Spirit Scholars

We've Moved!

The voice of long-time Detroit Free Press columnist and religion writer David Crumm has moved to a new home.

Click over to www.ReadTheSpirit.com/explore to check out the new digs.

We're EXPANDING and MOVING to enlarge our Community

It's about the Voice, not the Book.

That's the first of 10 Principles for Religious Publishing in the 21st Century that the team that has brought you Spirit Scholars for nearly a year now "nailed" to a global "portal" on Saturday at a little chapel on Ann Arbor's north side, called GreenWood. If that sounds vaguely like something that happened 500 years ago -- well, we're bold enough to hope that's an appropriate historical echo. After all, this is a whole new millennium and media is changing rapidly all around the world.

If you've been a regular reader of Spirit Scholars, you can trust that This Voice (which mainly is the Voice of longtime Detroit Free Press Religion Writer David Crumm) -- and a whole exciting new chorus of Voices from around the world -- will continue and expand in the year ahead.

We will be moving to a bigger home -- we'll be needing lots of room for what's coming next -- and some of the names will evolve as we go. Spirit Scholars itself? That will become the name of a new community of writers and other creative people who will be sharing their creative projects with you through the Spirit Scholars Writers Community.

But, that basic Voice? The Voice will remain. It will remain a Voice of hospitality, good-natured humor, respect and tireless curiosity for all the ways that faith shapes our world.

And what about our Community of readers? You're what makes this work worthwhile. And, you're the reason we're moving! We're expanding our home to make lots of comfortable room for things that our readers have been requesting this year -- and we simply haven't had the space or the time to accomodate. Later this autumn, we'll have that room and we think you'll enjoy it.

For example, some readers have sent us their own discussion guides and reviews of the books we've discussed on Spirit Scholars -- and we haven't really had a good way to share that with the rest of you.

Well, we will soon.

And, lots of people have sent us regional religious events where people can find inspiration and unite with the larger Community. We've tried to keep up with things you've sent us -- but we couldn't in this smaller online home.

Coming later this fall? You'll find events popping up from across the U.S. and there may even be a handful in other parts of the world.

Our new home? Well, we don't have our "occupancy permit" just yet -- and all the bigger features won't be fully running until later this year -- but you can go take a peek at it right now. It'll become our new home within a couple of months. It's at www.ReadTheSpirit.com

The Voice will continue and -- more importantly -- our Community will expand. We'll be far better at hospitably welcoming the Community into our roomy new home. Stay tuned! Keep checking back!

Questions? Email us any time at spiritscholars@gmail.com

What Else is New? Lots to think about ...

There's a video story about a Detroit teacher using games to crack open bigotry. AND, news about Crowdsourcing religion. Plus, the Get Religion blog salutes our recent efforts with Wired Magazine.

THEN, we've got the story of Kensington mega-church's first book: "Wavelength." MORE on Books: We've got 2 tips to expand your horizon. One new book will take you Home; the other will push you to distant realms. Click here to read more.

And, Our Crowdsourcing Report is Finished ... for now. For more than a month, some of our Spirit Scholars readers worked on a project co-sponsored by Wired Magazine and New York University. It's finished! CLICK Here to read a short Overview of the project written for Wired Magazine. Or: CLICK Here to Read Part 1 of our report, which later will appear in some form in Wired Magazine's publications, plus in reduced form in the Detroit Free Press. Or, CLICK for Part 2. Or, finally, CLICK for Part 3. Or, if you're new to this cutting-edge issue, we've also got a great overview. Click Here for that Helpful Overview.

Prayer
Click Here for our first Oasis of Prayer, reflecting on children.
Or, Click Here for Reflections from Maya Angelou, based on her new book.
Or, Click for a story on Wendell Berry's "Window Poems," a poetic reflection on the very nature of spiritual reflection.
And, we report on Michigan's newest Labyrinth, which is wheelchair accessible!

