Moses the Heretic is now available for purchase through such outlets as Barnes and Noble (stores or online), as well as Amazon.com.
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We often hear the question, "What would Jesus do?" Now, we have a book that asks the same question about Moses. The answer may not be exactly what you'd expect.
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Advance Praise for Moses the Heretic
"This is a deeply philosophical and perfectly paced gripping novel. Like all great works of art, and indeed like its main character, Rabbi Moses Levine, it will mean different things to different people; it will at once entertain and challenge, please and infuriate, excite and annoy, comfort and at times anger. But Rabbi Levine's struggles with the twin evils of apathy and dogmatism will resonate with persons of principle who dcare about the fate of humanity. For me, as a Muslim, this novel struck a powerful and compelling chord. The parallels between the Jewish concept of tikkun olam, and the Muslim ta'aruf and islah were eye-opening. Rabbi Levine's pursuit of hikma (wisdom), empathy, humility and beauty in all aspects of life embody the very principles that are supposed to guide the life of faithful Muslims. Whether one ultimately agress with Rabbi Levine's choices and actions or not, if there is any wisdom in this world, the Rabbi will become famous with millions of readers from every faith all around the world." -- Professor Khaled Abou El Fadl of the UCLA School of Law, author of The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists, and one of the nation's leading moderate Islamic voices
"Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav sang, 'The whole world is a narrow bridge but the main thing is not to be afraid.' Daniel Spiro's novel is a bridge of courage and hope in a frightened and dispirited world. It is a novel of heart, mind and spine." -- Rabbi Harold Schulweis, author of Evil and the Morality of God and For Those Who Can't Believe, founder of Jewish World Watch and Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, and one of the leading Congregational rabbis in America
"Adventurous and daring, Daniel Spiro's novel challenges our understanding of the Middle East and gets to the core of the region's tragedy as nonfiction so rarely does. His modern Moses is comic and heartbreaking, much like the real peace process on which this insightful novel provides such sorrowful commentary." --
Matt Beynon Rees, author of the Middle Eastern-based mystery novels, A Grave in Gaza and The Collaborator of Bethlehem
"I love this book! It brings together in a constructed reality of the tension between the practical existence of the Abrahamic family and the prophetic ideals according to which we are supposed to be living. It is a great story and thus fictionalizes and brings much closer to home the moral and political choices that we all have to face." --Rabbi Marc Gopin, Director of George Mason University's Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution, and author of Between Eden and Armageddon"An extraordinary treatment of a Biblical hero imagined into contemporary times saying those things that need to be said even when they confuse, irritate or enrage the listeners. Readers will alternately respect Moses Levine, wish he would curb his excesses, wonder why he won't say exactly what they want him to, curse him for being too human and then respect him again for opening a way to tolerance, understanding, and peaceful coexistence. Speaks truth to confront the religious struggles and divides of our time." --Ruth Messenger, President, American Jewish World Service "Daniel Spiro has written a masterful novel that weaves powerful spiritual teachings of Judaism and Islam into a gripping story about of contemporary politics, passion and intrigue." -- Steve Masters, President, Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace
"I hope and pray that this astonishing and deeply honest book will be the trumpet call to all who are caught up in the tragedy of the war between the children of Abraham, leading us as sisters and brothers , to take the first bold steps ... to true peace." -- Christene Brownlie, Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Blacksburg, Virginia
"By entering the heart both of the middle east conflict and of the Jewish community, Spiro humanizes those who are too often demonized and creates compelling arguments and understanding for a more hopeful future. He does what most clergy hope for -- to write the sermons he believes need to be heard and to have the ideas within them repair the world." -- Rabbi Patricia Karlin-Neumann, Senior Associate Dean for Religious Life, Stanford University
"A smart, audacious and entertaining book that re-imagines the biblical Moses in the modern world -- deeply rooted in scripture, full of compassion and insight, and yet hard-wired to today's headlines." -- Jonathan Kirsch, author of Moses, A Life
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Author's Introduction
We live at a time when cynicism masquerades as wisdom and fundamentalism as religiosity. For that, I offer my second novel as an antidote. It's a tale about two men named Moses. One may you know as Moshe Rabbenu, Judaism's greatest prophet. The other, the title character, is a contemporary rabbi named Moses Levine. Levine is a heretic, who not only has enemies but skeletons in his closet. Yet he sees himself as a modern day Moshe Rabbenu, and he earns himself a Nobel Prize for peace.
Moses the Heretic, like The Creed Room, is a "what if" book. It asks the questions, WHAT IF we had a man in our midst worthy of the name Moses? How would he embrace tradition, and how might he buck it? How would he change history? And what can he teach us about the hot-button issues Jews face today -- issues concerning the existence of God, personal immortality, interfaith marriage, and the Arab-Israeli conflict? Believe me, this isn't just a story book; it can be a real springboard for dialogue among people with an interest in religion.
Moses the Heretic expresses a philosophy of Judaism. But this book was not written solely for Jews. In fact, rather than being a book primarily about Judaism, I'd like to think of it as an ecumenical work that strives to shed light on all of the Abrahamic faiths. Moses Levine, for example, is a student of Islam who came to adopt a belief in God largely through his study of that religion. Islamic monotheism is explored at some length in this book. To be sure, Moses the Heretic also discusses Islamic fanaticism, but I try to get beyond that and examine what we can learn from Islam that is unique and beautiful.
My goal as an author was to portray a Jewish prophet in an authentic way. We're all familiar with hearing about religious prophets as if they're close to perfect. Well, I see Judaism as a more down-to-earth religion, so I've depicted Moses Levine as one of us -- someone who's emotionally vulnerable and has very human needs. Yet he's also exceptionally warm, honest, courageous, and obsessed with tikkun olam. In short, he's a mensch. Through all the twists and turns in plot, I try to show the reader what that word means.
Moses the Heretic's official release date is September 22, 2008.
I hope you enjoy the book.
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