| The Lost Art of Scripture: Rescuing the Sacred Texts by Karen ArmstrongWhat it is: an incisive argument in favor of a different way of looking at scripture: not as historical documents, rulebooks, or justifications, but instead as paths to commune with the divine.
What makes it unique: The discussion takes place in the context of religious texts not usually discussed in tandem, from the Pali Canon to the Torah. |
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Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others
by Barbara Brown Taylor
What it is: a thoughtful account of the author's experiences teaching an introductory religion class over the years and what she's learned from watching her students as they go through the course.
About the author: Barbara Brown Taylor is an Episcopal priest, professor at Piedmont College in Georgia, and author of other religious memoirs including Learning to Walk in the Dark and An Altar in the World.
Reviewers say: "Taylor effectively reminds us that religion...involves our deepest selves and is the fabric of our shared lives" (Library Journal).
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| Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World by Tom HollandWhat it is: an engaging and incisive cultural history of Christianity that is not as concerned with the religion itself as with the ways it interacted with the wider world.
About the author: Tom Holland is a historian whose previous work includes Persian Fire, The Shadow of the Sword, and Rubicon.
Don't miss: the discussion of Christianity's "intertwined but often hostile relationship with Judaism" (Publishers Weekly). |
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God's Favorites: Judaism, Christianity, and the Myth of Divine Chosenness
by Michael Coogan
What it's about: the concept of a "chosen people" and the multitude of dangers of religious chauvinism.
Read it for: its persuasive use of biblical text analysis and the author's impartial tone.
About the author: Michael Coogan teaches at Harvard Divinity School and has written the other concise religious histories The Ten Commandments and God and Sex.
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| The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America by Frances FitzGeraldWhat it's about: the rise and development of the American evangelical movement, from its beginnings in the 18th century to its role in political life in the modern era.
Read it for: its sweeping, comprehensive scope; the impartiality of the author's analysis.
Reviewers say: "a timely and accessible contribution to the rapidly growing body of literature on Christianity in modern America" (Publishers Weekly). |
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Sacred Liberty: America's Long, Bloody, and Ongoing Struggle for Religious Freedom
by Steven Waldman
What it is: a well-researched and accessible overview of the state of religious freedom in America, past and present.
Topics include: faith and the Founders; religion and slavery; the rise of Mormonism; and landmark Supreme Court cases.
Don't miss: the timely discussion of what challenges the separation between church and state continues to face today.
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Outgrowing God : A Beginner's Guide
by Richard Dawkins
"The best-selling author of ""The God Delusion"" shares enlightening insights into how the natural world evolved without a designer, challenging the basic assumptions of world religions to argue that faith is not a necessary component of good behavior."
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| Letters to a Young Muslim by Omar Saif GhobashWhat it is: a conversational collection of the author's reflections on the place of Islam in contemporary society, framed as letters written to his two sons.
Topics include: the diversity of practice in faith throughout history and around the world; an exploration of the current relationship between religious leaders and the community of believers.
Read it for: the whole-hearted embrace of pluralism and conviction that there is no contradiction between being a faithful Muslim and taking part in modern life. |
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| The End of White Christian America by Robert P. JonesWhat it's about: The origins and development of the concept of America as a white, Protestant nation and why that idea doesn't stand up to qualitative or quantitative analysis.
Who it's for: readers across the political and social spectrum who are interested in the past, present, and future effects of religion on politics (and vice versa).
About the author: Robert P. Jones is the CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and writes regularly about religion and American society for the Atlantic. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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