Ernie Pyle Report
These stories are dispatches from the trenches of Religious Conflict.
Click for Pyle 01, our introductory report, explaining why we're honoring the WWII correspondent.
Or, Click here for Pyle 02 on Creationism vs. Intelligent Design. We're featuring 2 amusing videos, one from each side.

News about Books
This is one of our most popular subjects. Read mini-reviews (at right) and click on any title to jump to Amazon. Or, check out:
A glowing review of a new book on Zen -- reviewed by Zen scholar Geri Larkin. We've also got the Spiritual Side of GOLF. And, a meditation on Super Heroes. (Zowie!) And, on a more serious note: the wartime revelations of novelist Gunter Grass.

Eco-Theology
Eco-Theology 01 was our first on this theme. OR, read about an innovative partnership between ecological activists and an interfaith coalition in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. OR, learn about a new edition from one of America's great writers on the natural world: Wendell Berry.

Faith Online
We've got tips on online resources. First, on "biblical archaeology," created by the Religion Newswriters.
Read about Tim O'Reilly's efforts to clean up hate speech.
OR, vast new religious resources indexed online by Hartford Seminary.

Spiritual Cinema
We've got movies-on-DVD reviews in our right margin.
CLICK HERE to read an overview of the groundbreaking work by young filmmakers in "Divine Light Pictures." OR, here's more on "Divine Light."

And lots more ... Use our Search box or our Categories index to find topics that interest you. Our slogan at Spirit Scholars: READ ON!

Words of Wisdom from the Memorial for Michigan's Most Famous Atheist

We have been critical of some of the new atheists who have been so strident in their books and public pronouncements, attacking faith in recent months. So, it was surprising and uplifting to find a great deal of compassionate wisdom shared at the memorial service on Friday at the Birmingham Temple for Michigan's most famous atheist: Rabbi Sherwin Wine.

If you missed reports on the memorial, here's an excerpt from  Saturday's Detroit Free Press story:
Nearly 700 friends, family members and followers said farewell in Farmington Hills on Friday to Rabbi Sherwin Wine, the founder of a worldwide movement in Judaism that celebrates human potential but does not believe in God.
When Wine died in a car crash in Morocco on Saturday at age 79, the movement that he founded in 1963, called humanistic Judaism -- which now claims 30,000 adherents -- lost its chief theologian, main spokesman, savvy strategist, compassionate counselor and leading cheerleader.
Friends and colleagues who talked about Wine for more than two hours Friday insisted that he is now gone, not enjoying a heavenly afterlife. But that doesn't mean his life's work is dead, they said, and they used "immortality" to describe his ongoing influence.
Rabbi Tamara Kolton, Wine's successor as head of the Birmingham Temple, told the crowd, "He would say, 'I am not my death. I am my life.'
"Then, he would say, 'You are my legacy.' And then, he'd sign you up to serve on a committee!"
The crowd laughed warmly at the story. ...
The service, which included music and tributes from friends and family, was sprinkled with readings from Wine's sermons and books. One reading was Wine's explanation of immortality: "There is a natural immortality. It finds its source in the 2-billion-year-old chain of life, in the experiences of parents and children, in the sentimental power of human memory. ... We have connections. That is how we are born. That is why we never completely die."

What do we mean about compassionate wisdom? Well, the overall tone of the morning's gathering was one of remarkable hospitality -- and Wine was remembered, almost entirely, for his compassionate work in pastoral care and in reaching out to people who felt alienated by the mainstream religious community.

There were many wise moments in the long service, but two stand out. One came in the  midst of a series of readings from Wine's own writings. It's this line: "Sometimes, the kindest thing we can say about God is that he doesn't exist."

That alone is worth remembering, because it is very close to a key line that Michigan evangelist and author Rob Bell has been using over the past year or so. In confronting the many divine images popular in the media today -- God as Punisher, God as Warrior, God as Football Coach, God as Exclusive Patriot -- Bell often says that he doesn't believe in those divine figures, himself.

Wine's line on the subject is a gem.

