God in the Wilderness: Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Great Outdoors with the Adventure Rabbi

By Jamie S. Korngold

Book Overview

Rabbi Jamie Korngold has always loved the outdoors, the place where humankind first met with God. Whether it's mountaineering, running ultramarathons, or just sitting by a stream, she finds her spirituality and Judaism thrive most in the wilderness. In her work as the Adventure Rabbi, leading groups toward spiritual fulfillment in the outdoors, Korngold has uncovered the rich traditions and lessons God taught our ancestors in the wild. In God in the Wilderness Korngold uses rabbinic wisdom and witty insights to guide readers through the Bible, showing people of all faiths that, despite the hectic pace of life today, it is vital for us to reclaim these lessons, awaken our inner spirituality, and find meaning, tranquillity, and purpose in our lives.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385520492
• ISBN13: 9780385520492
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Harmony
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.1" x 7.4"

Customer Reviews

Bonds with outdoor

This was fantastic. I am not able to be outdoors as I would like to. It brought the feelings indoors and brought New meaning as to what is felt when seeing beauty in your yard or in wilderness. Light-(pages)Thought provoking, Meaningful reading. I am not Jewish. Do not let the title fool you. Wounderful backbacking book. This is one to share.

A Practical Guide to Welcoming the Natural World into Our Spiritual Lives

Consider the sources of wisdom that Rabbi Jamie Korngold taps in her ready-for-the-trail paperback memoir, "God in the Wildnerness." Yes, we meet such venerable sages as Maimonides, Martin Buber and Abraham Joshua Heschel. But there's also room here for Tevye from "Fiddler on the Roof" and even a bit of wisdom from "The Wizard of Oz." Of course, the bulk of Rabbi Korngold's wisdom is drawn from scriptures - and from her experience in reading the natural world itself. She writes honestly, which is a mark of a solid, inspirational memoir. She shares with us some of her awe-inspiring moments in the wilderness - but she also shares with us some of her moments of doubt - and even moments of great danger in her relationship with outdoor sporting, including her obsession to run a marathon of 100 miles that nearly killed her. In other words, this is a companion book. It's not a preachy, too-good-to-be-real, 10-step guide to spiritual perfection. In fact, when she reaches the end of her text, she offers us not 10 commandments for improving our world (and ourselves) - but 20, so we can pick and choose the 10 most relevant to our own lives. I like the fact that Korngold insisted the book debut in a handy paperback edition - in itself, an invitation for us to stuff it into a pocket or bag and head outside to read it. The book tells us a lot - but not too much - about how this congregational rabbi wound up establishing an "adventure" ministry in Colorado. She's a rabbi in the Reform movement but her approach to rethinking community - and where communities should gather - is a healthy creative force within American religion. She's not alone, of course. Evangelical Christians, Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists - a whole host of faithful people -- are rethinking their spiritual relationship to God's Creation these days. What Rabbi Korngold is saying in her book is that this isn't some kind of trendy movement designed to welcome restless seekers into the fold. No, on the contrary, she's saying that this movement reconnects with the deepest roots of faith. I also appreciate that she refuses to profess easy answers to complex problems. In fact, some of her best passages are about her encounters with puzzles she can't offer to solve for us. Instead, she invites us to join in the journey with her. And, in the end, that's really the most powerful message in this book: a call to journey together into the world God has made for us. The book easily could become a guide to weekly discussion for small groups. While the book is divided into seven chapters plus an Afterword - groups could use the book for one month, two months - or on a weekend retreat outdoors. In the back of the book, you'll find helpful materials, including instructions for downloading supplements for group discussions.

Like unorthodox Bible camp for recreationists & outdoor lovers!

I grew up Catholic and went through the motions until I realized that so much in the Church didn't resonate with me, and I enjoyed hiking and camping and running/walking on my hometown's nature trails so much more. My outdoor pursuits, especially a pivotal camping trip in the Utah Backcountry left me with a connection to myself, to nature, to the universe even more so than any mass or ceremony behind stained glass windows had ever attempted. I found the divine spark in nature, and tried to reconcile the better texts and wisdoms from the church in light of what supported that. I also looked to other traditions, like Buddhism & Taoism, for a richer understanding of the holy wow. I never thought to look to Judaism for the same wisdoms & connection to the earth - even though the New Testament is chock full of natural revelations of the divine, of divine revelations in nature. Not to mention rituals and holidays/ceremonies that have been born of natural events, circumstances and phenomena. And who hasn't arrived at peace of mind (and bliss) after a walk or hike or zephyr-like run? The way that Rabbi Korngold meshes these two (at first) seemingly disparate traditions - that of Judaism and outdoor recreation - is a natural step back to a less disparate and separating understanding of ourselves in the world.

Spot On

Two people look at a redwood tree. One sees an incredible, living being; the other, a new backyard deck. The difference is found in the attitudes and virtues that inform our vision. Because they miss this basic point, most attempts to understand how wilderness can affect one's spiritual life fall short. Not so Rabbi Korngold, who clearly lives her subject matter. She organizes her book around the virtues of wilderness spirituality: mindfulness, awe, Sabbath rest and more. This book is excellent for people who know they feel something special in the natural world, but don't know why this is so, or what to do with it. It's small in the backpack, and big in the heart. Mike Comins, founder of TorahTrek, author of A Wild Faith: Jewish Ways into Wilderness, Wilderness Ways into Judaism

Big fan!

Rabbi Korngold's lessons are wonderful and so vital. After reading this, I felt an immediate desire to take a walk outside and reconnect with the world around me. We should all take her advice to find peace and meaning in our lives. Her personal stories and sense of humor makes this easy and fun reading. Anyone, regardless of his or her religion, can and should learn from Rabbi Korngold. I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone!