A short and sweet intro into how the church and its believers can incorporate some of the practices of its spiritual forebears.

Not too heady or emotional, this book is a nice change of pace from the trendy books published recently that are high in anecdotal reasons for remaking all of Christianity, but low in cogent reasoning. As this book is meant to whet the reader's appetite for further reading / learning, Winner produces the right mix of intellect and humor.

Recommended as a starting point for those who are seeking further depth in their spiritual walk, as well as for those who would like to complement their faith with more meaningful practices. ( )

In her follow up to her autobiographical account of her conversion to Christianity from Orthodox Judaism the author reflects on the rituals that she misses from her former practice, and how she attempts to keep some of them in practicing her new faith. In the process she as a relatively new Christian explains Jewish rituals to her fellow Christians and their theological underpinnings. Since Christianity is an offshoot of Judaism, and like Judaism and Islam worship the same God, there is a lot of comparing and contrasting in her ruminations, such as her after church routine of going to her local coffee shop, the Mudhouse of the title, and reflecting on her new Sunday routine and the much quieter and more disciplined Shabbat she formerly kept on Saturdays. ( )

Summary:Despite her conversion from Orthodox Judaism to Christianity, Lauren Winner finds that her life is still shaped by the spiritual essences of Judaism - rich traditions and religious practices that she can't leave behind. In Mudhouse Sabbath, Winner illuminates eleven spiritual practices that can transform the way we view the world, and God. Whether discussing her own prayer life, the spirituality of candle-lighting, or the differences between the Jewish Sabbath and a Sunday spent at the Mudhouse, her favorite coffee shop, Winner writes with appealing honesty and rare insight

I liked this book very much but I have to admit that my first impression was that she was pining away for her former religion, even once to say ' Jews do this better ' and wondered why she ever converted to Christianity when it was so clear she definitely had one foot in her former life.

Then I had an 'aha' moment. I moved to England and lived there for a year, one of 8 trips across the pond over the decades, and I loved my home, my long distance country walks, seeing pheasants and hares, sheep, horses, magpies, etc as I pounded those country roads, and was meant to stay forever but the engagement ended and I came back home. As much as I loved it there and was happy, there were a million times I would find myself saying, ' That only costs $ 3 in Brooklyn, not your equivilent of $ 17'

Looking for a Whole Foods, Trader Joes was out of the question, all their sugar free items were dosed with aspartame and I realized what leaving the land of abundance really meant. So it is possible to love where you are or what you are and at the same time look wistfully backwards. ( )

My introduction to Lauren Winner's writing came more than a decade ago. My wife had read and liked Girl Meets God and loved it. I picked up her other book, Mudhouse Sabbath because I loved the premise. Winner's turn toward God took her through Orthodox Judaism to Christianity (the story recounted in her first memoir). Mudhouse Sabbath was about the nourishing spiritual practices she found in Judaism and missed after her conversion to Christianity. She wrote appreciatively about what she found in Judaism and how these practices continued to nourish her, and weren't incompatible with her new faith.

Paraclete Press has just released the study edition of Mudhouse Sabbath. This is not a rewrite. The chapters have the same format as they did when Winner first conceived the book. In Winner's new introduction she notes a couple of places where she would now write it differently, especially in her failure to explore God's justice and her expectation of encountering Him as we work toward it (viii). For example, the practice of fasting and Sabbath have implications for justice in the Hebrew scriptures which Winner left unexplored in the earlier edition (ix-x). She also acknowledges her growing cautiousness about borrowing from Judaism as a Christian (urging humility and grace).

The difference between this edition and its earlier incarnation (other than the new introduction) is the study notes. Winner's words remain the same but the chapters are peppered with quotations, selections from Jewish authors and Hebrew scripture and discussion questions. While Winner's original was thoughtful and engaged Judaism, it was much more a personal reflection on how she as a Christian convert could still appropriate these practices as part of her own spiritual life. That was the charm of the book. The study edition helps Christian readers engage these concepts and practices more thoughtfully for themselves.

Personally I like this edition a lot. It is possible to treat this book like the original, reading the main body of text as an exhortation to beef up your personal spiritual practices. But a study edition invites you into something more demanding and rewarding. The first edition was more privatized. This edition invites engagement. I gave the original four stars once upon a time, this I give five. Christian readers will find a deep well of spiritual practice. Jewish readers may find a book from a Christian borrowing from their traditions off-putting, but will be put at ease by the care and sensitivity with which Winner engages their religious tradition. If you never read the original, skip it. This is the definitive edition.

Note: I received this book from Paraclete Press in exchange for my honest review. ( )