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Spirituality and ReligionSeptember 2014
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"There is no way to peace along the way of safety. For peace must be dared, it is itself the great venture and can never be safe." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), German theologian
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New and Recently Released!
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| Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter by Randall BalmerGeorgia politician Jimmy Carter became the 39th President of the United States in part by appealing to voters reacting against the immorality of Richard Nixon's administration. Himself a progressive evangelical Christian, Carter made no secret of his religious beliefs, though he didn't base his politics on an exclusively Christian agenda. Placing Carter in the context of the progressive evangelical movement that arose in the 19th century and supported a variety of reforms (including women's suffrage and the abolition of slavery), religious historian Randall Balmer explores the evangelical Christian elements of both Carter's campaign and Ronald Reagan's subsequent successful run. Whether you're interested in Carter's beliefs or the intersection of religion and politics, you'll find Redeemer an engaging and informative work. |
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| The Waiting: The True Story of a Lost Child, a Lifetime of Longing, and a Miracle... by Cathy LaGrow with Cindy ColomaIn 1928, 16-year-old Minka DeYoung was forced to give a baby up for adoption. Every year thereafter on her first daughter's birthday, Minka wrote to the orphanage inquiring how she was doing, but she never received an answer. Yet even into her 90s she continued to hope and pray that she could one day meet her child, whom she had named Betty Jane. The Waiting provides the compelling and inspiring accounts of Minka's youth and her long years of expectation, as well as Betty Jane's separate search for her birth mother. Author Cathy LaGrow, Minka's granddaughter, relates Minka and Betty Jane's parallel stories vividly and "with candor that makes characters come alive" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| No Place to Hide: A Brain Surgeon's Long Journey Home from the Iraq War by W. Lee Warren, M.D.During the Iraq war, brain surgeon Major Lee Warren volunteered for duty at Balad Air Base, leaving behind marital problems and a lay worship ministry in his church. In Iraq, he witnessed horrifying injuries to American personnel and Iraqi civilians, including children, as well as other disturbing aspects of the war. The impact of what he saw in the war zone forced him to examine his relationship with God. After he returned home, strengthened by renewed faith, he confronted his problems there as well as the PTSD caused by his war experience. This disturbing but ultimately inspiring war memoir offers a compelling read, whether you're interested in military memoirs or spiritual autobiographies. |
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The Mystery of the Shemitah : The 3,000-year-old Mystery That Holds the Secret of America's Future, the World's Future, and Your Future!
by Jonathan Cahn
Is it possible that there exists a three-thousand-year-old mystery that… · Has been determining the course of your life without your knowing it? · Foretells current events before they happen? · Revealed the dates and the hours of the greatest crashes in Wall Street history before they happened? · Determined the timing of 9/11? · Lies behind the rise of America to global superpower… and its fall? · Has forecast the rising and falling of the world’s stock market throughout modern times? · Lies behind world wars and the collapse of nations, world powers, and empires? · Holds key to what lies ahead for the world and for your life? · And much more….
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Before amen : the power of a simple prayer
by Max Lucado
We all pray . . . some. We pray to stay sober, centered, or solvent. When the lump is deemed malignant. When the money runs out before the month does. When the marriage is falling apart. We pray. But wouldn’t we like to pray more? Better? Stronger? With more fire, faith, and fervency? Yet we have kids to feed, bills to pay, deadlines to meet. The calendar pounces on our good intentions like a tiger on a rabbit. And what about our checkered history with prayer? Uncertain words. Unmet expectations. Unanswered requests. We aren’t the first to struggle with prayer. The first followers of Jesus needed prayer guidance too. In fact, prayer is the only tutorial they ever requested. And Jesus gave them a prayer. Not a lecture on prayer. Not the doctrine of prayer. He gave them a quotable, repeatable, portable prayer. Couldn’t we use the same? In Before Amen best-selling author Max Lucado joins readers on a journey to the very heart of biblical prayer, offering hope for doubts and confidence even for prayer wimps. Distilling prayers in the Bible down to one pocket-sized prayer, Max reminds readers that prayer is not a privilege for the pious nor the art of a chosen few. Prayer is simply a heartfelt conversation between God and his child. Let the conversation begin.
