2020/08/11

Reconciling All Things: A Christian Vision for Justice, Peace and Healing (Resources for Reconciliation): Katongole, Emmanuel, Rice, Chris: 9780830834518: Amazon.com: Books

Reconciling All Things: A Christian Vision for Justice, Peace and Healing (Resources for Reconciliation): Katongole, Emmanuel, Rice, Chris: 9780830834518: Amazon.com: Books



Reconciling All Things: A Christian Vision for Justice, Peace and Healing (Resources for Reconciliation) Paperback – October 10, 2008

by Emmanuel Katongole  (Author), Chris Rice  (Author)

4.7 out of 5 stars    22 ratings

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  • 2009 Christianity Today Book Award winner
Our world is broken and cries out for reconciliation. But mere conflict resolution and peacemaking are not enough. What makes real reconciliation possible? How is it that some people are able to forgive the most horrendous of evils? And what role does God play in these stories? Does reconciliation make any sense apart from the biblical story of redemption? Secular models of peacemaking are insufficient. And the church has not always fulfilled its call to be agents of reconciliation in the world. In Reconciling All Things Emmanuel Katongole and Chris Rice, codirectors of the Center for Reconciliation at Duke Divinity School, cast a comprehensive vision for reconciliation that is biblical, transformative, holistic and global. They draw on the resources of the Christian story, including their own individual experiences in Uganda and Mississippi, to bring solid, theological reflection to bear on the work of reconciling individuals, groups and societies. They recover distinctively Christian practices that will help the church be both a sign and an agent of God's reconciling love in the fragmented world of the twenty-first century. This powerful, concise book lays the philosophical foundations for reconciliation and explores what it means to pursue hope in areas of brokenness in theory and practice.



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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This book inaugurates the Resources for Reconciliation series, a joint venture of the publisher and Duke Divinity School's Center for Reconciliation. The two authors, codirectors of the center, bring perspectives that pair perfectly: Catholic and evangelical Protestant, African and American, academic and practitioner, ordained and lay. Each also brings powerful life experience in confronting oppression and injustice: Katongole grew up under Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and lived near the Rwandan genocide. After growing up a missionary kid in South Korea, Rice worked for 17 years in an urban ministry in Jackson, Miss. Against a background of difference, the two argue for a vision of reconciliation that is neither trendy nor pragmatically diplomatic, neither cheaply inclusive nor heedless of the past. The reconciliation they explain and hold out hope for is distinctively Christian: a God-ordained transformation of the consequences of the fall into the new creation spoken about by the apostle Paul. Deeply theological, this short book needs slow reading by anyone interested in harnessing the power of the spirit for social change. (Nov.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

There is much to commend this slim volume. Catholic and Protestant lay persons and seminary students alike will benefit from the authors' expansive theological vision of reconciliation. (Philip D. Kenneson, Reviews in Religion Pyschology, Vol 17, Issue 2)



Center for Reconciliation founders Emmanuel Katongole and Chris Rice use personal experiences and historic examples to illustrate their roadmap for reconciliation work. Reconciliation is not a theory or an achievement, they teach, but a gift of God, an invitation to a story, a journey with God's new creation as the goal. (KB, Mennonite Brethren Herald, October 2009)



"Reconciling All Things is an excellent book that provides a solid framework for the books that will follow in IVP's Resources for Reconciliation series. It also would serve well as a conversation starter in our church communities, particularly as we seek to discern what the Mission of God looks like in our particular location." (Chris Smith, The Englewood Review of Books (erb.kingdomnow.org) 2, no. 13)



"Reconciling All Things is the best book I have read during the preceding course of twelve months. I call this book 'true theology in practice.' What makes this book an invaluable resource is its message of reconciliation, the wisdom it embodies, and the fact that both Rice and Katongole have been actively involved in this journey!" (Celucien L. Joseph, Christ, My Righteousness (christmyrighteousness9587.wordpress.com), February 21, 2009)



"Deeply theological, this short book needs slow reading by anyone interested in harnessing the power of the spirit for social change." (Publishers Weekly, September 1, 2008)



"Reconciliation has become a popular buzz word. But I've learned there are no quick and easy fixes for a broken world. This book takes us deeper. It is fresh, biblical, practical, inspiring and full of hope. The authors themselves embody the vision our world needs--African and American, black and white, Uganda and Mississippi, Protestant and Catholic, joined in common ministry across divides. This book is for all those restless Christians I meet who long for an alternative." (John Perkins, founder, Christian Community Development Association, author, Let Justice Roll Down)



"Rather than suggesting formulaic or easy steps, Father Emmanuel Katongole and Chris Rice challenge their readers to embody a spirituality that reconciles. With the compelling texture of real-life stories, the credibility of their own journeys in reconciliation, and humble yet profound theological reflections, Emmanuel and Chris offer an accessible and fresh entry point for the crucial conversations on reconciliation." (Christopher L. Heuertz, International Executive Director, Word Made Flesh, and author of Simple Spirituality)



"This is a tough and a hopeful book. Tough, not because it is hard to read, but because it calls us to what the authors portray as the imperative but long, painful and not always rewarding journey of reconciliation. But hopeful because it is full of keen insights, fascinating stories and wise counsel. If we truly believe God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself, then this book is important reading. Read it and heed the call to join in God's great story of reconciliation. You will find yourself challenged beyond comfort, yet moved with great expectations." (Leighton Ford, president, Leighton Ford Ministries, author, Transforming Leadership and The Attentive Life)



"Reconciling All Things is a faithful book, glowing with the joy and hope that come from walking with God and God's people in the world. Inviting all to join in God's reconciling work across the myriads of ways we live in brokenness, Katongole and Rice do a new thing--they retrieve a deeply theological vision of God's gift of reconciliation and show what the inbreaking of this gift looks like in the real stories of people who have embarked on this journey. These stories of pain and hope make clear that the real work of reconciliation is not as much about programs, strategies or fixing all things as it is about the ordinary, mundane, daily work of living faithfully and patiently in our local, particular, face-to-face contexts. And if we do, if we enter humbly into God's work in the world, what can happen? New creation!" (M. Therese Lysaught, associate professor and assistant chair, Department of Theology, Marquette University)



"Chris Rice and Emmanuel Katongole know how much genuine reconciliation costs; therefore, they are perfect leaders to teach us not to take the task too lightly or to try to bring it about too superficially. This is a critically important book and an incisive beginning to what promises to be a world-changing series. Christians have a unique vision to live--the new creation of wholehearted community!" (Marva J. Dawn, teaching fellow in spiritual theology, Regent College, and author of Truly the Community, Unfettered Hope and My Soul Waits)

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Product details

Series: Resources for Reconciliation

Paperback: 167 pages

Publisher: IVP Books (October 10, 2008)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0830834516

ISBN-13: 978-0830834518

Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.4 x 8.5 inches

Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Customer Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 stars22 customer ratings

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

#41 in Ethics in Christian Theology

#26 in Christian Salvation Theory (Books)

#9 in War & Peace (Books)

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Top Reviews

TCCAmadala

5.0 out of 5 stars A great textbook for reconciliation courses

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2014

Verified Purchase

The authors, one a Roman Catholic priest from Rwanda and the other a white American Protestant, are the founding co-directors of the Center for Reconciliation at Duke Divinity School in the USA. This book is part of the Duke-based series on reconciliation (cf. §26.23 Forgiving as We’ve Been Forgiven), and Katongole also wrote the excellent spiritual analysis of the Rwanda genocide (cf. §25.19 Mirror to the Church). What makes this book stand apart is the clear emphasis on God’s redemptive story that must not be ignored when trying to reconcile seemingly hopeless situations and relationships (“we are too broken to fix it ourselves”). A Biblical emphasis on time is also essential, in that we must not forget history (and its pain), nor must we lose hope of a future community that is reconciled. The authors’ conviction is, “while never neglecting works of mercy and justice in a broken world, theology matters.” Reconciliation is first of all God’s idea, and that is the reason that the church is not just another social agency; it provides accountability when organizations do not. So true reconciliation is not a human achievement, strategy or programme, but a journey with God, and the outcome is unknown because faith is involved. Here the authors use Heb. 11 to assert that reconciliation needs to reshape the present based on the future, not predict the future based on the present. Reconciliation must begin with lament, so we may have to “unlearn” our attempts to have speedy solutions, to distance ourselves from pain and to deny our own guilt—so that we may learn the opposites, which are pilgrimage, relocation and confession. The use of African illustrations are regularly employed, especially Nelson Mandela (“leaders are ones who learn to absorb pain without passing it on to others or to themselves”) and the Rwanda genocide, and many such examples stress having hope for reconciliation even when it seems humanly impossible because God reconciled us when we were still hopeless. The final chapter on heart, spirit and life goes deeper into the reasons that the church is essential to lasting reconciliation because otherwise pragmatism may take over (merely asking, “what works?”). The summary at the end of the book lists ten theses for recovering reconciliation as the mission of God and is a very useful outline of why the church is so important to reconciliation both within and outside the church. Theological institutions would certainly profit by using this small book as a text for courses and discussions on reconciliation and related issues.

