Thunder in the Soul: To Be Known by God
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- Author：Abraham Joshua Heschel
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Summary
Like the Hebrew prophets before him， the great American rabbi and civil rights leader reveals God's concern for this world and each of us。
Abraham Joshua Heschel， descended from a long line of Orthodox rabbis， fled Europe to escape the Nazis。 He made the insights of traditional Jewish spirituality come alive for American Jews while speaking out boldly against war and racial injustice。
Heschel brought the fervor of the Hebrew prophets to his role as a public intellectual。 He challenged the sensibilities of the modern West， which views science and human reason as sufficient。 Only by rediscovering wonder and awe before mysteries that transcend knowledge can we hope to find God again。 This God， Heschel says， is not distant but passionately concerned about our lives and human affairs， and asks something of us in return。
This little book， which brings together Heschel's key insights on a range of topics， will reinvigorate readers of any faith who hunger for wonder and thirst for justice。
Plough Spiritual Guides briefly introduce the writings of great spiritual voices of the past to new readers。
Abraham Joshua Heschel， descended from a long line of Orthodox rabbis， fled Europe to escape the Nazis。 He made the insights of traditional Jewish spirituality come alive for American Jews while speaking out boldly against war and racial injustice。
Heschel brought the fervor of the Hebrew prophets to his role as a public intellectual。 He challenged the sensibilities of the modern West， which views science and human reason as sufficient。 Only by rediscovering wonder and awe before mysteries that transcend knowledge can we hope to find God again。 This God， Heschel says， is not distant but passionately concerned about our lives and human affairs， and asks something of us in return。
This little book， which brings together Heschel's key insights on a range of topics， will reinvigorate readers of any faith who hunger for wonder and thirst for justice。
Plough Spiritual Guides briefly introduce the writings of great spiritual voices of the past to new readers。
Reviews
Joseph J。
，
This was provided to me by Plough Publishing House。 This is the latest in the Plough Spiritual Classics "backpack" series of paperbacks featuring spiritual guidance from more recent writers。 And while the accompanying mailing claims these can be absorbed in one sitting， I respectfully disagree。 Revisited often YES， again and again， as Abraham Joshua Heschel is a rich and illuminating writer and prophet of his time。 Born in Poland and escaping the Nazi onslaught of the mid-20th。 century， Heschel This was provided to me by Plough Publishing House。 This is the latest in the Plough Spiritual Classics "backpack" series of paperbacks featuring spiritual guidance from more recent writers。 And while the accompanying mailing claims these can be absorbed in one sitting， I respectfully disagree。 Revisited often YES， again and again， as Abraham Joshua Heschel is a rich and illuminating writer and prophet of his time。 Born in Poland and escaping the Nazi onslaught of the mid-20th。 century， Heschel came to the United States to write and teach， and to put his faith and belief into action。 Less than ten years before his death in 1972， Heschel would head South to take part in the Civil Rights movement。 Walking for justice: "I felt my legs were praying。" （This is from a rewarding introduction by his daughter Susannah Heschel。） Over some time I slowly and prayerfully turned these pages （not one sitting）， as they became my own Lenten journey。 Each page and indeed paragraph are packed with prophetic insight and a call to action。 By his own life and example Heschel calls us to put prophecy into action， and contemplation into change。 His definition of the Black man/woman in the America of his day is no less relevant today in the reality of our 24 hour news cycle， the internet， and police cam video。 Every page of this synthesis explores and challenges not only one's relationship to God， but the relation of God to his creation。 Prayer， called out from places of worship to die， is redirected to action in relation to God and service to all。 Prayer without works？ Well。。。the call to faith is a call to act。 Heschel in these pages emerges a a modern day prophet whose examination of the call to faith， the response of prayer， and the yearning of humankind for God AND God for us transcends the years of his own life， and serves as a guide for the future。 I loved in the closing pages the challenge of a Hasid to learned philosophers， "If God were the way you imagine him， I would not believe in him。" Heschel writes that "Never is our mind so inadequate as in trying to describe God。" It is difficult here in a brief review to describe the power and richness of Heschel's faith and writing contained in these pages。 。。。more
