Surrendered—The Sacred Art
Shattering the Illusion of Control and Falling into Grace with Twelve-Step Spirituality
-
- $17.99
-
- $17.99
Publisher Description
To live the surrendered life—a life no longer centered on control and hence no longer at odds with the ordinary suffering of everyday living. Rabbi Rami closely examines the first three steps of Twelve-Step recovery to help us cut through the denial, illusions, and falsehoods that bind us in our fight with addictions of all kinds. He draws upon his half-century engagement with Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and Islam, as well as his own and other people’s struggles in Twelve-Step recovery, to guide us in our awakening to reality’s freedom and the path to living joyously and well.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Rabbi Shapiro reflects on the first three steps of 12-step programs in this complex, useful companion to his previous guide, Recovery The Sacred Art. He centers the idea that all addictions arise from the desire to control; only by surrendering, and giving up the illusion of stability, he writes, can addicts engage the steps in a meaningful way. His first section questions the static self and urges an understanding of constant flux and process. He then unpacks conceptions of God as a controlling, easily described deity in favor of a power that cannot be understood by human reason. Shapiro pushes still deeper with his close reading of the third step, which explores the illusion of free will. Shapiro effectively draws examples from Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Taoist, and Buddhist traditions and ends with a section on virtues for "living surrendered," including serenity, humility, and a fresh explanation of forgiveness. The heady nature of his arguments will require serious effort from readers, but the conversational tone and brevity make his advice approachable to anyone. This deep but sometimes disorienting guide will help some addicts reframe how spirituality relates to their recovery.
