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Spirituality and Religion January 2019
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Jesus is risen : Paul and the early church
by David Limbaugh
Provides an account of the development of the early Christian church, focusing on the crucial role the Apostle Paul played in spreading the Gospel despite incredible adversities
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Why Religion? A Personal Story
by Elaine Pagels
What it's about: religion scholar Elaine Pagels' story of her relationship with spirituality over the course of her life and career, with insights from neurologists and social scientists about the purpose faith serves for humanity.
Don't miss: the parallels between parts of the author's life story and the Book of Job, and the lessons she took from these difficult experiences.
What sets it apart: the artful balance between Pagels' respect for faith as a concept and her curiosity about why it manages to endure in the modern era.
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| The Islamic Jesus: How the King of the Jews Became a Prophet of the Muslims by Mustafa AkyolWhat it is: a thought-provoking exploration of the influences of Christian and Jewish thinkers on early Islamic conceptions of Jesus and his nature.
Topics include: depictions of Jesus's mother Mary as she appears in Islamic writings; discussions = of the lessons that believers of all three Abrahamic faiths can take away from the Qur'an.
Read it for: its conversational, accessible evaluation of holy texts and evidence from the archaeological record. |
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| The Darkening Age: the Christian Destruction of the Classical World by Catherine NixeyWhat it is: a history of Christianity's rise and the author's assertion that militant elements of the faith wiped out much of the Classical world; a thought-provoking survey of diverse parts of Roman society immediately before the ascent of Christianity.
Is it for you? Although the author concedes that early Christians were the objects of persecution too, there are no holds barred in this exploration of what the world lost in order to make room for Christianity. |
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| Battling the Gods: Atheism in the Ancient World by Tim WhitmarshWhat it's about: the existence of atheism in the ancient world, countering the idea that the concept of a life without religion is unique to modern thinkers.
Why you should read it: Cambridge scholar Tim Whitmarsh provides an accessible entry point to a long-forgotten aspect of the diverse and sometimes volatile religious milieu of Antiquity.
Reviewers say: "In [Whitmarsh's] capable hands, this topic will engage readers from classical scholars to interested laypeople" (Publishers Weekly). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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