The Spiritual Traveler: New York City: The Guide to Sacred Spaces and Peaceful Places - Softcover

Bergman, Edward F.

3.8

5 ratings by Goodreads

9781587680038: The Spiritual Traveler: New York City: The Guide to Sacred Spaces and Peaceful Places

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1587680033 ISBN 13: 9781587680038

Publisher: HiddenSpring, 2001

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A guide to sacred sites and sacred spaces in New York City, written from a multi-faith and multicultural point of view.

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Review:

Since the terrorist attack on the U.S., New York City has become the destination of many spiritual pilgrimages--what better companion for those on such a journey than The Spiritual Traveler: New York City, by Edward Bergman? Amongst the hundreds of impressive churches, synagogues, and cathedrals of New York--all of which Bergman writes about in generous detail--there lie hundreds of other significant spiritual sites. Without this guide, few tourists would know about a historic African burial ground at the corner of Duane and Elk Streets, which features a medallion bearing the words of Maya Angelou's poem "Still I Rise." Travelers may not know that a tear-shaped, 2.5-acre section of Central Park is named Strawberry Fields in honor of John Lennon's murder outside the nearby Dakota Apartments. Other attractions include the home of writer Kahlil Gibran, America's first Hindu temple, and the city's largest image of the Buddha.

Bergman also offers little-known facts about the religious buildings of New York, such as that the oldest one is the austere Friends Meeting House, built in 1694 on Northern Boulevard. Or that the Brotherhood Synagogue on Gramercy Park South was a place of refuge for slaves fleeing north. Those who yearn for stillness amidst the high-energy buzz of New York will find their own refuge in the many garden sanctuaries, such as Saint Luke in the Fields, on Hudson Street. The book includes an extensive index, glossary, and listing of relevant Web sites. --Gail Hudson

About the Author:

Edward F. Bergman is chairman of geographic studies at Lehman College of the City University of New York. He has also taught at other universities around the world, and has lectured at many museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, on topics ranging from New York City, to world geography, world history and art. His previous writings about New York include A Geography of the New York Metropolitan Region; Woodlawn Remembers: Cemetery of American History; and a number of articles in The Encyclopedia of New York City.

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