Renewal

Divorce is climbing, the economy favors a small group at the top while squeezing everyone else, faith is being used to fuel hostility, and depression rates have reached alarming highs. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach argues that a society under this kind of strain can be repaired, and that the repair starts with individuals deciding to organize their lives around a core set of values.

Boteach observes that public debate about values has often been hijacked by partisan fights over issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion, which leave little room for reflection on how people should actually live. Drawing on his long experience as a counselor and spiritual teacher, he turns to Jewish history and religious tradition, looking for universal principles that can speak to present-day problems. He treats these ideas as practical guideposts rather than relics.

The values he draws out are rooted in the Hebrew Bible and centuries of Jewish practice, but he presents them as open to anyone, whether Christian, Muslim, atheist, or agnostic, who wants to renew their life and recommit to what matters most. The book is aimed at general readers seeking a more meaningful and fulfilling way of living in the modern world.