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Spirituality and Religion March 2019
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| Shameless: A Sexual Reformation by Nadia Bolz-WeberWhat it's about: the author's experience with and research into the culture of shame surrounding sexuality among many Christian groups.
Why you might like it: the candid and accessible writing; the thought-provoking analysis balanced with irreverent humor.
Author alert: Nadia Bolz-Weber is a Lutheran pastor and former comedian whose previous books include Pastrix and Accidental Saints. |
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| On Thomas Merton by Mary GordonWhat it is: a moving, stimulating biography of author, interfaith advocate, and Trappist monk Thomas Merton.
Read it for: the focus on Merton's writing life (both his published works and his private journals) and the ways in which his identity as a monk was inseparable from his identity as a writer.
You might also like: Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit by Catholic priest and Buddhist monk Robert E. Kennedy; Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian by theology scholar Paul Knitter. |
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Unbelievable : 7 Myths About the History and Future of Science and Religion
by Michael Newton Keas
What it's about: You’ve probably heard the stories before. They’re everywhere. Maybe you heard them from Bill Nye the “Science Guy,” or celebrity astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson, or the late Carl Sagan. And what do the stories say? That science and religion have been at war with each other for centuries. That religion is anti-science. There’s just one problem: these stories are pure myth.
What to expect: Unbelievable explodes seven of the most popular myths about science and religion. Michael Newton Keas, a historian of science, lays out the facts to show how far the conventional wisdom departs from reality. He also shows how these myths have proliferated over the past four centuries and exert so much influence today, infiltrating science textbooks and popular culture.
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| Muhammad: Forty Introductions by Michael Muhammad KnightWhat it is: a compelling take on the Forty Hadith genre of Islamic literature, in which 40 sayings of the Prophet Muhammad are chosen from thousands to fit a particular theme or topic -- in this case the Prophet himself.
Read it for: Michael Muhammad Knight's included commentary, which expands on each hadith and his own spiritual journey.
Reviewers say: "The author's portrait of Muhammad is progressive, sometimes controversial, and he aims to be inclusive of a variety of Muslim voices" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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Leaving the Witness : Exiting a Religion and Finding a Life
by Amber Scorah
What it is: A coming-of-age story of a woman already in her thirties, this unforgettable memoir examines what it's like to start one's life over again with an entirely new identity, after the author, a Jehovah Witness, realized other ways of seeing the world and living a fulfilling life after becoming a missionary in China.
About Amber Scorah: Amber Scorah is a writer living in Brooklyn, NY. She works as an editor at Scholastic and her articles have been published in The New York Times, and The Believer. Prior to coming to New York, Scorah lived in Shanghai, where she was creator and host of the wildly popular podcast Dear Amber - The Insider's Guide to Everything China. (Penguin Random House)
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| Love For Imperfect Things: How to Accept Yourself in a World Striving For Perfection by Haemin SunimWhat it's about: the ways in which lessons learned from the author's Buddhist practice can be applied to fostering self-acceptance and supporting self-care.
Chapters include: "Your Existence Is Already Enough"; "The First Failure"; "The Art of Letting Go."
Author alert: Haemin Sunim is a Zen Buddhist monk known for his first book The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down. |
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The Religions Book : Big Ideas Simply Explained
by Inc. Dorling Kindersley
What it is: Surveying the world's religions, from Buddhism to Zoroastrianism, and providing succinct yet thought-provoking insight into the philosophy and practices of each, The Religions Book is ideal for anyone seeking to gain a better understanding of the world's religions.
What's inside: With intriguing artwork, flow charts, and diagrams, complex world religions are made accessible in this comprehensive guide.
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| The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious... by Joshua HammerWhat it is: the compelling tale of a treasure trove of Islamic manuscripts from Mali's medieval period and the clandestine mission to save them from destruction at the hands of Al Qaeda sympathizers.
Featuring: Abdel Kader Haidara, the archivist who first gathered the disparate manuscripts into a central library and later led the effort to smuggle them to safety.
Did you know? Medieval Timbuktu was a scholarly and literary powerhouse; in the 1500s the city allegedly contained 70 paper mills and almost 200 educational institutions. |
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| The Book of the People: How to Read the Bible by A.N. WilsonWhat it is: a thought-provoking examination of the Bible as a work of literature, with discussions of its effects on both writers and believers.
Read it for: the conversational tone; the personal account of the author's own experiences reading the Bible as a believer.
Try this next: Out of the Garden, a collection of essays on the Bible featuring authors such as Louise Erdrich, Ursula LeGuin, and June Jordan. |
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