For Those Who Can't Believe: Overcoming the Obstacles to Faith

In 11 short chapters and a little more than 200 pages, Harold Schulweis poses, and then attempts to resolve, the major faith dilemmas of the modern believer. Is the Bible fact or fiction? How can God speak? What is the role of conscience in religion? What is the meaning of suffering? In asking and answering such questions, Schulweis manages to include almost every basic aspect of Judaism . He shows that either/or questions e.g., Are miracles true or false?) are forced, simplistic options and then proceeds to offer alternatives generated from within religious tradition. Instead of questioning the existence of God, for instance, he suggests that readers ask whether they believe in godliness? In healing the sick? In feeding the hungry, pursuing peace, loving their neighbors? It is in such refocusing of the questions of conventional theology that Schulweis's wisdom lies. Unfortunately, despite his sympathetic style and sermonic skills (he's rabbi of Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, Calif.), the Schulweis wisdom sometimes lies buried in passages that lack energy and verve. Readers who persist to Rabbi Schulweis's inspiring conclusions, however, will find that persistence worthwhile. Recommended for all who are exploring the boundaries of their religious identities, for believer and nonbeliever, Jew and non-Jew alike. (Sept.)