The service also included a reading from poet Joseph Brodsky, who we have written about a number of times over the past year. One of the rabbi's nieces read this version of Brodsky's expression about the nature of love from his 1992 book, Watermark. The book ostensibly is about the city of Venice, but -- as John Updike said about the book in the New Yorker -- Brodsky's book-lenth essay really "makes a spot on a globe a window into universal circumstance."

How fascinating to hear Brodsky's words echo at Wine's funeral:

"On the whole, love comes with the speed of light; separation, with that of sound."

In context in Watermark, the line starts a poetic analysis about our emotion at seeing, and then leaving, overwhelmingly beautiful and graceful places in Venice. But the line itself, as Updike suggests, is a far broader window into Brodsky's reflections on what it means to be truly human in this spiritual universe.

Wine's followers insist that he loved humanity and celebrated human potential. To regard his life's work merely as an argument for atheism is to miss the entire point of his half a century of pastoral work.

May our relationships with our atheist neighbors be this rich and this full of wise hospitality.

A Video Too Good to Miss about Combatting Bigotry in metro Detroit

This video is too good to miss, because it's Good News about Maurice El-Amin, a Cass Tech High School teacher who has coached students to national victories six years in a row -- playing sophisticated math and logic games, including the puzzling brain game Wff 'n' Proof.

The video was filmed, edited and produced by Detroit Free Press multimedia expert Elisha Anderson and was featured Sunday on the Free Press web site. Unfortunately, the link was a little tricky to find and very few people saw this film, which celebrates a creative strategy for breaking down bigotry and empowering young people.

El-Amin also is the son of prominent Detroit Imam Muhammad El-Amin, head of the Muslim Center of Detroit. The younger El-Amin in this video is active with the mosque, himself, and serves as Facilities Manager for the growing Detroit mosque.

Take a look -- the video runs only 2 minutes -- but it captures the vitality of these kids and the creativity of El-Amin's teaching style.

To watch the video, CLICK on the link below.

New Evidence for Crowdsourcing Piling Up from an Evangelical Pollster

The evidence is piling up that the most powerful force reshaping religious life in America is summed up nicely in the Wired magazine buzzword: Crowdsourcing.

For anyone new to the term, check out our many previous postings on Crowdsourcing, indexed near the top of the Spirit Scholars site. But the basic idea is this: There are two major forces driving the sometimes painful and sometimes creative movements that are dramatically reshaping everything from mainline denominations to the way that Americans consume their spiritual inspiration these days. First, there's a vast religious foundation in American life and large portions of the population say that spirituality continues to be a major part of their lives. Second, there's a tidal wave of desire for self expression and individual choice. Deep faith and enormous desire for individual self expression -- that describes a powerfully influential "crowd" forming that's just waiting for religious leaders to "source."

There's ample evidence for this already, including landmark work by University of Michigan sociologist Wayne E. Baker.

Late on Monday, evangelical pollster George Barna weighed in, releasing data that essentially mirrors what Baker uncovered from  World Values Survey data a couple of years ago. Barna is a somewhat controversial pollster. While influential and respected, especially in evangelical circles -- major scholars in sociology tend to be suspicious of his close ties to evangelical clients. Barna also tends to slice and dice his data in some ways that tend to make more sense to his heavily evangelical audience than to secular observers.

That having been said, this report is Loud and Clear a portrait of the twin forces behind Crowdsourcing theories concerning religion. Here are excerpts of the long report released late Monday:

Headlined: American Individualism Shines through in People’s Self-Image

The text read, in part: (Ventura, CA) – Sociologists have good reason to call this the era of hyper-individualism, according to data from a newly released study from The Barna Group. Based on interviews with a nationally representative sample of more than 4000 adults, the self-image of American adults came through loud and clear. Most Americans think of themselves as leaders (71%) and believe they are well-informed about current events (81%). They almost unanimously view themselves as independent thinkers (95%), and as loyal and reliable people (98%). They also say they are able to easily adapt to changes and a whopping four out of five people believe they are making a positive difference in the world. Two out of three adults noted that they like to be in control of situations.