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BB

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent,

Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2019

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A book that should be read by everyone who wants to live at peace in these times of deep division.

This book shows us it is not enough to peacefully coexist, we must have a true sense of community.

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studentmess

5.0 out of 5 stars Reading it as an assignment, now I want to share it with several friends!

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2012

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This book is one of the books assigned for a course I am taking. Sometimes there is a disconnect between the knowledge that we as believers are supposed to be ministering to those who are hurt, and being able to meet people where they are without being condescending. It seems like God has put me through a lot of pain, so I am familiar with the frustration of having people try to love me and being so aware that they have no idea of what I am going through. This book introduces a process by which we can go (yes physically go there) spend time with people, grieve over the hurt and injustice, and then....I don't know, I'm only half-way through!

It's beautiful!



Already I have in mind a few friends that are serious about ministering to people in various kinds of hurt and pain that I want to share this book with when I am done.

6 people found this helpful

2020/08/09

글로벌 생명학 - 동서 통합을 위한 생명 담론 | 이기상

 


알라딘: [전자책] 글로벌 생명학




[eBook] 글로벌 생명학 - 동서 통합을 위한 생명 담론  | 뉴아카이브 총서 1  
이기상 (지은이)자음과모음(이룸)2013-01-07 





























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책소개
‘뉴아카이브 총서’ 첫 번째 책. 21세기 지구 살림살이를 위해 새롭게 대두된 생명학의 정립을 위한 시도와 해법을 담았다. 이기상 교수는 인류가 부딪힌 최대 난제와 화두가 ‘생명 문제’라는 인식하에 이러한 시기를 헤쳐나갈 수 있는 길은 과연 무엇인지 반문하면서 서구적 세계 모델의 한계를 지적하고, 이에 대한 대안으로 ‘생명학’이라는 새로운 학문 분야를 제시한다.

21세기 다원주의 시대를 살아갈 새로운 삶의 문법인 생명, 평화, 상생에 대해 오래전부터 논의되어온 견고한 사상들을 총망라, 인문학적 관점으로 ‘생명’에 대한 전망을 집대성하여 보여준다. 공동의 생활 운명체가 된 지구촌 시대, 하나뿐인 지구 생명을 살려나가기 위해서는 동서 철학의 화합과 융합이 필요하다. 모든 생명체가 함께 어울려 살 수 있는 상생과 공생의 길을 모색하며, 이것은 인문학의 근간인 인간의 근본적인 역할과 존재에 대한 총체적 탐구로까지 이어진다.

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목차


제1장 지구 살림살이를 위한 발상의 전환

1. 우리 시대의 화두 ‘생명’
68억 인류의 평화로운 더불어 삶
생태 문제와 발상의 전환
2. 경쟁 이데올로기의 한계와 새로운 패러다임의 필요
3. 인간 중심에서 ‘생명’ 중심으로!
4. 새로운 삶의 모형은 ‘살림살이’의 길: 지구 살림살이
5. 한국인의 삶 속에서 찾은 살림살이의 길
살림살이
삶을 앎: 사람
생명의 원칙: 비움과 나눔 그리고 섬김
6. 21세기의 영성적 인간

제2장 새로운 생명 담론의 지평 모색

1. 지구 생명 위기에 대한 한국인의 대응
2. 지구촌 시대의 동서 통합적 생명 담론을 위해
3. 생명에 대한 학문(생명학)의 정립을 위한 고찰
4. 역사적 고찰에서 얻는 생명의 고유한 차원(독특함)
생명의 원리: 생명과 운동
생명의 조건: 생명과 전체
생명의 전개: 생명과 역사
생명의 진화: 생명과 정신
5. ‘생명 현상’의 다층위적 구조에 대한 기술
생명의 물체성
생명의 운동성
생명의 주체성
생명의 역사성
생명의 의식성과 단위
6. 생명과 인간: 살림지기로서 사람의 살림살이

제3장 생명, 그 의미의 갈래와 얼개

1. ‘생명’에 대한 정의의 어려움
2. 서양의 생명에 대한 논의
우주는 살아 있는 생명체: 정령론과 물활론
우주는 신이 창조한 정교한 자동 기계: 근대의 기계론적 생명관
진화하는 유기체들의 거대한 집합과 조직화: 진화론과 유기체설
주변 환경에 대응하여 자기를 조직해나가는 생명 체계: 생물 시스템 이론과 생태학
3. 동양 또는 한국의 생명 이해
세상은 신령으로 꽉 차 있다: 무교적 생명관
자연은 천지 만물이 감응하는 거대한 생명체: 도가와 유가
인연으로 서로 의존하고 있는 거대한 생명의 그물: 불교의 생명관

제4장 한국인의 삶 속에서 읽어내는 생명의 의미

1. 한국인의 일상 속에 새겨진 세계관과 생명 이해
2. 생명에 대한 일상적 이해와 우리말 속 생명의 의미
3. 한국 생명 사상의 뿌리와 흐름
생명과 평화를 사랑하는 한민족(배달겨레)
단군 신화의 생명 사상
한민족의 생명 사상의 전개
최치원의 생명 존중 사상
최한기의 생명 우주관: 생생한 기운이 쉼 없이 움직이는 우주
동학의 생명평화 사상

제5장 다석 생명 사상의 영성적 차원: 웋일름을 따르는 몸사름

1. 현대의 생명 위기와 영성
2. 청년 다석의 생명 체험
3. 생명의 젓가락: 덧없는 삶(生), 비상한 웋일름(命)
4. 삶은 사름. 몸생명의 몸살이
몸사름: 생명의 불꽃을 사름
숨 쉼: 목숨과 말숨
5. 생명은 바탈태우
말숨과 우숨(얼숨)
생명의 첨단 ‘이 제 긋’
얼나의 하루살이
식사는 장사며 제사
6. 없이 계신 하느님, 없이 살아야 하는 인간


제6장 함석헌의 생명학적 진리: 살라는 하늘의 절대 명령

1. 삶의 진리, 앎의 진리, 사람(삶앎)의 진리
2. 진리의 사건과 서양 철학의 대응
‘진리’를 둘러싼 논쟁
서양의 진리 개념
3. 우리말 진리 개념의 사용 지평
4. 생명학적 진리: 삶의 진리, 진리의 삶
우주와 생명 그리고 씨?
삶이 참이다
찾음이 참이다
길이 참이다
5. 참의 진리
참은 참(滿)이다 참은 빔(虛)이다
참은 하나다
참 마음, 찬 마음
참은 참이다
참은 참음이다
참은 맞섬이다
생명학적 차이
6. 생명의 진리와 생명학

제7장 김지하의 생명 사건학: 생활 속의 우주적 대해탈
1. 전환기의 조짐들: 이성에서 영성으로!
2. 죽임의 문명, 죽임의 과학
3. 개벽과 생명운동
개벽
생명운동과 문화운동(노동운동, 여성운동, 통일운동)
생명문화운동의 내용
4. 생명의 담지자 민중
생명과 민중
유개념으로서의 민중: 중생
5. 일하는 한울님
6. 자연에 대한 시각의 전환: 환경에서 생명으로!
서양 환경운동의 한계와 생명의 세계관
환경에서 생명으로!
풍류와 한살림
7. 생명과 살림
8. 우주 생명의 활동을 모심
9. 모심의 윤리
10. 생명의 원리와 논리
우주 진화의 법칙
생명의 논리: ‘아니다 그렇다’의 논리
동양적 진화론: ‘불연기연(不然其然)’
11. 인간의 재발견
인간은 가장 신령한 자각적 우주 생명
온갖 생명의 성화를 추구하는 21세기 새로운 우주 종교
12. 21세기는 생명과 영성의 시대
영성적 삶은 역설의 생활화
활동하는 무로서의 자유와 우주적 대해탈
13. 김지하 생명 사상의 특징과 의의


