Thunder in the Soul

A great new resource to add to the library of Rabbi Heschel’s essential teachings. Rabbi Heschel was one of the most important teachers not only of Judaism but of human morality and living in this broken world.

A highly informative book about a fascinating theological figure — well-researched, accessibly written, and recommended.

Summary: A collection of the writings of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel concerning the life of knowing and being known by God.

The Plough Spiritual Guides are a great little series collecting the thoughts of some of the great spiritual thinkers of the last century. This latest is no exception. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel was truly one of the great spiritual figures of the twentieth century. He escaped to London from Poland trying to get family members visas before the coming Holocaust. Before he could succeed, they died. He went on as a Conservative Jewish leader whose life and works transcended his own faith community. I was in a seminar just the other day where his book The Sabbath was extensively referenced. He wrote towering works bringing spiritual insight to Jew and Christian, believer and skeptic alike: Man is Not Alone, Man’s Quest for God, God in Search of Man, and The Prophets. After the assault on Blacks at Selma in March 1965, he joined Dr. King in the march to Montgomery, earning himself a place on an FBI watchlist. He was close friends with Reinhold Niebuhr and delivered the eulogy at his funeral in 1971, following him in death a year later.

This little book collects excerpts of his writing that read as a seamless whole, a tribute to Robert Erlwine’s editing. These come under twelve headings:

1. Every Moment Touches Eternity
2. The Only Life Worth Living
3. In the Presence of Mystery
4. The Prophets Show us God Cares
5. God Demands Justice
6. Modernity Has Forfeited the Spirit
7. Prayer is Being Known by God
8. A Pattern for Living
9. The Deed is Wiser than the Heart
10. Something is Asked of Us
11. Faith is an Act of the Spirit
12 Not Our Vision of God but God’s Vision of Us

Reading the headings alone offers material for extended reflection. Often I like to select a quote or two from a book. This was a book where nearly every sentence could be a quote pull, and occasion to stop and think before one moves on. One of the big ideas that run through this selection is that we search for God only to discover that God seeks us. Heschel writes:

“When self-assertion is no more; when realizing that wonder is not our own achievement; that it is not by our own power alone that we are shuddered with radical amazement, it is not with our power anymore to assume the role of an examiner of a subject in search of an object, such as we are in search of a cause when perceiving thunder. Ultimate wonder is not the same as curiosity. Curiosity is the state of a mind in search of knowledge, while ultimate wonder is the state of knowledge in search of a mind; it is the thought of God in search of a soul.“

This search of God for us is the source of our worth. Heschel observes:

“We must continue to ask: What is man that God should care for him? And we must continue to remember that it is precisely God’s care for man that constitutes the greatness of man.”

Another key idea is that of faith as faithfulness, a response in every moment in how we live our life to the reality of God. Faith is not centered around the doctrine or dogmas of prior generations, which he considers “spiritual plagiarism.” Faith moves beyond our own reason and wisdom. “In faith, we do not seek to decipher, to articulate in our own terms, but to rise above our own wisdom, to think of the world in terms of God, to live in accord with what is relevant to God.” The life of faith is shaped by the law and the prophets. “The good is not an abstract idea but a commandment, and the ultimate meaning of its fulfillment is in its being an answer to God.”

Finally, Heschel talks about the paradigm shift of knowing God. We do not so much think about God as think within God. He explains:

“His is the call, ours the paraphrase; His is the creation, ours a reflection. He is not an object to be comprehended, a thesis to be endorsed, neither the sum of all that is (facts) nor a digest of all that ought to be (ideals). He is the ultimate subject.”

Some speak of God as Ultimate Reality. Often this sounds like an abstraction, but what I think Heschel would say is that God is the most Real, the really Real, by whom all else is understood.

This is a taste of what you will find here. Strong stuff. J. B. Phillips wrote a book titled Your God is too Small. I think Heschel would agree and this little book is a gateway to his thought. What is troubling to me is how rarely I encounter writing like this coming out of Christian publishing houses or in Christian media. This deceptively little book is, as the Wardrobe in C.S. Lewis, much bigger on the inside than the outside. Read slowly and be filled.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

In this collection of his writings, one realizes that Heschel was a profound and influential man. Heschel was a professor, a theologian, a philosopher, and civil rights activist. He was a person who escaped the Holocaust though his family died in the camps. His writings show how he thought that modern man believe in science and human reason more than God. He believed that man needs to rediscover God. He enabled man to do more practical good doing good. During the 1960’s racial oppression, he wrote that inaction was bad in a civilized society as all is responsible to what happens or not happens. I myself was inspired by his writings and will be rethinking about what God is to me. It an excellent book that reading will perhaps give the reader some insight he didn’t have before.