And while most Americans contend that they are free thinkers who are “very open” to alternative moral views (75%), a huge majority support traditional family values (92%), resulting in a large majority who claim to be concerned about the moral state of the nation (86%). Interestingly, though, only one out of four adults is concerned enough to try to convince other people to change their views on such issues.

Most Americans navigate the complexities of contemporary life by relying upon their religious beliefs and practices for strength and guidance. A large majority say that their religious faith is very important in their life today, and nearly two-thirds go so far as to describe themselves as “deeply spiritual.” The Christian leanings of most Americans are emphasized by the fact that seven out of ten adults claim to have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is important to them. These religious attachments help to explain why more than four out of five adults claim to have a clear sense of the meaning and purpose of their life.

Half of the adults in the U.S. also submit that they are “very convinced” that they are right about things in life.

The Barna study also revealed that there are amazingly few differences between Catholics and Protestants regarding self-image. Protestants were significantly more likely to see themselves as fulltime servants of God and slightly more likely to say they are deeply spiritual. They also were a bit more likely to say they are clear about the meaning and purpose of their life. Catholics, on the other hand, were somewhat more likely to be very open to alternative moral perspectives.

Orthodox Leader Adds An Eloquent Plea to New Eco-Theology Reflections from Yale

It's worth checking out Yale University's latest edition of Reflections, the Yale Divinity School's colorful and thoughtful magazine. This is the first issue edited by Ray Waddle, a highly respected newspaper religion writer for many years at The Tennessean in Nashville. Ray has carried his sharp eye for religious news into the magazine format.

The issue is titled: "God's Green Earth: Creation, Faith, Crisis."

Yale is offering a free PDF file of the cover story in this issue -- so, you can look at those pages as if you were holding the magazine in your hand.  But, unfortunately, the Divinity School apparently still wants folks to work their way through a sign-up page to request either PDF versions or a printed copy of the entire magazine. That seems a little complicated in this era of transparent media.

It's worth examining the entire issue, however. If you don't, what you'll miss is the inclusion of a major Orthodox Christian voice: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The Archbishop of Constantinople responded to questions posed by the Reflections staff with a series of eloquent, well-reasoned meditations.

Describing "the protection of the natural environment" as "on the top of our pastoral concern and agenda over at least the last two decades," Bartholomew clearly signals that this isn't merely some passing seasonal theme in the life of the vast Eastern church.

Mid-way through his comments, he makes it clear that eco-theology reaches toward the deepest roots of faith. "There is a binding unity and continuity that we share with all of God's creation," he writes. Then, he adds a few lines later, "Concern for the environment is not merely an emotional expression of superficial or sentimental love. It is a way of honoring and dignifying our creation by the hand and word of God. It is a way of listening to 'the groaning of creation' (Romans 8:22)."

The issue is sprinkled with other gems, including a sermon by environmental sage Bill McKibben that's a "keeper" for preachers and teachers in this field.

With Ray Waddle at the helm, Reflections seems to be emerging as a magazine that many of us in this field will want to watch closely.

Kensington Mega-Church Tunes to a Fresh "Wavelength," Celebrating 1 Ordinary Life

The creative folks at Kensington Community Church -- which now is a network of three regional congregations (all of them called Kensington) in southeast Michigan -- haven't forgotten the most basic Christian truth: "Big" only works, if there's compassion in the "Small" stuff. There may be a vast worldwide Body of Christ in the spiritual vision of Christianity, but God's eye, as scriptures say, remains fixed on each sparrow.

The latest of Kensington's many innovative programs to "launch" this summer is a brand-new book by longtime Kensington communications guru Karl Nilsson, working with a Kensington church member named Jeff Petherick, who apparently has done pretty well for himself with financial investments as a portfolio manager -- but whose name won't ring any bells with readers of religious books.

In "Wavelength: Tuning in to God's Voice in a World of Static," Nilsson shaped, edited and then self-published Petherick's book-length spiritual autobiography, convinced that honest stories about ordinary lives can become some of the most powerful tales of our age.

