A Tiny Step Away from Deepest Faith

By Marjorie Corbman

Book Overview

"In a society where my generation is often mischaracterized or misunderstood by parents and those around them, assumed to be irreligious, cynical, and jaded, I intend to depict it as I see it: which is to say a generation lying just at the door of faith, having rejected everything but faith itself. Having assumed everything to be meaningless, we are very close to accepting God as the only source of meaning." - Marjorie Corbman In this candid, thought-provoking account, seventeen-year-old Marjorie Corbman teaches the rest of us something about faith. She recounts her own experiences as well as those of many of her friends, dismantling with remarkable transparency and grace the misconceptions surrounding today's teenagers. Chapters focus on issues and experiences that Corbman and her peers are searching for - such as intimacy, tradition, eternity, community, justice, escape - and how each relates to what Corbman calls "the one thing needful" - faith. Much has been written about teenagers, from self-help books for parents to young adult novels, but very little has been written by teens themselves. This is a book that is sorely needed, both for adults wishing to understand today's kids, and also for those teenagers who wish to assign some meaning to their beliefs, sufferings, and searching.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 155725429X
• ISBN13: 9781557254290
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Paraclete Press (MA)
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.4" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Delightful

Meet Marjorie Corbman, a now seventeen year old freshman at College of the Holy Cross, a recently baptized member of the Orthodox Church, the daughter of secular Jews, a young woman whose spiritual quest brought her through Judaism, Wicca, Paganism, and the writitngs of numerous philosophers and mystics into ancient Christianity. It's not often that you meet a poised, thoughtful, eloquent fifteen year old who's writing a book that's about to be published. It's even more rare to find one whose heartfelt love of Truth and seeking after God bring her a depth of insight and wisdom into the contemporary youth culture that rivals that of any of the many self-proclaimed "experts." Yet in her newly released book, this one teenager will challenge your preconcieved notions of pop culture. Written without a typical plot, this book is not your usual run-of-the-mill story about someone's journey into Orthodoxy. Rather, Corbman offers the reader brief glimpses or snapshots into her life at various points on her faith journey. Each one illumines her wrestling with the divine, her individual struggle to understand life and find ultimate meaning. An excellent read for today's teenagers or a good education for today's parents of teenagers, it also reaches out to the rest of us because of her love affair with Truth.

Stunning

Corban's book is a stunning portrait of a teenager's search for spirituality and meaning. As a teenager myself, I consider her book to be a treasure, assisting me in my own growth and helping me to realize the universality of the teenage struggle. I have saved a copy of Corban's book so that someday, when I have children of my own, I might have a glimps into their lives, be able to see the world as they see it. EVERYONE must read this book.

Wisdom beyond her years

Marjorie Corbman has given us a beautifully written, thoughtful account of a young woman's search for spirituality. Her story enlightens without proselytizing. Adult readers will want to share this book with their children. Youthful readers will want to share it with their parents.

A Tiny Step Away From Deepest Faith: A Teenager's Search For Meaning

This is a thoroughly captivating and thought provoking book. The author, whilst takng us on a very moving and personal journey of her own, also forces us to stop and think about our own lives in a way that we rarely do. I enjoyed this book immensely and I would recomend it to anyone; young or old.

An excellent , interesting, insightful book...

..that lets you follow a very articulate, thoughtful young girl's search for meaning and spirituality. The teenage author writes beautifully and seems to have a great sense of humor. You realize through reading this book just how beautiful she really is. She loves people and can always see the good in everyone. She is one of the few people who is really at peace and understands her spirituality. Marjorie Corbman tells her story with a rare grace and intelligence. It is so uncommon these days, when most people are busy struggling with their own lives, for someone to look beyond their daily travails to seek a greater meaning to life. She does that through her telling of her spiritual journey and how she found God, how she found Jesus, and how he captivated her. Her writing is exquisite and she tells about her journey with such articulate speech and a knowledge that is way beyond her years. I highly recommend this book.