Overview

The twenty-first century is emerging as a challenging time for people with faith-based traditions who also seek paths of openness to pluralistic voices and streams of spirituality. In Search of Theological Modesty: Biblical Lessons, deeply rooted in traditional Jewish approaches to biblical exegesis, finds new ways to support this commitment to tolerance and respect through examination of key stories and commandments in the Torah. Blending homiletics with profound psychological insights, Liss-Levinson creates images, themes, and lessons that are both particularistic and global. In this accessible discussion of Torah, the author invites people of varying backgrounds and understandings to join in his search to more humbly approach their own beliefs, other people, and their beliefs and faiths.

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9781625648235

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Reviews

Filled with acute psychological insights, careful attention to often-overlooked details, and . . . striving to achieve a precise understanding of the Hebrew text, Liss-Levinson has added an important book to the genre of biblical commentary. --Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author of A Code of Jewish Ethics These insightful, engaging and thought-provoking essays are models for Jews of all denominations and flavors for how to express: passion without arrogance, innovation without loss of integrity, and accessibility without superficiality. By giving us space to develop our own ideas while humbly sharing his, Liss-Levinson does more than search for theological modesty, he inspires us to emulate him and join in that search. --Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand, author of The Barefoot Book of Jewish Tales Irresistibly clear and compelling; a rare gem that invites the reader to embark on an engaging and multi-layered journey of discovery. Liss-Levinson offers an interpretation of Torah as a mandate for the Golden Rule, as a call to action directing a divided Jewish community to participate in respectful conversation about their diverse truths and to honor one another. It not only presents a coherent theology of intra-faith, but equally important, of interfaith relations. Liss-Levinson has given us a personal, communal, and global gift. --Joyce S. Dubensky, CEO, Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding This is an outstanding book about God and religion, full of insights and deep thoughts about the meaning and purpose of life. The author argues convincingly that we should see ourselves as partners with God. We are here for a purpose and fulfilling that makes life worth living. While the focus is on Judaism, the ideas apply to religion in general. Reading this extremely well written and crystal clear book, full of original perspectives on life will make it a joyful experience for all readers. One of the best books I've ever read on the subject. --William Helmreich, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology - C.U.N.Y. Graduate Center; Author of Against All Odds: Holocaust Survivors and the Successful Lives They Made in America Liss-Levinson has written an accessible, thoughtful and very interesting commentary on some of the major theological and moral themes of the Hebrew Bible. His wonderful ability to clearly delineate the important ethical take-home points that are pertinent to the spiritual wanderer who is ever mindful of the need for humility in the face of the Mystery, makes for instructive and uplifting reading. A small gem. --Paul Marcus, Ph.D., Author of Creating Heaven on Earth: The Psychology of Experiencing Immortality in Everyday Life I have enjoyed diving into Liss-Levinson's words of Torah! In Search of Theological Modesty is an excellent book. It comes on as a non-threatening introduction to the world of commentary and Midrash. Before you know it, it takes you 'way deep, ' as our kids would say. It is hardly an introductory work, though a novice could open it and not get lost. Really, it's the kind of compendium I could use successfully with my adult parashah group or my bright high school seniors, or as a reference for my own d'var torah preparation. Kol hakavod to Liss-Levinson for birthing this sefer . . . --Rabbi Lester Bronstein, Bet Am Shalom Synagogue, White Plains, NY

"""Filled with acute psychological insights, careful attention to often-overlooked details, and . . . striving to achieve a precise understanding of the Hebrew text, Liss-Levinson has added an important book to the genre of biblical commentary."" --Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author of A Code of Jewish Ethics ""These insightful, engaging and thought-provoking essays are models for Jews of all denominations and flavors for how to express: passion without arrogance, innovation without loss of integrity, and accessibility without superficiality. By giving us space to develop our own ideas while humbly sharing his, Liss-Levinson does more than search for theological modesty, he inspires us to emulate him and join in that search."" --Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand, author of The Barefoot Book of Jewish Tales ""Irresistibly clear and compelling; a rare gem that invites the reader to embark on an engaging and multi-layered journey of discovery. Liss-Levinson offers an interpretation of Torah as a mandate for the Golden Rule, as a call to action directing a divided Jewish community to participate in respectful conversation about their diverse truths and to honor one another. It not only presents a coherent theology of intra-faith, but equally important, of interfaith relations. Liss-Levinson has given us a personal, communal, and global gift."" --Joyce S. Dubensky, CEO, Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding ""This is an outstanding book about God and religion, full of insights and deep thoughts about the meaning and purpose of life. The author argues convincingly that we should see ourselves as partners with God. We are here for a purpose and fulfilling that makes life worth living. While the focus is on Judaism, the ideas apply to religion in general. Reading this extremely well written and crystal clear book, full of original perspectives on life will make it a joyful experience for all readers. One of the best books I've ever read on the subject."" --William Helmreich, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology - C.U.N.Y. Graduate Center; Author of Against All Odds: Holocaust Survivors and the Successful Lives They Made in America ""Liss-Levinson has written an accessible, thoughtful and very interesting commentary on some of the major theological and moral themes of the Hebrew Bible. His wonderful ability to clearly delineate the important ethical ""take-home"" points that are pertinent to the ""spiritual wanderer"" who is ever mindful of the need for humility in the face of the Mystery, makes for instructive and uplifting reading. A small gem."" --Paul Marcus, Ph.D., Author of Creating Heaven on Earth: The Psychology of Experiencing Immortality in Everyday Life ""I have enjoyed diving into Liss-Levinson's words of Torah! In Search of Theological Modesty is an excellent book. It comes on as a non-threatening introduction to the world of commentary and Midrash. Before you know it, it takes you 'way deep, ' as our kids would say. It is hardly an introductory work, though a novice could open it and not get lost. Really, it's the kind of compendium I could use successfully with my adult parashah group or my bright high school seniors, or as a reference for my own d'var torah preparation. Kol hakavod to Liss-Levinson for birthing this sefer . . ."" --Rabbi Lester Bronstein, Bet Am Shalom Synagogue, White Plains, NY"

Author Information

William Liss-Levinson, PhD, is a healthcare publishing executive in New York. He was the founding director of one of the first hospice programs under Jewish auspices in the United States. He has written and lectured extensively on topics in Jewish philosophy and theology, as well as healthcare. Throughout his life, he has sought to understand the individual's relationship to God. http: //www.theologicalmodesty.com

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