Opening the Doors of Wonder: Reflections on Religious Rites of Passage - Hardcover

Magina, Arthur J

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0520245458 ISBN 13: 9780520245457

Publisher: University of California Press, 2006

Synopsis

This bold, pioneering book explores rites of passage in America by sifting through the accounts of influential thinkers who experienced them. Arthur J. Magida explains the underlying theologies, evolution, and actual practice of Jewish bar and bat mitzvahs, Christian confirmations, Hindu sacred thread ceremonies, Muslim shahadas and Zen jukai ceremonies. In rare interviews, renowned artists and intellectuals such as Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, holistic guru Deepak Chopra, singer Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), actress/comedienne Julia Sweeney, cartoonist Roz Chast, interfaith maven Huston Smith, and many more talk intimately about their religious backgrounds, the rites of passage they went through, and how these events shaped who they are today. Magida compares these coming of age ceremonies' origins and evolution, considers their ultimate meaning and purpose, and gauges how their meaning changes with individuals over time. He also examines innovative rites of passage that are now being 'invented' in the United States. Passionate and lyrical, this absorbing book reveals our deep, ultimate need for coming-of-age events, especially in a society as fluid as ours. It includes conversations with: Bob Abernethy, Huston Smith, Julia Sweeney, Roz Chast, Harold Kushner, Ram Dass, Elie Wiesel, Deepak Chopra, Robert Thurman, Coleman Barks, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), and others.

About this title

About the Author

Arthur J. Magida is the author of The Rabbi and The Hit Man, Prophet of Rage: A Life of Louis Farrakhan and His Nation, and How To Be A Perfect Stranger: A Guide to Etiquette in Other People's Religious Ceremonies. Now writer-in-residence at the University of Baltimore, he has been a columnist/contributing editor for the online religion magazine, Beliefnet.com, a contributing correspondent for PBS' "Religion & Ethics Newsweekly," senior editor of the Baltimore Jewish Times, editorial director of Jewish Lights Publishing, environmental reporter for the Washington magazine, National Journal, and writer/editor and speech writer for Ralph Nader.

From the Back Cover

"A wonderful, important book. Opening the Doors of Wonder will go far toward helping us understand one another. This is a much-needed venture in our post-9/11 age."—Henry Louis Gates, Jr., W.E.B. Du Bois Professor of the Humanities, Harvard University

"It may be easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a spiritual seeker to enter a religious tradition with their psyche intact. Magida explores the varied processes of initiation among an eclectic cross-section of notables that include Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. His lively portraits of transformation demonstrate both the losses and gains that come with the struggle to find religious meaning within a community. This book promises to stir up powerful memories and reframe the challenge of living faithfully within a world of competing, often conflicting religious claims."—Dr. Christopher M. Leighton, Executive Director of the Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies

"Inside this wonderful book, renowned rabbis, zen priests, authors and even comics and cartoonists recall the religious rites of passage that have shaped their lives. Through the humor and pathos of their stories, we are offered a vital, very readable investigation of our society's current spiritual condition. I highly recommend Opening the Doors of Wonder. In whatever way you can, walk on through."—Wes Nisker, Buddhist meditation teacher, journalist, author of Essential Crazy Wisdom

"This fascinating book airs out a multitude of responses to a spiritual topic that we avoid at our peril—the presence (or lack) of rites of passage in modern America. Magida's style is often poetic, and his interviews reveal, often in surprising ways, how deeply, and often how invisibly, people of all faiths are influenced by religion's rituals and ceremonies. Moreover, they show how the failure or disappointment of our rites of passage can affect the way we deal with transition for the rest of our lives."—Phil Cousineau, author of The Art of Pilgrimage and Once and Future Myths

From the Inside Flap

"A wonderful, important book. Opening the Doors of Wonder will go far toward helping us understand one another. This is a much-needed venture in our post-9/11 age."Henry Louis Gates, Jr., W.E.B. Du Bois Professor of the Humanities, Harvard University

"It may be easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a spiritual seeker to enter a religious tradition with their psyche intact. Magida explores the varied processes of initiation among an eclectic cross-section of notables that include Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. His lively portraits of transformation demonstrate both the losses and gains that come with the struggle to find religious meaning within a community. This book promises to stir up powerful memories and reframe the challenge of living faithfully within a world of competing, often conflicting religious claims."Dr. Christopher M. Leighton, Executive Director of the Institute for Christian & Jewish Studies

"Inside this wonderful book, renowned rabbis, zen priests, authors and even comics and cartoonists recall the religious rites of passage that have shaped their lives. Through the humor and pathos of their stories, we are offered a vital, very readable investigation of our society's current spiritual condition. I highly recommend Opening the Doors of Wonder. In whatever way you can, walk on through."Wes Nisker, Buddhist meditation teacher, journalist, author ofEssential Crazy Wisdom

"This fascinating book airs out a multitude of responses to a spiritual topic that we avoid at our perilthe presence (or lack) of rites of passage in modern America. Magida's style is often poetic, and his interviews reveal, often in surprising ways, how deeply, and often how invisibly, people of all faiths are influenced by religion's rituals and ceremonies. Moreover, they show how the failure or disappointment of our rites of passage can affect the way we deal with transition for the rest of our lives."Phil Cousineau, author of The Art of Pilgrimage and Once and Future Myths

Edition details

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0520245458
• ISBN 13: 9780520245457
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288