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Spirituality and Religion March 2017
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A Call to Mercy: Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve
by Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa of Calcutta, canonized (declared a saint) by Pope Francis earlier this year, never wrote an autobiography -- she was too busy helping others. This collection of short, previously uncollected pieces offers information about her life's ministry through her own words in correspondence, interviews, and speeches. Organized according to the 14 traditional "works of mercy," her words, accompanied by comments from those who observed her ministries, provide examples of feeding the hungry, giving shelter to the homeless, bearing wrongs patiently, comforting the afflicted, and more. A Call to Mercy offers inspiration to Christians and opens windows into Teresa's life for those interested in learning about her.
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Agnostic: A Spirited Manifesto
by Lesley Hazleton
While many people who profess a religious faith adhere to just one belief system, author Lesley Hazelton speaks up for the freedom to stay uncommitted. A member of a Jewish family who was educated in a Catholic convent school, she has written several well-researched and balanced books on Islam and biblical women. In Agnostic: A Spirited Manifesto, Hazleton observes that agnosticism permits wide exploration into the concept of "God" while accepting the existence of mystery (or unexplainable phenomena) and other religious concepts. Rather than deny everything religion offers (as an atheist might), she celebrates spiritual possibilities. For an atheist's similarly engaging approach to the spiritual life, try Barbara Ehrenreich's Living with a Wild God.
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Accidental saints : confessions from a religious (but not so spiritual) life
by Nadia Bolz-Weber
In Accidental Saints, New York Times best-selling author Nadia Bolz-Weber invites readers into a surprising encounter with what she calls “a religious but not-so-spiritual life.” Tattooed, angry and profane, this former standup comic turned pastor stubbornly, sometimes hilariously, resists the God she feels called to serve. But God keeps showing up in the least likely of people—a church-loving agnostic, a drag queen, a felonious Bishop and a gun-toting member of the NRA.
As she lives and worships alongside these “accidental saints,” Nadia is swept into first-hand encounters with grace—a gift that feels to her less like being wrapped in a warm blanket and more like being hit with a blunt instrument. But by this grace, people are transformed in ways they couldn’t have been on their own.
In a time when many have rightly become disillusioned with Christianity, Accidental Saints demonstrates what happens when ordinary people share bread and wine, struggle with scripture together, and tell each other the truth about their real lives. This unforgettable account of their faltering steps toward wholeness will ring true for believer and skeptic alike.
Told in Nadia’s trademark confessional style, Accidental Saints is the stunning next work from one of today’s most important religious voices.
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| Love Hurts: Buddhist Advice for the Heartbroken by Lodro RinzlerIn this book on emotional healing, Buddhist teacher and columnist for the Huffington Post Lodro Rinzler offers advice based on the Buddha's precepts about suffering -- including but not limited to solace for the lovelorn. Built on his notes from short sessions during which Rinzler listened to people who came to share their heartbreaks, each chapter offers spiritual counsel for specific experiences, from "What Is Heartbreak?" to "If You Need to Hear a Joke" to "If You Feel Acceptance." Introductory and concluding chapters frame these anecdotal teachings on spiritual self-care. Publishers Weekly calls this a "superb book for any heartbroken reader." |
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A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work and Humility Brought Me from the Streets to Salvation
by Ted Williams with Bret Witter
Though author Ted Williams had been a famous and widely admired radio personality in Cincinnati, he succumbed to the destructive effects of crack addiction, losing his home, family, and self-respect. Deciding that his beautiful speaking voice was his only remaining asset, he planted himself on a street corner with a sign that said, "Will talk for food." Due to the Internet's ability to create instant fame through viral videos, Williams found resources to recover from his addiction. Giving thanks to God in this engaging, fast-paced, and inspiring memoir, Williams relates his previous success, the gritty details of crack houses and homelessness, and his return to sobriety. Kirkus Reviews calls A Golden Voice "disturbing and hard to put down."
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| Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms: Journeys into the Disappearing Religions of the Middle East by Gerard RussellThough Islam is the most common religion practiced in the Middle East, there are dozens of others that most Westerners know very little about. In this engaging book, a curious former British diplomat who lived in the area for over a decade provides an accessible introduction to several minor religions that have survived for centuries but are now in danger of extinction. Traveling around the Middle East, Gerard Russell learns about and meets Yazidis, Zoroastrians, Copts, Druze, Samaritans, Kalasha, Mandaeans, Manicheans, and others. For another lighthearted and informative religious tour, try William Dalrymple's From the Holy Mountain, which explores Christian communities in the region. |
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| Mecca: The Sacred City by Ziauddin SardarPakistani-born Londoner Ziauddin Sardar introduces the history of Islam and its cultural influences in this witty and personal study of Mecca. The holiest city for Muslims, who are expected to visit there at least once in their lives, Mecca's primary function as a religious symbol contrasts with the reality that it's a modern city. Recounting intriguing stories about individuals (such as the Dutch spy who was expelled after his false conversion was exposed), warring political factions, and archaeological travesties, Sardar pays tribute to the deep spiritual and historical roots of the site in this "beautifully written and revealing" (Booklist) study. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Prince George's County Memorial Library System 9601 Capital Lane Largo, Maryland 20774 301-699-3500www.pgcmls.info/ |
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