Jay Michaelson Libri

This exploration of the radical, yet ancient, idea that everything and everyone is God will transform how you understand your life and the nature of religion itself. While God is conventionally viewed as an entity separate from us, there are some Jews—Kabbalists, Hasidim, and their modern-day heirs—who assert that God is not separate from us at all. In this nondual view, everyone and everything manifests God. For centuries a closely guarded secret of Kabbalah, nondual Judaism is a radical reorientation of religious life that is increasingly influencing mainstream Judaism today.Writer and scholar Jay Michaelson presents a wide-ranging and compelling explanation of nondual what it is, its traditional and contemporary sources, its historical roots and philosophical significance, how it compares to nondual Buddhism and Hinduism, and how it is lived in practice. He explains what this mystical nondual view means in our daily ego-centered lives, for our communities, and for the future of Judaism.

A passionate argument for LGBTQ equality within religious communities—“a book for our times and a book for the ages” (EDGE) The myth that the Bible forbids homosexuality—the myth of “God versus Gay”—is behind some of the most divisive and painful conflicts of our day. In this provocative and game-changing book, scholar and activist Jay Michaelson shows that the Bible does not prohibit same-sex intimacy but does quite the opposite. In fact, the vast majority of the Bible’s teachings support the full equality and dignity of LGBTQ people, from the first flaw it finds in creation (“It is not good for a person to be alone”) to the way religious communities grow through reflection and conscience. Michaelson argues passionately for equality—not despite religion, but because of it. With close readings of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, the latest data on the science of sexual orientation, and a sympathetic, accessible, and ecumenical approach to religious faith, Michaelson makes the case that sexual diversity is part of the beauty of nature. The recognition of same-sex families will strengthen, not threaten, the values religious people hold dear. Whatever your views on religion and sexual diversity, God vs. Gay is a plea for a more compassionate, informed conversation—and a first step toward creating one.

Your body is the place where heaven and earth meet. The greatest spiritual achievement is not transcending the body but joining body and spirit together. But to do this, you must break through assumptions that draw boundaries around the Infinite and wake up to the body as the site of holiness itself. This groundbreaking book is the first comprehensive treatment of the body in Jewish spiritual practice and an essential guide to the sacred. With meditation practices, physical exercises, visualizations and sacred text, you will learn how to experience the presence of the Divine in, and through, your body. And by cultivating an embodied spiritual practice, you will transform everyday activities--eating, walking, breathing, washing--into moments of deep spiritual realization, uniting sacred and sensual, mystical and mundane.

A no-nonsense guide to the evolution of meditation, mindfulness, and enlightenment in modern-day society—from their religious origins in the East to their more secular incarnations in the West Evolving Dharma is the definitive guide to the meditation revolution. Fearless, unorthodox, and irreverent scholar and activist Jay Michaelson shows how meditation and mindfulness have moved from ashrams and self-help groups to classrooms and hospitals, and offers unusually straight talk about the “Big E”— enlightenment. Michaelson introduces us to maverick brain hackers, postmodern Buddhist monks, and cutting-edge neuroscientists and shares his own stories of months-long silent retreats, powerful mystical experiences, and many pitfalls along the way. Evolving Dharma is a must-read for the next-generation meditator, the spiritually cynical, and the curious adventurer in all of us.

Exploring the journey of the "spiritual but not religious" movement, this book delves into the experiences of modern seekers navigating their spiritual paths in a digital age. It examines the challenges faced by individuals who are both skeptical and earnest in their quest for meaning, offering insights into the evolving landscape of spirituality in contemporary America. Through this lens, readers are invited to reflect on the personal and societal implications of a faith journey that is increasingly disconnected from traditional religious structures.

Interconnected tales explore the themes of mysticism and heresy, intertwining faith and desire. The collection delves into provocative narratives that challenge conventional beliefs, showcasing the author's unique storytelling style. Through these stories, readers are invited to reflect on the complexities of spirituality and the human experience.

Introduction: The boundary crosser -- "I tell you everything and tell you nothing" : charlatan, fool, deviant, heretic--who was Jacob Frank? -- "I do not look to heaven but at what God does here on Earth" : Frankist antinomianism as materialist skepticism -- "Everything that is of the spirit has to be turned into flesh" : magic, myth, and the material imaginaire -- "To make a man in wholeness, stable and possessing eternal life" : the occult quest for immortality -- "With this deed we go to the naked thing" : sexual antinomianism as mystical messianism -- "We have no need of books of Kabbalah" : rejecting Kabbalah and Sabbateanism -- "The gods of freemasonry will have to do that which those two did" : Frankism as Western esotericism -- "All religions change and go beyond the borders laid down by their ancestors" : foreshadowing secularism and spirituality.