The internationally renowned theologian and author will speak about his recent book, The Left Hand of God, hailed by Deepak Chopra as “the blueprint for the next stage in the spiritual development of our planet." The Left Hand of God addresses the central mystery of contemporary politics - why so many Americans vote Republican when it is against their own economic interests. Providing an invaluable, timely, and blunt critique of the current state of faith in government, Rabbi Lerner challenges the Left to give up its deeply held fear of religion and goes on to show how the Democrats have misunderstood and alienated significant parts of their potential constituency. To succeed on a national level, Lerner argues, the Democratic Party must rethink its relationship to God, champion a progressive spiritual vision, reject the old bottom line that promotes the globalization of selfishness, and deal head-on with the very real spiritual crisis that many Americans experience every day.

Rabbi Michael Lerner is a social theorist, psychotherapist, and the editor of Tikkun magazine. He earned a PhD in philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley, and in clinical psychology from the Wright Institute. Lerner is rabbi of Beyt Tikkun synagogue, which meets in San Francisco and Berkeley. A recipient of an award from PEN-Oakland for his work developing a “Progressive Middle Path” for Middle East politics, Rabbi Lerner was named by Utne as one of its 100 American Visionaries. He is the co-author with Cornel West of the national bestseller Jews and Blacks: Let the Healing Begin. In July 2006, Rabbi Lerner helped launch “The Network of Spiritual Progressives,” an interfaith movement of people who “understand the need for a politics of meaning and a Spiritual/Religious Left and wish to support efforts to build it.”

The reading will take place at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (114 Montecito Avenue, at Grand Avenue) on Thursday, May 31, 2007, at 7:00 p.m.

Suggested donation is $5.00 (with no one turned away for lack of funds).

For more information, contact The Rev. Susan Allison-Hatch at 510.834.4314.