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Spirituality and Religion December 2018
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| Bathed in Prayer: Father Tim's Prayers, Sermons, and Reflections from the Mitford Series by Jan KaronOver the course of fourteen novels, millions of readers have fallen in love with the faith, encouragement, and wisdom that are at the very heart of Jan Karon's Mitford series. Now, for the first time, readers will have the chance to walk with Father Tim through a collection of prayers, sermons, and inspirational passages that incorporates material from each of the novels. In addition, fans will get to hear directly from author Jan Karon, in a brand-new essay about her own personal journey in faith and the ways that the Mitford novels have impacted her. |
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| Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott"I am stockpiling antibiotics for the Apocalypse, even as I await the blossoming of paperwhites on the windowsill in the kitchen," Anne Lamott admits at the beginning of Almost Everything. Despair and uncertainty surround us: in the news, in our families, and in ourselves. But even when life is at its bleakest--when we are, as she puts it, "doomed, stunned, exhausted, and over-caffeinated"--the seeds of rejuvenation are at hand. "All truth is paradox," Lamott writes, "and this turns out to be a reason for hope. If you arrive at a place in life that is miserable, it will change." That is the time when we must pledge not to give up but "to do what Wendell Berry wrote: 'Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts.'"
In this profound and funny book, Lamott calls for each of us to rediscover the nuggets of hope and wisdom that are buried within us that can make life sweeter than we ever imagined. Divided into short chapters that explore life's essential truths, Almost Everything pinpoints these moments of insight as it shines an encouraging light forward. |
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Believe It: My Journey of Success, Failure, and Overcoming the Odds
by Nick Foles
When the Philadelphia Eagles’ starting quarterback went down with a torn ACL in week 14 of the 2017 NFL season, many fans―and commentators―assumed the Eagles’ season was over. Instead, Nick Foles came off the bench and, against all odds, led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory in history.
Believe It offers a behind-the-scenes look at Nick’s unlikely path to the Super Bowl, the obstacles that threatened to hold him back, his rediscovery of his love for the game, and the faith that grounded him through it all.
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| Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free by Linda Kay KleinLinda Kay Klein's candid and sometimes disturbing appraisal of the emotional consequences that she believes evangelical Christianity's "purity culture" is having on young women -- and her story of leaving it behind.
Is it for you? Klein's reflections on her trauma and recollections of her experiences may be difficult for some readers.
Further reading: Nine Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks, which looks at similar issues faced by Muslim women; A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans. |
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| Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence by Karen ArmstrongA thorough exploration of the relationship between religion and violence, from early human civilization through the post-9/11 era.
Why you should read it: the unprecedented and comprehensive scope of the author's research, which is expertly condensed and recounted.
Reviewers say: "Provocative and supremely readable" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Black Elk: The Life of an American Visionary by Joe JacksonLooks at the life of Black Elk, the legendary Lakota Sioux healer who led the late 19th century religious revival known as the Ghost Dance movement.
Although the most widely read book about Black Elk is John Neihardt's Black Elk Speaks, which details his religious beliefs, Joe Jackson's work is the first exhaustive biography of the man himself.
Did you know? In 2016, steps were taken within the Catholic Church to nominate Black Elk for sainthood. |
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| One Nation, Under Gods: A New American History by Peter ManseauThis thought-provoking history is a much-needed examination of many of the non-Christian religions that have shaped both religious and secular aspects of American society.
Topics include the religious diversity of Thomas Jefferson's library, the Jewish and Moorish presence among Spanish conquistadors, and the Iroquois religious legacy that helped inspire Mormon prophet Joseph Smith.
Reviewers say: "this history from another perspective reexamines familiar tales and introduces fascinating counternarratives" (Publishers Weekly). |
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Contact the Library for more great titles! |
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