|
Spirituality and Religion May 2020
|
|
|
|
| The Princess and the Prophet: The Secret History of Magic, Race, and Moorish Muslims... by Jacob S. DormanWhat it's about: the remarkable and largely unknown story of how Gilded Age America's fascination with "the exotic Orient" provided black performers with career opportunities and indirectly led to the Black Muslim movement and the foundation of the Nation of Islam.
Starring: John Walter Brister (aka Noble Drew Ali), a black former child star who turned his fantastical "Arabian" circus act into the quasi-Islamic Moorish Science Temple; his wife Eva Alexander, who performed as the lion-taming, snake-charming "Princess Sotanki."
Why you might like it: Besides recounting an important chapter in American religious history, this dramatic story includes secret societies, corrupt politicians, faked deaths, and the Chicago mob. |
|
| The Dalai Lama: An Extraordinary Life by Alexander NormanWhat it is: a compelling and well-researched biography of the Dalai Lama, with a particular interest in His Holiness' worldview and ambivalent relationship with politics.
About the author: Historian Alexander Norman began his relationship with His Holiness decades ago and was able to gain unique access to his subject after collaborating on the autobiography Freedom in Exile. |
|
| Kingdom of Nauvoo: The Rise and Fall of a Religious Empire on the American Frontier by Benjamin E. ParkWhat it's about: the Mormon Church's doomed attempts to create a "Zion" in Missouri and later Illinois, where their community collapsed in the violent events that claimed the life of Joseph Smith.
Why you might like it: Benjamin Park was given unique, nearly unlimited access to Church archives, providing readers with brand new details of the Church's early history.
Reviewers say: this "vigorous study" is a "welcome contribution to American religious and political history" (Kirkus Reviews). |
|
| The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism by Katherine StewartWhat it is: an upsetting but well-researched exploration of "Christian nationalist" politics, from the Moral Majority movement of the 1970s to the modern effects of contemporary Christian-right figures such as Betsy DeVos.
Why you should read it: The Power Worshippers is a comprehensive look at issues that will affect every American no matter their place on the political spectrum. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
Culpeper County Library 271 Southgate Shopping Center Culpeper, Virginia 22701 540-825-8691
www.cclva.org
|
|
|
|
|