“Everyone curls up inside a Sabbath at some point or other. Religion need not be involved.”
The Sabbath is not just the holy ... read full description
The Sabbath is not just the holy ... read full description
reviews
Jan 04, 2011
Phillip
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I loved this book. I have long tried to make Sunday a day apart from the rest of the week by doing other things. I certainly have a religious reason for doing so, but I believe there is value in sabbath observance, even for the non-believer in the sense of having a day that is decidedly different from all the rest via the use of self-imposed rules.
For example, our family doesn't generally watch TV on Sunday. We make almost no exceptions (even for the Superbowl and other extravaganzas) More...
For example, our family doesn't generally watch TV on Sunday. We make almost no exceptions (even for the Superbowl and other extravaganzas) More...
Dec 31, 2010
Lisa
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This book is like liquid smoke or powdered milk--not exactly one thing or another. The author wends her way between describing historical developments, analyzing social trends, and sharing reflections grounded in her own experience (while telling us as little as possible about her life, it felt like). Near the end, Shulevitz writes, "The conventions of spiritual autobiography require me to conclude by telling you how I keep the Sabbath now, as opposed to when I began this book." I a
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Dec 13, 2010
Stuart
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The audience for this book has to be tiny. First you have be intellectually inclined. Second you have to be Jewish. Third it helps if you have experienced some traditional old-style Jewish culture. Fourth it helps if you're an apostate otherwise you'll likely find this book insulting. Fifth you have to like those post-modern narratives that weave the personal with the critical (since, supposedly real critical analysis requires a personal contextual framework).
Since I'm a praying More...
Since I'm a praying More...
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Sep 03, 2010
Laura
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I thought this book was fascinating. The author ties together research and scholarship in so many areas -- biology, sociology, economics, theology -- to demonstrate how profound the idea of a Sabbath really is. She links together really lofty ideas about why a community would choose to enact and enforce no-work periods with her experiences with trying to believe in it and, sometimes, to make it work. She does sometimes move between disparate areas of thought without trying to elucidate the relat
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Aug 08, 2010
Catherine
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The Sabbath World is an incredibly readable survey of the Saturday and Sunday Sabbaths of Judaism and Christianity, traveling across centuries and continents to tell the story of how and why we have (or have not) celebrated a day of rest. For someone - like me - unschooled in the customs and laws of Judaism, and only passingly familiar with the complicated history of the early Christian church, it's a great primer on each. Shulevitz does a great job of treating the Sabbath not only as a religi
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Apr 04, 2010
Rachel
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Fabulous. An amazing blend of political, economic, religious and historical thought, suitable for the theist and the atheist, as an exploration into the way the modern world looks at time, inclusion, and separation. Though Shulevitz is a Jewish author, and writing from a Jewish perspective, this is not a "Jewish Book", rather it is a book about societies past and present. It is about the tensions between puritanical views and 24/7 modernism. It is even about personal exploration, doubt
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Apr 21, 2010
Leonard
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I am giving this book four stars in spite of the intrusion of quirky personal episodes from the author's life which rarely illuminate, often interfere, and usually contain TMI.
Still, the book is illuminating about the history of the sabbath and sabbatarianism. It's discussion of developments in Judaism and Christianity and their interrelationships is fascinating and amazingly comprehensive for such a short book(less than 220 pages without notes and far shorter, if the personal episo More...
Still, the book is illuminating about the history of the sabbath and sabbatarianism. It's discussion of developments in Judaism and Christianity and their interrelationships is fascinating and amazingly comprehensive for such a short book(less than 220 pages without notes and far shorter, if the personal episo More...
Apr 26, 2010
Edward
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"Whether I see it scattered down among tangled woods, or beaming broad across the fields, or hemmed in between brick buildings, or tracing out the figure of of the casement on my chamber floor, still I recognize the Sabbath sunshine. - And ever let me recognize it. Some illusions, and this among them, are the shadows of great truths. - from Nathaniel Hawthorne's SUNDAY AT HOME
This is an apt quote from the beginning of Shulevitz's book, and she does well at teasing out the "illu More...
This is an apt quote from the beginning of Shulevitz's book, and she does well at teasing out the "illu More...
