Name: Tess
Home: St. Louis
Book Week: Left Hand of God
This week I'll be posting brief reviews of some of the books I've read lately.
The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our Country from the Religious Right, by Michael Lerner
Starting with the opening paragraph, Lerner argues passionately: "The unholy alliance of the political Right and Religious Right threatens to destroy the America we love. It also threatens to generate a popular revulsion against God and religion by identifying them with militarism, ecological irresponsibility, fundamentalist antagonism to science and rational thought, and insensitivity to the needs of the poor and the powerless." This rabbi believes that the Left in American politics has been constrained for too long by pragmatism, and that we need to be able to put forth a radical, spiritual vision of change for America's future.
In the first half of the book, Lerner details how he believes the Left has failed to win the hearts and minds of the American people. According to him, the Democrats have refused to own up to their religious beliefs while participating in public discourse, and in doing so they have alienated people who feel a deep spiritual hunger--a hunger that has been acknowledged only by those on the Right. In the second half of the book, Lerner puts forth a more in-depth plan for a U.S. society based on peace, compassion, and social justice.
Parts of the book resonated with me. I was Quaker for many years, so I'm well aware of how deeply-held religious beliefs were instrumental in people's fight to end slavery and advance the cause of women's rights. I, too, am dismayed when "religious" and "Christian" are thought to be synonymous with "conservative." If I did wonder about some of Lerner's more specific plans, I was still grateful to him for beginning an important conversation. When I finished the book, I hoped that other people I know would read it too; I'm eager to talk about it with others.
The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our Country from the Religious Right, by Michael Lerner
Starting with the opening paragraph, Lerner argues passionately: "The unholy alliance of the political Right and Religious Right threatens to destroy the America we love. It also threatens to generate a popular revulsion against God and religion by identifying them with militarism, ecological irresponsibility, fundamentalist antagonism to science and rational thought, and insensitivity to the needs of the poor and the powerless." This rabbi believes that the Left in American politics has been constrained for too long by pragmatism, and that we need to be able to put forth a radical, spiritual vision of change for America's future.
In the first half of the book, Lerner details how he believes the Left has failed to win the hearts and minds of the American people. According to him, the Democrats have refused to own up to their religious beliefs while participating in public discourse, and in doing so they have alienated people who feel a deep spiritual hunger--a hunger that has been acknowledged only by those on the Right. In the second half of the book, Lerner puts forth a more in-depth plan for a U.S. society based on peace, compassion, and social justice.
Parts of the book resonated with me. I was Quaker for many years, so I'm well aware of how deeply-held religious beliefs were instrumental in people's fight to end slavery and advance the cause of women's rights. I, too, am dismayed when "religious" and "Christian" are thought to be synonymous with "conservative." If I did wonder about some of Lerner's more specific plans, I was still grateful to him for beginning an important conversation. When I finished the book, I hoped that other people I know would read it too; I'm eager to talk about it with others.
posted by Tess | 5:51 PM
1 Comments:
Sounds like an interesting book. And I suppose, given my username, that I should probably try to read it soon!
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