Jonni Jones
，
Rabbi Abraham Heschel was a mid-20th century theologian， civil rights activist， professor， and prolific writer。 This slim collection of 12 essays illuminates his insights into the nature and mysteries of God and of the transcendence of the spirit and wonder of an individual’s mystical experience。The elegance of his prose and his understanding of living in the presence of the Holy makes reading this collection a joy。Robert Erlewine’s choice of the rabbi’s essays is superb and the order of the ind Rabbi Abraham Heschel was a mid-20th century theologian， civil rights activist， professor， and prolific writer。 This slim collection of 12 essays illuminates his insights into the nature and mysteries of God and of the transcendence of the spirit and wonder of an individual’s mystical experience。The elegance of his prose and his understanding of living in the presence of the Holy makes reading this collection a joy。Robert Erlewine’s choice of the rabbi’s essays is superb and the order of the individual chapters leads the reader along a particular path that helps the reader understand the rabbi’s philosophical teaching approach。In addition， there is a long and informative introduction by Rabbi Heschel’s daughter Susannah Heschel who is a Professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College。 This collection is a must read for individuals of any religious affiliation whether Jewish， Christian， Muslim， or any other faith， creed， or belief。 I highly recommend this beautiful anthology。 In the interest of full disclosure， I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review。 。。。more
Rachel
，
There are many different ways to contemplate and study words of Torah。 We can study the intricacies of the Chumash， the first five books， mining them for how best to live our lives。 Or we can focus on the prophetic writings， which speak to ethics beyond ritual。 Fortunately， we don’t have to choose only one option because there are books for every type of spiritual searcher。 Those who prefer to study the parasha shel shavah （the portion of the week） can look to “Exodus: A Parsha Companion” by Rab There are many different ways to contemplate and study words of Torah。 We can study the intricacies of the Chumash， the first five books， mining them for how best to live our lives。 Or we can focus on the prophetic writings， which speak to ethics beyond ritual。 Fortunately， we don’t have to choose only one option because there are books for every type of spiritual searcher。 Those who prefer to study the parasha shel shavah （the portion of the week） can look to “Exodus: A Parsha Companion” by Rabbi David Fohrman （Aleph Beta Press/Maggid Books）， which focuses on individual sections of the Chumash。 Anyone looking for inspiration from the prophets in order to create a more just world will appreciate Abraham Joshua Heschel’s “Thunder in the Soul: To Be Known by God” （Plough Publishing House）， which is edited by Robert Erlewine。 See the rest of my review at https://www。thereportergroup。org/past。。。 。。。more
Rebecca Graham
，
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。
Mark
，
A great book about being known by God。God is not our mental construct。 Whenever we construct God in our minds， He becomes something besides God。 Instead of man comprehending God with our finite minds， God created man in His image。 He is the Constructor。 We are the ones he constructed for the purpose of caring about us。 The Jews kept track of these God moments while their ancient monuments have been destroyed， these moments live on。The only rational thing to do is live a life of awe。Read this boo A great book about being known by God。God is not our mental construct。 Whenever we construct God in our minds， He becomes something besides God。 Instead of man comprehending God with our finite minds， God created man in His image。 He is the Constructor。 We are the ones he constructed for the purpose of caring about us。 The Jews kept track of these God moments while their ancient monuments have been destroyed， these moments live on。The only rational thing to do is live a life of awe。Read this book。 It will change the way you think about God and people。 。。。more
Debra
，