Apr 18, 2010
I also heard the Fresh Air interview, and that left me not wanting to read the book. The author admitted late in the interview that she does not believe in God and manipulates the "loopholes"--driving her kids to events, preprogramming TV and VCR so they can still watch them, not visiting friends, but have them visit instead--so her family can be more strict followers of the Sabbath. It came off as superficial and a bit hypocritical. Perhaps the interview did a grave disservice to the
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May 21, 2010
Libby
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I really enjoyed this book. The author is an academic through and through, and she brings many different disciplines into her investigation of the Sabbath as a day of rest. The book was somewhat stream-of-consciousness, and although I can tell that Shulevitz worked hard to organize it in a logical way, I never figured out what the organizational scheme was - which, in fact, was just as well as far as I was concerned. The subject matter seems to render the book exempt from the rigid strictures
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Mar 02, 2011
Kristen
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In this mostly stimulating book, the author interweaves religious history, biblical analysis, and personal narrative as she traces the development of the idea of the Sabbath in the Jewish and Christian traditions. There is a lot of rather erudite biblical history here which, as someone who is fascinated by religious history but not particularly religious, I found engaging and incredibly interesting. But I'm also someone who has read a decent amount of the Bible, and I wonder if this would be acc
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Jan 18, 2011
KJ
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I love books that take our rituals out of context, examine them and then return them, neatly dusted, spiffed up, to a more primo space on the shelves. I read this, a little oddly I guess, when I read Hamlet's Blackberry, and both inspired me to think harder about one of my favorite topics: being present in my life. I find myself consciously taking more breathers from everything from my phone and email to invitations and outings, and looking to create more rituals and mire quiet, removed time.
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Dec 10, 2011
Garrett
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This book was an interesting and thought-provoking glimpse into the history of the Sabbath as it has existed in all faiths from Judeo-Christian background. It was an interesting study that delves into the various incantations that it has taken over the past several thousand years, and more interestingly, the various ways that it is becoming eliminated and obsolete. What makes this all the more interesting and pressing is Shulevitz's thesis that there is no more pressing time to observe it in h
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Jul 27, 2010
Emilia
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So yeah. I need to take a rest from things that have been recommended to me by relatively mass media. Fresh Air, you had a pretty good interview with this lady, and there were lots of breaths of fresh air (oops) in this book.
From the moment she declared that because of the destruction of the temple, "the sages inherited an inoperative religion of space, and set about turning it into a religion of time" and went on quickly to say that the idea of the holy is inherently lone More...
From the moment she declared that because of the destruction of the temple, "the sages inherited an inoperative religion of space, and set about turning it into a religion of time" and went on quickly to say that the idea of the holy is inherently lone More...
May 25, 2010
Dara
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This beautiful book is an extended meditation on the Sabbath, as a day of rest, as a social institution and as a personal challenge. As she regales us with Sabbath history and Sabbath trivia,Shulevitz also ponders her own often troubled relationship with Judaism and Sabbath observance.
I especially enjoyed her chapter on Anabaptist Sabbatarian heresies of the 1500s and 1600s which resulted when the common people of Europe read the Bible in their own vernaculars and resolved to follow More...
I especially enjoyed her chapter on Anabaptist Sabbatarian heresies of the 1500s and 1600s which resulted when the common people of Europe read the Bible in their own vernaculars and resolved to follow More...
Dec 23, 2010
Kasey
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I did like this book... reading it, I could recognize how intelligent it is, and how well-researched, and how gracefully-written. I didn't love it as much as I wanted/expected to, I think in part because I have so little background knowledge about the topics Shulevitz discusses; I just didn't have a context for lots and lots of the book. So reading it was occasionally kind of a struggle, but redeemed by the fact that, as I said above, it's just so incredibly smart. It is part memoir, part rel
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Jul 01, 2010
Suzan
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A history, analysis and memoir on the Sabbath, why we celebrate it, why many no longer celebrate it, and the value of setting it aside as a special day. I really liked this book and found it thought provoking. One quote which I think sums up my feelings on the subject is" "God stopped [creation for the 7th day of rest:] to show us that what we create becomes meaningful only once we stop creating it and start remembering why it was worth creating in the first place." The writing
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May 24, 2010
Kara
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This book was an interesting overview of the historical observance of the Sabbath, as well as reflections by a Jewish woman of her own observance of the Sabbath. I learned some new things about the way the Sabbath has been observed in different cultures. A favorite thought from the book was the Sabbath being like entering the Temple in time, rather than in a physical temple. I wish I had the actual quote, but I have already returned the book to the library.
