I was wondering, has anyone read, or heard of,
Rabbi Michael Lerner?, I've read some of his articles online, and quite like his organisation,
Tikkun, but, what are your views on him?, would you recommend his books at all?, I know he's part of the Jewish Renewal movement (since I'm currently a seeker, I'm interested in learning about all the Jewish denominations, from - Conservative, Orthodox, Renewal, Reform, etc), but, other than that, I'd like to see how others view him.
Thanks for any help.
Yeah, I know him. For me, he's a very difficult case. I know him enough to know that he is, personally, a tremendously good soul. And there are certain opinions of his, regarding social justice in the United States, and certain social justice principles internationally, that I would very much agree with, and would certainly concur that his readings reflect what I would consider traditional Jewish values. Likewise, there are elements to his strong push for pluralism that are very positive and helpful in the Jewish community.
But his stance on Israel is incredibly troubling. I think he is profoundly, blindly naive about Israeli-Palestinian relations, and about the importance of Zionism in the modern Jewish world. I think that this same, well-intentioned, blind naivete sometimes also spills over onto some other issues. He is, ultimately, a complete pacifist. He believes in nonviolence. Which I think is a lovely idea in theory, but it is utterly impracticable in the real world, and it is completely unrequired by Judaism. (Don't get me wrong, it's not as though I love war and death. I just happen to believe that sometimes one needs to defend oneself, and/or protect those who need protection, and/or stand up for what is right. And if one does so using violence, that can somtimes be-- although not always, nor by definition-- justified.)
Furthermore, though I share his enthusiasm for pluralism to a great degree, I think his willingness to accept wildly syncretic movements and figures, his willingness to breach the social boundaries between the Jewish people and the surrounding communities, in ways he deems pluralistic, but which seem rather to aid in assimilation, and his inclination to bring frankly heretical fringe groups into the main stream of Jewish society and discourse, are all harmful and misguided, even if utterly well-intentioned.
Look, he's a man of substantial Torah learning, who is personally very observant, raised great kids, contributes to his community, and in those senses is a model Jew. And I really do think that he wants nothing but good for all, and that he really thinks he is helping the Jewish people. And sometimes he does say really excellent and important things. But all too often, I think his good intentions, in their manifestation, simply break down more than they build up.
