From the Ashes: A Spiritual Response to the Attack on America

So many people are turning to faith since September 11, looking for reassurance, trying to find answers to hard questions. This remarkable book skips the banal platitudes; instead, it gave me real, solid guidance to begin to face those hard questions and try to make sense of it all. The variety and depth of this astounding collection of essays is breathtaking. I was astonished by how many different faiths are represented. Especially moving, to me, was a New York parish priest's account of ministering to victims. We also get to eavesdrop on the Beliefnet community as they helped each other cope in the days following the attacks; the personal interactions are riveting. Only Beliefnet could have created this book. This is a gift that truly will help us all rise "from the ashes."

This wonderful, heartwarming book comforted me not just with inspiring words, but with the profound spiritual wisdom of a multifaith array of religious leaders. It is heartening to know that people of all faiths both condemn violence and believe that the human family can move beyond it. The community discussion part of the book -- in which computer users post messages of fear and suspense on Beliefnet.com as they realize what has happened with the crashed planes -- is gripping. These users' interfaith prayers and concern for each other show an Internet community at its best.

I stumbled across beliefnet.com a few days after September 11 and found it to be full of much of the best and most insightful writing to be found anywhere. This book, which compiles many of the articles Beliefnet has published on the tragedy, demonstrates that the spiritual issues raised in the articles Ñ justice, evil, retaliation, even the very existence of God Ñ are not just timely. They are issues we are going to have to deal with over and over again. And this book is loaded with wisdom for anyone who is attempting to deal honestly with those issues.The authors range from traditionalist Christians to Bishop John Shelby Spong, who argues that after September 11, we have to picture God in a different way than we ever have before. The ideas range from strong supporters of military response to the Dalai Lama and Bishop Tutu who counsel forgiveness. One of the most interesting pieces, for me, was Karen Armstrong's essay on Islam, comparing its attitude toward violence to that of Judaism and Christianity. There has been so much nonsense published on that subject over the past month. It was wonderful to read the insights of someone who understands and respects all three faiths.The best thing about this book is that despite the range of opinions (which guarantees that every reader is going to find many ideas they disagree with), I did not find a single essay to be without merit. Even the ones I disagreed with all said things I felt I had to think about. There is no political or spiritual posturing here, but, in every case, an open and honest discussion of issues.This is a beautifully written and important book for anyone who cares about spiritual issues.

Since the tragedy of September 11th, people around the world, particularly in the USA and Canada, have been searching for answers as to how this devastation could have occurred. As a counsellor, I have seen an increase in the number of people who have been jolted in reality out of the fear that the same situation could also happen in my country. Patient visits to physicians are up, stress leaves from work are on the increase, marriages have increased (perhpas using the philosophy that one should leave each moment to the fullest) and office visits to counsellors and psychologists have increased dramatically.While this book will not solve the world's problems, it does provide reading that will help soothe the soul, and gives the reader some peace of mind in knowing that the universe truly is unfolding as it should, even though there are times and tragedies that make this almost impossible to believe. The book contains poems, essays, etc. from a great number of religious leaders and world-known compassionate individuals. Regardless of one's religious belief, this book is truly non-denominational. Personally, as a follower of Buddhist Philosophies, I particularly liked the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama. A terrific plus for this book is that all profits will go to disaster relief efforts. "From the Ashes" is most deserving of not a five-star rating, but a universe of stars.

This is an astounding collection of writers--Tutu, Billy Graham, Dalai Lama. It was stimulating and comforting to hear from them, though I have to say the most amazing part of this book is the strip across the bottom dedicated to messages from regular people. This is a remarkable book