Readers Respond

CAMPOLO—HOWJEWISH WASJESUS? Iagreewholeheartedly withDr.TonyCampolo’sobservationsconcerningresur rectionandaffirmationof bodilylifeastheChristian hope,ratherthanGreekunderstandingsofadisembod ied “soul”goingto“heaven” (“HowJewishWasJesus?” [Tikkun,November/December2007 ]). However,asonewho spentmostofhisadultlife tryingtobesomeonehewas not,Iwouldsuggestthatthe wholebusinessof“essential self”ismorecomplicated thanhistable-poundingsingle -mindednesswillallow. Findingone’strueselfisa necessaryandcommendable exercise.Heneednotweep forthoseyouthwhosoinexplicablyplacethemselvesbe yondthereachofhisown clear-eyedconvictionasto whattheir“commitments” oughttobe.They’llbeokay. Rev.KenMoody-Arndt Akron,OH It’shardtoargue againstTonyCampolo’s premisethatJesus’Hebraic viewswerehistoricallysupplantedbyGreekthought , givingrisetoatraditionofthe pre-existing“good”souland existinacrucialdialectic. Ideally,eachsupportsanddevelopstheother .Equaltothe dangersofisolationandnarcissismwhichunbalanced self-explorationcanproduce arethedangersinvolvedin theshadowsideofthecollective .Thesedangersarevarietiesanddegreesof suppressionandtyranny, whichinspireaccompanying inauthenticityandduplicity onthepartsofindividuals. Justasindividualnarcissism canbelargelyunconscious,so cantheillsofacollective.Itis theself-reflectiveindividual thatservesasacheckand balanceonthepotentialillsof thecollective,anditisthecollective ,thegroup,whichcan assistwiththenarcissisticills ofindividuals.Growthdependsonourbeingableto movesimultaneouslyinthe directionsofself-exploration andcommunity.Wemay longforasimplermeansof responsiblepraxis,butitdoes notexist. Immersionincommunityandservice ,without self-exploration,isjustasirresponsibleastheconverse .I seeplentyofpeoplewhohave compulsivelyservedothers withoutattentiontoanauthenticsenseofthemselves , andtheyarenotbringing theirgreatestgiftstothe world,becausetheyarenot actingoutoftheirhighest anddeepestselves. PartofwhatIseeasthe promiseoftheNetworkof SpiritualProgressivesisa recognitionoftheneedto workonallfronts.Thelevels ofindividualmeaning,local community,nationalpolicy andethical(caringandjust) internationalinvolvement allinterpenetrate.Anyone ofthesearenas,ifnotexploredandnurtured ,can holdbackorunderminethe others. JanetLewis PennYan,NY SCIENCEANDSPIRITUALITY Ireadwithgreatinterest “Science&Spirit” (TikkunNovember/December2007 ).Themost fundamentalofallfundamentalprinciplesisthata Spiritsupremeandunchangingpervadestheen tireuniverseandthe materialworldismerelya manifestationofthatSpirit. Morethan3500yearsago Indiaperceivedthisprincipleevenmoredeeplythan themosthighlycivilizednationsdotoday .Youmaycall itanything,principles,evolution ,consciousnessor God.Eachwillspeakinits owntongue. TheHinduscholarNani spokebeautifullyoftoday’s problem:“Inthesedaysof spiritualilliteracyand povertyofspirit,whenpeoplewhenpeoplefindthat wealthcanonlymultiplyitselfandattainnothing , whenpeoplehavetodeceive theirsoulswithcounterfeits afterhavingkilledthepoetryoflife ,itisnecessaryto remindourselvesthatcivilizationisanactofthespirit . Materialprogressisnotto LETTERS the“evil”fleshintowhichhumansincarnate .Campolo makesagreatcasefora“positiveexistentialism ”thatis madepossiblebyabandoningthesuppositionthatthere isaselfwehavetogooffand find.Thenhemakesaremarkaboutthetimewasted byyoungpeoplewhogooffto findthemselvesthroughintrospection ,“usuallyinBoulder ,Colorado.” Ifthisisareferenceto NaropaInstitute,andBoulder ’sBuddhistcommunity, thenitisironicthatCampolo doesnotrealizethatthis Bouldercommunityagrees withhimandisvalidating thisviewwiththeirdiscipline .Foritisprecisely throughtheintrospectionof meditationthatsuchspiritualseekersdiscoverbylooking andfailingtofindone,that, indeed,thereisnoessential selftofindortodefend. PaulFelton Nashville,TN CAMPOLO—PSYCHOTHERAPY AsTonyCampolopoints outin“Psychotherapyand thePoliticsofMeaning” (TikkunJanuary/February 2008)theshadowsideof self-explorationcanbeisolationandnarcissism .Howevertosaythatweshoulddirect peopletocommunityand serviceratherthanself-exploration ,asheseemstosuggest ,invokesafalse dichotomy.Concernforand explorationoftheindividual selfandconcernforandexplorationofthecollective M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 0 8 W W W. T I K K