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The Buddha Walks into the Office : A Guide to Livelihood for a New Generation
by Lodro Rinzler
The author of the best-selling Buddha Walks Into a Bar counsels readers on how to make work meaningful, satisfying and of benefit to others, sharing advice for choosing one's career path and expanding positive in-office relationships to the outside world while learning from challenging interactions. Original.
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Focus on: Faith and Courage
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| Paradise Beneath Her Feet: How Women are Transforming the Middle East by Isobel ColemanWithin both Islamic and other cultures, Muslim women are often viewed and treated as second-class citizens with even fewer rights than women everywhere. In Paradise Beneath Her Feet, author Isobel Coleman draws on extensive research, including visits to several Islamic countries, such as Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, to describe efforts to change these conditions. She finds that, while remaining devoted to their faith, many Muslim women (and some men) are courageously working to improve opportunities for women and girls. Coleman reports directly -- often through interviews and short biographies -- on the feminists' work. Anyone interested in the relationship between Islam and feminism will find a compelling testimony in this book. |
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| Francis of Assisi: A Revolutionary Life by Adrian HouseFrancis of Assisi, founder of the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans), is one of the best known among Christian saints. Author Adrian House offers an engaging portrait of Francis, focusing more than previous biographers on how understanding Francis' historical context helps modern readers interpret the legends about him. House relates Francis' early life, his conversion and courageous rejection of his family's wealth, his relationship with St. Clare (founder of the Poor Clares order), his dangerous journey to Egypt during the Crusades, and the events surrounding his death. Writing for a broad audience, House neither accepts nor rejects the supernatural aspects of Francis' legend, offering a "vivid, interesting, and readable" (Library Journal) saint's life. |
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| Conquering Fear: Living Boldly in an Uncertain World by Harold S. KushnerFear -- and how to cope with it -- is the focus of this book by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner, bestselling author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Noting that the phrase "do not be afraid" occurs in the Old and New Testaments over 80 times, Kushner rejects the notion of a God who intentionally causes widespread devastation or inflicts suffering on individuals, maintaining that "God is moral, Nature is not." He covers specific fears, ranging from losing a job to losing loved ones to natural disasters and terrorist attacks; he also discusses the role of religion both in assuaging and instilling fear. This compassionate book offers faith-based and realistic, practical advice on maintaining courage in fearful situations. |
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| Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric MetaxasGerman Protestant pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer risked his life for years to counter Adolf Hitler's anti-Semitic National Reich Church by opposing the Nazis' hate-filled, distorted theology. This illuminating biography traces Bonhoeffer's life from childhood through his role in leading the anti-Nazi Confessing Church movement. Motivated by his faith to return from New York City in 1931 to stand with fellow opponents of Hitler in Germany, Bonhoeffer worked to secure support from outside the country while joining as a conspirator in failed plots to assassinate Hitler -- and was executed for his efforts three weeks before the war's end in 1945. For another recent inspiring account of Bonhoeffer's life, read Charles Marsh's Strange Glory. |
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| Gospel of Freedom: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail... by Jonathan RiederIn the late 1950s, when The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. became prominent in efforts to end Jim Crow laws in the South, he was regarded by some as too young and inexperienced to lead such an ambitious movement. A document that he published in 1963 changed that perception. Responding to charges by white Birmingham, Alabama clergy that he was a violent extremist, King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" laid out his Gospel-inspired reasoning for opposing segregation. In Gospel of Freedom, published 50 years later, author Jonathan Rieder reprints and analyzes King's letter, showing how it has inspired courage in many others since 1963. Booklist, in a starred review, calls this "a must-read" for anyone interested in King's legacy. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Prince George's County Memorial Library System 6532 Adelphi Rd. Hyattsville, Maryland 20782 301-699-3500http://www.pgcmls.info/ |
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