Jacob Needleman Books

Jacob Needleman has initiated a significant shift in the discourse surrounding science and religion, prompting a more mature exploration of consciousness transformation. This work serves as a crucial stop for those delving into these themes, encouraging thoughtful reflection and potential reevaluation of their paths. Esteemed voices like Theodore Roszak and Fritjof Capra endorse the book, highlighting its relevance to our cultural landscape. Needleman posits that Western science has long operated under the misconception that understanding the universe can occur independently of self-understanding. He emphasizes the importance of connecting the laws of nature with our inner nature, warning against superficial approaches to spirituality. His focus is not on the convergence of science and spirituality but rather on their separation, asserting that true unity arises from recognizing and understanding real divisions. This awareness can foster the harmony that humanity has struggled to achieve. Needleman, a philosophy professor at San Francisco State University, has authored numerous works and contributes to various fields, including psychology and ethics. His insights have also been showcased on Bill Moyers's PBS series, A World of Ideas.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Natürlich glauben wir zu wissen, was Liebe ist. Doch: wissen wir es wirklich? Sehnen wir uns nicht vielmehr danach, die Liebe neu zu verstehen, zu begreifen, was es bedeutet, zusammenzuleben, an der Liebe zu arbeiten und nicht aufzugeben? Needleman fragt nach dem Potential eines Lebens in Liebe, das zwischen bloßem sexuellen Verlangen und hehren, aber meist unrealistischen Entwürfen 'heiliger' Liebe angesiedelt ist. Das kleine Buch der großen Liebe hilft uns, unsere eigene Liebesfähigkeit zu begreifen, zu entfalten und gemeinsam immer tiefere, intensivere Formen der Liebe zu erfahren. Denn: Welche Bedeutung unser Leben auch haben mag, es wäre sinnlos ohne die Liebe.