Blessed Relief: What Christians Can Learn from Buddhists about Suffering

by Gordon Peerman

A thoughtful, down-to-earth look at helpful ways to lessen human suffering. This book takes you on a lively, sometimes light-hearted, journey through nine Buddhist practices that can bring "blessed relief" to a wide range of human suffering―and teaches you skills to reduce suffering in the long term for yourself and others. The practices help As you read the chapters and engage in each practice, you will work with your own stories of suffering―stories in which you have felt abandoned, deprived, subjugated, defective, excluded or vulnerable―and you will learn how to release yourself from suffering by investigating it with curiosity and kindness.

Genres: School, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 2008

Reviews

[Grace Wiles]

I read this for my senior capstone for religion majors class, here in my last year of undergrad, in preparation for a conversation my class would have with Peerman. I appreciate his use of anecdotes and examples to paint a picture of the ideas he describes and then equips readers with practical steps to carry out the practices he endorses. I felt some tension with some of his ideas, but I appreciate where he comes from!

[Daniel Cornwall]

Decent book with some good insights and useful meditation exercises to try. Makes bizzare claim that Tlingit no longer live in Southeast Alaska so I cannot offer more than three stars. It's an Alaska thing. Book comes with bibliography and glossary.

Author is clear about his thought process and seemingly honest about when things go wrong and right.

[Carol]

I had the pleasure of attending a seminar by Dr. Peerman, and thought he was an exceptional speaker. My study group and I enjoyed this book immensely. It was light-hearted and deep at the same time.

[Emily King]

An easy-to-read book with lots of insight based on the author's personal experiences into how to lessen suffering using simple techniques based in Christian and Buddhist practices.

[Jen]

Insightful; need to re-read already. Much to learn

[Billy]

Rounding up. Just didn’t hit with me.

[Sarah]

Beautiful book of teachings from both traditions that help us realize the purpose of both Buddism and Christianity and how they come together in peace and understanding. We are one.

[Barbara]

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. While I’m open to learning from faith traditions other than my own, some of the language around suffering felt a lot like spiritual bypassing. Peerman’s definition of and subsequent approach to suffering seemed to actively exclude harm imposed by others (abuse, oppression, structural inequalities, etc.)—which often made his approach feel overly simplistic, privileged, and potentially damaging.

The author eventually addresses how action can and should arise from the practices he describes, but it’s late in the book & feels tacked on—I felt it was limited in acknowledging broader suffering that’s not just a product of our own thoughts about pain. A few caveats earlier on in the book would have been extremely helpful in reframing the content to guard against the simplistic answers and spiritual bypassing that are so easy to do.

That said, I noticed a lot of helpful parallels between the two faith traditions that expanded my view of how to approach suffering in my own life. Looking back over the book, I see a lot of value in the practices he suggests—for myself and for my work as a spiritual director, to guide others through investigating thoughts and emotions with curiosity and kindness.

[Nikki Moore]

Received this book for Christmas from my mother-in-law

[Amy]

Loved this mind-opening book by Nashville writer Gorden Peerman. I recently heard him speak -- what a great local resource he is!

[Kristy B]

Wonderful book.

[Nancy]

I really didn't read this but can't delete it from good reads.