An old adage says that "for the believer there are no questions and for the unbeliever there are no answers." But in this thoughtful new book Harold M. Schulweis says, "I have come to know many believers with profound doubts and many unbelievers with deep yearnings for serious questions." It is to both groups that For Those Who Can't Believe is addressed: to those who are indifferent to established religion and to those who cling to faith but are plagued by doubts.
In a sympathetic and lucid style, the author deals with the major stumbling blocks to belief in our time. He uncovers ignored or repressed insights within the Jewish tradition itself that when brought to light help the unbeliever overcome many of the biases of conventional religious thought. The author seeks to counter the widespread disillusionment that follows in the wake of personal crises by offering the reader an alternative way of understanding suffering and the nature and character of God. He confronts head-on the conventional mind-set that obstructs an appreciation of the role of prayer, miracles, and divine revelation in our lives.
Using the rites of passage from birth to death and the rationale of Jewish religious festivals, the author helps to resolve the conflicts between feeling and reason and the tensions brought about by particularism, the love of a unique people and tradition, and universalism, the loyalty to humanity and world civilization. Rabbi Schulweis addresses a growing audience that is challenged to become both heirs and ancestors to their tradition.
show more