Jewish Spirituality : A Brief Introduction for Christians
One of the defining religious trends of our time is the gradual  reconciliation of Christianity and Judaism, which usually takes the form of churches (most  notably, the Vatican) accepting responsibility for the anti-Semitic aspects of their worship,  theology, and history. No amount of official proclamation, however, can reconcile these  religions until individual Christians and Jews recognize their common religious heritage and  learn to respect the differences between their traditions.Jewish Spirituality: A Brief  Introduction for Christiansis an important resource for cultivating such awareness. The  author, Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, has long been known for his sophisticated, accessible  books on Jewish spirituality (includingHoney from the RockandGod Was in This Place and I, I Did Not Know). His definition of spirituality, which loops and spirals in  rabbinic fashion, includes the following observations: "Spirituality is religion experienced intimately.... Spirituality is where you and God meet--and what you do about it." And  Jewish spirituality, he writes, is distinguished as "an approach to life in which we strive to  become aware of God's presence and purpose--even and especially in what might strike  the casual observer as gross or material things." This, he points out, is a fact that bridges the  gap between Judaism and Christianity: the incarnation of Christ, as one pastor explains to  Kushner, demands that believers "continuously seek to find God in every person."  Beginning with a summary of Jewish ideas about Creation, and then exploring topics such  as the Torah, the Commandments, and the nature of God, Kushner expertly defines many of the  similarities and differences between the religions. His lively, storytelling style makesJewish Spiritualitya pleasurable and challenging book that would serve well as a  personal devotional, a Bible-study or Sunday-school text, or an occasion for Jewish and  Christian friends to set aside time to learn more about each other's faith.--Michael Joseph Gross