제8장 생명의 진리와 생명학, 지구 생명 시대의 생명 문화 공동체

1. 생명학 정립의 필요성
환경학과 생태학 그리고 생명학
‘생명’과 ‘학문’에 대한 지평 확대
2. 생명의 진리: 삶의 진리, 삶앎의 진리, 살림살이의 진리
생명과 생명체의 구별. 생명학적 차이
생명의 문제는 삶의 문제
생명 진리의 전개: 낱생명, 종생명, 뜻생명, 온생명, 한생명
3. 지구 생명 시대의 생명 문화 공동체
달라진 시대 달라져야 할 삶의 방식
지구 생명 시대
생명의 패러다임
생명 문화 공동체의 필요성
4. 인간은 생명의 관리인 ‘살림지기’

제9장 새로운 시민운동으로서 생명문화운동
1. 생명운동: 시민운동의 새로운 패러다임 모색
2. 생명운동의 자리매김을 위하여
3. 한국 생명운동의 뿌리와 전개
4. 생명회복운동으로서 한살림운동
5. 생명과 평화의 길

맺는말
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------------------------


저자 및 역자소개
이기상 (지은이) 

가톨릭대학교 신학부를 졸업하고 벨기에 루뱅대학교 신학대학원에서 석사과정을 수료했다. 그 뒤 독일 뮌헨 예수회철학대학에서 철학 석사학위와 박사학위를 취득했다. 
현재 한국외국어대학교 명예교수로 1984~2012년까지 한국외국어대학교 철학과 교수로 재직하였다. 
<우리말로 학문하기 모임>의 초대회장이었으며, 현재 우리사상연구소 소장이다. 
1992년 열암학술상을 수상하였으며, 1994년 한국출판문화상 번역상을 수상하였다. 
주요 저서로 『하이데거의 실존과 언어』, 『하이데거의 존재와 현상』, 『철학노트』, 『콘텐츠와 문화철학』, 『... 더보기


최근작 : <소통과 공감의 문화콘텐츠학>,<동서양 철학 콘서트: 서양철학 편 (대활자본)>,<동서양 철학 콘서트: 서양철학 편> … 총 31종 (모두보기)


출판사 제공 책소개

새로운 사유의 힘 자음과모음 뉴아카이브 총서

20세기 기술문명은 그 명성만큼이나 폐해 또한 크다. 이로 말미암아 인문(人文), 사람살이에 대한 근본적인 질문이 대두되고 있는 실정이다. 이에 자음과모음은 문학과 청소년 시리즈물 출판에 대한 다년간의 노하우를 바탕으로 인문서 출판을 새롭게 확대해나가고 있다. 한국 내 젊고 의욕 있는 인문학자들을 발굴해 경계 간 학문하기, 새로운 장르 창출이라는 캐치프레이즈 아래 ‘하이브리드 총서’를 기획, 출판하고 있으며, 정통 학술서를 표방하는 ‘뉴아카이브 총서’를 통해 동서를 넘나드는 통찰, 사유의 힘을 선보일 예정이다.
이번에 출간된 이기상의 『글로벌 생명학―동서 통합을 위한 생명 담론』은 자음과모음 뉴아카이브 총서 첫 번째 책으로, 21세기 지구 살림살이를 위해 새롭게 대두된 생명학의 정립을 위한 시도와 해법을 담은 역저이다. 저자 이기상(한국외국어대 철학과)은 국내 하이데거 연구 분야의 권위자로서 오랜 세월 강단에서 독일의 현상학과 실존주의를 강의해왔고 또 꾸준한 번역 작업을 통해 소개해왔다. 이와 더불어 ‘우리말로 학문하기 모임’의 초대 회장을 역임하고 ‘우리사상연구소’ 소장으로 활동하면서 한국 사상가들의 철학적 정수를 소개하는 일에도 앞장서왔다. 『글로벌 생명학―동서 통합을 위한 생명 담론』은 저자 이기상이 평생에 걸쳐 진전시켜온 철학적 사유와 실천적 대안의 총람이라 할 만한 저서로서 한국발 인문학의 또 다른 가능성을 엿보게 하는 수작이다.

인문학적 상상력으로 21세기 생명 시대를 열다

이 책은 Big Chaos로 일컬어지는 대혼돈의 시기, 인류가 부딪힌 최대 난제와 화두가 ‘생명 문제’라는 인식하에 이러한 시기를 헤쳐나갈 수 있는 길은 과연 무엇인지 반문하면서 서구적 세계 모델의 한계를 지적하고, 이에 대한 대안으로 ‘생명학’이라는 새로운 학문 분야를 제시한다.
21세기 다원주의 시대를 살아갈 새로운 삶의 문법인 생명, 평화, 상생에 대해 오래전부터 논의되어온 견고한 사상들을 총망라, 인문학적 관점으로 언어, 철학, 과학, 종교, 환경, 사상 등 각 분야의 경계를 넘나들며 ‘생명’에 대한 전망을 집대성하여 보여준다. 공동의 생활 운명체가 된 지구촌 시대, 하나뿐인 지구 생명을 살려나가기 위해 동서 철학의 화합과 융합이 필요한 오늘날, 모든 생명체가 함께 어울려 살 수 있는 상생과 공생의 길을 모색하며, 이것은 인문학의 근간인 인간의 근본적인 역할과 존재에 대한 총체적 탐구로까지 이어진다.

새 천년을 맞이하여 인류가 풀어야 할 가장 시급한 문제는 무엇보다도 ‘생태 문제’이다. 인간이 또 다른 천년을 맞이할 수 있으려면 자연에 대한 관계맺음의 방식이 바뀌어야 하고 우주 안에서의 인간의 사명에 대해서도 생각을 달리해야 한다. 발상의 전환을 위해서는 무엇보다도 인간의 인식론적 사유 틀이 ‘존재(있음)에서 생명(살아 있음)’에로 전환되어야 한다. 동서양의 대화를 통해 ‘생명과 더불어 철학’하면서 인류의 문제를 함께 풀어나가려고 시도해야 한다. (15쪽)

과거 어느 때보다 생명학이 절실하게 요구되는 시기이다. 개인으로서의 내가, 인간 종으로서의 인류가, 생명체의 하나로서의 인간이, 우주 진화의 결정체로서의 사람이 어떻게 살아야 할지에 대해 연구해야 할 때이다. 지구 위 모든 사람이 공동의 운명체라는 것을 인정하고 생명의 문제에 관한 한 시행착오를 줄여야 할 것이다. 그러기 위해서는 다양한 문화권에서의 생명의 진리와 삶의 진리에 대해 연구하고 그것들을 다양한 각도에서 비교 조사하여 오늘날 우리에게 적합한 생명의 진리, 삶의 진리를 찾아내야 한다. 진정한 의미에서 동서 통합적 노력이 필요하다. (329쪽)

저자에 따르면 이제 생명학은 어느 특정 분야에서만 국한해 다루어질 성과가 아닌, 여러 분야를 관통하는 통합 분야가 되었다. 저자가 이 책에서 삶과 앎, 물질과 정신, 유기물과 무기물, 육체와 영혼 등 존재하는 모든 것들에 대한 이야기를 다루고 있는 것도 바로 그 이유다.

