Opening the Doors of Wonder
Subtitle: Reflections on Religious Rites of Passage
Edition: 1 edition
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: October 18, 2006
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 304
ISBN-13: 9780520245457
Subjects: Religious rites & ceremonies; Ritual; Religion - World Religions; Religion; Rites and ceremonies; Comparative Religion; Religion / General; Religions
Description: The author explores rites of passage in America by sifting through the accounts of influential thinkers who experienced them. He explains and compares the underlying theologies, evolution, and actual practice of Jewish bar and bat mitzvahs, Christian confirmations, Hindu sacred thread ceremonies, Muslim shahadas, Zen jukai ceremonies, and other contemporary rites of passage. In rare interviews, renowned artists and intellectuals such as Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, holistic guru Deepak Chopra, singer Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), actress/comedienne Julia Sweeney, cartoonist Roz Chast, interfaith maven Huston Smith, and many more talk intimately about their religious backgrounds, the rites of passage they went through, and how these events shaped who they are today.