Jeff Petherick w/ Karl Nilsson: Wavelength, Tuning In To God's Voice In A World of Static
This is well worth purchasing as an experiment in the new wave of religious self publishing. Produced by a layman from the giant Kensington Community Church in southeast Michigan, working with Kensington's communications guru Karl Nilsson, this spiritual autobiography of an ordinary middle-aged guy is fascinating evidence of what many are calling "the emergent church" or "crowdsourcing" of religious inspiration.
Philip Jenkins: God's Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe's Religious Crisis
Historian and scholar of religion Philip Jenkins has charted a global course of inquiry that's almost unprecedented over the past decade. From Native American spirituality to the evolving nature of Christianity in the Southern Hemisphere, from the trauma of child abuse to the problem of global terrorism -- he's touched on all those subjects and more. His new book is a most-welcome examination of cultural collisions in Europe. It's important for Americans to read this book, because Jenkins tries to calm many of the unfounded anxieties about Christian-Muslim relationships in Europe. In fact, by the end of the book, he's downright optimistic about the potential of what we could see emerging from Europe.
Dale Brown: The Book of Buechner: A Journey Through His Writings
It's hard to think of a voice in American letters with as much spiritual resonance as Frederick Buechner in recent decades, especially in bridging the chasm between progressive Protestants and evangelicals. The utter honesty and courage that runs throughout his work contributes to the electricity of his message that, somehow, manages to be equally challenging and reassuring. And he's mastered so many literary forms -- from novels and memoirs to sermons and even clever guidebooks to rethinking spiritual topics. Author Dale Brown, for many years, was professor of English at Calvin College in Michigan, but he's moving in 2007 to King College in Bristol, Tenn., to head the Buechner Institute there. So, this book is a close-to-the-heart exploration of Buechner's vast body of work.
Nayan Chanda: Bound Together: How Traders, Preachers, Adventurers, and Warriors Shaped Globalization
Religious leaders from Pope Benedict XVI to Muslim scholars in Asia are engaged in a worldwide debate about the responsibility we share for shaping a better world. Journalist Nayan Chanda gives us a highly readable history of the forces that interconnect our world today. This is an excellent book for teachers, group discussion and for anyone who wants help in grasping an all-around understanding of how a vast array of complex motives and cultural forces have "shrunk" our world to its current interdependence.
Wendell Berry: Window Poems
If you haven't discovered Kentucky's famous farmer poet, then click on the title here and grab this wondrous volume of Wendell Berry's reflections on Creation from the vantage point of his poetic "window" on the Kentucky River. Of course, Berry's well known far beyond his home state these days for his many timely reflections on the centered life -- in an era of turbulent change.
John Dominic Crossan: God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now
If you enjoyed Marcus Borg's recent "Jesus," an ambitious look at the historical Jesus and the bold implications of Jesus' ministry for our contemporary world -- then you're certainly going to want Crossan's provocative examination of these issues, as well. As the title perfectly captures, Crossan argues that Jesus' sharp critique of empire didn't end with the fall of Rome. Jesus' message should make us, as Americans, wary of jumping on popular bandwagons from the "Left Behind" series of novels to the theology of Mel Gibson. You're not likely to agree with everything Crossan has to say here, but it's a powerfully argued book -- and superb for adult discussion groups. (Click on the title of the book in this mini-review to jump to Amazon -- and, to re-read our earlier mini-review of Borg's book -- scroll down through our list of reviews here -- and you'll find the Borg book lower on this Web page.)
Hannah Arendt: Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil
This is such a milestone in the analysis of 20th Century history that it's literally now published as a "Penguin Classic." If it's not on your shelf already, it should be. Arendt considered herself to be a political theorist, but we would argue that she also was a superb journalist and that her analysis rises to the level of landmark spiritual reflection. In the early 1960s, she covered the war-crimes trial of Adolf Eichmann in Israel for the New Yorker magazine. Later, she wrote this book arguing persuasively that we should not dismiss Eichmann as a monster. In fact, he was an ordinary petty bureaucrat who embodied the tragic power of a political system to make even the most vile crimes an ordinary part of one's daily business.
