After reading some of the work by Rabbi Lord Sacks and Abraham Heschel, I wanted a progressive Jewish perspective. I found Rabbi Bayfield’s book quite by accident and wasn’t sure what to expect when first opening it. I’m glad I found it. This is an outstanding encapsulation of what it means to approach Jewish theology, theodicy, ethic, and practice from a Reform / progressive perspective and is an extremely valuable addition to any Jewish library, regardless of how you view Reform Judaism.This is not an academic monograph on theology. This is an intensely personal work that reads as though it were written for the author alone, but we are allowed to peak into his thought process and follow along. I don’t mean that in a negative way. While many personal works of nonfiction devolve into anecdotes framed by snippets of academic detail, Rabbi Bayfield uses the personal to explain and explore his theological beliefs. His is a postmodern narrative in that he admits the personal influences on his conclusions and centers the personal to explore the universal.Being Jewish Today is apparently a condensed version of a much longer original work. As a result, it covers a great deal of ground. At times, it feels slightly shallow, but in the sense that you wish he would expound on certain topics rather than shallow in a dismissive or vacuous manner. He is extremely well read and provides ample notes and footnotes. I’ve already picked out 4 books from his citations to continue my reading.I found Rabbi Bayfield’s writing style conversational and approachable, especially for a traditionally dense subject. However, in line with the personal nature of his narrative, there are aspects of the monograph, especially his conversations with God, that may not appeal to everyone.