한국적 생명학으로 지구 살림살이 해법을 논하다
이 책은 동아시아 고유의 전통적 사상을 바탕으로 한 존재론적 통찰 속에서 새로운 통섭의 원리를 보여준다. 전 세계 공통 담론인 ‘지구 환경과 인간의 관계’라는 보편적 주제를 고찰하면서 동양적 사상, 더 깊게는 우리의 전통적 생활 방식이 만들어낸 자생적 이론을 발굴해 ‘한국적인 이론의 세계화’라는 진취적이고 희망적인 메시지를 전한다.
특히 우리나라의 대표적 사상가 류영모, 함석헌, 김지하가 펼치는 ‘한국적 살림살이와 생명 담론’은 오늘날 우리에게 필요한 삶의 진리와 구체적인 방법론을 일깨운다. 또한 생명학이라는 학문적 정립에 필요한 ‘우리말 개념화 작업’을 통해 독자적이고 실험적인 담론의 장을 마련해나간다.

하늘과 땅의 큰 덕으로 하늘과 땅 사이에 나서 살아가는 모든 것이 생명이다. 살아 있는 모든 것, 살아 있게끔 하고 있는 모든 것은 하늘의 명을 받은 ‘생명’들로서, 하늘과 땅의 힘돌이와 열돌이, 숨돌이와 피돌이에 참여하고 있다. 인간은 하늘과 땅 사이에 존재하면서 천지 만물과 더불어 지구 살림살이를 꾸려나갈 것을 명령받은 살림지기로서 모든 생명체에서 하늘의 뜻을 읽을 수 있어야 하며, 그 신비로운 생명의 사건에 ‘사이 존재’로서 책임감을 갖고 동참해야 한다. (119쪽)

지구촌 시대 생명의 진리, 삶의 진리에 대해 낱생명, 종생명, 뜻생명, 온생명의 진리에 대해 본격적으로 탐구해야 한다. (342쪽)

이처럼 우리말과 글 속에 담긴 상생적 문법과 의미를 알아가는 것은 이 책에서 다루는 중요한 핵심 사상과 연결된다. 이들 세 명의 사상가가 전하려는 ‘생명 사상’의 핵심은 우리의 시각 너머에 있는 영성적 세계관을 통해 우리만의 독특한 생명관이자 우주관, 인생관, 가치관을 형성해나가자는 데 있다. 즉 자연을 정복과 관리의 대상으로 보던 인간 중심의 서구 사상에서는 찾아보기 어려운 통합의 원리, 21세기 생명과 평화의 메시지가 바로 ‘우리 안’에 있음을 역설하는 것이다.

우리는 근대화라는 서구화가 야기한 지구 파멸의 위기에 이 한반도에서 우리의 전통 고대 자연 개념 또는 생명 개념으로 되돌아가야 할 당연한 이유를 갖고 있다. 왜냐하면 우리 한국인은 50년 전만 해도 그러한 자연 친화적이고 생명 존중적인 가치관 속에서 생활하였기 때문이다. 나는 우리의 살림살이 모델이 생태학, 생명학에서 하나의 본이 될 수 있지 않을까 생각한다. 우리는 우리의 삶을 이론적으로 반성적으로 되새기면서 우리가 무엇을 버리고 잊었는지, 잃은 것은 무엇인지를 되돌아보아야 한다. 동아시아적인 인문학의 르네상스뿐만 아니라 우리가 가지고 있었던 생활 방식의 르네상스를 통해서 그것을 새롭게 고찰하고 그 속에 간직되어온 삶의 문법과 논리를 읽어내어 논의의 장으로 끌어와서 개념으로 정리한다면, 지금 지구촌에서 논의되고 있는 생명 담론에 크게 기여할 수 있으리라 믿는다. (45쪽)

한국발 인문학의 또 다른 가능성: 진리가 너희를 자유케 하리라


이 책은 우리에게 우리가 살아가는 방식에 대해, 우리가 지향해야 하는 지향점에 대해 다시 한 번 사유하게 한다. 왜 우리가 현 시점에서 부분이 아닌 전체를, 해체가 아닌 통합을, 경쟁이 아닌 공감을 이야기해야 하는지, 그것이 가져다 주는 교훈이 과연 무엇인지를 상기할 필요가 있다. 진리에 대한 물음은 인간의 역사와 더불어 항상 함께 제기되어왔으며, 현재 우리에게도 시사하는 바가 크다. 우리의 삶과 문화 속에 갈무리된 살림살이에서 독특한 삶의 진리, 생명의 진리를 찾아낸다는 것은 인간 본성에 대한 논쟁, 궁극적으로 오늘을 살아가는 나 자신의 진리 찾기와 연결되기 때문이다.
철학자 마르틴 하이데거는 “진리의 본질은 자유다”라는 말을 남겼다. 그런 의미에서 오늘날 삶의 방식에 뚜렷한 문제의식을 가지고 자연, 우주, 세계를 존재론적 시각에서 바라보며, 생명의 개념 또는 생명관의 변천에 대한 철학사적 고찰을 통해 새로운 패러다임을 제시하는 저자의 ‘생명 철학 연구’는 살아 있는 것들의 본질적 물음을 넘어선 진정한 자유를 선사한다.
이 책에서 다루는 생명 담론은 한마디로 우리가 살아온 인류의 역사와 지금 살고 있는 인간 사회를 보다 깊이 이해하고 멀리 바라볼 수 있게 하는 사상적 지평의 탐사이자 촌철살인의 첨언이며, 오늘, 우리 세대에서만 끝나는 것이 아닌 내일, 다음 세대를 위한 새로운 비전이자 한국발 인문학의 또 다른 가능성이다.
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Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in without Going Crazy Macy, Joanna, Johnstone, Chris

 Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in without Going Crazy eBook: Macy, Joanna, Johnstone, Chris: Amazon.com.au: Kindle Store


Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in without Going Crazy by [Joanna Macy, Chris Johnstone]

Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in without Going Crazy Kindle Edition

by Joanna Macy (Author), Chris Johnstone (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition

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The challenges we face can be difficult even to think about. Climate change, the depletion of oil, economic upheaval, and mass extinction together create a planetary emergency of overwhelming proportions. Active Hope shows us how to strengthen our capacity to face this crisis so that we can respond with unexpected resilience and creative power. Drawing on decades of teaching an empowerment approach known as the Work That Reconnects, the authors guide us through a transformational process informed by mythic journeys, modern psychology, spirituality, and holistic science. This process equips us with tools to face the mess we’re in and play our role in the collective transition, or Great Turning, to a life-sustaining society.









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About the Author

Ecophilosopher Joanna Macy, PhD, is a scholar of Buddhism, general systems theory, and deep ecology. A respected voice in movements for peace, justice, and the environment, she interweaves her scholarship with five decades of activism. Physician and coach Dr. Chris Johnstone is a specialist in the psychology of resilience, happiness, and positive change.

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

"Books about social and ecological change too often leave out a vital component: how do we change ourselves so that we are strong enough to fully contribute to this great shift? Active Hope fills this gap beautifully, guiding readers on a journey of gratitude, grief, interconnection, and, ultimately, transformation."

-- Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine

"To the future beings of the twenty-second century, Active Hope might turn out to be the most important book written in the twenty-first."

-- Bill Plotkin, author of Soulcraft and Nature and the Human Soul



"More than any book I've read, Active Hope shows us the true dimensions of this crisis, and the way our heart and actions can be part of the great turning toward healing. Please read this book and share it with others -- for your own awakening, for our children, and for our future."

-- Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance



"Active Hope is a brilliant guide to sanity and love."

-- Roshi Joan Halifax, abbot of the Upaya Zen Center



"If you have despaired for our world, and if you love life, Active Hope will be for you an extraordinary blessing."

-- John Robbins, author of Diet for a New America and The Food Revolution



"Active Hope is not just a book but a gateway to transformation."

-- Jim Douglass, author of JFK and the Unspeakable --This text refers to the paperback edition.



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Format: Kindle Edition

File Size: 803 KB

Print Length: 290 pages

Publisher: New World Library (22 February 2012)

Sold by: Amazon Australia Services, Inc.

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David Liddle

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational

Reviewed in Australia on 6 February 2019

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Joanna and Chris present an approach to life full of hope for the future, supported by many practical exercises to make this a reality. They provide a framework in which to view our world and guidance on how we can take control of our response to the challenges around us to build a positive future.

