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Spirituality and ReligionJuly 2014
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"Forgiving is not forgetting; it's actually remembering--remembering and not using your right to hit back. It's a second chance for a new beginning. And the remembering part is particularly important. Especially if you don't want to repeat what happened." — Desmond Tutu
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New and Recently Released!
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| The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World by Desmond Tutu and Mpho TutuIn The Book of Forgiving, Desmond Tutu collaborates with his daughter Mpho to explain why forgiveness is essential in everyone's life, including those who have not experienced the levels of trauma that were seen in Apartheid-era South Africa (as discussed in Tutu's No Future Without Forgiveness). Providing examples of small and large psychological and physical injuries and tracing the process that leads to forgiveness, The Book of Forgiving teaches what forgiveness is and how to achieve it, concluding with "All Can Be Forgiven." Individuals and discussion groups will find insight and hope in this volume. |
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| Why Science Does Not Disprove Godby Amir D. AczelIn this thought-provoking collection of essays, mathematician Amir Aczel addresses arguments by New Atheists that apply scientific reasoning to demonstrate that God doesn't exist. Why Science Does Not Disprove God logically refutes some of these arguments, highlights archaeological findings that substantiate certain events recounted in the Bible, and refers to the works of eminent scientists (including Albert Einstein) to undermine assertions by Richard Dawkins and others. Booklist says, in a starred review, Why Science Does Not Disprove God will "stir deep wonderings." |
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| American Crucifixion: The Murder of Joseph Smith and the Fate of the Mormon... by Alex BeamJournalist Alex Beam, a Boston Globe columnist and contributor to The Atlantic, examines the life of Latter Day Saints' founder Prophet Joseph Smith as well as the events that led to his group's move to Utah in the mid-1840s. While still in Illinois, Smith's ambitions grew, and he prepared to run for the U.S. presidency -- but having led the Mormons to settle there after fleeing Missouri, he provoked violent backlash against his doctrines and was arrested and ultimately killed by gunfire while awaiting trial for perjury and polygamy. Beam's thoroughly researched and balanced narration of Smith's rise and fall will captivate anyone interested in American history, especially the history of religion. |
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| A History of Religion in 5 1/2 Objects: Bringing the Spiritual to Its Senses by S. Brent PlateIn A History of Religion in 5 1/2 Objects, author Brent Plate, who teaches religious studies at Hamilton College, considers the significance of five specific objects in a variety of religious and spiritual experiences throughout history. First delving into the concept of "half," which represents humans' sense of incompleteness, he then describes how the five (stones, incense, drums, crosses, and bread) have enhanced religious experience through the senses and through their use in organized rituals and individual devotions. This compact and accessible volume illuminates the appreciation of religious practices and offers inspiration to those looking for insight into spiritual matters. |
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| The Broken and the Whole: Discovering Joy after Heartbreak: Lessons from a Life ... by Charles S. ShermanThree decades ago, Rabbi Charles Sherman's four-year-old son Eyal suffered a stroke as a complication of brain cancer surgery; his resulting quadriplegia then became the focal point for his whole family, including Mrs. Sherman and their five children, to pull together and support each other. Sherman's account of their experience is inspiring; moreover, in addition to detailing the family's learning and self-discovery, he explains how his own faith was changed and shaped during the years following Eyal's stroke. Like Rabbi Harold Kushner's When Bad Things Happen to Good People, The Broken and the Whole offers insight and inspiration to people of all faiths who have encountered devastating challenges and losses. |
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Healing in Mind, Body, and Spirit
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| The Horse Boy: A Memoir of Healing by Rupert IsaacsonAuthor Rupert Isaacson would have done anything for Rowan, his profoundly autistic five-year-old son -- but all the treatments he and his wife pursued only seemed to make the boy's tantrums worse. Noticing that Rowan had a strong connection to horses and that his behavior and verbal skills improved when he spent time with them, the Isaacsons decided to try something radically different: they took Rowan to Mongolia, famed for its horses, where they went on long horseback rides with the Mongolians and consulted their shamans. The unusual approach described in The Horse Boy offers hope to those dealing with difficult psychological conditions and considering alternative treatments. |
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| In the Valley of the Shadow: On the Foundations of Religious Belief... by James L. KugelIn this moving and thought-provoking memoir of illness and treatment, Jewish literary and biblical scholar James Kugel examines his first reaction to being diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer, describing how his perceptions of the world around him changed immediately after he left his doctor's office. As he endures the effects of his cancer and chemotherapy, he finds new meaning in familiar works -- secular poems, the Psalms, and other parts of the Bible. He also considers contemporary opinions on religion, both from skeptics and from those who explore scientific explanations for religious impulses. In The Valley of the Shadow offers a "wide-ranging, well-informed, deeply ponderable apology for religion" (Booklist). |
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| Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome Them? A Scientific Dialogue... by Daniel GolemanDestructive Emotions presents a narrative account of a five-day symposium on approaches to defusing harmful emotions. The speakers included the Dalai Lama and other Buddhist scholars as well as experimental psychologists. Though author Daniel Goleman presents the methodology in terms of Western science, all the discussions are also informed by Buddhist meditation practices. Making spiritual approaches to emotional health accessible to non-Buddhists while explaining the science behind the techniques, Destructive Emotions both entertains and informs those who are seeking a healthier, happier life through either psychological therapy or spiritual discipline. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Durham County Library
300 N. Roxboro Street
Durham, North Carolina 27701
919-560-0100
durhamcountylibrary.org
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