Jacob Needleman Boeken

The Sword of Metaphysics, Cosmology, Tradition, Symbolism (The Penguin metaphysical library) [May 30, 1974] Needleman, Jacob

Jacob Needleman has elevated the discourse surrounding science and religion, prompting a more nuanced exploration of consciousness transformation. This work serves as a pivotal point for those delving into this profound inquiry. Notable thinkers like Theodore Roszak and Fritjof Capra endorse its significance for anyone invested in contemporary cultural dynamics. Needleman argues that Western science has long overlooked the necessity of self-understanding in comprehending the universe. The current endeavor is to bridge the gap between the laws of nature and our inner nature, emphasizing that this connection cannot be achieved through superficial means. He clarifies that his focus is not on the convergence of science and spirituality but on their separation. True unity, he posits, arises from recognizing real divisions, mirroring the organic unity found in nature. By fostering sustained awareness, we can hope to cultivate the harmony that has eluded us and our civilization. Needleman, a philosophy professor at San Francisco State University, has authored several influential works and contributes to various fields including psychology and ethics. His insights have been showcased in Bill Moyers's PBS series, highlighting his significant role in contemporary thought.

In essays examining our technocratic world, philosophy, religion, medicine, and other fields, the author argues that what is missing in all of them today iscultivation of a power of awareness of ourselves.

Renowned scholar of comparative religion Jacob Needleman gathers together ancient texts and writings of the modern practitioners of essential Christianity. Needleman demonstrates that a more effective contemplative tradition existed in the early church and continues today in the lives of extraordinary people whose stories he retells in the course of his own personal explorations into the realms of the spirit. 2 cassettes.

Philosophy as it is frequently taught in classrooms bears little relation to the impassioned and immensely practical search for self-knowledge conducted by not only its ancient avatars but also by men and woman who seek after truth today. In The Heart of the Philosophy, Jacob Needleman provides a "user's guide" for those who would take philosophy seriously enough to understand its life-transforming qualities.

The widely respected social philosopher embarks on his most gripping and broadly appealing work, asking the ultimate question of human nature: Why do we repeatedly violate our most deeply held values and beliefs? After nearly forty years of weighing humanity's deepest dilemmas-working in settings ranging from university and high school classrooms to corporate offices and hospitals-bestselling author, philosopher, and religious scholar Jacob Needleman presents the most urgent, deeply felt, and widely accessible work of his career. In Why Can't We Be Good? Needleman identifies the core problem that therapists and social philosophers fail to see. He depicts the individual human as a being who knows what is good, yet who remains mysteriously helpless to innerly adopt the ethical, moral, and religious ideas that are bequeathed to him.

If we understood the true role of money in our lives, writes philosopher Jacob Needleman, we would not think simply in terms of spending it or saving it. Money exerts a deep emotional influence on who we are and what we tell ourselves we can never have. Our long unwillingness to understand the emotional and spiritual effects of money on us is at the heart of why we have come to know the price of everything, and the value of nothing. Money has everything to do with the pursuit of an idealistic life, while at the same time, it is at the root of our daily frustrations. On a social level, money has a profound impact on the price of progress. Needleman shows how money slowly began to haunt us, from the invention of coins in Biblical times (when money was created to rescue the community good, not for self gain), through its hypnotic appeal in our money-obsessed era. This is a remarkable book that combines myth and psychology, the poetry of the Sufis and the wisdom of King Solomon, along with Jacob Needleman's searching of his own soul and his culture to explain how money can become a unique means of self-knowledge. As part of the Currency paperback line, it includes a "User's Guide" an introduction and discussion guide created for the paperback by the author -- to help readers make practical use of the book's ideas.

"An excellent overview of spiritual movements throughout the last few centuries . . . a superb panorama" (The Book Reader), this book covers esoterica from its ancient beginnings through the alchemists to Gurdijeff and Jung.

English (translation)Original German

Now restored to print, here is philosopher Jacob Needleman's groundbreaking study of America's alternative spiritual movements, with a new introduction by the author. Originally published in 1970, The New Religions was the first full-scale study of alternative spirituality in America. It remains unparalleled for the intellectual depth and seriousness with which it regards Eastern, New Age, and alternative faiths on the American landscape.