Nothing Sacred: The Truth about JudaismAcclaimed writer and thinker Douglas Rushkoff, author of Ecstasy Club and Coercion, has written perhaps the most important—and controversial—book on Judaism in a generation. As the religion stands on the brink of becoming irrelevant to the very people who look to it for answers, Nothing Sacred takes aim at its problems and offers startling and clearheaded solutions based on Judaism’s core values and teachings. Disaffected by their synagogues’ emphasis on self-preservation and obsession with intermarriage, most Jews looking for an intelligent inquiry into the nature of spirituality have turned elsewhere, or nowhere. Meanwhile, faced with the chaos of modern life, returnees run back to Judaism with a blind and desperate faith and are quickly absorbed by outreach organizations that—in return for money—offer compelling evidence that God exists, that the Jews are, indeed, the Lord’s “chosen people,” and that those who adhere to this righteous path will never have to ask themselves another difficult question again. Ironically, the texts and practices making up Judaism were designed to avoid just such a scenario. Jewish tradition stresses transparency, open-ended inquiry, assimilation of the foreign, and a commitment to conscious living. Judaism invites inquiry and change. It is an “open source” tradition—one born out of revolution, committed to evolution, and willing to undergo renaissance at a moment’s notice. But, unfortunately, some of the very institutions created to protect the religion and its people are now suffocating them. If the Jewish tradition is actually one of participation in the greater culture, a willingness to wrestle with sacred beliefs, and a refusal to submit blindly to icons that just don’t make sense to us, then the “lapsed” Jews may truly be our most promising members. Why won’t they engage with the synagogue, and how can they be made to feel more welcome? Nothing Sacred is a bold and brilliant book, attempting to do nothing less than tear down our often false preconceptions about Judaism and build in their place a religion made relevant for the future. |
Contents
One THE TRANSPARENT FAITH I | 1 |
Two HOW WE LOST THE PLOT | 45 |
Three A RENAISSANCE TRADITION | 83 |
Copyright | |
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ability Abraham abstract monotheism accepted American anti-Semitism Arab assimilation beit midrash believe Bible biblical celebrate centuries challenge circumcision congregants context core create cultural deity developed dimensional divine efforts Egypt Egyptian emergent engage ethical evolve exile experience faith firstborn global God's gods halakhah Hanukkah Hebrew hineni holiday holy human iconoclasm ideas idols inquiry insights institutions Internet Israel Israelites Jews Judaism kabbalah lapsed literal living Maimonides means messianic metaphoric mezuzah Mishneh Torah modern Moses myth mythic narrative nation negative theology offer one's open source original Orthodox ourselves pagan path persecution perspective practice prayer prophets Purim questions rabbis race racial reinvention relationship religion religious religious Zionism renaissance rites rituals Rosh Hashanah Sabbath sacred sacrifice secular Shabbat social justice Spinoza spiritual story synagogue Talmud Temple theology thing tion Torah tradition truth understand understood values worship Yahweh Zevi Zionism