God Is Here
Reimagining the Divine
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Embark on a transformative exploration of the divine, guided by Rabbi Toba Spitzer's illuminating insights into the nature of God and spirituality.
In God Is Here, Rabbi Toba Spitzer invites readers on a profound journey to rediscover the sacred in everyday life. Drawing upon the rich metaphors found in the Hebrew Bible, such as Water, Voice, Fire, Rock, Cloud, and the process of Becoming, Spitzer reveals a diverse palette of divine representations that can resonate deeply with those seeking spiritual fulfillment.
Recognizing that traditional religious concepts often leave spiritual seekers unsatisfied, Spitzer addresses the limitations of viewing God as a "Big Powerful Person." By delving into ancient Jewish and Christian sources, as well as teachings from other spiritual traditions, she uncovers a wealth of alternative metaphors that can guide us through challenging times and help us experience holiness in our daily lives.
Each chapter of God Is Here offers thought-provoking insights accompanied by practical suggestions for bringing these divine metaphors to life. Whether you are a believer, a fervent disbeliever, or somewhere in between, Rabbi Toba Spitzer's transformative approach to spirituality will inspire you to find new and surprising ways of encountering the divine, right where you are.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Spitzer, a congregational rabbi, examines metaphors and broadens popular conceptions of God in her uneven debut. She notes that many find the traditional notion of God as "Someone or Something that we're told is both all-powerful and all-good" difficult to reconcile with the existence of evil and suffering. In response, the author proffers several metaphors for God—including rock, water, voice, fire, cloud, and electricity—intended to expand how one thinks about God and appeal to those turned off by conventional understandings of a higher power. In unpacking scriptural comparisons of God, Spitzer reveals, for instance, how a reference to God as the "Rock of Ages" highlights God's eternal nature, and "Fount of Living Waters" speaks to God's capacity to provide spiritual sustenance. The author also weaves in less expected sources, including Black American civil rights history and personal anecdotes such as her father's kayaking obsession and the death of her partner due to cancer. Despite ostensibly writing for those troubled by theodicy, Spitzer offers little to address that paradox, and the platitudes she does offer ("We can never really predict the future") fall flat. Though wide-ranging and imaginative, this doesn't live up to its own ambitious goals.