Mar 27, 2011
Rob
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A well researched book. Very interesting historical insights and facts and suppositions.
The author began the book confused about god, religion, religious tradition and law. It ends very much the same. She made a intelligent and fascinating journey but I don't think she got much from it.
I attended a book review on this book and one person felt the author is struggling with a belief in God. He may be right.
The author began the book confused about god, religion, religious tradition and law. It ends very much the same. She made a intelligent and fascinating journey but I don't think she got much from it.
I attended a book review on this book and one person felt the author is struggling with a belief in God. He may be right.
Aug 10, 2010
Christine
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Not what I expected. I was hoping for a survey of modern sabbath practices and the historical context for finding meaning therein, but this ain't it. A fairly interesting read at first, but it devolved into a pallid academic exercise for the author to examine (and seemingly to legitimize to herself) her own rather half-hearted spiritual quest.
Apr 27, 2010
Nathan
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Even if Shulevitz's prose isn't the most exciting thing in the world, it's worth it just for the broad way she looks at the sabbath (mostly in its Jewish, puritan and secular forms) and what it tells us about the ethical and communal qualities of time -- qualities our society is extremely reluctant to recognize.
Dec 29, 2011
Laura
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This book had been mentioned a while ago, and I'd flipped through it at a bookstore, but I hadn't thought of reading it until I learned that the author would be speaking at RUSA's annual Literary Tastes Breakfast. She was funnier in person than the book suggests.
The Sabbath World is a rather dry look at the history of the Sabbath and how we react to the idea today. Ranging from the post-exile Jews to today's (mostly lapsed) blue laws, and from Talmudic discussion to Sabbatarian thoug More...
The Sabbath World is a rather dry look at the history of the Sabbath and how we react to the idea today. Ranging from the post-exile Jews to today's (mostly lapsed) blue laws, and from Talmudic discussion to Sabbatarian thoug More...
Aug 29, 2011
Marcelle
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This book requires some concentration (and for me, a dictionary). It covers a history of the Sabbath and what different Judeo-Christian sects do when observing the Sabbath. The author also throws in her on personal story of why taking a Sabbath break might be a good idea. I'm convinced! ... but don't have enough will power to implement.
Dec 24, 2010
JoyfulK
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This book is full of details about the history of the Sabbath, Jewish and Christian, cultural and religious. As a history book, it has a lot going for it. I particular enjoyed Shulevitz' thoughts on the way we treat time in 21st century America and how this mediates our perception of rest. However, this book didn't quite gel somehow. Shulevitz describe it as religious memoir, but on that level--despite her reminiscences---it didn't fly for me. The narrative didn't integrate somehow. Still, I enj
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Jul 29, 2011
This book on the history and significance of the Sabbath is well written, but the author is so infused with her own ambivallence towards religion--swinging wildly in her adherence to it--that it overshadows the discussion.
Oct 06, 2010
Jon
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I really enjoyed this book...it's part memoir, part history, part meditation. Its main topic is the Sabbath but it also discusses time, religion, sacrifice and tradition. Very enjoyable read! Terry Gross never leads me astray!
Jul 13, 2010
Rachel
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I have a particular interest in books about the Sabbath and this one is excellent. I appreciated the many areas that Shulevitz explored in describing how the Sabbath observance started and the many ways it has been done over the centuries. She did the research I wished to do and presented it in an entertaining and informative way. I also appreciated reading about her own experiences. A well rounded and extensive coverage of Sabbath.
Feb 17, 2011
Recommended to me by a Jewish friend at work. So far, a fascinating look at why and how to keep the Sabbath, and the history of the practice.
Jan 19, 2011
Beautifully written; really an extended essay on the history of and meaning of a self-imposed day of rest intertwined with a personal history.
Jan 13, 2012
Rose
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I felt very smart while reading this book. So there's that. Shulevitz surveys the history of the Sabbath. Or maybe it's better to say that she looks at moments in history using the lens of the Sabbath, and shows us why our ancestors did that, and why today we do this. But this book also satisfied me on a deeply personal level because I strongly agree with Shulevitz that there is value in rest, in removing ourselves from the daily grind, and making time and space for something sacred and even
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