God Was in This Place & I, I Did Not Know: Finding Self, Spirituality and Ultimate Meaning - Softcover

Rabbi Lawrence Kushner

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1580238513 ISBN 13: 9781580238519

Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2016

Synopsis

"A profound exploration of the necessity of paying attention to God's presence."
―Library Journal

In a daring blend of scholarship and imagination, psychology and history, Lawrence Kushner gathers an inspiring range of interpretations of Genesis 28:16 given by sages, from Shmuel bar Nachmani in third-century Palestine to Hannah Rachel Werbermacher of Ludomir who lived in Poland two hundred years ago. Through a fascinating new literary genre and Kushner’s creative reconstruction of the teachers’ lives and times, we enter the study halls and sit at the feet of these spiritual masters to learn what each discovered about God’s Self and ourselves as they ascend and descend Jacob’s ladder.

In this illuminating journey―celebrated in this special 25th anniversary edition with a new preface by the author―our spiritual guides ask and answer the fundamental questions of human experience: Who am I? Who is God? What is God’s role in history? What is the nature of evil? How should I relate to God and other people? Could the universe really have a self?

About this title

Review:

"Kushner has taught me more about God and my own Christianity than any other teacher I have known.... A bold attempt to translate the flavor of mystical Judaism into the life of the twentieth-century person, Jew and non-Jew alike, and he has been successful."
―Rev. Robert G. Trache, rector, St. Mark's Episcopal Church

"A brilliant fabric of classic rabbinic interpretations, medieval commentary, hasidic insights and literary criticism which warms us and sustains us."
―Dr. Norman J. Cohen, emeritus professor of midrash, Hebrew Union College; author, Masking and Unmasking Ourselves: Interpreting Biblical Texts on Clothing and Identity

“We have another Buber here, a Heschel.... [Kushner] expresses the truly profound with joy, lightness and humor.... Anyone who loves The Book will love this book.”
―Father M. Basil Pennington, Saint Joseph's Abbey

“This strong, imaginative, open and profound book invites reading, rereading, talking and absorbing. Readers will be amazed and moved by the depth of insights that one biblical phrase has evoked in Jewish consciousness throughout the centuries.”
―Rabbi Rachel Cowan, executive director, Institute for Jewish Spirituality

“ A beautiful book which uses both reason and art ... to bring the author and the reader closer to God.”
―David Mamet, playwright, author, American Buffalo

“[Kushner] provides a taste of the spiritual experience and encourages more openness to moments of connection in our lives.”
―Reform Judaism

“Rabbi Kushner is a beautiful storyteller.”
―Los Angeles Times

“An arresting interplay of ideas and backgrounds. With considerable flexibility in blending ancient wisdom with contemporary illuminations, Kushner makes accessible to readers the richness and attractions of mystical inquiry.”
―Publishers Weekly

“A profound exploration of the necessity of paying attention to God’s presence. Highly recommended.”
―Library Journal

About the Author:

Lawrence Kushner, author, lecturer and spiritual leader, is regarded as one of the most creative religious thinkers and writers in America. A commentator on National Public Radio's All Things Considered, he has focused us on spiritual renewal with wisdom and humor. Through his books and lectures, people of every faith and background have found inspiration and new strength for spiritual search and growth. It has been said that some spiritual leaders blend religion and psychology to help us walk better on the ground, but Lawrence Kushner draws on the wisdom of the mystics to help us dance better on the ceiling.

Kushner's acclaimed books include I’m God; You’re Not: Observations on Organized Religion & Other Disguises of the Ego; Honey from the Rock: An Easy Introduction to Jewish Mysticism; Invisible Lines of Connection: Sacred Stories of the Ordinary; The Book of Letters: A Mystical Hebrew Alphabet; Jewish Spirituality: A Brief Introduction for Christians; and In God’s Hands, an inspiring fable for children, with Gary Schmidt (all Jewish Lights).

Kushner served as rabbi at Congregation Beth El in Sudbury, Massachusetts, for almost thirty years; he is currently the Emanu-El scholar at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco, and an adjunct faculty member at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. He is fascinated by graphic design and computers (designing most of his Jewish Lights books). He enjoys Mozart, hanging around sailboats, and making his granddaughters giggle.

About this edition

• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1580238513
• ISBN 13: 9781580238519
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192