Show Me Your Way: The Complete Guide to Exploring Interfaith Spiritual Direction [Paperback]

Howard A. Addison (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

According to Addison (rabbi and author of The Enneagram and Kabbalah: Reading Your Soul), spiritual direction is a mentoring relationship in which the director draws on personal experience, insight into the spiritual seeker's personality and knowledge of the seeker's religious tradition to guide the seeker in reflection and perception of God's leading. The model was developed in the context of Christian monasticism but has recently spread into Protestantism and beyond. Addison writes from his own experience; he once wanted a spiritual director but could not find one in his own Jewish tradition, so he began meeting with a Catholic nun. Through his own positive discussions with her, he came to believe people could benefit from having a spiritual director from another faith without sacrificing the integrity of their own beliefs. Spiritual direction, Addison cautions, is not instruction in a religion with the goal of conversion but a means of deepening one's spiritual journey. Addison is aware of the pitfalls if a director is moved to proselytize or if a seeker is more in need of counseling than direction. After thoroughly explaining the concept of spiritual direction and highlighting its benefits and drawbacks, Addison discusses where to find it, sensitively addressing compatibility issues and different styles of spirituality. This is a well-informed, thoughtful treatment of a potentially beneficial interfaith practice. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

One-on-one spiritual direction is a tradition of many faiths, but direction of an adherent of one faith by a practitioner of another is new enough to make this advisor by a conservative rabbi whose spiritual director is a Catholic nun a novelty. Drawing upon his and others' experiences for exemplification, Addison explains spiritual direction, demonstrates the effectiveness of interfaith spiritual direction, and advises on how to find a spiritual director. He also ponders contemporary trends that would account for increased interest in seeking guidance from rather than conversion to another faith. He emphasizes through well-timed repetition that spiritual direction must be discriminated from religious education for prospective conversion, therapy to deal with personal problems, and pastoral counseling to apply one's faith to particular life circumstances. The aims of spiritual direction are to deepen one's relationship with God and to discern God's will. It is hard to imagine more intelligent and congenial counsel for clarifying whether spiritual direction is what one seeks than what Addison provides. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Skylight Paths Publishing (November 28, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893361411
• ISBN-13: 978-1893361416
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #682,914 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Helpful, November 20, 2010

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Solstice1222 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Show Me Your Way: The Complete Guide to Exploring Interfaith Spiritual Direction (Paperback)

Perhaps I am mis-reading, but it seemed to me that the book is aimed primarily at people who are dedicated to a particular faith tradition and gives encouragement as to how there might be benefit in seeking direction from someone who is deeply steeped in another particular faith tradition. I guess am mostly interested in non-religious, perhaps what might just be called, spiritual, spiritual direction. And so, all the tradition-based information in the book wasn't so helpful to me. I do not know any particular sacred text from which to offer scripture, and found I hardly understood most of Mr. Addison's parables, stories and scripture readings. I only read as much of the book as I did because it was assigned reading for a program I'm enrolled in -- I've suggested to the program that they find a better read!