| Shameless: A Sexual Reformation by Nadia Bolz-WeberWhat it's about: the author's experience with and research into the culture of shame surrounding sexuality among many Christian groups.
Why you might like it: the candid and accessible writing; the thought-provoking analysis balanced with irreverent humor.
Author alert: Nadia Bolz-Weber is a Lutheran pastor and former comedian whose previous books include Pastrix and Accidental Saints. |
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| On Thomas Merton by Mary GordonWhat it is: a moving, stimulating biography of author, interfaith advocate, and Trappist monk Thomas Merton.
Read it for: the focus on Merton's writing life (both his published works and his private journals) and the ways in which his identity as a monk was inseparable from his identity as a writer.
You might also like: Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit by Catholic priest and Buddhist monk Robert E. Kennedy; Without Buddha I Could Not Be a Christian by theology scholar Paul Knitter. |
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| Muhammad: Forty Introductions by Michael Muhammad KnightWhat it is: a compelling take on the Forty Hadith genre of Islamic literature, in which 40 sayings of the Prophet Muhammad are chosen from thousands to fit a particular theme or topic -- in this case the Prophet himself.
Read it for: Michael Muhammad Knight's included commentary, which expands on each hadith and his own spiritual journey.
Reviewers say: "The author's portrait of Muhammad is progressive, sometimes controversial, and he aims to be inclusive of a variety of Muslim voices" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Love For Imperfect Things: How to Accept Yourself in a World Striving For Perfection by Haemin SunimWhat it's about: the ways in which lessons learned from the author's Buddhist practice can be applied to fostering self-acceptance and supporting self-care.
Chapters include: "Your Existence Is Already Enough"; "The First Failure"; "The Art of Letting Go."
Author alert: Haemin Sunim is a Zen Buddhist monk known for his first book The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down. |
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| How to Read the Bible and Still Be a Christian: Struggling With Divine Violence... by John Dominic CrossanWhat it's about: the ostensible contradictions between the Bible's portrayal of God as being capable of both boundless love and acts of violence.
Author alert: John Dominic Crossman has published several other books about Christian history, including The Historical Jesus and The Power of Parable.
You might also like: Zealot by Reza Aslan, Kosher Jesus by Shmuel Boteach. |
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| The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious... by Joshua HammerWhat it is: the compelling tale of a treasure trove of Islamic manuscripts from Mali's medieval period and the clandestine mission to save them from destruction at the hands of Al Qaeda sympathizers.
Featuring: Abdel Kader Haidara, the archivist who first gathered the disparate manuscripts into a central library and later led the effort to smuggle them to safety.
Did you know? Medieval Timbuktu was a scholarly and literary powerhouse; in the 1500s the city allegedly contained 70 paper mills and almost 200 educational institutions. |
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| The Book of the People: How to Read the Bible by A.N. WilsonWhat it is: a thought-provoking examination of the Bible as a work of literature, with discussions of its effects on both writers and believers.
Read it for: the conversational tone; the personal account of the author's own experiences reading the Bible as a believer.
Try this next: Out of the Garden, a collection of essays on the Bible featuring authors such as Louise Erdrich, Ursula LeGuin, and June Jordan. |
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