Sacred Time and the Search for Meaning (Paperback)

In this book, Gary Eberle contemplates how humans' view of time has evolved through history, how we came to measure time, and why we feel starved for it now. Eberle seeks to rediscover a renewed sense of meaning in the realm of sacred time or "sabbath time" -- a realm where we can reconnect with the slower, deeper rhythms of life that have traditionally been experienced through religious worship, prayer, and the observance of holy days.

Drawing on the work of Western philosophers from Aristotle to Heidegger and on theorists from Jung to Foucault, Eberle presents both an intellectual history of time and a personal account of his own search for sacred time. Along the way he formulates an insightful analysis of our culture's obsession with speed and efficiency, and he offers guidance and inspiration for slowing down to savor and be enriched by time.

Eberle, an award-winning fiction writer, thoughtfully examines how we've come to live in a hurried-up world in which we want everything immediately, ceaselessly making plans for the future. In Sacred Time he encourages us to slow down and consider the direction of our lives from a timeless perspective. He argues that by reconnecting with the importance of sabbath, a realm of time outside of schedules and routines, we can find breathing room and greater fulfillment in an increasingly accelerated world.