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Spirituality and Religion May 2022 |
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| The Believer: Encounters with the Beginning, the End, and Our Place in the Middle by Sarah KrasnosteinWhat it's about: the human drive to believe and seek meaning; the relationship between shared (or divergent) beliefs and interpersonal bonds.
Is it for you? Though belief as a concept is the central focus of The Believer, relevant non-religious topics are included in the discussion.
You might also like: How God Becomes Real by T.M. Luhrmann; Unlearning God by Phillip Gulley. |
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| Faithful Antiracism: Moving Past Talk to Systemic Change by Christina EdmondsonWhat it is: an accessible and persuasive analysis of the past, present, and potential future of racism in the church.
Why you might like it: Research-based arguments are presented alongside practical steps to counter the negative impact of racism inside and outside the church.
Reviewers say: "This timely, always relevant content makes Faithful Antiracism a must-read for all those who profess Christian faith" (Booklist). |
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Saints of Feather and Fang : How the Animals We Love and Fear Connect Us to God
by Caryn Rivadeneira
What it's about: In Saints of Feather and Fang, writer and lifelong animal lover Caryn Rivadeneira explores the ways that animals--from the pets in our homes to the mysterious creatures of the deep--serve as spiritual guides for our hearts, minds, and souls. Rivadeneira offers whimsical and theological reflections on delight, instinct, adaptation, fear, and awe.
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| Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints: A Guide to Magical New Orleans by Denise AlvaradoWhat it is: an accessible, engaging tour of the traditions of folk magic in Louisiana.
Featuring: iconic figures like Marie Laveau, Papa Legba, and Annie Christmas; St. Expedite, an Armenian Catholic martyr who gained an unexpectedly large following in New Orleans.
Reviewers say: Witch Queens is a "rollicking party of spirits that should appeal to tourists, contemporary spell casters, and armchair historians" (Publishers Weekly). |
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The Fox Hunt : A Refugee's Memoir of Coming to America
by Mohammed Al Samawi
What it's about: The son of middle-class Shiite doctors in Yemen shares his moving story of love, war and hope that describes his harrowing escape from regional fanaticism and civil unrest through a daring plan engineered on social media by a small group of Western interfaith activists.
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Priestdaddy
by Patricia Lockwood
What it's about: The author presents a darkly comic memoir about her relationship with her unconventional married Catholic priest father, describing emblematic moments from her youth and the crisis that led the author and her non-religious husband to briefly live in her parents' rectory.
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| The Spiritual Mandela: Faith and Religion in the Life of Nelson Mandela by Dennis CruywagenWhat it is: a richly detailed and thought-provoking exploration of Nelson Mandela's spiritual life and the relationship between his religious experiences and his politics.
Why you should read it: The Spiritual Mandela shows a personal, relatably human side of a revered figure searching for meaning just like the rest of us.
Reviewers say: "Though Mandela was publicly circumspect about his religious views, Cruywagen’s well-researched book offers a clear account of how religion threaded through his life" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| The Very Worst Missionary: A Memoir or Whatever by Jamie WrightWhat it's about: the ups and downs of author Jamie Wright's efforts to reconcile her individual Christian faith with institutional problems that can surround organized religion, especially around missionary work.
Topics include: how missionary presence can disrupt local economies; financial irregularities in fundraising; manipulative recruitment tactics to encourage conversions.
For readers who: welcome tough conversations about the gaps between their relationships with God and the structural obstacles that prevent many faith communities from practicing what they preach. |
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