Our Immoral Soul : A Manifesto of Spiritual Disobedience

by BONDER, NILTON RABBI

• ISBN13: 9781570628825
• ISBN10: 1570628823
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-12-01
• Publisher: Shambhala

Summary

Rabbi Bonder turns a few conventional religious ideas on their heads as he examines the Bible and other Jewish teachings to identify the forces at play in individual, social, and spiritual transformation. Religious conformists believe that obeying the established moral order will lead to the salvation of our souls. On the contrary, says Bonder, the human spirit is nourished by what society labels immoral. Even the Bible legitimizes the notion that we have a God-given urge to rebel against the status quo in order to evolve, grow, and ascend. It is this "immoral" soul of ours that impels us to do battle with God-and out of this clash, Bonder predicts, a new humanity will emerge. In the course of discussion, the author examines a variety of intriguing issues touching on religion, science, and culture, including the teachings of evolutionary psychology; the relation of body and soul; infidelity in marriage; anti-Semitism and the Jew as traitor; transgression, sacrifice, and redemption in Judaism and Christianity; and the Messiah as archetypal transgressor.

Author Biography

Rabbi Nilton Bonder was born in Brazil and ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. He leads workshops on spirituality in management for such corporations as IBM, the Brazilian Oil Company, and the Federation of Industries of Sao Paulo. Rabbi Bonder is known in Brazil as the Green Rabbi for his activism in environmental causes. He also serves as president of the Institute for Religious Studies, the largest forum for civil rights activities in Latin America. Rabbi Bonder is the author of eight books, several of them best-sellers in Brazil.

Table of Contents

The Immorality of the Soul	1	(44)
A Naked Animal	1	(7)
Tradition and Treason	8	(12)
Identifying the Immoral Soul	11	(2)
Perceiving Issues of Body and Soul	13	(3)
When Right Is Wrong and Wrong Is Right	16	(4)
Unfaithfulness and Betrayal	20	(25)
The Tension between Good and Right	23	(2)
A Definition of Betrayal	25	(2)
Traditional Models of Betrayal	27	(1)
Betrayals of Culture: Adam and Abraham	27	(6)
Betrayals of Family: The Story of Jacob	33	(3)
Betraying Yourself	36	(1)
Steps toward Betrayal	37	(5)
When to Betray	42	(3)
The Soul's Logic	45	(24)
Peace to Those Who Come from Afar	46	(1)
The Short Long Path or the Long Short Path?	47	(1)
Why Sacrifice?	48	(1)
Better Betrayal Than Hypocrisy	49	(4)
Better a Passionate Rebel Than a Conformist	51	(2)
Transgression and Growth	53	(1)
Compatriots of the Soul	54	(1)
The Missing Self	55	(9)
Brother Satan	57	(3)
Foolish or Wicked?	60	(1)
Mediocrity: The Horse's Path	61	(1)
Facing Wickedness	62	(2)
Satisfaction and Honesty	64	(2)
The Need to Transgress	66	(3)
Betrayal in the Judeo-Christian Tradition	69	(32)
The First Betrayals	72	(1)
Salvation through Betrayal: The Messianic Lineage	73	(19)
Ultimate Transgressions	79	(3)
Judging Body and Soul	82	(3)
The Betrayer Betrayed	85	(3)
The Sage of Judas: The Jew	88	(4)
Product of the Soul: A Mutant	92	(3)
The Messiah: Savior or Criminal?	95	(6)
The Future of Betrayal	101	(12)
The Individual and The Soul	107	(6)
Afterword: The Ultimate Scientific Discovery	113	(4)
Notes	117