2021 Association of Catholic Publishers third place award in inspirational
How do you encounter the mystery of the other? This is the central question at the heart of spiritual direction and central to the human quest. Hineni—presence—is not an answer to the mystery but a response to the challenge. At a time when people on the edges of religion increasingly seek out spiritual direction as a way of confronting life's unanswerable questions, hineni indicates a fundamental reality beyond labels. And in an age that seems to suffer from disconnection, hineni indicates a way in.
A helpful resource for anyone interested in spirituality beyond easy answers or (in)convenient labels, Hineni: In Imitation of Abraham is a stark exploration of what it truly means to be present—to yourself, to the one before you, and to the one we call God.
Industry Reviews
"Hineni is a way of seeing, of being, and of relating to the world. `It means to say (in Hebrew) "Here I am for you, with you.''' Taking as point of departure the often puzzling, not to say shocking, midrash of Genesis 22 (Abraham's sacrifice of his son Isaac), and drawing on her rich religious background (Jewish, Christian, Carmelite, Benedictine), Kasmir weaves an inviting lectio divina to elucidate the art of spiritual direction. One will not read Genesis 22 in the same old way again. And one will view spiritual direction with a new sense of presence—to God, and to the companion on the way. The inclusion of eight personal interviews from an interreligious perspective shows how hineni can be lived across interdenominational and interfaith lines."
Helen Rolfson, OSF, Professor Emerita of Theology, Saint John's University School of Theology/Seminary, Collegeville, MN
