As a religious person, "The Faith of a Heretic" was hard to read because many if its criticisms were so accurate. But I think such criticisms can only be good as they help us identify the faults that may be invisible to us.
Book review: “Morality” by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Rabbi Sacks' last book "Morality" is a deeply moving call to action to rediscover our shared responsibility to one another. If COVID-19 teaches us anything, it is that we need each other and our actions have direct consequences on those around us.
Double book review: “Not in God’s Name” by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and “The Book of Laman” by Mette Harrison
A double book review: "Not in God's Name" by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and "The Book of Lemuel" by Mette Harrison. Both challenge dualistic interpretations of scripture that separate a righteous Us and a wicked Them.
Book review: “The Physician” by Noah Gordon
11th century Christian from England disguises himself as a Jew so he can train as a physician in a Persian hospital. Historical fiction at its best! It captures an era that I wish we engaged with more.
Book review: Abraham Heschel’s “The Sabbath”
Lewis and Chesterton were both authors that helped me realize that my own religious tradition doesn't have a monopoly on truth. Abraham Heschel (and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks) has helped me expand that sphere a little further into the Jewish tradition as well (if you have any recommendations from other faith traditions, please let me know).... Continue Reading →
Book review: “Night” by Elie Wiesel
What do you say to someone who has gone through hell itself? Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes. You witness. And you mourn.
Book review: “To Heal a Fractured World” by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
My favorite image from this book is of God willing to be overruled by his children: "My sons have defeated me, my sons have defeated me." When we see injustice in the world, even at the hands of a church, we should seek to confront it and make it better.
Book review: A History of Religious Ideas Vol. I by Mirea Eliade
This is my the beginning of my attempt to read Jordan Peterson's list of 15 books he considers central to his intellectual development, as posted on his website. I recently discovered Jordan Peterson through a recommended Youtube video after watching Jonathan Haidt's TED talk on the moral divide between liberals and conservatives. I had heard... Continue Reading →
Book review: “The Pity of It All: A History of Jews in Germany, 1743-1933”
The Pity of It All by Amos Elon is my most recent delve into German history through the eyes of German Jews. I have encountered many of the characters in the dramatis personae before: Moses Mendelssohn figured prominently as one of the great rationalists in The Age of Reason: From Kant to Fichte. Hannah Arendt,... Continue Reading →
The World of Yesterday: Memoir of an Austrian Jew in WWI/II
This is my next attempt at engaging in the world of German literature. I have read several novels in German, including Franz Kafka's famed Der Prozess (The Trial), and lesser known ones such as Michael Kohlhaas both of which I read for classes towards my German minor. I have continued to seek out additional books... Continue Reading →