While not every reader will "click" with Petherick's story -- we strongly believe that Nilsson is right. Each person has the potential to tell a remarkable spiritual story -- and stories reflecting "real life" are, indeed, the most powerful religious stories to share.

Petherick makes this point about himself -- and about Kensington's approach to ministry -- in the opening of the book: "Bookstores are bulging with books written by professional clergy, but there are darn few by ordinary laymen who've experienced (God) in profound ways."

This was a very difficult idea to accept, Petherick admits: "Like many of us, I grew up with the religious mindset that only ordained ministers or priests could truly experience God in their lives. ... At Kensington Community Church in Troy, Michigan, I heard a much different approach."

Readers will find a whole lot of "Too True" tales here of suburban angst, moments of inspiration, adventures on mission trips with friends from the church -- and family stories that will leave many parents nodding. Late in the book, Petherick and his wife tote their teenaged son along on a mission trip to Peru, where the son is so emotionally moved that it seems to be a sure sign that God finally has taken hold of their son's life.

Or, not. Parents will nod and many will find themselves in the rest of this particular story.

This isn't the Latest, Greatest Max Lucado Blockbuster hitting stores -- and that's precisely the point. Kensington has some talented preachers on staff, but the Max Lucados in the congregation wouldn't fill one row of seats in the main auditorium. Rather, Kensington is full of thousands and thousands of Jeff Pethericks.

Their gambit in publishing the book -- with a professional design and a full-scale posting on Amazon -- is that other Jeff Pethericks may be attracted to a story like their own. (In fact, if you want to see the Amazon listing of Kensington's book, click on the title of the book in the mini-review in the upper-right corner of our Web site.)

Another Twist on an Old Country Song: Tough as Nails Holly Hunter Searches for God ... in All the Wrong Places

When Holly Hunter hits the screen in the opening minutes of TNT's new "Saving Grace" series at 10 p.m. on July 23, she seems absolutely determined to out-country the toughest country song. Since she not only stars in this new spiritual cop series, but also is producing the series, the Oscar-winning actress clearly has a whole lot of creative energy invested in the concept.

Nevertheless, it's certain to make more than a few religious viewers gulp to find her moaning and gasping in her opening scene, mostly nude and entwined in bed with a man who pauses in the midst of their lovemaking to declare that what they are doing is wrong--very wrong. She urges him onward, then finally collapses on the bed as the camera pulls back to make it clear that this is a squalid mess of an apartment. When her lover asks her to make a vow to God that they won't do this again, she snaps back, "I don't believe in God, but I promise you'll never have mind-blowing sex with me again!" Clearly, she's indicating that she'll soon be having it with someone else.

Then, just to complete the sad refrain of this country ballad, she rolls over, pops some pills, washes them down with stale beer--and belches loudly.

Apparently, this is supposed to be gutsy drama about the struggle for faith in the life of a "real person." The TNT network press kit accompanying preview DVDs of the show's first two episodes points out to reviewers: "'Saving Grace' might be viewed by some as a 'religious' story, but in fact it's unlike any religious story ever told and features themes that reach far beyond the boundaries of any single religion."

The press kit for reviewers also argues: "Many television shows in the past have featured spiritually grounded characters, and a few have even featured angels offering second chances or a guiding hand. But few shows dive into such subject matter as deeply and probingly as this one, breaking conventions and providing television audiences with a new take on spirituality."

Well, maybe.

Anyone who has struggled through a 12 Step program knows tougher tales than this. And many would argue that series like "The Sopranos" and even "Deadwood" explore the deepest, most probing, of spiritual issues in the course of their long and twisting tales.

Yes, there's a quirky angel in this new series, played by Leon Rippy (who is better known at the moment for his work in "Deadwood") -- but others have probed this fictional turf before, including the sad-sack, second-string Clarence in "It's a Wonderful Life" and John Travolta's hung-over, chain-smoking angel in "Michael."

