From the California Digest
“Rise Above It is the best book ever written about the Ten Commandments, AND the best spiritual workbook ever written.  Don’t just take my word for it.  Thousands of people around the world have, and are, participating in Rise Above It seminars led by many, not just by Ray and Star. The strength of this book is enough . . . Whether one worships in a church, ashram, wigwam, synagogue, temple or mosque one can benefit greatly from Ray and Star Silverman’s Rise Above It. After reading it, you may find yourself reciting in your brain the phrase “rise above it” when in a difficult situation. The term may become as popular as, ‘What would Jesus do?’”—Candace Frazee, editor of the California Digest (February 2002)

From College Faculty
“This is a thoughtful book, which for the first time to my knowledge brings the ancient wisdom of the Ten Commandments to bear on the college experience. The result is a kind of guidebook on how to look beneath the daily round of classes and seminars to see the spiritual core of what for many of us turns out to be the most unforgettable period in our lives.”  —Harvey Cox, Ph.D., author The Secular City and Fire from Heaven (1995, Addison-Wesley), Professor of Religion, Harvard Divinity School

“This is a remarkable and impressive job on the Decalogue, especially as it applies to the problems and possibilities, the challenges and the difficulties, of life in America and the world today. My work has been to link the Decalogue with the people and the events recorded in the Hebrew Bible, that is, how the commandments worked in the context of ancient history. Rise Above It has brought the commandments into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries of the common era and demonstrated their central relevance and importance for all of us now living.”  —David Noel Freedman, Professor in Hebrew Biblical Studies, University of California, San Diego, General Editor of the Anchor Bible Dictionary (six volumes), and author of The Nine Commandments (2000, Doubleday)

“Rise Above It links big ideas, high ideals, and the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. This inspiring book is a health and fitness regimen for the human spirit.”  —Christopher M. Clark, Ph.D., author, Thoughtful Teaching (1995, Teachers College Press), Professor Emeritus Michigan State University, Director, School of Education, The University of Delaware

"As I read through Rise Above It, and met with a study group working with it, I was struck with its ecumenical appeal and its multi-layered approach. It gave me new spiritual insights into this most basic set of religious principles, and I saw how the Ten Commandments had application to facets of my daily life that I had not realized before.”  —Tom Andrews, Professor of Law, University of Washington School of Law, Seattle

From Religious Leaders
“I can wholeheartedly and unreservedly recommend Ray & Star Silverman's inter-faith treatment of the Ten Commandments. It is a superb ethical guide for those pilgrims and companions of the New Dawn on the pathway to spiritual self-realization towards the 'Kingdom of God'. I have found it a most helpful and challenging tool in my own spiritual development and walk, and that of my preaching and teaching. It is a model of theological truth and practical application, brimming full of wisdom, knowledge and insight, gained from drinking deep and long upon the scripture resources and traditions of those sages and saints of the past who have provided humanity with means of apprehending the Divine and becoming One with the Light, Love and Being of God—a never ending journey.”  —Rev. Gary Leonard, World Conference on Religion and Peace, Durban, South Africa

“Rise About It is a breakthrough in religious writing. Nothing else is comparable to it. Rising above mere religious intellectualism, it clearly demonstrates how all religion is related to life Every major religion is quoted.  Ancient teachings that lead to heaven are applied to the daily problems of modern life. The journal entries from course participants, striving to apply sacred texts to their own lives, are rich and moving. This book is full of love and discovery--the discovery of one's self, the discovery of others, and the discovery of God in the greatest and in the least details of our daily existence. What a wonderful accomplishment!”  —Wilson Van Dusen, Ph.D. author Natural Depth in Man (1972, Harper and Row), The Presence of Other Worlds (1975, HarperCollins)

“I know that we have never met before, but I feel compelled to say a heartfelt thanks to you and your wife for the immensely wonderful and highly useful text and leader's resource materials on Rise Above It: Spiritual Development through the Ten Commandments.  There are many excellent and very useful New Church books and resources I've encountered over the years Ray, and yours is sure one of the best.  The scholarship is excellent and so meaningfully used; the practical applications are great; and the usage of both Christian and other world holy writings is so very good for the soul to encounter, especially in a time of religious tension whose boiling point appears to be on the horizon. . . As a minister with not much time each week to do program development, your book and resource materials are a prayer come true, especially too because they are so beautifully New Church in nature.  I pray that these materials will continue to bring the inspiring, helpful and meaningful truths of the One True God of the universe's love and wisdom into the mainstream of life.  It's so good to know that loving and faithful people like you and Star have been taking this program into many countries throughout the world. With deep gratitude.”  —Rev. Kit Billings, Pastor, Church of The Open Word