Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life [Paperback]

Irwin Kula (Author), Linda Loewenthal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 2007

Winner of the Books for a Better Life Award
Chosen as one of "The 10 Best Spiritual Books of 2006" by Spirituality and Health magazine

Rabbi Irwin Kula explores desire in spiritual life. Rather than leading us astray, our longings are gateways to self discovery. Our yearnings, once understood, can lead us to discover an expansive vision of God or a wider reality. And when we embrace even our most painful or taboo desires, we can love more deeply and live more fully.

The Biblical authors wrote about characters who, rather than leading perfect lives, actually struggled with their longings for success, love, sex, and happiness. Through interpreting those stories and other spiritual traditions, as well as exploring his own desires and those of regular people, Rabbi Kula shows that "The more we allow ourselves to unfold, the less likely we are to unravel. The more we dive into our desires, the more exquisite life becomes."

Editorial Reviews

Review

" This sagacious book will be a blessing to all who read its teachigns on the value of spiritual learning." -- Spirituality & Health --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Rabbi Irwin Kula is an eighth-generation rabbi, nationally known speaker and teacher, and the president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. He is also the host of the public television broadcast called The Wisdom of Our Yearnings. Rabbi Kula lives with his wife and daughters in New York City.

Linda Loewenthal is a writer and literary agent who has published and promoted spiritual and religious books.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (September 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401309135
• ISBN-13: 978-1401309138
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #147,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism > Prayerbooks

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning revelations for the agnostic!, January 3, 2007

By 

Rebecca Driscoll (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life (Hardcover)

With journalistic skepticism and scientific training carefully guarding any religious conclusions, I nonetheless am drawn to seek better understanding of spirituality, as experienced world-wide throughout the ages, taking wisdom wherever I find it, as long as it applies broadly. This book takes the stories that shaped our civilization as well as touches on others civilizations also, to help us understand where we came from. It suggests what we can take from those stories to live better, richer lives, regardless of whether or not the stories are precisely true. It explains how rituals developed and what they mean, and how they can be relevant today. Although Kula is a Jewish Rabbi, his insights are relevant to all beliefs. As a non-Jewish person myself, I never for a moment felt the book was written for Jewish people; on the contrary, I think his goal was to include everyone in a common understanding . . . an understanding of the differences of mankind.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life is easier when you appreciate its complications, September 8, 2006

By 

Marc Slutsky (Chicago) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life (Hardcover)

Irwin Kula takes us past our longing that a single truth applied everywhere will give us fulfillment. Instead he shows that in every problem is an opportunity--that what initially seems confusing and complicated doesn't need to be feared but appreciated. As I read his book, I felt optomistic without feeling naive or simplistic.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Voice for Everyone, January 30, 2007

By 

James Klein (Overland Park, KS) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life (Hardcover)

Rabbi Kula is a special breed of spiritual leader whose voice transcends the boundaries between religions. His book reveals a gift of communicating in a different way than typically comes down from the pulpit. In spreading his perspective of "wisdom", he is not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom and traditional interpretations; in fact he is at his best when looks inside these axioms that most of us take for granted. His willingness to share his personal experiences and his own transgressions lend credibility and humility to his stories and observations. This book serves as encouragement to look inside ourselves without judgment and look outward with a healthier perspective.