's description of Lhasa was indeed very fascinating. ( ) END



2. I picked up a copy of this book in a bookstore in Katmandu as a result of a recommendation from someone that had already spent time in the area. For me, just beginning on a month-long trek, the detailed description of the subject's travels were amazing. This is in part because the western most portion of a famous trek in Nepal (Annapurna Circuit) are covered during the adventure. However, now, 19 years after my trek I have begun to read this book again and am struck by the author's careful, almost painstaking attention to the details of the subject's trek through parts of Nepal and into Tibet about 100 years ago. This is truly a book that takes you back in time and lets you imagine what it must have been like to travel to a totally foreign and forbidding country with no safety net to achieve a goal as empowering as locating original religious manuscripts. If you have ever wanted to imagine what true adventure is like, this is the book for you. It is not clear that there are adventures left like this in the world. The story is filled with episodes when the traveler logically should have either frozen, starved, or been otherwise killed. Of course, for a book like this to succeed the story must be unimaginable on some level but still possible. The details are barely believable (such as ending up teaching within Lhasa while being a foreigner). However, the real mystery, never solved, concerns the subject of the story himself. One is left wishing to have met this bizarre and infuriating combination of bungling and brilliance.



3. I still cherish the memory of reading this book. There are many reasons to recommend it, but I love it as a combination humorous travel story and spiritual reflection. It is also an interesting example of how identity and conciousness can transform in the crucible of a foreign culture. This book is great as travel writing, spiritual writing and personal history.



4. with the particular buddhist context, in an accesible type of prose, stripped of too much jargon and history

2 comments about Life of Sir Thomas More.

1. he did many differnt thing. but he is weak to god,and strong to society. so, he keep the relision and make the new society.



2. William Roper's biography of Sir Thomas More provides an intimate account of More's life from his own son-in-law, who himself lived with the Saint for sixteen years. So, from this first-hand source of More's life comes an intimate, unique and fascinating narrative of the principle events of his life; but mostly, the events described begin shortly before his elevation to Lord Chancellor, so for anyone looking for insight on More's early life, this work is not the one. Although, on the other hand, for anyone seeking to find a dramatic account of More's tragic but heroic fate, or for anyone just looking to find a collective bevy of More's wise old sayings, Roper's work will be of inestimable value. The only drawbacks to Roper's biography is that it is short, lacks scholarship, and fails in general to surface a clear portrayal of Thomas More's life and overall character. Furthermore, with this in mind, it can easily be imagined how much more we would know of him if someone with much more depth and perspective as an author sought to comprise biography of Sir Thomas More instead. However, had Roper not written at all, it may equally be envisaged how much we would have lost More's life. So, in the end, Roper's work pays off for the details he provides, and for the fact that his familiarity with More engenders a certain level of confidence and reasonable reliability as a whole. William Roper's work is indispensable for anyone serious about the study of Sir Thomas More.

2 comments about Padre Pio and America.

1. See my "Happy Loumim" review of "The Holy Man on the Mountain, Padre Pio and the Americans Who Discovered Him."
   PADRE PIO AND AMERICA is a new TAN edition of that book, but even better because of photographs, which of course intensify the whole experience. You'll enjoy meeting these Americans (some of whom I knew)--so graced to have discovered Padre Pio on that mystical mountain long before the rest of the world heard of him. I wish you well reading this...



2. Frank Rega's book on Padre Pio will take you into an intimate look with a soul united to God. Through his sufferings, Padre Pio became conformed to Christ, not only spiritually, but physically as well. His closeness to Christ was seen through his sufferings, which he united to God's own suffering, to help save souls from destruction. Padre Pio's love for soldiers gives me great consolation, since I have a son serving in Iraq. As a lay Franciscan, I pray to him daily to intercede for my family, and to portect, watch over, and guide my children to Jesus.. Thank you, Frank, for writing such a wonderful book!

5 comments about One God Clapping: The Spiritual Path of a Zen Rabbi.

