Reviews
Tikkun is more than a magazine, and Tikkun Reader is more than a book. It is a gateway to re-visioning the world transformed by justice, compassion, and humility. Enter and walk on boldly., This collection of essays truly represents the "best of Tikkun ," as a magazine devoted to the Jewish and ecumenical traditions of spiritual healing and prophetic transformation. In this selection of essays we see the profound depth and breadth of the vision of Tikkun which overcomes the split between spirituality and politics and addresses the many aspects of the human crisis of the 21st century., For twenty years, Tikkun Magazine has challenged its readers with an unexpected mix of politics and spirituality. In wide-ranging essays, Tikkun's contributors have demonstrated that, in a time of unprecedented culture wars between religion and secularism, it is still possible to ground progressive politics in religious values and religion in progressive values. Tikkun has also provided a refreshing and necessary forum where the conventional wisdom in the Jewish community on Israel and American Judaism might be questioned and where voices silenced elsewhere could finally be heard., In its twenty years of life, Tikkun might not have fixed the world, but it surely has infused the debate on its redemption with informed, provocative viewpoints. It shows that politics should not be an exercise in empty rhetoric, and most importantly, it has sought to bridge the gap between the spirit and the intellect "with hopeful results. This sampler is proof of its range., Tikkun Reader offers a substantive examination of many aspects of contemporary life, asking us to weigh its questions, to engage intellectually and spiritually with large issues facing our world. It is a clarion call to consciousness at a time when it couldn't be more urgently needed., This collection of essays truly represents the "best of Tikkun," as a magazine devoted to the Jewish and ecumenical traditions of spiritual healing and prophetic transformation. In this selection of essays we see the profound depth and breadth of the vision of Tikkun which overcomes the split between spirituality and politics and addresses the many aspects of the human crisis of the 21st century., In its twenty years of life, Tikkun might not have fixed the world, but it surely has infused the debate on its redemption with informed, provocative viewpoints. It shows that politics should not be an exercise in empty rhetoric, and most importantly, it has sought to bridge the gap between the spirit and the intellecte"with hopeful results. This sampler is proof of its range., For twenty years, Tikkun Magazine has challenged its readers with an unexpected mix of politics and spirituality. In wide-ranging essays, Tikkun 's contributors have demonstrated that, in a time of unprecedented culture wars between religion and secularism, it is still possible to ground progressive politics in religious values and religion in progressive values. Tikkun has also provided a refreshing and necessary forum where the conventional wisdom in the Jewish community on Israel and American Judaism might be questioned and where voices silenced elsewhere could finally be heard., As a political and religious moderate, I knew twenty years ago, when I lent my name to Tikkun 's Editorial Board, that I would not agree with everything published, or maybe even most of it; but I wanted to support a creative, liberal voice in Jewish discourse to balance the conservative voices articulated in other Jewish magazines. This collection demonstrates that Tikkun has fulfilled that critical function admirably well. Like me, readers of this volume will not necessarily like the positions taken in its articles; but I suspect that they will share my gratitude for the thoughtful intellectual and moral challenges it poses., As a political and religious moderate, I knew twenty years ago, when I lent my name to Tikkun's Editorial Board, that I would not agree with everything published, or maybe even most of it; but I wanted to support a creative, liberal voice in Jewish discourse to balance the conservative voices articulated in other Jewish magazines. This collection demonstrates that Tikkun has fulfilled that critical function admirably well. Like me, readers of this volume will not necessarily like the positions taken in its articles; but I suspect that they will share my gratitude for the thoughtful intellectual and moral challenges it poses., In its twenty years of life, Tikkun might not have fixed the world, but it surely has infused the debate on its redemption with informed, provocative viewpoints. It shows that politics should not be an exercise in empty rhetoric, and most importantly, it has sought to bridge the gap between the spirit and the intellect--with hopeful results. This sampler is proof of its range., Michael Lerner is a visionary with the brain of an elephant and the heart of a lion. He inspires us to reveal and to share the best in us in order to heal the world and, in the process, ourselves.
Synopsis
Tikkun (teokun): To heal, repair, and transform the world. The Tikkun Reader is a collection of the best of Tikkun magazine from the past 20 years, providing the most cohesive collection of writings that articulate the progressive, left leaning religious perspective on the some of the most important issues in politics, culture, and society facing both Jews and non-Jews today. It includes contributions by such people as Naomi Wolf, Arthur Green, Harvey Cox, Amitai Etzioni, Daniel Berrigan, Neale Donald Walsch, Cornel West, Vandana Shiva, Dennis Kucinich, Jim Wallis, Deepak Chopra, and Noam Chomsky., For the past twenty years, Tikkun magazine has advanced liberal ideals, featuring articles on such important issues as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Jewish culture, and the intersection of religion and politics in the United States. Tikkun Reader is a collection of the best of Tikkun magazine since its inception, providing the most cohesive collection of writings articulating the progressive, left-leaning religious perspective on some of the most important issues facing both Jews and non-Jews today. This collection includes contributions by such people as: Daniel Matt, Judith Plaskow, Arthur Green, Arthur Waskow, Estelle Frankel, Naomi Wolf, Zygmunt Bauman, Cornel West, Daniel Berrigan, David Korten, Deepak Chopra, Jim Wallis, Jonathan Schell, Vandana Shiva, Roger Gottlieb, Fritjof Capra and many more. Thematically arranged essays focus on a variety of topics, including Approaching God, Jewish Identity, Judaism, Israel, the Holocaust, and Spiritual Politics. An introduction by founder and editor-in-chief Michael Lerner sets the stage and places the readings in context.