Jewish Spirituality : A Brief Introduction for Christians

by Lawrence Kushner

A window into the Jewish soul―written especially for Christians. "I invite you to explore with me some of the rich and varied expressions of the Jewish spiritual imagination. It is a tradition that may at times, for Christians, feel strangely familiar and will, for Christians and Jews, always challenge you to see yourself and your world through a new lens."
―from the Introduction Jewish spirituality is an approach to life that encourages us to become aware of God's presence and purpose, even in unlikely places. “This world and everything in it is a manifestation of God’s presence,” says Rabbi Lawrence Kushner. “Our challenge and goal is to find it and then act in such a way as to help others find it too.” In this special book, Kushner guides Christians through the rich wisdom of Jewish spirituality. He tailors his unique style to address Christians’ questions, and, in doing so, opens new windows on their own faith. Jewish Spirituality is a window into the Jewish soul that people of all faiths can understand and enjoy. From the Talmud and Torah, to “repentence” ( teshuva ) and “repairing the world” ( tikkun olam ), Kushner shows all of us how we can use the fundamentals of Jewish spirituality to enrich our own lives.

Genres: Spirituality, Jewish, Religion, Nonfiction, Judaism, Philosophy, Christianity

112 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2001

Reviews

[Christina C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, easy to read, and engaging. As a Christian I found this book respectful of my beliefs and informative of Jewish religious thought. It has given me a lot to appreciate and consider. The end provides resources for further reading if interested.

[Larry Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rabbi Kushner has written a brief treatise (105 pages) to present some of the most generalized perspectives of a good Jew in a way that someone outside that world can understand. He speaks directly to Christians. He puts forth some very clear distinctions between Judaism and Christianity. He does not need to see the Scriptures (Torah) particularly as a record of history to be interpreted literally. From the beginning of Genesis, he argues that what is important is to study the teachings in order to strive to conform one's behavior to that which is described in the Scriptures. Judaism is not strictly a collection of specific beliefs to which one must adhere intellectually. Rather than try to analyze and understand what they mean, we are to do and live according to its teaching. It is in that context that we can understand more and more as we dig into the deeper meaning of what is taught. He teaches that God is not about reward and punishment; instead God looks at how closely we live our lives toward the conformity of the Scriptures. Knowing we have done either well or not toward that end is the only reward we receive. His explains that nothing is more beloved before God than to do a holy deed. We are to give ourselves over to that deed completely. In that process we are to lose our self.

Quoting from page sixty-eight we read, your self "must be willing to allow it to dissolve like a drop of water fallen in the ocean, so that it is no longer recognizable as a separate or discrete thing. Such a spiritual loss of self and fusion with the divine is called Devekut... The borders of your self are erased. You realize that you are (and indeed have always been) present within the divine! It's all God!"

Kushner states, "For classical Judaism, the coming of the Messiah would not 'complete' Judaism;l it would bring an end to history and resolve every problem for every religion and every person.

As a Christian, I find these ideas to stand in sharp contrast to my understanding of Scripture. I gave it a five star rating for two reasons. First the author speaks very clearly and directly to these issues. Second, his clarity helped me to expand my understanding of Judaism in a much more broad context than the most basic distinction embraced by many Christians, being the belief that Jesus is both God and Messiah. This is not an apologetic for Judaism; it is a clear basic explanation of some of the most fundamental Jewish perspectives.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where has this book been in all my life? I really wish I was introduced to this book 25 years ago! It's insight towards mission, repentance, and being one with God is so crucial for one's spiritual formation. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to wrestle for a deeper understanding of God and oneself.

It's only 100 pages, but you'll want to take an entire year to read it's pages. It's so good and powerful in it's brevity, I found myself putting the book down after mere minutes of reading knowing that if I continued it would be over. The joy in knowing that I'll come back to this book in the years to come is very satisfying.

This is hands down my favorite and final book of 2019. Shalom!

[Wayne Craske · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and poignantly brief book (funnily enough, considering its title) introducing Jewish spirituality to Christians. Replete with stories taken from various sources including the Talmud, various rabbi's from history and the authors own life, this text gives the flavour of Jewish spirituality, yet never satisfies the hunger to learn more that it awakens (so, the suggested reading is welcomed!).
Any Christian interested in contemporary Jewish spirituality would do well to read this, as world any brought up in a broadly Christian country who wants to learn more about Judaism.

