It's time to reclaim religion | Sharon Brous

Summary

In this powerful speech, a rabbi reflects on the challenges facing religion today, from rising religious extremism to the decline of meaningful practice. Drawing from personal experience and the founding of IKAR, a community focused on revitalizing religious life, the rabbi emphasizes four guiding principles: wakefulness, hope, mightiness, and interconnectedness. These principles advocate for an engaged, compassionate, and action-oriented approach to faith. The rabbi calls for religious communities to lead a spiritual shift toward love, justice, and equality, offering hope for a future where religion can help heal a fractured world.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker reflects on the chaotic state of the world in 2004, especially the rise in violence and extremism, and the challenges faced by a new mother and religious leader during this time.
• 😀 The speaker acknowledges religion's role in both causing and potentially solving extremism, highlighting the increase in religion-related violence globally.
• 😀 The importance of addressing the failures of religion in the face of extremism is emphasized, with a call to recognize religious extremism as a great failure of faith.
• 😀 A second problem, religious routine-ism, is identified, where religious practices have become perfunctory and disconnected from their original meaning, leading to a loss of engagement, especially among younger generations.
• 😀 The speaker contrasts the vitality of a wedding ceremony with the often lifeless nature of routine religious practices, arguing for a revival of meaningful religious experience.
• 😀 The crisis in religion is not only about extremism but also about its declining relevance to modern audiences, especially those turned off by both violence and lifeless ritual.
• 😀 In response to these challenges, the speaker launched a new initiative called IKAR, aimed at reclaiming the heart of Jewish tradition and reimagining religious life to make it relevant and purposeful again.
• 😀 IKAR's success shows that there is a demand for a reinvigorated, meaningful religious experience, where people of various beliefs come together to seek purpose and meaning.
• 😀 Four key principles are shared for a revitalized religious life: wakefulness (staying alert to global suffering), hope (acting against despair), mightiness (embracing individual power and agency), and interconnectedness (recognizing our shared humanity).
• 😀 The speaker emphasizes that hope is not naive but a powerful act of defiance against pessimism and despair, lifting people beyond their constraints and giving them purpose.
• 😀 Interconnectedness is a vital principle, reminding us that issues like racism, transphobia, and anti-Semitism are everyone's problems, and true freedom can only be achieved when all people are free.
• 😀 The talk concludes with a call for a multifaith justice movement, urging religious leaders to lead a shift toward love, justice, equality, and dignity for all, advocating for a future that is more compassionate and inclusive.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the speaker's reflection in the script?

The main theme of the speaker's reflection is the challenge religion faces in the modern world, particularly with religious extremism and routine-ism, and the need for a revitalized, meaningful religious experience that can counter these trends.

What personal experience does the speaker share to frame the discussion on religion?

The speaker shares the experience of being a new mother and a young rabbi in 2004, reflecting on the chaotic state of the world and the sense of urgency to address the challenges facing society, especially regarding religion.

What does the speaker mean by 'religious extremism' and how does it manifest?

Religious extremism, according to the speaker, refers to violence or hostility carried out in the name of religion. This can be seen in events like bombings or shootings where the perpetrators justify their actions by invoking God's name, as well as in political actions that support harmful ideologies such as racism, misogyny, and Islamophobia.

What is 'religious routine-ism' and how does it impact religious life?

Religious routine-ism is described as the mechanical and uninspired practice of religious rituals that have lost their original meaning and purpose. The speaker compares it to the routine of an anniversary, where the sacredness of the occasion is overshadowed by repetition without renewal or passion.

How does the speaker contrast religious extremism with religious routine-ism?

The speaker contrasts religious extremism as an aggressive and destructive force, with religious routine-ism as a passive and lifeless one. Both trends, the speaker argues, contribute to the decline of meaningful religious life.

What solution does the speaker propose to address these challenges within religion?

The speaker proposes a return to the essence of religious traditions, focusing on values like compassion, kindness, and coexistence. They also advocate for the creation of new, vibrant religious communities that engage with the world in a meaningful way, offering hope, justice, and equality.

What does the speaker's experience with IKAR demonstrate about religious renewal?

The speaker’s creation of IKAR, a community-based religious initiative, demonstrates that when religious practice is reinvigorated with purpose and meaning, it can attract people who are seeking meaningful spiritual experiences, even in a time of widespread religious skepticism.

What four principles of revitalized religion does the speaker outline?

The speaker outlines four principles for revitalized religious life: wakefulness (staying aware of global tragedies and taking action), hope (defying despair with optimism and purpose), mightiness (recognizing personal agency in making change), and interconnectedness (acknowledging the shared responsibility for global issues).

Why is 'wakefulness' important in the context of religion, according to the speaker?

'Wakefulness' is important because it calls people to stay aware of the suffering and injustices in the world, compelling them to act and not turn away from discomfort or apathy. The speaker stresses that social change begins with being awake to the reality of the world’s problems.

What role does hope play in the speaker's vision for religion?

Hope, in the speaker’s view, is a powerful tool that lifts individuals beyond despair, encouraging them to dream expansively and believe that change is possible. It is not naive but is an act of defiance against pessimism, helping people rediscover their sense of purpose.