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Jude

5.0 out of 5 stars A tremendous and timely work teaching us Active Hope

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 February 2020

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I could have saved myself years of depression had I discovered this book before now. It is incredibly supportive and informative in all ways offering a vital resource for this present moment and for the challenges we can expect in the future. I found this book fascinating, along with the resources section and the invitation of wonderful guided exercises throughout the book. It has completely changed my outlook and my wellbeing, from despair to positivity. I now have acquired skills to embrace pain felt for the world and let it go so that active hope can enter and thrive whilst giving valued recognition and steps towards healing our shared existence. I am profoundly grateful to Chris Johnstone and Joanna Macy for leading the way.

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Kate

5.0 out of 5 stars just starting...and loving it

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 February 2019

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I can tell from the opening pages that this book is really important and very much what I need to read, to guide me forward in a positive way.

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H. Moore

5.0 out of 5 stars A gift to humanity at this crisis point in our collective history

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 May 2012

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'Active Hope' is truly a gift to humanity at this crisis point in our collective history. This book succinctly describes the 'Business as Usual' model, which is systematically destroying the resilience of human cultures and the Earth's ecosystems, and yet offers an extraordinary vision of hope - the Great Turning towards a life-sustaining society, in which millions of people globally are now participating.



Holding the daily awareness of this precipice at which we stand requires enormous courage. This book offers clear insights and a tried-and-tested system to help us to develop the inner resources to cope. It feels like the most trusty companion anyone aspiring to co-create a sustainable future could acquire.

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Ms. Katherine R. Honey

5.0 out of 5 stars this book has helped me enormously

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 November 2012

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I can't recommend Active Hope highly enough. As someone who constantly felt depressed, frightened or in numb denial about the multiple crises facing humanity and life on earth, this book helped me reengage and reconnect with nature and other people, and draw from them a sense of joy and enthusiasm. Active Hope is about knowing you've done the best you can, no matter what the eventual outcome. It encourages you to be part of the Great Turning, from a consumerist to a sustainable way of life for us all. Published in 2012, this book is incredibly timely. Thank goodness for Joanna Macy!

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Lesley Robinson

5.0 out of 5 stars Hope Springs Eternal

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 June 2017

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Comforting to know there are others in the world who feel strongly about the destruction of the planet and a message of hope that every one can make a difference if we pull together.

5 people found this helpful


Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis Loy, David R.

 Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis eBook: Loy, David R. : Amazon.com.au: Kindle Store




Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis by [David R.  Loy]

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David R. Loy

Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis by [David R.  Loy]









Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis Kindle Edition

by David R. Loy (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 out of 5 stars    7 ratings

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How can we respond urgently and effectively to the ecological crisis—and stay sane doing it?

This landmark work is simultaneously a manifesto, a blueprint, a call to action, and a deep comfort for troubling times. David R. Loy masterfully lays out the principles and perspectives of Ecodharma—a Buddhist response to our ecological predicament, introducing a new term for a new development of the Buddhist tradition.

This book emphasizes the three aspects of Ecodharma:


  • practicing in the natural world,
  • exploring the ecological implications of Buddhist teachings,
  • and embodying that understanding in the eco-activism that is needed today.

Within these pages, you’ll discover the powerful ways Buddhism can inspire us to heal the world we share. Offering a compelling framework and practical spiritual resources, Loy outlines the Ecosattva Path, a path of liberation and salvation for all beings and the world itself.








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Length: 220 pages  Word Wise: Enabled  Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled 

Page Flip: Enabled  Language: English



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A Best Spiritual Book of 2019--Spirituality & Practice



"Ecodharma lays an invaluable foundation for Buddhist environmental analysis and activism. Anyone concerned about the future of sentient beings and living systems on this planet should read this book."

--Christopher Ives, author of Zen on the Trail: Hiking as Pilgrimage



"David Loy is the most significant and inspiring advocate for the meeting of Eastern wisdom and Western social reform writing today. This book offers a timely and urgently needed voice, based on deep experience in the Zen tradition and on thorough scholarship--and is immensely readable and enjoyable too. A true guiding star in our firmament."



--Henry Shukman, Zen teacher, poet, and author of One Blade of Grass --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.



About the Author

David R. Loy's books include the acclaimed Money, Sex, War, Karma: Notes for a Buddhist Revolution; The Great Awakening: A Buddhist Social Theory; The World Is Made of Stories; A Buddhist Response to the Climate Emergency; and The Dharma of Dragons and Daemons, a finalist for the 2006 Mythopoeic Scholarship Award. He was the Besl Professor of Ethics/Religion and Society at Cincinnati's Xavier University and is qualified as a teacher in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition of Zen Buddhism.



His articles appear regularly in the pages of major journals such as Tikkun and Buddhist magazines including Tricycle, Turning Wheel, Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma, as well as in a variety of scholarly journals. He is on the editorial or advisory boards of the journals Cultural Dynamics, Worldviews, Contemporary Buddhism, Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, and World Fellowship of Buddhists Review. He is also on the advisory boards of Buddhist Global Relief, the Clear View Project, Zen Peacemakers, and the Ernest Becker Foundation. He lives in Boulder, CO --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

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Format: Kindle Edition

File Size: 1267 KB

Print Length: 220 pages

Publisher: Wisdom Publications (29 January 2019)

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5.0 out of 5 stars 4

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4.5 out of 5 stars



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Cynthia Rich

5.0 out of 5 stars A significant contribution

Reviewed in the United States on 16 August 2019

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These days, because of the aging population, there are many books, talks, retreats on a Buddhist approach to being with death. This is perhaps the first of what in five of ten years will be many books, talks, retreats on being with climate catastrophe. Ecodharma is not for the faint of heart but neither are the times we live in.



I am grateful to Loy for this beautiful, deeply thoughtful examination of Buddhism and the planetary emergency. Although he provides an extensive and intensive review of the Heart Sutra and the ways of approaching "form is emptiness/empiness is form", those of us who haven't already explored the dharma of emptiness/nonself could find this a tough read.



For some years it's seems that Western dharma teaching--so beautiful, important, life-transforming in so many ways--was weak on getting students/yogis even started on exploring this central aspect of Buddhism. As reading Ecodharma makes clear, such understanding is critical not only to help us grasp the reality and meaning of our personal deaths (and indeed the delusion of self that is the basic source of our suffering ) but also to grasp the reality and meaning of the "death" of our planet as we've known it. So it could be helpful before delving into this profound and valuable work to at least read or listen to teachers who might prepare the mind, lay a groundwork (e.g. Rodney Smith, Stepping Out of Self-Delusion).



For everyone who has laid a groundwork (to at least, in the old joke, not have a heart attack upon hearing the Heart Sutra), this book is invaluable, deeply thought, providing exactly the necessary wisdom for these times.



To quote Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, quoted in Ecodharma (p. 148):



In Buddhist practice we say congratulations because now is the time we have been practicing for. No more just practicing the dance. We must now dance. And this is not a dress rehearsal.

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Scott Thompson

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a deeply important book!

Reviewed in the United States on 10 June 2019

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I have been a Zen practitioner for 40 years now and for over 8 years I regularly wrote articles on climate change and other environmental issues for an environmental publication. David Loy has taken great care in writing his book Ecodharma and I believe that it is of pivotal importance to we Zen practitioners. It is no longer enough for us to diligently practice our zazen with a sangha and study with a credible Zen teacher, while more or less ignoring the climate emergency that increasingly surrounds and engulfs us. In light of all this, Loy is on track in urging us to seriously reconsider what our bodhisattva vows truly mean and what our practice as a whole requires of us.

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Douglas I. Wallace

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for this time of crisis

Reviewed in the United States on 12 May 2020

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In a world accelerating toward catastrophe (climate change, pollution, extinction, and now pandemic), what are we to do about it? David Loy has written an extraordinary work that both challenges and redefines the Buddhist path to meet these global threats. With piercing insight, he argues that the historical emphasis on individual liberation simply isn’t enough; we must reimagine and act toward a collective awakening if we are to survive, along with our countless fellow creatures. Readers versed in Buddhist thought will have easier access to "Ecodharma", but it has deep rewards for those who resonate with Loy’s diagnosis of our moment in history.