We're actually not panning "Saving Grace," although we are viewing it, here at Spirit Scholars, with a sort of wry weariness at Hollywood's limited understanding of the cosmic scope of spiritual drama. Who writes a phrase like "a new take on spirituality" that seems to instantly dismiss and comodify spirituality all in a stroke of five words?

But having said all of that, adult viewers of a certain age will appreciate our recommendation: Holly Hunter is a marvelous actress and her portrayal of police detective Grace Hanadarko, whose traumatic past has left her deeply wounded, is far more compelling than most other dramas on network TV these days. In fact, she's so good in this new series that she threatens to blow away the other lesser talents who fill out the ensemble of detectives and criminals.

That is with the exception of Laura San Giacomo, also better known for her work in movies, who plays a forensic scientist and Grace's best friend. Laura believably has a "real" life of faith and becomes intrigued by her friend's reports of repeated meetings with a quirky angel. In fact, the scientist begins compiling a dossier of evidence on the angel appearances that's just odd-ball enough to make viewers want to check back regularly and see how this new country ballad unfolds week by week.

Beyond all that, when artists of this caliber start wrestling with spiritual themes, however clumsily publicists try to explain those themes to journalists, it's another sure sign that religious yearnings are alive and, if not well, at least they're moaning and groaning loudly these days in mainstream American culture. And, if nothing else, that's a sign of vigorous life.

But, tell us what you think, when you tune in on July 23. Offended? Intrigued? Is the whole thing too laughable to take seriously? Or serious enough to stay tuned?

Helping You Connect with Great Spiritual Books; and Asking: Tell Us What You Think

For a long time, your Spirit Scholars editor (Religion Writer David Crumm) has been connecting people with powerful spiritual voices. And, those recommendations over the years often involve books that fall into a half dozen categories that readers really seem to appreciate.

So, it's time to officially name those half dozen categories. After that, we're going to give you a couple of great new examples of these kinds of books.

First, here are the categories that, over the years, thousands of readers have told us are important in their lives:

INSPIRATIONAL. Everyone can use a daily, spiritual boost. After all, as we've reported here more than once: The Three Most Important Spiritual Questions of our era are, "Why should I climb out of bed in the morning?" "How can I make it through another stressful day?" And, "At the end of the day, where is a sign that anything I did today really mattered?"

GREAT FOR GROUPS. Some of the largest churches across the U.S., these days, have hundreds of small groups within them. One of the most popular activities in small religious groups is reading a book together and talking about it. Everywhere we go, people ask for suggestions of good books for groups to read together.

BIBLE STUDY. America is becoming more religiously diverse, but Gallup Polls show that nearly 9 out of 10 Americans still identify themselves as Christian--and one of the most important goals in both Protestant and Catholic churches is to learn about the scriptures. So, books that enhance Bible study are perennial favorites coast to coast.

EXPAND YOUR HORIZON. Precisely because America is becoming more diverse (and Americans are feeling more closely connected to the rest of the world) men and women frequently ask for tips on good books that will give them an honest taste of the world's many great religious traditions. Reading more about Buddhism, for instance, opened powerful new doors in the religious life of the Catholic monk Thomas Merton.

READ THE WORLD. All of the world's great religious traditions call for peace and unity in our global family--so, it's really an ancient spiritual calling to learn more about the lives and cultures of people around the world. This idea is so important that there's an impressive international program among writers, publishers and booksellers called Reading the World. Ann Arbor-based Shaman Drum Bookstore is one of the leading sponsors of this effort to publish (and then bring to American readers) English-language editions of books about life in foreign lands. Click here and jump to Shaman Drum's site to read more about that amazing shop. Or, click here to check out the Reading the World project. Here at Spirit Scholars, our "picks" for what we're calling "Top Read-the-World Books" may differ a bit from the other national list -- but we celebrate this overall effort and would love to see American readers learning much more about the spiritual lives of their brothers and sisters around the world.