1. I admit that I'm biased since I have twice met Rabbi Lew when I attended religious servics at his synagogue in San Francisco. I liked Rabbi Lew's book and found his spiritual journry to be engrossing. We all have our own spiritual struggles and being able to eavesdrop on someone else's helps us focus upon our own. Rabbi Lew was raised in a secular, politically leftist household and though he retained his political liberalism, he attained spirituality and a strong belief in God, starting with a legnthy immersion into Buddhism that evolved into a return to Judaism. Rabbi Lew is not one to do things half way. He was fully immersed in his Buhdism and sort of rose in the ranks of that community. When he rediscovered Judaism, he became so immersed that, as the oldest student in his seminary class, he became the top student, totally devoting his life to his goal to become a Rabbi. He also shares his family struggles in this book. I must conclude by disagreeing with another reviewer who feels that Rabbi Lew did not illumnate his reasons for leaving Buddhism. In fact, I think he was very clear: he felt that his life was subject to a doctrine that was too dogmatic and too controlling of his individuality. At least, that's what I gleaned from my reading of the book and, the reason seemed to be rather clearly stated.



2. This book has been a continuing source of inspiration on my spiritual journey. I am going through the process of converting to Judaism and hold a strong interest in Zen meditation, Yoga and a mindful way of life. The stories told in One God Clapping touched my heart, my soul, and my intellect, and gave me the sense that I was reading about my own life. Rabbi Lew offers up a heartfelt glimpse into the experiences of his life with a warmth and honesty that speaks a universal truth about humanity. I laughed. I cried. I re-evaluated my priorities and I loved it. Well written with a fluidity that makes the reading experience delightful, this is one I will read again and again. Mazal Tov to Rabbi Lew!



3. Rabbi Alan Lew discusses his rich Brooklyn childhood, his family's move to largely anti-Jewish suburbs of Westchester, his studies at Penn, his marriage, his move into Zen and ten years in monastic contemplation to fulfill his spiritual yearnings, and his return to Judaism and the rabbinate. This is the story of his integration of the East with the West. It's about Jewish karma, and the reclamation of spirituality. It's about why so many Jewish youth turn East in their spiritual quests, experiment with Eastern religions and worship the exotic (sometimes just because it is exotic). This book is both easy to read and interesting. I also highly recommend a little book of wisdom by a young Jewish/Buddhist author named Taro Gold titled "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life."



4. I have never written a review before, feeling that until I became an author, I should keep quiet. However this book has moved me to reevaluate. I have never seen such a rambling, self involved, free association, represented as a "spiritual path" in all my years of reading spiritual books of many varities. The author never stops talking about himself, and a myriad of unconnected and unexplained bits of memories to mention anything of substance about ANY spiritual traditions, other than in passing. I question whether anyone so staggeringly self-involved has benefited from any "spiritual path". I wouldn't think of this as even an interesting autobiography, since it seems more a pedantic chronology of events about HIMSELF, than a celebration of the "others" that accompanied one along the journey. Perhaps good cathartic journaling for the author, but a great pretender as any sort of spiritual guide. Very disappointing! I feel I have completely wasted $16.95. For a useful and intelligent autobiographical type discussion of one's journey through religious traditions, and helpful comparisons, similarities and differences, try "The Unexpected Way" by Paul Williams; "The One Light" by Bede Griffiths, or "The Other Half Of My Soul" compiled by Beatrice Bruteau.



5. An interesting, easy to read narrative of the author's journeys. I can't say I learned all that much about why Rabbi Lew returned to Judaism, except that most of his decisions come from the kind of flashes of insight that are not easily reduced to words.
   
   He did, however, explain reasonably coherently why he was attracted to Conservative Judaism rather than to Orthodoxy - a somewhat unusual phenomenon, because baal teshuvot (Jews who have "returned" to religious observance) generally veer towards Orthodoxy. Lew explains that because of his Buddhist experiences, he was comfortable with the rigorous spiritual practice demanded by halacha. But he was not comfortable with the ideological demands of Orthodoxy; while many baal teshuvot choose an ideology first and seek to alter their practice to conform to that ideology, Lew chose the practice long before he was certain about what he believed, and thus is more orthoprax than orthodox. He writes when he was in rabbinical school and contemplating switching to Orthodoxy, an Orthodox friend told him "There's a right way to think and a wrong way. That's what Orthodox means- the right way to think." That is when Lew decided that Orthodoxy was not for him.
   
