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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
drharms's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
dkatreads's review against another edition
4.0
For a book about nonduality and the essentiality of paradox, it sure makes a lot of claims about the “right” or “correct” meaning of this scripture or that. Relativism tends to self-contradict sooner or later, and Rohr’s insistence on uniting all religions under the same banner (even if simply for pedagogical purposes) is no exception.
Yet there’s so much to appreciate from this short work about the ways in which we cheapen truth by our need for exclusion and palatability and comfort, and the necessary work it takes to break free from our own self-collapsing.
I found myself often knowing his writing to be true, but sensing within me a resistance to its critiques of the faith (or rather, religion) of my upbringing. I believe I’ve had an experience with the things he is writing about, and I can’t chalk it up to anything other than the Divine. Even if he uses terms I’m not always comfortable with (or even find rhetorically clarifying more than distracting), I know I have much to learn from this book.
On love and suffering, on truth and its accessibility, on knowing our true selves and learning to see more clearly with the eyes of God, on release from fear and shame, on acceptance of mystery and comfort in the unknowing, on the profound truth of both/and over either/or…Rohr is accessing a whole different level of spirituality which I believe is close to the heart of God—who is surely big enough to carry all of our terms and contradictions and claims, and call us gently into correction as we stumble along.
The Naked Now seems to be about being okay walking this path, whether it’s fully lit or not.
Yet there’s so much to appreciate from this short work about the ways in which we cheapen truth by our need for exclusion and palatability and comfort, and the necessary work it takes to break free from our own self-collapsing.
I found myself often knowing his writing to be true, but sensing within me a resistance to its critiques of the faith (or rather, religion) of my upbringing. I believe I’ve had an experience with the things he is writing about, and I can’t chalk it up to anything other than the Divine. Even if he uses terms I’m not always comfortable with (or even find rhetorically clarifying more than distracting), I know I have much to learn from this book.
On love and suffering, on truth and its accessibility, on knowing our true selves and learning to see more clearly with the eyes of God, on release from fear and shame, on acceptance of mystery and comfort in the unknowing, on the profound truth of both/and over either/or…Rohr is accessing a whole different level of spirituality which I believe is close to the heart of God—who is surely big enough to carry all of our terms and contradictions and claims, and call us gently into correction as we stumble along.
The Naked Now seems to be about being okay walking this path, whether it’s fully lit or not.
ptothelo's review against another edition
4.0
I feel like I'm still slowly digesting the book, even after reading it over a matter of months with my church book group. It's reinforced some things, opened my eyes to other things and I'm still in the process of practicing what I've learned
brimckoy's review against another edition
4.0
I took over two months to read this book, which is usually the case with books I read from Rohr. I generally have to sit with what he teaches. Chew on it. Digest it. And then I am ready for more. If ever there was a book for 2020, this was it. In his book Rohr explores the absolute importance of non-dual thinking and seeing; basically, the danger of strongly assigning oneself to one particular place of belonging (political, class, economy, community). We lose compassion and the ability to continue to grow when we not only firmly believe in one of these areas, but we actually wrap our identity around said group. These are maybe my two favorite quotes from this book:
“Most people have not been offered a different mind, only different behaviors, beliefs, and belonging systems.”, and “How you love is how you have accessed love.”
What Surprised Me Most: this book is rich with scripture. I am so grateful for all the ways Rohr uses scripture and Jesus’ time on earth to point to truth.
“Most people have not been offered a different mind, only different behaviors, beliefs, and belonging systems.”, and “How you love is how you have accessed love.”
What Surprised Me Most: this book is rich with scripture. I am so grateful for all the ways Rohr uses scripture and Jesus’ time on earth to point to truth.
heidihaverkamp's review against another edition
5.0
A great book about stepping back from the trappings and traditions of religion and going deeper. Written primarily for Roman Catholics who are walking away from the strictures and clericalism of that tradition, but I still found a lot of valuable, inspiring, and useful stuff as an Episcopalian.
therevallison's review
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Full confession: this is not a book that should be listened to. Rohr's logic/musings/reflections are less than linear, her swaps words out for one another (like "contemplation/non-duality/mysticism") and...well, it's just not easy to follow as an audiobook. Perhaps I would have given it a higher rating had I read the physical book/written words.
Rohr admits that the concept he is talking about is quite simple but also one of the hardest things to explain. I actually think Rohr over-complicates it. The mark that you know something well, thoroughly know it, is that you can make difficult things seem simple. I'm not quite sure Rohr gets there in this book. I wonder now, 15 years later, if, having had more time to practice contemplation/mysticism/non-duality, if he'd phrase things differently.
That being said, I generally "agree" with many of the things Rohr says and he did make some insightful insights into faith, experience, and mystism. It's just....a lot of words to get there.
I do wish the book had spent more time reflecting on the experiences of Christian mystics, the saints of the church, but alas. That's for another book.
Also this book was written in response to Eckhart's "The Power of Now" which I have not read.
Rohr admits that the concept he is talking about is quite simple but also one of the hardest things to explain. I actually think Rohr over-complicates it. The mark that you know something well, thoroughly know it, is that you can make difficult things seem simple. I'm not quite sure Rohr gets there in this book. I wonder now, 15 years later, if, having had more time to practice contemplation/mysticism/non-duality, if he'd phrase things differently.
That being said, I generally "agree" with many of the things Rohr says and he did make some insightful insights into faith, experience, and mystism. It's just....a lot of words to get there.
I do wish the book had spent more time reflecting on the experiences of Christian mystics, the saints of the church, but alas. That's for another book.
Also this book was written in response to Eckhart's "The Power of Now" which I have not read.
sarahareinhard's review against another edition
5.0
My editor told me to read this. So I did. And...well, it was good. I can't decide if it changed my world or if it put words to things I had already sorta had in the back of my mind. It did make me want to read more of and about the mystics themselves--I expected to have some tangible examples from and of the mystics, but there weren't. Even so, I enjoyed this book and the perspective it gave me. I suspect it planted seeds within me that will continue to grow as I keep thinking about all it said.
ohahconday's review against another edition
4.0
In modern society, the contemplative stream of faith has been traded for certainty. Rohr invites the reader into the Naked Now which is about presence, but more than that. He helps one see that the dualism of this world prevents us from seeing all that one could see and keeps people from confronting mystery with humility.
I appreciate this book for the way it softly worked through me. I can easily find myself stuck in either-or thinking. Without questioning the limitations of my solutions or my understanding. This book is an easy read but challenging to quickly integrate…which might be the entire purpose.
I appreciate this book for the way it softly worked through me. I can easily find myself stuck in either-or thinking. Without questioning the limitations of my solutions or my understanding. This book is an easy read but challenging to quickly integrate…which might be the entire purpose.