| Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured... by Kristin Kobes Du MezWhat it is: a thought-provoking and well-researched history of evangelicalism in America, from the charismatic tradition that emerged in the early 1900s to the modern Religious Right.
Why you should read it: Besides its connection to our current social and political dynamics, inside are intriguing arguments about the role of gender in the development of the evangelical movement. |
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| The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers... by Miles HarveyIntroducing: Lawyer and committed atheist James Strang, who disappeared from his small New York town in 1843 only to reemerge as part of the fledgling Latter-Day Saint movement, eventually declaring himself Joseph Smith's successor.
Read it for: the surprising moments of dark humor that come from the truly farcical nature of parts of Strang's story, including forgery, piracy, and creating a private kingdom for himself on an island in Lake Michigan. |
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| When Truth Is All You Have: A Memoir of Faith, Justice, and Freedom for the Wrongly... by Jim McCloskeyWhat it is: the inspiring memoir of Presbyterian minister Jim McCloskey, who was inspired to found the inmate advocacy nonprofit Centurion Ministries after serving as chaplain at a New Jersey state prison.
You might also like: other memoirs at the intersection of faith and the prison system, such as After Life by Alice Marie Johnson or River of Fire by Sister Helen Prejean. |
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| Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN by Tara BrachWhat's inside: an accessible guide to learning mindfulness skills, with a focus on developing self-compassion through an easy-to-remember "RAIN" technique -- Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture.
About the author: Mindfulness teacher Tara Brach hosts an eponymous weekly meditation podcast and her previous books include Radical Acceptance, True Refuge, and Healing Traumatic Fear. |
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| An Appeal to the World: the Way to Peace in a Time of Division by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Franz AltWhat it is: a concise, inspiring contemplation of some of the most important-yet-contentious issues dividing people today, from one of the world's most revered spiritual leaders.
Why you should read it: The co-author, German journalist Franz Alt, first began covering the Dalai Lama 35 years ago, and in that time has developed a unique rapport with His Holiness that makes reflecting on weighty ethical topics feel a bit more accessible. |
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| Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself by Mark EpsteinWhat it's about: the combined positive effects of Buddhist teachings and psychotherapy techniques on an individual's struggles with self-doubt and unrealized potential.
Topics include: managing the ego, coping with destabilizing life events, and the importance of taking advice but drawing your own conclusions from it.
About the author: Mark Epstein is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and has published other books on Buddhism and psychology, such as Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart and The Trauma of Everyday Life. |
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| The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now by Thích Nhất HạnhWhat it is: an inspiring and thought-provoking guide to mindful living from one of the world's foremost Buddhist figures, peace activist and monk Thich Nhat Hanh.
Why you should read it: With new books about mindfulness published every day that increasingly remove meditation from its traditional context, The Art of Living is refreshingly grounded in Buddhist thought and practice. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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