Finding Peace through Spiritual Practice: The Interfaith Amigos' Guide to Personal, Social and Environmental Healing

by Don Mackenzie, Ted Falcon, Jamal Rahman

If we want to heal our personal and planetary problems, we have to move beyond talking to spiritual practice. Pastor Don Mackenzie, Rabbi Ted Falcon and Imam Jamal Rahman, who have become known as the Interfaith Amigos, believe truly effective interfaith dialogue can inhibit the demonization of any religion. Their work together, which began with the horrors of 9/11, aims to help us see all authentic spiritual traditions as sacred avenues to a shared Universal Reality―when we achieve this, the healing of our shared personal and planetary problems begins. In this, their third book, the Interfaith Amigos look at the specific issues we face in a pluralistic society and the spiritual practices that can help us transcend those roadblocks to effective collaboration on the critical issues of our time. Focusing on the interconnection of spirituality and authentic interfaith dialogue, they This book helps awaken readers to the spiritual consciousness within each of us that provides the foundation for much-needed healing. Each chapter includes spiritual practices to aid us in reclaiming the deep spiritual truths of our own being.

Genres: Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

Published August 2, 2016

Reviews

[Lavonne]

I found many similarities among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in their spiritual practices as outlined in this book. They each employ meditation, mindfulness, emphasis on nature, and reverence to the greatest spirit. I would have appreciated if the authors would have collaboratively reflected on the topics in this book rather than taking a topic and having each author script their own section within that topic. The stand alone chapters were quite redundant. A voice that I would have appreciated in their meld would have been that of the Buddhist.

However, these words from the Rabbi struck a chord with me: "When we seek applause, we wind up being controlled by those from whom that applause is sought. When we seek to avoid criticism, we adjust our message so as not to displease. In either case, we are caught in the needs of the separate self. We are far from equanimity and we are not open to the wholeness and inclusivity of God." (p.43)

And from the Imam: "If I seek approval from others, I lose the freedom to follow my own inner guide. If you take this insight to heart, you are ready for the next Sufi wisdom: Choose your jailers with care and deliberation." (p.200)

What is important is to find a spiritual practice and engage in it regularly. "It is not a matter of which tradition is right, or better, or best. It's a matter of which tradition is right for each one of us - which tradition supports our journey toward a deep remembering." (p.212) and "Hope comes when we remember our fundamental selves beyond the particular dramas of our personal selves and know that, ultimately, we all want and need the same thing."

[Katharina Manassis]

The three co-authors of this book, each representing a different monotheistic faith tradition, describe spiritual approaches to peace within and peace in the world. Many books have aimed to compare different spiritual traditions. This one, refreshingly, shows complementarities among traditions: different people find different practices appealing, and the one you find most helpful at a given time may depend on your temperament as much as your tradition. For example, in times of despair there are practices that emphasize that we are not alone in our suffering, others that emphasize our timeless nature (we come Sacred and return to it), and still others that it is possible to find the Divine in all circumstances. Personality as well as background determine which ones you gravitate toward, so you are bound to find one that is meaningful, even if it is outside your tradition. One cautionary note: the book reads more like an index of spiritual practices than something to peruse cover to cover. To use it best, read the chapter relevant to an issue currently troubling you for spiritual practices that may help.

[Mommachris]

Great book!

This is fantastically written. I now want to learn more about different religions and the spiritual practices they have. Great read! I highly recommend this book to anyone.. What ever religion you practice..or even if you don't subscribe to religion as a way to better yourself.

[Nkwa Yellow-Duke]

Will help you decide which religion you want to be or become a member of.

[Joanne]

Got to page 140 and skimmed the rest. It was ok but not personally inspiring. I read it out of respect for my fellow bookies who are much more spiritually oriented than I.