   Although I found most of this book to be merely interesting rather than riveting, there were a few "wow" moments here and there. Some examples:
   
   1. His explanation of cults and other religious mistakes: "If a person shows any sign of spiritual power whatsoever, they [Americans] immediately fall to worshipping him. The idea that someone could be spiritually powerful but also evil or venal, or simply crazy, is beyond their ken . . . because spiritual power is somewhat rare in the West, when most Americans encounter it for the first time, they are utterly defenseless."
   
   2. A wonderful story about a service at JTS (Jewish Theological Seminary) on Yom HaShoah: Professor No. 1 speaks at length about his horrifying Holocaust experiences, and concludes "I don't see why we should remember it at all"- his point, according to Lew, being "If we really remembered the Holocaust, there would be no way to contain the horror." That night, it was announced that the son of Professor No. 2 (also a survivor) was being engaged. Normally, the students would sing a congratulatory song, but they were too shocked by Professor 1's speech. Professor 2 then yelled "You better sing ... The whole point is, they tried to finish us off, and they failed. I'm the only one left in my family, and now my son is going to get married and have chidren, and my family will continue." The students sang, needless to say.
   
   3. A wonderful quote from Louis Finkelstein: "Judaism is very difficult. It demands more of its lay people than most religions demand from their priests. Most people complain that today's Jews don't do enough, that they aren't observant enough. But I think who's holding a gun to their heads?"

4 comments about The Longing for Home: Reflections at Midlife.

1. Buechner's style so lends itself to the hesitant believer, the everyman-doubter, but brings so much hope and inspiration....who can read this and not relate?



2. Much of Buechner's non-fiction consists of memoirs in which he explores the presence of God in the everyday moments and journeys of his own life. Buechner's books are compelling first because he is a superb writer, and second because his life, were it reduced to a resume, is really not all that exceptional; not that different from yours or mine. That combination is Buechner's genius. He reminds us that there there is no ordinary life, and succeeds superbly in getting us each to listen for God's action in the lives each of us live.

   This book is a collection of essays. It partly rewinds through experiences and events in memoirs Buechner has already published (including The Sacred Journey, Now and Then, and Telling Secrets). But it focuses on the theme of home and its theological overtones. Many characters, places and events from Buechner's life will be familiar to the Buechner reader. I don't find the writing to have the crispness and punch of his earlier memoirs. Maybe the mine of Buechner's experience is not yielding the quality of ore that it did earlier, or maybe the writing just doesn't refine it as well. This is certainly a book all Buechner fans will want to read. But if you are new to Buechner's non-fiction, start with the first three memoirs I mention above.




3. I agree 100% with the Thorburn review directly below mine... it's a great and accurate review. I agree especially with the comment that one should start with Buechner's excellent memoir-trilogy (listed there) before venturing into this one. And if you're still interested in Buechner, by all means, The Longing For Home will be meaningful for you at many points. Don't get me wrong, I am convinced that anything Buechner writes is definitely worth reading, it's just that this book seemed a trifle esoteric, even for a Buechnerite like myself.

   I usually try to avoid subjective comments like the one I'm about to make, but I found the poetry section a bit too "on the inside" (obscure?) for me, as with the chapter entitled "Rinkitink in Oz"... I can only imagine these slices of the book as being of interest to an extremely select minority of readers. They are not "generally" appealing. But then, the chapter "Of Whipples and Wheels" had me actually consulting a map of Vermont, trying to locate the places Buechner is discussing. It was very interesting stuff (incidentally, I never did find the locations). And there are A+ insightful theological homilies in the latter chapters.

   I have enjoyed all of F.B.'s writing over the years, however, this particular volume is definitely one for only the initiated and highly interested.




4. Another deeply revealing, intelligent, inspiring memoir from the writer (not just "religious" writer) who best addresses spiritual matters in a way that is meaningful to me. He shares his personal experiences in a way that is comforting and helps me ponder the mystery of life. I never tire of reading Frederick Buechner.

No comments about Making Many Glad: The Life and Labours of Daniel Baker.