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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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Hallelujah anyway : rediscovering mercy
by Anne Lamott
An exploration of mercy, its elusive presence, and why people ignore or embrace it shares advice for forging deeper self-understanding and how to pursue an honest, meaningful life that involves kindness to others
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| The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now by Thích Nhất HạnhIn The Art of Living, acclaimed Vietnamese Buddhist teacher Thích Nhất Hạnh offers techniques for living happily in a challenging world. His lectures about these techniques develop the practice of mindfulness to show how it applies pragmatically to ordinary life. As he often does, Nhất Hạnh focuses on the importance of breathing and the interconnectedness of everything. The talks collected in this book can be read in any order and are accessible to those who are new to Buddhism and informative to people already familiar with Nhất Hạnh's teachings. |
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Real love : the art of mindful connection
by Sharon Salzberg
The best-selling author and cofounder of a meditation society demonstrates how to find a truer meaning of love, for one’s self, other people, all people and for life through mindfulness exercises, meditation techniques and interactive applications.
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Great Books You Might Have Missed
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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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Keene Public Library
60 Winter St.
Keene, New Hampshire 03431
603-352-0157
http://www.keenepubliclibrary.org/
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