And, finally, MULTIMEDIA MEDITATIONS. Authors and artists are producing some amazing new "voices" in forms that defy publishing categories. Zondervan's terrific African-American audio Bible, "The Bible Experience," is a richly textured celebration of sound, voice and interpretive reading that transcends any one race or culture. We've heard from countless readers who are eager to learn more about all kinds of cutting-edge opportunities to explore spirituality in new forms of media.

So, with those Big 6 Categories in mind, you're probably itching for a couple of "top picks," right?

Well, we've got a couple of real gems for you -- books that you almost certainly would overlook in your stroll through a bookstore, would never find cruising Amazon -- and likely would never hear about in your local congregation. But they're absolutely great! And, you know what? You can pick them up, read the books and, if you like them, you can recommend them to a friend or organize a discussion group yourself.

In fact, we WELCOME hearing from you about any books recommended in  Spirit Scholars!

Click here to Email with us your thoughts on any book you see mentioned here.
Click here to tell us if your congregation -- or a congregation near you -- is planning a discussion group based on any of these books. We'll tell other people about it, who may want to visit and join the discussion.

So, our first, fresh recommendation falls in the category: INSPIRATIONAL.

It's a new book from Skylight Paths, the Vermont-based publisher that often surprises us by exploring spiritual issues we hardly knew we had. It's "Next to Godliness: Finding the Sacred in Housekeeping," edited by Alice Peck. There's a broom and a white-frame window on the front cover and we have to admit that when the book first arrived in the morning mail, we rejected it from further consideration because it seemed so -- so, well, so 1950s! We didn't have a clue what Peck had in mind, until a co-worker picked up the book, flipped open the front cover and stood there for 15 minutes reading it!

After that, we had to take a serious look at the book. We discovered -- and you'll discover, too -- that this is not a Retro return to "Leave it to Beaver," as funny as that series often was.

Peck is a veteran book editor (she calls herself a "Book Doctor") and somehow she has spotted a crucial spiritual void in our lives: We move so fast as Americans, these days, and we've become so disconnected to any spiritual feeling of "home" -- that we've forgotten the spiritual connections involved in the very meaning of maintaining a home.

Reading her collection of wise voices, reflecting initially on the meaning of "Washing the Dishes" (from a spiritual sage no less insightful than Thich Nhat Hanh!), we came to reflections on "Laundry" (including pieces by Kathleen Norris, Pablo Neruda and James Baldwin!) -- and we suddenly remembered one of the great spiritual lessons of the late Bishop Kenneth Untener of Saginaw, Michigan.

Ken was internationally known as a religious scholar, author and, even more than that, a prophetic voice of compassion. One year, Ken instructed all Catholic leaders throughout his diocese to begin each church meeting with the question: "How will what we are doing here involve or affect the poor?" That simple question transformed many lives that year.

Well, visiting Ken for a couple of days to report an in-depth profile of his life, Ken asked another memorable question. "You can see how crazy my life can get," he said. "Do you know the most personally satisfying work that I perform each week? It's doing my laundry. I don't let anyone do it for me. It's one of the few experiences in which I always know that I can bring order out of chaos in just a couple of hours of disciplined work."

Any good Buddhist would understand instantly what Ken meant. Ken doesn't appear in this particular book, but if you're intrigued by all of this -- grab a copy and read it for yourself. (And, don't forget to email us your thoughts -- or tip us off if you know about a discussion group using this book.)

Our second recommendation falls in the category: Expand Your Horizon.

It's a new book by New World Library, the California-based publisher that's celebrating 30 years of surprising readers with unusual voices. Take a look at an earlier book review on Spirit Scholars, written by Buddhist monk Geri Larkin, praising another New World Library title, "Sit Down and Shut Up," by Brad Warner.

Now, though, we're honoring a new book by Sage Bennet, "Wisdom Walk: Nine Practices for Creating Peace and Balance from the World's Spiritual Traditions."

We understand -- loud and clear -- that there are wise religious voices that discourage spiritual sampling. We each should choose a path and pursue it in depth and purity, this argument holds.