Abraham Heschel was a Jewish Rabbi and civil rights activist whose writings on faith and religion still resonate today, almost 50 years after his death. His writing is concise, yet poetic. And his words stay with you long after you read them. Although over 50 years old, his writings on racism are as relevant today as they were then. When he calls out the "evil of indifference," it makes you examine your own soul and own up to your own apathy towards your fellow man.

There is something on every page of this book that will make you a better person, whether you're Jewish, Christian, Muslim or none of the above. Read this book. It will change your life for the better.

Thank you Plough Publishing for giving Rabbi Heschel's words new life.

In “Thunder in the Soul”, Abraham Joshua Heschel, a leading Jewish theologian and philosopher of the 20th century, makes traditionalist Jewish spirituality come alive for American Jews. He spoke out boldly and bravely against war and racial injustice.

As an inspired intellectual, Heschel brought the great spiritual fervor of the Hebrew prophets to his role as a theologian. He challenged the sensibilities of the modern West, which views science and human reason as sufficient.

To find God in our lives, we must rediscover wonder and awe before mysteries that transcend knowledge. Heschel firmly believes that God is passionately concerned about our lives and human affairs.

Thunder in the Soul presents Heschel’s profound insights on a wide range of important topics, to challenge, inspire and invigorate readers who hunger for childlike wonder and thirst for justice.

“Thunder in the Soul” aptly describes Heschel’s extremely intelligent state of mind and crystal clear mental framework. He spoke his mind fearlessly without mincing words. He sounds like a solitary voice in the wilderness, crying out against the injustices of our time.

Heschel had a profound social consciousness that made him a great civil rights leader. He was considered “one of the truly great men” of his day and a leading prophetic voice of our time. Heschel reminded American Jews that they had a profound moral responsibility for each other’s liberation and for the plight of all suffering people around the world.

I highly recommend “Thunder in the Soul” to all readers who wish to hear the prolific wisdom of Abraham Joshua Heschel. This book will appeal greatly to readers of our time and day.

In American Jewish history and Jewish studies, Abraham Joshua Heschel embodied a distinctive combination of commitment to Jewish laws and rituals and an openness to change. He was an approachable figure who criticized the “status quo” and guided American Judaism into the “public sphere” through accessible, often beautiful writing. His daughter Susannah, who penned a forward to this collection, remains a reliable presence at American Jewish studies conferences.

Abraham Joshua Heschel, comes from a line of Orthodox rabbis His story includes the escape from the Nazis as he fled Europe. His faith brought insight into traditional spirituality among Jews while speaking out boldly against not only war but racial injustice.
This book "Thunder in the Soul" brings forth key insights on many topics and will inspire readers of any faith that have a desire to feed their hunger for wonder and drink up in their thirst for justice.

An Inspiring story of how a rabbi and others during a war fleeing Europe just to escape from the Nazis to the safety of American soil. Racial discrimination and injustice were why the escape. Carefully reading the book gave me inspiration to finding God again and how he can help me with my daily life struggles. The book is recommended for readers who love to read inspirational stories that can increase their faith.
Review run date was set for but life and studies was just as important as writing a book review on 02 Mar 2021 so now 21 April 2021 the review was written and posted on NetGalley, Wordpress blog and Facebook blog, Amazon.com.au, goodreads, kobo, googlebooks and iBooks. My WordPress blog is http://bluefalkon95adorationofallgenres.wordpress.com My Facebook reader blog page link, is https://www.facebook.com/BlueFalkon95-Readers-blog-104660277776984
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Plough Publishing House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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A large portion of this book is about Heschel giving you a look into his life and allowing us to frame his works within a real person and actions.
The essays are deep and beautiful but wordy and difficult for a casual reader. This best for someone who is truly into philosophy and religion.

Some writers are bound by their time, and others say things in such a way that even decades later you can still feel the power in the ideas. Heschel's words continue to inspiring and enlightening, and the two forewords by his daughter Susannah Heschel and Robert Erlewine provide great biographical context to his ideas.

As an avid reader of Abraham Heschel, and a great fan of Plough's "Spiritual Guides" series, I eagerly grabbed the chance to access an advance copy of Thunder in the Soul. To say I was not disappointed would be an understatement! This book is an absolute gem, cut and polished to reveal, in all its richness, the multi-faceted wisdom of this modern-day Jewish prophet. There is sufficient front matter to bring the man, his message, and his times to life; so, too, the editor has skilfully chosen and organized the material so that if flows seamlessly while not losing an ounce of its immediacy. If you’re not familiar with Heschel, read this book. If you have read all his work, keep this book handy to refresh your mind and spirit, lest you forget that God is in perpetual search for your soul. As a spiritual guide and companion for life, Heschel is second to none.