Spirituality and Religion
January 2019
Recent Releases
A Call for Revolution: A Vision for the Future
by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Sofia Stril-Rever 

What it is: a thoughtful, impassioned appeal from His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV, urging readers to improve the world around them through compassion and an understanding of the ways in which all living things are interconnected.

Why you might like it: The writing is persuasive but concise, making for an approachable introduction to the Dalai Lama's teachings.

Who it's for: Although readers of all ages will find wisdom here, this book is primarily targeted at the young people who will inherit the consequences of climate change and increasing inequality.
Living With the Gods: On Beliefs and Peoples
by Neil MacGregor

What it's about: the ways that religion and society shape one another, from the primal origins of religious belief to the effects of spiritual practice on things like architecture and perceptions of time.

Read it for: its sweeping scale, relevance to contemporary issues of religion and society, and engaging, accessible writing style.

Author alert: Neil MacGregor is the author of other expansive histories, most notably A History of the World in 100 Objects.
God in the Qur'an
by Jack Miles

What it is: an accessible introduction to the Qur'an, discussing the shared God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as depicted in the Muslim holy text.

Who it's for: non-Muslims will probably get the most out of this book, since it focuses on figures that the Bible and the Qur'an have in common but covers few that are exclusive to Islam.

Don't miss: the appendix, which details concepts like the afterlife and Satan as they are portrayed in the Qur'an.
Why Religion? A Personal Story
by Elaine Pagels

What it's about: religion scholar Elaine Pagels' story of her relationship with spirituality over the course of her life and career, with insights from neurologists and social scientists about the purpose faith serves for humanity.

Don't miss: the parallels between parts of the author's life story and the Book of Job, and the lessons she took from these difficult experiences.

What sets it apart: the artful balance between Pagels' respect for faith as a concept and her curiosity about why it manages to endure in the modern era.
Religion in Antiquity
The Islamic Jesus: How the King of the Jews Became a Prophet of the Muslims
by Mustafa Akyol

What it is: a thought-provoking exploration of the influences of Christian and Jewish thinkers on early Islamic conceptions of Jesus and his nature. 

Topics include: depictions of Jesus's mother Mary as she appears in Islamic writings; discussions = of the lessons that believers of all three Abrahamic faiths can take away from the Qur'an.

Read it for: its conversational, accessible evaluation of holy texts and evidence from the archaeological record.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Pioneer Library System
300 Norman Center Court
Norman, Oklahoma 73072
405-801-4530

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