Rabbi Michael Lerner

The religious right is not only destroying America, but eroding the positive powers of religion by linking spirituality to values that are pro-money, pro-war, and pro-business, as well as anti-environmental and anti-intellectual. So says Rabbi Michael Lerner in his new book, The Left Hand of God, in which he also contends that these values will ultimately alienate thoughtful and spiritually minded Americans. (Maybe that’s the good news, if it means eventual change.) Lerner’s writings and his work as editor of the Jewish political magazine Tikkun have made him a polarizing figure in the Jewish world, particularly where Israeli-Palestinian matters are involved, so his appearance here, thanks to Magers & Quinn Booksellers, is bound to be lively and thought-provoking. 4537 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis; www.magersandquinn.com