But, a strong spiritual counter argument by sages like Thomas Merton is that the world's great religious traditions have survived for thousands of years because each tradition preserves some spiritual genius.

That's exactly what Sage Bennet argues persuasively in nine chapters, helping us consider the facets of wisdom within a broad range of world religions.

For example, Catholics and Orthodox Christians who carefully maintain areas in their homes for sacred reflection may be fascinated to learn about the Hindu tradition of home altars. Even some evangelicals feel drawn toward setting aside a corner of their homes for prayer. How surprising -- and perhaps affirming -- it may be to read about how Indian traditions have treasured this practice for millennia.

That's more reading -- both in this Spirit Scholars article and in these two new books -- than most of us can digest in a good week of reflection. So, we'll leave you to ponder these 6 Categories -- and these 2 Top Recommendations. As we always do at Spirit Scholars, we'll also invite you (with our blessings) to READ ON!

A Twist on Eco-Theology? Beliefnet Invites Inspirational Stories about Pets and Prayers

A spiritual appreciation of animals is timeless -- certainly as old as St. Francis and reflected in beloved Psalms. But we've also been watching the rising interest in prayers and pets in recent years -- from new books on the theme to a growing number of churches "blessing the animals" in the autumn each year.

If you're curious about autumn observances, visit the British Web site for World Animal Day, which is observed on Oct. 4, linked to the feast of St. Francis. There's even an online site called Animal Chaplains, which provides links to more resources -- although we're not formally endorsing this site, just noting that it looks intriguing. And -- Check This Out if you live in Michigan -- there's not a single "Animal Chaplain" listed in the state-by-state list of chaplains on the site.

You think we're kidding about this? Not at all. The Animal Chaplains group points out, among other things, that a good number of pet pastors have their own Web sites now offering services. Click here to visit retired Episcopal priest, the Rev. David James, who is based in Mt. Kisco, KY, where he apparently is better known simply as the Pet Rev.

Well, we've just learned that the enormously creative Beliefnet Web site has launched an online opportunity for any of us to honor the spiritual gifts of our beloved spaniels and siamese.

Beliefnet is calling this feature Your Inspiring Pets.

Or, if you feel so moved, click here to enter your own Pet in the Beliefnet litany of prayerful poodles and pussycats.

Of course, we are smiling as we write this Spirit Scholar story -- but then, a sense of Joy is one of the greatest spiritual gifts and it is closely related to the love of our pets. Your Spirit Scholars editor is the proud owner of 2 Cairn Terriers, 1 very large cat and 1 fish.

Alerted to this new feature by Beliefnet editor Laura Sheahen, we skeptically clicked into some of these Pet stories -- and, even to the cold-hearted among us, some of these stories are downright moving.

Consider the tale of Sparky on the Beliefnet site. We're excerpting some of Sparky's story here -- as a good example of the kinds of stories folks are submitting. Here's what Sparky's human companion says about him:

Sparky is a bearded collie who is blind. He is a lesson to all: He does not pity himself and loves life and laughter! He is a part of my organization, Good Puppy, which brings dogs to visit nursing homes, hospitals, and abuse shelters for women and children.

At the nursing home, the older people are so responsive to him. They'll say, "I'm blind," and I'll say, "Sparky doesn't mind, he's blind also."

He is blessed because he never felt sorry for himself like we would. He never acted scared if he stumbled going up stairs--he'd just get right back up.

We also go out to people who are dying at home, not in a hospice. He goes to AIDS patients who don't have friends or company in our area. He'll play with them, letting them pet him and brush his hair. He's a blessing to a lot of people.

Here at Spirit Scholars, our one complaint is regional! We're a global Web magazine, but clearly weighted toward our base of Michigan readers. Spark is a wonderful furry fellow -- but he's a Texan, apparently. Surely there are Michigan pets that belong in this celebration of uplifting animal friends. If you're reading this in Michigan and have a pet's story and photo to submit -- hey, go visit Beliefnet and add to their collection. And, if you do, please email us, too, and we'll go check out your story.