Abraham Joshua Heschel was a Polish born American Rabbi。 I had not heard of him before now。 He died in 1972， but he wrote many books and was active in many civil discourses。This little book gives bits and pieces from his writings and they are gems。 Two of them really struck me。 "Indifference to evil is more insidious than evil itself" and "Religion begins with the consciousness that something is being asked of us。"Rabbi Heschel was a Jew and I a Catholic and we share so much in our love of God。 Abraham Joshua Heschel was a Polish born American Rabbi。 I had not heard of him before now。 He died in 1972， but he wrote many books and was active in many civil discourses。This little book gives bits and pieces from his writings and they are gems。 Two of them really struck me。 "Indifference to evil is more insidious than evil itself" and "Religion begins with the consciousness that something is being asked of us。"Rabbi Heschel was a Jew and I a Catholic and we share so much in our love of God。 That was something that really touched me with his writing。 His faith and love of God shines through and his words are really timeless as is God and His love for us。 Plough Publishing House was kind enough to provide me with a copy of this delightful little book to read and review。 I am so glad they did。 Thank you for introducing me to Rabbi Heschel！ 。。。more
Miriam Jacob
，
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 li 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。Miriam Jacob 。。。more
Eric
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I was privileged to be gifted a pre-publication of this small volume by the publisher。 I believe it actually has been released today。 This is an excellent addition to the shelves of works by and about Rabbi Heschel。 The thematic organization makes for a nearly seamless and enticing read。 The two introductory essays are valuable additions to our body of teaching about the importance of Rabbi Heschel’s Torah。 The essay by his daughter， Susannah Heschel is especially meaningful and moving。 His voic I was privileged to be gifted a pre-publication of this small volume by the publisher。 I believe it actually has been released today。 This is an excellent addition to the shelves of works by and about Rabbi Heschel。 The thematic organization makes for a nearly seamless and enticing read。 The two introductory essays are valuable additions to our body of teaching about the importance of Rabbi Heschel’s Torah。 The essay by his daughter， Susannah Heschel is especially meaningful and moving。 His voice lives on and this volume makes that possible both for newcomers to his thought as well as veteran readers of his works like myself。 I found both familiar and new pieces of his Torah to imbibe。 。。。more
Angelia
，
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 p 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。 。。。more
Beth Morrill
，
Heschel's writing as encapsulated here is deeply moving。 The writing is dense which forced me to slow down and concentrate on the content which ended up enhancing my experience。 My only quibble would be the long introduction and prologue。 While they were informative and provided context， I was more interested in Heschel's words themselves。 Heschel's writing as encapsulated here is deeply moving。 The writing is dense which forced me to slow down and concentrate on the content which ended up enhancing my experience。 My only quibble would be the long introduction and prologue。 While they were informative and provided context， I was more interested in Heschel's words themselves。 。。。more
Joan
，
Abraham Heschel was a Jewish theologian and religious philosopher。 As a Christian， why would I read Heschel？ He wrote for people encountering God and his thoughts were not confined to one faith。 As his daughter notes in the forward， many say， “A Jew has brought them closer to God， deeper in their prayer， strengthened in their faith，” （180/1248） There is a long forward in this book， explaining much of Heschel's life and work。 That makes this book a good introductory one for readers not familiar w Abraham Heschel was a Jewish theologian and religious philosopher。 As a Christian， why would I read Heschel？ He wrote for people encountering God and his thoughts were not confined to one faith。 As his daughter notes in the forward， many say， “A Jew has brought them closer to God， deeper in their prayer， strengthened in their faith，” （180/1248） There is a long forward in this book， explaining much of Heschel's life and work。 That makes this book a good introductory one for readers not familiar with him or his work。There were several areas in this book I found particularly insightful。 One was Heschel's thoughts on piety。 A pious person's main interest is God。 This concern for God， “becomes the driving force controlling the course of his actions and decisions， molding his aspirations and behavior。” （357/1248） That is thought provoking。 I liked Heschel reminding us that our concern is not for more knowledge but to open our lives to God。 I appreciate Heschel's emphasis on transcendence， the reality of God beyond all things。 I appreciate Heschel's exploration of God's character。 “No single attribute can convey the nature of God's relationship to man。” （548/1248） Justice is God's nature， as is love and mercy， as is divine anger。 “It is divine anger that gives strength to God's truth and justice。” （548/1248） He has very insightful thoughts on prayer。 He explores the call and message of prophets as they reveal humanity's indifference to evil。 （634/1248）Some of Heschel's writing in this book requires reflection to comprehend。 This is not a book a reader will breeze through。 Nonetheless， there are thought provoking insights for all those who desire to understand more of how God interacts with man and how man encounters God。I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher。 My comments are an independent and honest review。 。。。more