Reader's Digest Editors: Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things: 2,317 Ways to Save Money and Time
No, this isn't exactly a Spiritual Book, but we've had some reader feedback asking us to provide a link to this fascinating collection of household trivia. As in all of our book reviews on the right-hand side of this page, click on the title to jump to Amazon, if you'd like to buy a copy. Although we made a little fun of this book's odd tips for using slices of bread, the truth is that this is a fun volume to toss into the back seat of the car or set beside your easy chair to read a few odd-ball items every now and then.
Laura Shapiro: Julia Child (Penguin Lives)
If you're surprised to see a recommendation here of a book about PBS cooking-show pioneer Julia Child -- then you're most likely new to Spirit Scholars and the kinds of creative connections we try to make. Laura Shapiro, an accomplished food writer herself, tackles Child's larger-than-life-LIFE for Penguin's ongoing series of short biographies of famous people. In less than 200 pages, Shapiro does a great job of capturing the compassionate, creative fire that animated Child -- and explaining her impact on American culture as well.
Matthew Avery Sutton: Aimee Semple McPherson and the Resurrection of Christian America
Oakland University's Matt Sutton isn't likely to be teaching at OU for too much longer, one suspects, after this masterful history of the pioneering American evangelist Sister Aimee. The story's so gripping -- and well researched by Sutton -- that PBS credits his book as the basis for the hour-long "American Experience" documentary airing in early 2007. Sister Aimee certainly wasn't perfect and Sutton paints her with all of her many failings -- but she shines through the book as an unstoppable spiritual force who, in the final analysis, added some potent creative fuel to the progress of America's Pentecostal movement.
Kim Mckay: True Green: 100 Everyday Ways you Can Contribute to a Healthier Planet
Did you know that it may not be the smartest environmental strategy to buy "natural" cotton clothes? In fact, "Cotton is the world's most chemical-intensive crop, requiring 10 to 18 applications of herbicides, insecticides and fungicides, as well as more than 3,800 gallons of water, per pound produced." GULP! Maybe that polyester jacket isn't so bad after all? This new book by National Geographic is jam packed with amazing facts and colorful photographs. It's a great book for parents, teachers and clergy -- or anyone with a lively curiosity about ways to help heal our natural world.
Bill Henderson: Simple Gifts: Great Hymns: One Man's Search for Grace
We've carried around this little volume by novelist and independent publisher Bill Henderson for months now, savoring little sections of his reflections on hymns. So, it's about time we share this gem with the rest of Spirit Scholars. Like a pebble in one's shoe, Henderson's fiercely independent take on faith won't sit will with everyone who reads this memoir of music and hard-fought spiritual triumph. It's a great book to tuck into a purse or shoulderbag and read in a series of settings -- humming the beloved hymns along with Henderson as he discovers and reexplores each one.
Lucia Impelluso: Gardens in Art (Guide to Imagery Series)
Awww, come on. It's springtime. You're itching to get outside and work up the flower beds -- or stroll in your favorite park -- and, if you live in the northern U.S., things are still pretty bleak. So, it's time to start dreaming about what those natural oases can look like at their best. The Getty Museum in Los Angeles has produced this beautiful little, full-color paperback to celebrate centuries of "living architecture" in gardens -- and artistic renderings of gardens -- around the world. It's a little slice of joy bound between paperback covers.
Lindsey Crittenden: The Water Will Hold You: A Skeptic Learns to Pray
Technically, this isn't Lindsey Crittenden's first book -- but it's certainly her debut in this form: a book-length spiritual memoir with the mysteriously uncomfortable ring of a real person sorting out the strands of memory, fear, desire, disappointment and transcendent hope. Clearly, Crittenden's journey isn't over and here's hoping this is just the first of such memoirs. This doesn't have a clear-cut evangelical ending waiting in the final chapter. There's no list of 10 easy steps to achieve a life like the author's. And, in that honest approach to the subject -- lies the book's real power.