[Dave Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, enjoyable, inspiring. I can see myself revisiting this one from year to year. Great conversation that brings together two traditions that have so much in common but which can enrich one another by understanding their differences. Which is to say, reading this made me a better, more informed "Christian" with a greater appreciation for our Jewish roots.

[Lindy Burnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a well-written, easy-to-read primer on Jewish Spirituality. The text clarifies some issues that Many Christians have an incorrect understanding of - particularly with regard to the mitzvot. The text is engaging and a short read. I read it in one sitting but have referenced it multiple times in dialogue. I would highly recommend any Christian read this text as it will frame Scriptural texts that are often misunderstood, particularly by modern Western audiences. It is a critical text for any Christian who engages in Jewish-Christian dialogue or who works with churches on confronting the gross antisemitism within the church.

[Tim Soper · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a trove of wisdom Rabbi Kushner has shared with us. Over and over, I found myself, a Christian, nodding in enthusiastic agreement with these tidbits of Jewish Spirituality wisdom. I also was introduced to the Talmud and the Rabbinical genre of midrash, and will be exploring further.

Although the book is 100 pages, it reads closer to 60 due to its typesetting and formatting, and as such, I finished reading it in just an hour.

[Raymond R Mulligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revealing

Thank you Rabbi Kushner for this great, illuminating read. This "introduction" was plainly written so that I now have a better understanding of the spiritual aspects of Judaism.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

really a gem of a book; consise, with insights on almost every page.

[Caitlin McGrory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple. I knew a lot of it but sweet and very heart-centered. Nice reminders. Love his writing. Uplifts.

[Kim White · Rating 3 out of 5]

i had to read this for a class but honestly it was relatively interesting- just not my preferred text

[Nicholas Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book following the recommendation of Rob Bell, pastor at Mars Hill church and creator of the popular Nooma videos, and I enjoyed. It is written by a Jewish man who has an appreciation for the Christian world thanks to a relationship he has with a Pastor and their willingness to be open and honest with eachother. It gives insights as to what and HOW the Jewish people believe and think. It is great for bridging the gap that exists between the JEwish and Christian people. There were some points about Christianity that I felt were improperly presented, but that is not why one would read the book. The purpose of this book is for a Christian to better understand Jewish people, not to learn more about their own theology about Jesus. It is a very short book and easy to follow. Enjoy

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a lovely book full of beautiful stories that express Jewish values. Chapters are typically three to five pages and would make good readings to open a discussion circle or religious education class. You can read the whole thing in forty-five minutes, but you could spend a lot longer thinking about the concepts that Rabbi Kushner explores. One thing I would make clear: this book really is just about Jewish spirituality; it doesn't describe Jewish history or outline the customs and tenets of Judaism. So if you are looking for a beginner's guide to Judaism, then this book may not work for you--but I think it would form an important complement to a more fact-based introduction like Judaism for Dummies, for example.

[Drick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This think text by Rabbi Larry Kushner was surprisingly full of insights. Kushner is a great writer and sprinkled his explanation of Jewish spirituality with Hasidic tales. As a Christian used to focusing on the meaning of the Biblical text, Kushner's use of Scripture and explanation of Jewish belief was very illuminating and gave me a great appreciation for an area I thought I understood, but clearly did not.

I count this book as a pleasant surprise! While not deeply thought provoking, it spurred me to learn more and to grow in my understanding of Judaism.

[Gianna Rendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to Jewish Spirituality. I like how the rabbi explained Jewish teachings and beliefs using words and phrases Christians can understand. I definitely want to read more about the Jewish Tradition because of this book.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

probably not what most of its readers was looking for, however it is an excellent collection of midrashim. Kushner is always a excellent author and is one of his nice little pieces. I may buy a copy to keep on hand.

[Tzipporah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be my favorite to give/recommend to non-jews to start learning about Judaism. I've recommended it more times than I can count. It's so short and succinct but still gives a really good basis for learning about Jewish spirituality.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little book that provides some valuable insight into some long held Christian beliefs.

[Aaron Carlberg]

He's a Jewish mystic, but it's a good book.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief, easy to read overview.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite section is entitled "Hands of God ". Very engaging book.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read and I'm glad I read it.

[DeeAnna Yarian]

This book was clearly a required read for my religions course, but I’m not gonna lie, it wasn’t actually bad.