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Spirituality and Religion September 2017
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| Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father by Thomas S. KiddIn this thoroughly researched and groundbreaking biography, religious studies professor Thomas Kidd examines the religious thought of Founder Benjamin Franklin. As a young man Franklin rejected the Calvinist doctrine of his childhood and embraced deism. However, he later professed a religion-based ethical philosophy that was closer to the beliefs of his upbringing, those of his sister Jane Mecom, and those of his friend George Whitefield, the famous Methodist evangelist. Showing Franklin as a man of religious faith who publicly called for prayers to God to guide the new American nation, Kidd's portrait offers "a new cornerstone of Franklin studies" (Booklist, starred review). |
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Approaching the Buddhist Path
by Bstan-'dzin-rgya-mtsho
In this first installment of the eight-volume series Library of Wisdom and Compassion, the Dalai Lama focuses on the teachings and doctrines of the Nalanda tradition.
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The Koran in English: A Biography
by Bruce B Lawrence
For millions of Muslims, the Qur'an is sacred only in Arabic, the original Arabic in which it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century; to many Arab and non-Arab believers alike, the book literally defies translation. Yet English translations exist and are growing, in both number and importance. Bruce Lawrence tells the remarkable story of the ongoing struggle to render the Qur'an's lyrical verses into English—and to make English itself an Islamic language.
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Planting the Heavens: Releasing the Authority of the Kingdom Through Your Words, Prayers, & Declarations
by Tim Sheets
The words we speak in prayer are like spiritual seeds. In the same way that planting seeds in the ground produces a harvest, you can learn to pray in a way that plants the blessings of heaven here on Earth. Tim Sheets shares a revelatory new message that will take your prayer life to powerful new dimensions. Grasp the impact of your declarations and discover the power of praying the words that Heaven longs to hear!
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Life Lessons: 125 Prayers and Meditations
by Julia Cameron
Presented by a best-selling author, a book of prayers and affirmations—a corrective to commonly held misconceptions of the divine—is filled with inspiration and encouragement that offer an approach to God that is powerful as well as simple.
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Martin Luther: Rebel in an Age of Upheaval
by Heinz Schilling
In this comprehensive and balanced biography we see Luther as a rebel, but not as a lone hero; as a soldier in a mighty struggle for the universal reform of Christianity and its role in the world. The foundation of Protestantism changed the religious landscape of Europe, and subsequently the world, but the author chooses to show Luther not simply as a reformer, but as an individual.
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Still Waiting: Hope for When God Doesn't Give You What You Want
by Ann Swindell
In Still Waiting, Ann Swindell explores the depths of why God wants us to wait by chronicling her own compelling story of waiting for healing from an incurable condition. She offers a vibrant retelling of the biblical account of the Bleeding Woman that parallels her story—and yours, too.
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The Nature of Consciousness: Essays on the Unity of Mind and Matter
by Rupert Spira
Using a series of essays to draw readers into an exploration of the nature of this knowing element that each of us calls “I,” a provocative book, challenging the prevailing materialist paradigm that is holding humanity back, examines how suffering is caused by overlooking consciousness—the fundamental reality of the apparent duality of mind and matter.
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A Practical Guide to Decoding Your Dreams and Visions: Unlocking What God Is Saying While You Sleep
by Adrian Beale
Learn the steps to deciphering the spiritual meaning behind your dreams! In their landmark book, The Divinity Code, Adam Thompson and Adrian Beale helped encourage the church to rediscover the neglected art of dream interpretation. Now, in A Practical Guide to Decoding Your Dreams, they show you how to apply revelatory tools and Bible-based techniques to actually understand what your dreams mean and how to respond to them.
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| In the Days of Rain: A Daughter, a Father, a Cult by Rebecca StottAs a child, acclaimed author Rebecca Stott belonged to a separatist Christian fundamentalist sect in Britain called the Exclusive Brethren. Her father, Roger, was a leader in the group, which shunned all kinds of worldly things, but he later left the cult and became an actor and filmmaker. In the Days of Rain details Rebecca's experiences with the Exclusive Brethren, Roger's struggles, and her own gradual understanding of the sect and its effect on her family over four generations. Reflecting on her relationship with her father, Rebecca pens a thought-provoking and absorbing memoir. |
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Great Books You Might Have Missed
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| Unashamed by Lecrae, with Jonathan MerrittPopular, Grammy-winning Christian hip hop artist Lecrae was raised by his single mother. Though there were positive influences in his life, he experienced instability, abuse, and neglect, engaging in criminal activities throughout his teen years. Rap provided an outlet for his creativity; Christianity rescued him from crime when he was 19 and gave him a new focus for his music career. Unashamed offers Lecrae's reflections on the negative aspects of his early life, revealing how he decided to become a positive influence on younger people. Publishers Weekly calls this memoir a "wonderfully inspirational and entertaining story." |
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| Grace without God: The Search for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging in a Secular Age by Katherine OzmentAfter journalist Katherine Ozment's young son asked her what religion their family practiced, Ozment realized that "none" wasn't a very helpful answer. She then set out to learn more about how "Nones" (nearly one-fourth of the American population) replace the rituals, sense of community, and moral guidance that religion offers. In Grace without God, she reports on her interviews with academics, statistical studies, and conversations with other "Nones" at events around the country. Focusing on the need to raise kind, morally upright, and compassionate children, she relates her personal experiences and considers how others are answering those questions. |
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| The Givenness of Things: Essays by Marilynne RobinsonThoughtfully addressing the divisions expressed in contemporary arguments about religion, award-winning novelist and theologian Marilynne Robinson critiques both reductionist atheists and self-righteous Christians. In her elegant, rich prose, she discusses 17 topics, including Humanism, Servanthood, Memory, and Experience, connecting them to current politics while clearly stating her own faith and viewpoints. Warning about unrestricted power, greed, and cynicism, The Givenness of Things presents "bravely and brilliantly argued" essays (Booklist, starred review) about matters of great consequence. |
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| Not in God's Name: Confronting Religious Violence by Jonathan SacksIn Not in God's Name, Jonathan Sacks, Emeritus Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, analyzes the justifications for violence that have supposedly been derived from Hebrew scriptures. Arguing that people in all three Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) have misconstrued the Bible, he debunks the notion that violence is inherent to religion. Finding powerful messages of peace in the book of Genesis, he offers an antidote to the sectarian strife that currently plagues the world. In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews notes that this book says "something truly new." |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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