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Spirituality and Religion March 2017
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Seize the day : living on purpose and making every day count
by Joyce Meyer
A guide to living a purposeful, urgent life spent in daily commitment to God shares personal stories and biblical insights to explain how to discover one's purpose in order to achieve greater happiness and blessings. 200,000 first printing.
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| Talking God: Philosophers on Belief by Gary GuttingIn Talking God, University of Notre Dame philosophy professor Gary Gutting collects 12 interviews (which first appeared in the New York Times philosophy blog The Stone) with other philosophers about the nature of belief and theism. Each philosopher explains his or her reasons for being an atheist, an agnostic, or a believer. In order to avoid slanting his philosophical sample toward the Judeo-Christian tradition, Gutting includes interviews with people from other faith traditions: Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. You'll find a range of carefully considered views on the intersection of philosophy and religion in these "approachable, civilized discussions about the existence of God" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). |
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A Call to Mercy: Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve
by Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa of Calcutta, canonized (declared a saint) by Pope Francis earlier this year, never wrote an autobiography -- she was too busy helping others. This collection of short, previously uncollected pieces offers information about her life's ministry through her own words in correspondence, interviews, and speeches. Organized according to the 14 traditional "works of mercy," her words, accompanied by comments from those who observed her ministries, provide examples of feeding the hungry, giving shelter to the homeless, bearing wrongs patiently, comforting the afflicted, and more. A Call to Mercy offers inspiration to Christians and opens windows into Teresa's life for those interested in learning about her.
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| Love Hurts: Buddhist Advice for the Heartbroken by Lodro RinzlerIn this book on emotional healing, Buddhist teacher and columnist for the Huffington Post Lodro Rinzler offers advice based on the Buddha's precepts about suffering -- including but not limited to solace for the lovelorn. Built on his notes from short sessions during which Rinzler listened to people who came to share their heartbreaks, each chapter offers spiritual counsel for specific experiences, from "What Is Heartbreak?" to "If You Need to Hear a Joke" to "If You Feel Acceptance." Introductory and concluding chapters frame these anecdotal teachings on spiritual self-care. Publishers Weekly calls this a "superb book for any heartbroken reader." |
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| The Forgetting River: A Modern Tale of Survival, Identity, and the Inquisition by Doreen CarvajalSuspecting that her family history might harbor a centuries-old secret, veteran journalist Doreen Carvajal, who writes for the International Herald Tribune and the New York Times, turned her reporter's eye on herself. Though she grew up Catholic in California, she felt there were clues that she was descended from Sephardic Jews who'd been forced to convert during the Inquisition and who'd kept remnants of their old faith. Tracing her family's roots to Arcos de la Frontera in southern Spain, she left her Paris home and moved to the Spanish town to find out more. Kirkus Reviews calls The Forgetting River "a mesmerizing journey through time, across cultures, and into one woman's rich personal history." |
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| Called Again: A Story of Love and Triumph by Jennifer Pharr DavisIn this inspiring account of author Jennifer Pharr Davis' record-time completion of the Appalachian Trail, we read of her emotional and physical challenges on the 272-mile journey. Sustained not only by her partner and husband, Brew, but also by her Christian faith, Davis walked from Maine to North Carolina in 46 days. She also came to a deeper understanding of her relationship with God. This memoir may motivate you to undertake long hikes, but even if it doesn't, it could encourage you to make the most of your own spiritual gifts. |
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The Lost Book of Moses: The Hunt for the World's Oldest Bible
by Chanan Tigay
In this combination of biography, memoir, travelogue, and scriptural history, author Chanan Tigay explores the life of a 19th-century antiquities dealer who claimed to have discovered the oldest manuscript of Deuteronomy. The dealer, Moses Shapira, was denounced as a fraud, and the scroll disappeared, but 64 years later the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, transforming the field of biblical archaeology. Could Shapira's find have been genuine? In The Lost Book of Moses, Tigay traces his efforts to find the lost manuscript while chronicling Shapira's life. Fans of archaeology and scriptural history won't want to miss this thrilling account.
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| Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms: Journeys into the Disappearing Religions of the Middle East by Gerard RussellThough Islam is the most common religion practiced in the Middle East, there are dozens of others that most Westerners know very little about. In this engaging book, a curious former British diplomat who lived in the area for over a decade provides an accessible introduction to several minor religions that have survived for centuries but are now in danger of extinction. Traveling around the Middle East, Gerard Russell learns about and meets Yazidis, Zoroastrians, Copts, Druze, Samaritans, Kalasha, Mandaeans, Manicheans, and others. For another lighthearted and informative religious tour, try William Dalrymple's From the Holy Mountain, which explores Christian communities in the region. |
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Apostle: Travels Among the Tombs of the Twelve
by Tom Bissell
In this combination of travelogue and Christian history, author Tom Bissell explores the lives and deaths of 13 men specifically identified in the New Testament as close followers of Jesus (the twelve Apostles plus Paul). He analyzes the New Testament and other historical sources while enlivening his narrative with anecdotes about people he meets at the apostles' burial places in far-flung locations that include Rome, Turkey, Jerusalem, and India. He also considers how stories about the saints influence and shape the Christian faith -- both official teachings and individual beliefs. Bissell's "crafty rhetoric and irresistible charm" (Publishers Weekly) make Apostle a compelling read.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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