Bob
，
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 c 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 Eternity2。 The Only Life Worth Living3。 In the Presence of Mystery4。 The Prophets Show us God Cares5。 God Demands Justice6。 Modernity Has Forfeited the Spirit7。 Prayer is Being Known by God8。 A Pattern for Living9。 The Deed is Wiser than the Heart10。 Something is Asked of Us11。 Faith is an Act of the Spirit12。 Not Our Vision of God but God’s Vision of UsReading 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。________________________________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。 。。。more
Richard Dominguez
，
From the blurb "Abraham Joshua Heschel， descended from a long line of Orthodox rabbis， fled Europe to escape the Nazis。 He made the insights of traditional Jewish spirituality come alive for American Jews while speaking out boldly against war and racial injustice。"I want to say right away that I had no previous knowledge of Mr Heschel and anything I can express about him is entirely due to this book and some minor reference work I sought before having received the book from Plough Publishing for From the blurb "Abraham Joshua Heschel， descended from a long line of Orthodox rabbis， fled Europe to escape the Nazis。 He made the insights of traditional Jewish spirituality come alive for American Jews while speaking out boldly against war and racial injustice。"I want to say right away that I had no previous knowledge of Mr Heschel and anything I can express about him is entirely due to this book and some minor reference work I sought before having received the book from Plough Publishing for review。"Thunder in the Soul: To Be Known By God" by Abraham Joshua Heschel is a look through his own words into the mind of a man most theologians consider the greatest and most influential thinker of his time and ours。 A collection of Mr Heschel's thoughts on various subjects his words are meant to inspire thinking， to provoke you to think for yourself， unlike the dogma that passes for enlightenment in the current age。The book begins with a couple of marvelous forwards，one written by Robert Erlewine in which he attempts to explain who Mr Heschel was，of which he openly says is not an easy thing to do "His life and work defy easy categorization"。The second forward is written by Mr Heschel's daughter Susannah Heschel in which she explains quite clearly how her father's words， his beliefs apply even today （and they do）。As I read through the chapters （highlighter in hand） I was struck by how profoundly clear his thoughts are outlined。 There are times that his words inspired me to thought， times when I was forced to look at what I know from a different perspective that had simply never occurred to me。 By the same token there are times when his words simple humbled me （pg 47 "God Demands Justice" where he speaks of the effrontery to the divine， the suffering of man a blot on the very conscience of God。 He then sets about explaining why， in what the old saying would proclaim is "as easy as pie"。 Having marched with Martin Luther King Jr， his views on social inaction are just as inherent in his spirituality as any of his other views， "some are guilty， but all are responsible"。Engaging from the start， this work of spiritual wonder and awareness to how short we have fallen not just from the grace of God but from the very potential to which we can rise is truly a must read。 One more thought， after reading this i was struck with a memory， words spoken by Albert Einstein in reference to Gandhi "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth。" 。。。more
Rebecca Hill
，
Abraham Heschel brings a wallop in this book， talking about a variety of topics， but all tied together through one common thread - faith。 It was eye-opening， and thought provoking， with questions being raised and answered， different ideas and solutions thrown out， as well as a descriptive overview of views and highlights that are important。Engaging and interesting read！
G。 Connor Salter
，
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。 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。 。。。more
Dave
，