In Loy’s view, the “Axial Age” traditions (including Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Vedanta, and the Abrahamic religions) all share a “cosmological dualism”. This posits that there is another, better world beyond this one to which we can aspire if we adhere to the practices and beliefs within the tradition. Not only does this belief devalue the Earth as a mere backdrop for individual salvation, it perversely supports unbridled resource exploitation precisely because this world is of incidental importance. Go forth and multiply, have dominion over the earth and all its creatures… and our global crash is what ensues.



Loy suggests that “Buddhism is not just what the Buddha said, but what he began.” In this way, he honors the many forms and expressions that Buddhism has taken as it migrated to different cultures across the globe and over millennia. In an especially incisive critique, he observes a new twist on the solitary renunciate who rejects the world to secure his own salvation: modern-day meditation practices are often narrowly deployed to help people cope better with the demands of daily life. And for those who have benefited from mindfulness or other stress reduction methods, there is no doubt that they can bring inner peace. But if the remedy stops there, it has simply privatized the costs of pervasive social ills. In other words, it’s simply not enough to help the individual adapt to a world that is crying out for a deeper, systemic cure.



It’s impossible to describe here the many gems of insight that Loy offers us, but one example is his fresh take on the five precepts that many Buddhist practitioners adopt. Along with not killing, lying, stealing, or cheating sexually, there is abstention from intoxicants that cloud the mind. Within this he includes consumerism, which has addicted humanity like no other drug, and left behind the wreckage of resource depletion across the world. We are all (not equally) complicit in this crime, but he makes it clear that it’s time for a collective change.



Fortunately, the book is not just a litany of disasters, however well described. The Buddhist tradition already has in place an answer to these shortcomings – the way of the bodhisattva. Traditionally, the bodhisattva makes a vow to delay his or her enlightenment to liberate all beings. What Loy brings to this ideal is a recognition that the Earth is quite literally our mother, and that the fate of ourselves and all creatures are inseparable from hers. He builds on extensive quotes from Joanna Macy, Thich Nhat Hahn, Thomas Berry, and many others to make his case for a profound shift to collective awakening. Finally, he identifies a number of potential political and social actions to this end.



While the entire volume demonstrates his broad mastery of Buddhist thought, Loy is anything but a doctrinaire Buddhist. He not only cites many sources of perennial wisdom, but recognizes that the “eco-sattvas” the world desperately needs are appearing already from a multitude of cultures and traditions. Anyone who recognizes the spiritual dimension of our human challenge will benefit enormously from reading this superlative work.

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Garry Claridge

5.0 out of 5 stars What not to do, but how to do it!

Reviewed in the United States on 14 March 2019

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Good discussion to lay out the basics and questions for an emerging Ecodharma.

6 people found this helpful

Greening of the Self - Kindle edition by Macy, Joanna

 Greening of the Self - Kindle edition by Macy, Joanna. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.


Greening of the Self by [Joanna Macy]

Greening of the Self Kindle Edition

by Joanna Macy  (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 out of 5 stars    20 ratings



 File Size: 150 KB

Print Length: 15 pages

Publisher: Parallax Press (March 18, 2013)



Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars

The premise of Greening of the Self is that we are not individuals separate from the world. Instead we are always "co-arising" or co-creating the world, and we cannot escape the consequence of what we do to the environment. Joanna Macy's innovative writing beautifully demonstres that by broadening our view of what constitutes "self" we can cut through our dualistic views and bring about the emergence of the "ecological self." Part of the Parallax Press Moments series.



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ktbug58

5.0 out of 5 stars This book describes things, as I have always felt, connected to everything.

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2019

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I chose this book as the title was a bit different,

I was curious to see an ideal that might take me a step further into my understanding of light, energy, life connections.

I wish children were taught to think about life connections like this, we are the world song is similar in these thoughts.

But in every religion I've heard about connections with all that is life and living. About loving unconditionally and taking care of every being , every critter, every tree etc.

I thought for a long time I'm the only one who sees life in this way, the only one who is willing to cry for a burning forest, or life effected by ignorance or carelessness.

It's a good read and I'd recomend anyone with an open mind to read this and give it some thought.

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Cheryl

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear and urgent

Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2019

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I just finished it. It’s short but very impactful. It’s so short and full of so much amazing wisdom I honestly wish everyone would read it. It’s what we need to know about ourselves now if we have any hope of “saving” our planetary home. And it’s put in the framework of systems and self, with scientific explanations.



As a practicing Buddhist I have heard and read many dharma talks about non-self and for me, this author’s portrayal about how we’re actually limiting ourselves by hanging on to something so small and destructive to ourselves and others. Read it! It took me about a half hour to finish.

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Carole B

5.0 out of 5 stars All There Is

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2013

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Please read this book. There is nothing derogatory about "being green" and loving creation. It is a short text which wraps a ribbon around ourselves as human, created, spiritual, and most importantly, as just one cog in the works of Creation. Joanna Macy is never preachy - she's a Buddhist! - she is sincere, loving, wise and whole. We are "greening ourselves" all over the world! The earth is asking us to speak up, not to hide behind chainsaws and investment portfolios, fracking and driving our energy on the blood of the earth. The legs we cut down are our own, the water we poison is the 99% of which our human body is constituted, the money in our bank is paper. The earth has given us everything we need, and the West just sees the earth as something separate - not as the All There Is it is. Read this.

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rkippley

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding

Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2016

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Macy helps us expand our understanding of self to include the planet. A very enriching spiritual read for those longing for a fuller understanding of who they really are.

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Graypeonies

5.0 out of 5 stars A Stunningly Powerful, Truly Memorable, Essential Read

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2014

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Short. Succinct. Essential. Powerful. Macy's passion, wisdom, and commitment inform each word. Begin here and pass it on. Just do it.

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Patricia

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent

Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2020

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I love everything I read by her. Worth adding to your regular reading routine for refreshing and applying in day-to-day living.

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ekrusz

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2018

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Joanna’s writing came to me at just the right moment. I’m so grateful for her message and the wellspring of energy and hope it provides.

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Kathleen

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2016

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good one

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Rikki

5.0 out of 5 stars So much sense in so few words

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 21, 2017

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This essay synthesizes the science and the philosophies that point to how we are symbiotically linked across time and space to all life and only our fears get in the way of understanding that. When we do, caring for the planet is not a moral duty but as clear and obvious as nurturing our bodies.

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exhumn

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful!

Reviewed in Canada on January 21, 2016

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A quick read jam packed with wisdom and inspiration. Joanna's passion shines through each word like the beacon of light that she is...like we all are should we choose to remember.



As the earth changes at an accelerated rate, we are collectively being called upon to remember that we are not separate. We are being called upon to step into a more authentic mode of consciousness known as the greening of the self. This book is a beautifully written wake up call in times of great transformation.

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KiJoseph Fernando

4.0 out of 5 stars Be in touch with the ecology

Reviewed in India on August 24, 2018

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Awareness about being ecological.

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Aydin Ayten

1.0 out of 5 stars NO E MAI APPARSO NEL MIO KINDLE

Reviewed in Italy on May 26, 2015

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Non posso dare nessun opinione che il mio dispiacere che non l'ho mai recevuto nel mio Kindle. Ho fatto ordine di aquista ieri sera

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Linda

5.0 out of 5 stars I read this in one sitting and absolutely loved it

Reviewed in Australia on September 10, 2019

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Very relevant in the current zeitgeist.

Coming Back to Life: The Updated Guide to the Work That Reconnects: Macy, Joanna, Brown, Molly Young

 Coming Back to Life: The Updated Guide to the Work That Reconnects: Macy, Joanna, Brown, Molly Young: 9780865717756: Amazon.com: Books












Coming Back to Life: The Updated Guide to the Work That Reconnects Paperback – November 1, 2014

by Joanna Macy  (Author), Molly Young Brown (Author)

4.6 out of 5 stars    43 ratings

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Coming Back to Life has helped people transform denial, despair and grief in the face of the social and ecological challenges of our time. This new, completely updated edition repositions the classic work within the context of deepening global crises and the cognitive, spiritual and perceptual revolutions occurring all around us.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Here is a blueprint for our present time-an honest and openhearted appraisal of our globally destructive and abusive behavior, and the work required to transform, to shift into a life-sustaining culture. Joanna Macy and Molly Brown outline the simple and essential choices we need to make, and give us the tools to make this shift. A vitally necessary book."

― Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee Ph.D., Sufi teacher and author, Spiritual Ecology, the Cry of the Earth



"The Dalai Lama nailed it: a timeless manual for Earth healers, inspires actionable hope. The new edition reminded me again how to replace despair with constructive optimism; blame with imagination, innovation and collaboration. As a former middle-school teacher, I say "Hooray" for the new chapter designed to aid mentors and teachers on whom it will fall to guide those likely to suffer the worst consequences of the Great Unraveling: Generations X through Z and beyond. The meditations at the close of the book are both balm and goad. From their unique and clear-eyed analysis of our present crises and their causes, through exercises to catalyze the Great Turning, Macy and Brown's book models the changes it aims to facilitate in our hearts and minds. A heart-lifting read."

― Ellen LaConte, author, Life Rules and Afton: A Love Story



"In a time of catastrophic climate change, Joanna Macy and Molly Brown offer a treasure-trove of principles, practices, poems, and prayers that must become as natural to us as breathing. Only this quality of spiritual nourishment can sustain us in our planetary hospice condition. These tools not only fortify us for the long haul, but intimately join us with the Earth, our bodies, and one another, thereby enabling us to experience an exuberant aliveness."

― Carolyn Baker, Ph.D., author, Collapsing Consciously and Love In the Age of Ecological Apocalypse



"Joanna Macy's and Molly Young Brown's new book is a spectacular and accessible blueprint for conflict resolution, environmental sustainability and a planet we all hope to embrace collectively and enjoy. The measures recommended in this book are ones that every individual and community can get behind. Coming Back to Life is a perfect title for a marvelous book."

― Michael Charles Tobias, president, Dancing Star Foundation



"We live in truly perilous times. If you want to face what is happening with an open heart and mind, if you want to use your suffering to awaken to greater aliveness and compassion, this book is for you. Coming Back to Life doesn't just teach that our suffering can be the birthplace for a greater capacity for healing. It shows you how. It's a brilliant guidebook to the power you have at your core to let your light shine its brightest even in the presence of fear and planetary anguish. If you want true wisdom for tough times, if you want to connect with your joy even in the midst of sadness, if you want to see new life arise out of despair, Coming Back to Life has my highest possible recommendation."

― John Robbins, author, Diet For A New America and co-founder and president, The Food Revolution Network



"A must for all who want to mobilize humanity in service of all beings. These concepts, exercises, and meditations have proven to work across generations, religions, ethnicities and races."

― Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, Director of Social Justice Organizing at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College



"Modern civilisation has brought the planet and untold numbers of species, including our own, to the brink of existence. To honestly witness this with our hearts, minds, and spirits wide open and remain able to react, adapt, and, when necessary, resist, often seems impossible. Coming Back to Life , the wisdom, clarity and urgency of Joanna Macy's lifelong body of incredible work shines brighter and more important than ever before. Our very lives now depend on being present in order to stay sane amidst this suicidal culture, and Macy shows us the way."

― Dahr Jamail, journalist and author



" Coming Back to Life is the aptly-titled compendium of what has been learned over many years and can be shared with us all from the successful Work That Reconnects workshops that Joanna Macy and associates have offered to thousands of people from all walks of life. The book ranges from the purpose of such work and its role in what's called the "Great Turning" to the most specific details of how to conduct a successful workshop of this kind. It's a fine example of something the progressive world often lacks: a way to pass on what's been learned in one successful project or another so that this work can grow."

― Michael Nagler, president, Metta Center for Nonviolence



" Coming Back to Life is for me a treasured core text and I am among the many who are delighted with this upgrade. It distils a further sixteen years of experience, names more clearly the context we face and broadens the reach of this work with important new chapters. Thank you Joanna and Molly."

― Chris Johnstone, co-author, Active Hope



"The earlier edition of Coming Back to Life has been a roadmap to me and to others at the Gandhi Institute for years, especially for strengthening our systemic thinking in relation to social injustice and for increasing our capacity to practice mourning in community settings. This new edition is a gift, like a visit from an old friend during a rough time. I feel so grateful to Joanna and to Molly for choosing to return to and refresh this work - a more timely, practical book is unimaginable. I pray that it strengthens our collective ability to lovingly take action on behalf of our descendants."

― Kit Miller, Director, MK Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence



"Every generation needs its sacred texts, its scriptures. Our journey through the damaged landscape and perilous time on this precious Earth requires a new kind of soul guide. Coming Back to Life gives voice to our generations' psalms, praises, and lamentations, our call for justice. It provides practices and meditations so we can make sense of who we are. This book is our wisdom text."

― Carolyn Raffensperger, executive director, Science and Environmental Health Network, and co-founder, Women's Congress for Future Generations



"Reading this blessed treasure of a book is a healing experience. It names and honors the overwhelming emotions, paradoxes, complexities and desires that swirl deep in us as we face the reality of this time. And with gentle assurance it offers us actions that reconnect us to our deepest sources of well-being, energy and love, no matter the external realities. I am forever grateful that this book returns to our world at this time."

― Margaret Wheatley, author, Leadership and the New Science, Perseverance and So Far From Home



"If you ever feel pain or guilt for events in the world, dismay at useless cruelty, rage at environmental damage and waste, or powerlessness because you do not know what to do, this is the book for you. In Coming Back to Life Joanna Macy and Molly Young Brown show how these feelings need not be suppressed. Far from being an agonizing companion, they can be a friend and an aid at reconnecting with your heart and taking useful action."

― Piero Ferrucci, author, Your Inner Will



" Coming Back to Life opens our eyes to both the difficulties and the possibilities - while inspiring our hearts and minds with practices that allow us to become wise activists in a very complex world."

― Lynne Iser, founder, Elder-Activists.org



"Joanna Macy and Molly Brown in their expansive new book Coming Back to Life help us understand the urgency of and the steps to take for this necessary journey. This book is as challenging as it is breath-taking. Macy and Brown remind us over and over the importance of not just facing but claiming suffering, our own, other's and the planet's. Not to despair but to live out and embody our spiritual being in mutuality with each other and the world. They offer practical exercises to help us on our way. Rays of joy leap from the pages but without a guarantee that we will prevail. I found myself continually feeling grateful for this book and the wonderful beings who bring up the necessary challenge of reconnecting and coming back to life."

― John Powell, director, Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society, UC Berkeley



"This legacy edition reflects forty years of highly refined, time-tested experiential group work that has now spread around the globe. Built on the wisdom and principles of Macy's life work, the volume offers a bounty of resources for teachers and facilitators engaged in social transformation. New chapters include insights and progress from expanding the work to children, young people, and activists of color. Macy and Brown provide clear analysis and guidance for cultivating a profound shift in perception critical to a viable future. They express great urgency about what must be done, yet their methods are grounded, powerful, and proven as a path of action. The creative strength of the work lies in its confidence in the human imagination as a basis for hope. This work is wisdom work, an inspired project for healing the wounded parts of the earth and the human psyche. It is filled through and through with the huge hearts and passionate dedication of all those who have been touched by this compelling vision and most visionary teacher."

― Stephanie Kaza, author, Mindfully Green



Book Description

Personal empowerment in the face of planetary despair



From the Back Cover

EMPOWERMENT IN THE FACE OF PLANETARY SUFFERING



If you want true wisdom for tough times, if you want to connect with your joy even in the midst of sadness, if you want to see new life arise out of despair, Coming Back to Life has my highest possible recommendation. John Robbins, author, Diet For A New America and co-founder and president, The Food Revolution Network



Coming Back to Life gives voice to our generations' psalms, praises, and lamentations, our call for justice. It provides practices and meditations so we can make sense of who we are. This book is our wisdom text.

Carolyn Raffensperger, executive director, Science and Environmental Health Network, co-founder,Women's Congress for Future Generations.



DEEPENING GLOBAL CRISES surround us, causing many to fall prey to denial and despair. Coming Back to Life shows how grief, anger and fear are healthy responses to the harsh realities of our time, and that when honored through the revolutionary practice of the Work That Reconnects, they can free us from paralysis and move us toward creative action.



