Return from exile

Name: Return from exile
ISBN: 0826411029

one woman's journey back to Judaism

By Carol Orsborn

When a successful self-help author reaches midlife and feels spiritually adrift, she makes a bold decision that will reshape her understanding of faith, identity, and belonging. Carol Orsborn trades her established career for the unfamiliar halls of Vanderbilt Divinity School, embarking on an academic journey that becomes far more transformative than she ever anticipated.

Within the intense atmosphere of theological study, Orsborn navigates complex relationships with fellow seekers and encounters professors who both challenge and nurture her evolving worldview. As one of the few Jewish students in a predominantly Christian environment, she faces uncomfortable truths about her own assumptions and biases while wrestling with questions of religious identity and authentic belief.

Through rigorous engagement with both Jewish and Christian texts, Orsborn begins to uncover layers of meaning within traditions she thought she understood. Her year-long immersion becomes a process of spiritual archaeology, revealing treasures buried within her own heritage that had remained hidden from view.

This candid memoir chronicles not just an academic year, but a profound homecoming to faith. Orsborn's journey leads her back to Judaism, yet the tradition she rediscovers bears little resemblance to the one she left behind. Her story offers insight into the courage required to question deeply held beliefs and the unexpected grace found in scholarly pursuit of the sacred.

What You'll Discover