U N . O R G T I K K U N 3 Thissectionincludesletterswereceivefromsnail mailandfromresponsespostedonourwebsiteto specificarticles.Wemayshorten,edit,orchange somewordsforgreaterclarity.Weonlyprintasmall setofthelargesupplyoflettersandemailswereceive .Allletterssenttousareread,butonlyafew canfithereinourlimitedspace. Sendletterstomanagingeditor@tikkun.org orto2342ShattuckAve.,#1200 Berkeley,CA94704 Readers Respond richcommoditiesfarmers; anddidlittletostymiethe Busheffortstokeepupthe war,andwhohastakenImpeachment “offthetable,” yourutterlackofanydiscussionoverremovingthe speakerfromoffice,orat leastvotingherout,seems likeapoliticalcalculationin itself.Theoperativesaying, perfectforT-shirtsand bumperstickerseverywhere ,shouldbe:Impeach BushorRecallPelosi.Your Choice,Nancy!Whilearecallmightnothaveanylegal weight,ifitwassupported byasignificantmajorityof SanFranciscansfromdistrictsgenerallyliberal /progressiveintheirvoting habits,itwouldhavetheeffectofcensuringtheway wardRepresentative ;it wouldcertainlybeadamagingvoteofnoconfidence . It doeslittlegoodatthispoint tocontinuetotakeswipesat thecorruptAdministration, whenaleaderwhohasso miserablyexecutedthedutiesofheroffice ,andisaccountabletosuchasmall numberofvoters,isnotfacinganyseriousrepercus sionsforherbehavior .I wouldpositthatitisthis calculation,thatshewillnot faceanyconsequences, whichhasledSpeaker Pelositoputtheprioritiesof theDemocraticPartyover thedemandsofherconstituents . PaulTominac SanFrancisco DENVERMOSQUE Ienjoyedreading aboutyourexperiencesat theDenverMosque (Tikkun/NSPemailblast, January9th,2008).Isuspectthatyouwouldagree withmethatthesesortof eventsshouldbemorefrequent ,inhousesofworship ofallfaiths,andperhaps evenmoreimportantly,outsideofthosetemples .It seemstomethatpeopleof goodwillareallseekingto communicatewithGodin thelanguageswithwhich they'refamiliar.Thereisno basicconflictbetweenthose channelsofcommunication ,asit’slikelythattheyall windupinthesameplace. I’mprivilegedtocurrentlyliveandworkinana tionthatis ,statistically, about85percentMuslim.I livewith,playwith,work with,andlaughandcry withMuslims,andthey withI.Theirfaithisnotso terriblydifferentthanmine; indeed,itismuchmore alikethannot.Amongthose whoobeyHalaldietary laws,apersonbroughtupin aKosherhomewould,orat leastshould,feelcomfortable .ThehistoryofIslamis somuchthehistoryofJudaism ,andofChristianity. Itissotragicthatsomany, ofallfaiths,havelosttrack 4 T I K K U N W W W. T I K K U N . O R G M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 0 8 LETTERS bemistakenforinner progress.Whentechnology outstripsmoraldevelopment ,theprospectisnot thatofamillenniumbutof extinction.” Yourwrite-upwasvery timelyandIhopemany readerswillreadandthink onit. K.S.RameshPh.D. Charlotte,NC IMPEACHBUSH? I’vebeenarguingwith peopleovertheirinsistence onchoosing“electable”candidatesovercandidatesthey believedinsincethe1980s. It’snicetoseeTikkuntake upthegambit(“ThePresidentialPrimaries ”[Tikkun (January/February 2008)]).However,given thelevelofdefianceonthe partofNancyPelosi,who, againstthewishesofher SanFranciscoconstituency, supportedwarrantless wiretapping,subsidiesfor EDITOR Michael Lerner ASSOCIATE EDITOR Peter Gabel MANAGING EDITOR David Belden ASSISTANT EDITOR Adina Allen ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN Design Action Collective POETRY EDITOR Joshua Weiner ASSISTANT POETRY EDITOR Lindsay Bernal ACADEMIC EDITOR Akiba Lerner LITERARY EDITOR Julian Levinson WEB DESIGN Craig Wiesner and Derrick Kikuchi CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Gil Anidjar, Michael Bader, David Biale, Paul Buhle, Arnold Eisen, Roger S. Gottlieb, Mark LeVine, Shaul Magid, Ruth Messinger, Ben Naparstek, Or Rose, Stephen Zunes EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Dimitri Zagoroff Zach Dorfman, Sean Felix, Naomi Payan, Munleen Soni, Rachel Tie PUBLISHERS George & Trish Vradenburg ArticlesinTikkundonotnecessarilyreflectTikkun’sposition onanyissue.Tikkun’spositionsarepresentedinoureditorials. Tosubmitamanuscriptorsendaletter,pleaseemailmagazine@tikkun.org. EDITORIAL BOARD Rachel Adler, Gar Alperovitz, Michael Berenbaum, Chet Bowers, Jay Cantor, David Cohen, Dan Cohn-Sherbok, Elliot Dorff, Terry Eagleton, Marc H. 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