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Do I Stay Christian? : a Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned
by Brian D. McLaren
Picking up where Faith After Doubt leaves off, Do I Stay Christian? is not McLaren's attempt to persuade Christians to dig in their heels or run for the exit. Instead, he combines his own experience with that of thousands of people who have confided in him over the years to help readers make a responsible, honest, ethical decision about their religious identity. There is a way to say both yes and no to the question of staying Christian, McLaren says, by shifting the focus from whether we stay Christian to how we stay human. If Do I Stay Christian? is the question you're asking-or if it's a question that someone you love is asking-this is the book you've been waiting for."
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| Heretic by Jeanna KadlecWhat it is: a thoughtful and compelling memoir of trauma and rebirth that explores issues like identity, indoctrination, and the ways evangelical Christianity affects American society.
Read it for: author Jeanna Kadlec's candid reflections on growing up evangelical in the Midwest, her dysfunctional marriage to a pastor's son, and her struggles to reconcile the shame she felt as a queer woman with her church's teachings about unconditional love.
Reviewers say: Heretic is "a poignant story of being born again in a secular world" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| American Caliph: The True Story of a Muslim Mystic, a Hollywood Epic, and the 1977 Siege... by Shahan MuftiWhat it's about: the politically and religiously motivated hostage crisis that shut down Washington, D.C. for 3 days in 1977, from its origins to its fallout.
The forces behind it: conflicts between the Nation of Islam and other groups in the Black Muslim movement; the assassination of Malcolm X; the 1973 Hanafi Massacre, in which 2 adults and 5 children were killed.
Key players: Hamaas Abdul Khaalis, a critic of NOI leader Elijah Muhammad and leader of the 1977 siege; Muslim ambassadors Ashraf Ghorbal (Egypt), Sahabzada Yaqub-Khan (Pakistan), and Ardeshir Zahedi (Iran), whose mediation was critical in ending the crisis and saving lives. |
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| The Mexican Witch Lifestyle: Brujeria Spells, Tarot, and Crystal Magic by Valeria RuelasWhat it's about: brujería, or "witchcraft" in Spanish, a term which has come to include a spectrum of Afro-indigenous spiritual practices embraced in Latin American communities around the world.
Topics include: how to respectfully acquire herbs and other materials needed for your practice; how to create your first altar; and the importance of honoring ancestors.
Reviewers say: "Ruelas’s simple instructions and the thorough glossary explicating key terms and concepts make for a rich primer" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| The White Mosque: A Memoir by Sofia SamatarNo, not those: The titular house of worship probably isn't one you've heard of, such as the Ottoman-built mosques in Nazareth and Acre, the former state mosque of Malaysia, or the 8th-century mosque in Ramla, Israel. Instead, The White Mosque described here was a small church, built in what is now Uzbekistan in 1884 in the style of a mosque.
Who built it: the followers of Prussian-born minister Claas Epp Jr., who came to Russia during a period when the Tsarist government allowed Mennonite settlement. Epp's leadership was controversial and divisive, but members of the community lived and worshipped in the area until Soviet collectivization in 1935.
About the author: Sofia Samatar is a writer best known for her fantasy and speculative fiction, including the novel A Stranger in Olondria and the story collection Monster Portraits. In The White Mosque, she chronicles the community's history and reflects on her identity as the descendant of both Swiss-German Mennonites and Somali Muslims. |
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The Stories Behind the Poses : The Indian Mythology That Inspired 50 Yoga Postures
by Raj Balkaran
Discover the traditional stories and wisdom behind your favourite yoga poses in this stunningly illustrated book of Indian mythology for yogis of all levels. A beautifully written introduction to Indian mythology, join storyteller, scholar and teacher, Dr Raj Balkaran, and explore the unforgettable tales behind 50 key yoga poses, such as: Vīrabhadrāsana II, the original warrior pose; Tādāsana, mountain pose; Bhujangāsana, cobra pose; Garudāsana, eagle pose; Padmāsana, lotus pose; Vīrāsana, hero pose; Śavāsana, corpse pose.
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