This new, completely updated edition of the classic text illuminates the extraordinary Work that has inspired hundreds of thousands to make strides towards the creation of a life-sustaining human culture. Authors Joanna Macy and Molly Young Brown introduce the Work's theoretical foundations, revealing the angst of our era with remarkable insight. Pointing the way forward out of apathy, they offer personal counsel as well as easy-to-use methods for group process that profoundly affect people's outlook and ability to act in the world.



A must for all who want to mobilize humanity in service of all beings. These concepts, exercises, and meditations have proven to work across generations, religions, ethnicities and races.

Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, Director of Social Justice Organizing, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College



JOANNA MACY, eco-philosopher and root teacher of the Work That Reconnects, has authored 13 books including World As Lover, World As Self .



MOLLY YOUNG BROWN, teacher, trainer, and life coach, has authored and edited 6 books, including Growing Whole: Self-Realization for the Great Turning .



About the Author

Joanna Macy , eco-philosopher, activist, and scholar of Buddhism and systems theory has an international following, thanks to 30 years in movements for global justice and ecological sanity. She is the author of 12 books including the original Coming Back to Life and Widening Circles , and she has produced a 2-DVD set entitled The Work that Reconnects .



Molly Young Brown combines the Work That Reconnects, ecopsychology, and psychosynthesis in her work: teaching online courses, writing and publishing books and essays, coaching and mentoring, and giving talks and workshops internationally. Her five books include the original Coming Back to Life and Growing Whole: Self-realization for the Great Turning .



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Product details

Paperback: 376 pages

Publisher: New Society Publishers; Revised ed. edition (November 1, 2014)
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4.6 out of 5 stars
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M. A. Syverson

5.0 out of 5 stars It is not only a clear introduction to Joanna Macy's approach but a wonderful guide for teaching it

Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2018

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I have used this book in numerous workshops and trainings. It is not only a clear introduction to Joanna Macy's approach but a wonderful guide for teaching it. She is a brilliant transformational activist and teacher wth a powerful message and method for restoring our deep connection with all life. Her Buddhist foundation does not create "bad guys" and "good guys" but recognizes that we are all living beings who share this world and must learn how to make the shift from an industrial growth society to a life-sustaining world. Just read it; you will be heartened, inspired and moved into constructive action, out of despair and overwhelm.

11 people found this helpful

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Minx Boren

5.0 out of 5 stars MAGNIFICENT Treatise on Staying Actively Engaged in Life

Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2019

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Joanna Macy and Molly Brown are voices of sanity and hope and practicality in a bleak planetary doom and gloom landscape. Their words offer an intelligent perspective on why it is not too late and instructions on how to be part of the Great Turning toward a planet that works for all.

3 people found this helpful

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Bob Stilger

5.0 out of 5 stars It is a space where we can dance with our grief and celebrate our joy. It is the space in which we create ...

Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2014

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Coming Back to Life is one of the important books of our time. The view of the world and these times that Joanna and Molly offer is clear and compelling. And for me it is spot on. The exercises and processes they share are powerful. They offer us guidance for working with groups of people to stand awake in this world and to step forward to make a difference. 

Lately I've been using this framework as a core part of my work in Japan -- both in the 3.11.11 disaster area as well as in other parts of the country. The space it opens up for people is incredible. It is a space where we can dance with our grief and celebrate our joy. It is the space in which we create the future we want.

19 people found this helpful

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anniedelasol

5.0 out of 5 stars great ideas, and practical things anyone can do

Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2015

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An updated version of Joana Macy's work. A "how to" prescription on making social change. Full of heart, great ideas, and practical things anyone can do.

6 people found this helpful

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Cynthia

5.0 out of 5 stars We can help change the world by experiential education and activities

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2014

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We need more people to read this and understand its significance to the times we live in. Easy to understand, good for teachers, facilitators of group work, people who want the change toward a new sustainable world to be for our spirits as well as the physical world around us.

19 people found this helpful

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MPB

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2015

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Stunning and comprehensive.

One person found this helpful

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Charles Harrienger

5.0 out of 5 stars The most important gift, you could give yourself

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2017

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Pivotal, elimental ! critical reading

3 people found this helpful

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Karpani

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! I am registered for a week-long retreat as ...

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2017

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Excellent! I am registered for a week-long retreat as a result of this book!

One person found this helpful

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Livvi Lestrange

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book to read in isolation :)

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2020

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Brings you back to what’s truly important and inspires you to be proactive in changing what you can.

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Debbie Collins

5.0 out of 5 stars Fostering reconnection to all that is, all that matters.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 6, 2019

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I'm loving the style, and revisiting Joanna Macy's work after a many years' absence.

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5.0 out of 5 stars I am a long time fan of Joanna Macy's work ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 16, 2016

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I am a long time fan of Joanna Macy's work and use it often in workshops. This book updates the work that reconnects updating the seminal text with drawing on the lessons learned of 20 years or so.

2 people found this helpful

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Claire Hershman

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspuring

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 8, 2018

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One of the most inspiring writers around. I felt so inspired

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Amazon Customer

5.0 out of 5 stars Really inspiring

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 24, 2017

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Inspiring and informative and hopeful
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COMMUNITY REVIEWS
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 Average rating4.41  ·  Rating details ·  138 ratings  ·  10 reviews

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Sejin,
Sejin, start your review of Coming Back to Life: The Updated Guide to the Work that Reconnects

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Chrissy
Nov 16, 2015Chrissy rated it it was amazing
Saved my life.
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Clivemichael
Apr 30, 2018Clivemichael rated it it was amazing
Recommends it for: Changemakers, culture jammers, revolutionaries
Shelves: coaching, community, education, environment-activism, instruction, political, self-help, social-comment
Immense gratitude for all the work done. Essential reading. Well articulated and presented, enthusiastically upbeat and realistic. Love the humility.
"As we go forth in the Great Turning, there are systems and institutions that we will and must challenge. The men and women who serve these structures may appear as our opponents, but they are likely in bondage to our true opponents: institutionalized forms of greed, hatred and delusion."
flag2 likes · Like  · comment · see review
Erica Rhinehart
Aug 19, 2015Erica Rhinehart rated it it was amazing
Macy is an incredible guide and true elder who gives away her most potent practices to teachers, activists and facilitators who recognize the immensity of the tasks that face humanity now and in the near future. In my opinion, the Work that Reconnects contains invaluable practices to engage students of all kinds and belongs in every classroom across the United States.
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Kim Morrow
Oct 05, 2018Kim Morrow rated it really liked it
This is a really helpful book if you are planning a retreat based on Joanna Macy's work, and if you have attended her retreats already. If neither of these are true then I think readers may be lost. It is a workbook for workshop readers rather than a book for a general audience. As a workbook, it is a marvelous resource.
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Jonwillum Duurnenbol
Oct 19, 2014Jonwillum Duurnenbol rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition
Inspirerend, met basis/theorie, en veel oefeningen om met groepen te werken.
http://www.joannamacy.net/
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Seham
Mar 22, 2020Seham added it
Despite what was written as a review tagged to this book, Life is coming back slowly, acceptance is showing itself, a smile is enough to bright a day, and a hug from a child equals the whole world.
Family and kind people around you can keep every pain away, taking you out of any dark pool, full of hatred and cruel against any happiness in your life.
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Sarah Guldenbrein
Apr 10, 2018Sarah Guldenbrein rated it liked it
Shelves: non-fiction, mindfulness
I didn't realize this was going to be so heavy on the facilitation exercises and so light on the theory. it's not really what I was looking for.
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Moses
Jul 25, 2020Moses rated it it was amazing
Shelves: spirituality, sustainability
Wonderful resource book to The Work that Reconnects- I read it as part of a facilitator training program on The Work.

For independent reading, I would recommend 'Active Hope'.
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Bruja Ha
Jan 28, 2020Bruja Ha rated it it was amazing
Joanna Macy is a treasure: a wise elder who also shows up as a real human being with foibles, fierce love, and humor. As one of her students, I've used this book extensively in teaching for the past 20 years, and recently purchased the updated version. It was wonderful the first time, and it's even better and more relevant now. It consists largely of powerful exercises that you can apply with others. Highly recommended, as is all of her work.