Jennifer Michael Hecht: The Happiness Myth: Why What We Think Is Right Is Wrong
Historian and poet Jennifer Michael Hecht has an eye for unusual perspectives from which to examine our long human journey of mind and spirit. Her earlier book, "Doubt: A History," is a tour de force of the contributions that skeptics and freethinkers have made to our culture over many years. Now, she examines the myth of happiness with the same skeptical filter. This book is not intended as a "downer." Hecht wrote it more as an antidote to Baby Boomer anxieties, as we age, that somehow we've completely blown the path toward happiness. No, Hecht writes, the truth is that we may have misunderstood the goal itself.
Karen Armstrong, Bono, Dalai Lama, Thomas Cahill and others: Revelations: Personal Responses to the Books of the Bible
A decade ago, British publisher Jamie Byng had the innovative idea of publishing small editions of various books of the Bible, accompanied by reflections written by dozens of writers, musicians, artists and scholars. This was an edgy idea and predictably it prompted some controversy in Britain. Murder-mystery-writer P.D. James wrote the preface to Acts of the Apostles, for instance, and controversial filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini's words prefaced Matthew. But the idea proved to have enduring value as people have sought out many of the prefaces, such as Bono's opening to Psalms, ever since the collection was published. So, now, Canongate is offering all the prefaces in a single edition -- a marvelously creative companion for daily reflections or an ongoing personal plan for Bible reading!
Madeleine Albright: The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs
Sometimes, we need secular observers to bring fresh insight into the complexities of spiritual life, especially when the whole world seems to be crowding around us. Some may find Albright's book -- first published in 2006 and now back in bookstores, once again, with a fresh "Afterward" -- too partisan for their tastes. Clearly, her view of global relationships is far more nuanced and flexible than the self-assured assumptions of more conservative politicians. But, we would argue in her favor that life in an interconnected global village is all about appreciating nuances. This collection of memoirs and analysis is easy to read and may prompt us to open a few new windows on the world.
Jonathan Wilson: Marc Chagall
This is the latest volume in the Jewish Encounters series -- a publishing milestone that ranks among the major literary achievements of our era. We've already had volumes on figures such as Maimonides, Emma Lazarus, King David -- and David Mamet on "The Wicked Son." Now, Jonathan Wilson gives us a concise portrait of Marc Chagall, sketching all the 20th Century connective tissue that's essential to appreciating the full power of Chagall's visionary art.
Shane Claiborne: The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical
"Love without courage and wisdom is sentimentality ... But the one who has love, courage and wisdom moves the world." That's the quote on the first page of Claiborne's paperback challenge to the established church -- and that's a pretty good description of the savvy compassion that seems to be behind the way he stiffly slaps our faces, as readers -- and tries to prophetically direct our eyes at many of the ways we have disconnected faith from humanity. This book is recommended by both Jim Wallis and Rob Bell, which says a lot about its voice and ambitious intention.
- Daniel Granholm Mulhern: Everyday Leadership: Getting Results in Business, Politics, and Life
Michigan's First Gentleman has been exploring the meaning of true leadership for many years -- since his days helping the Jesuits in Detroit promote young leaders from the University of Detroit High School, long before he headed to Lansing with his wife, Gov. Jennifer Granholm. This new book summarizes many of Mulhern's findings, over the years. It's a solid book, written with a core of community conscience that reflects Mulhern's background. It's refreshing to find that blend in this culture that often prefers, instead, to grab leadership tips with a shortsighted, Me First attitude.
Harper Bibles: NRSV Go-Anywhere Bible w/Apoc NuTone (tan/blue)
Don't judge this book by the PICTURE of its COVER. These sleek new editions of the Bible actually have no label on the cover. Once you've bought one and removed the printed packaging, they look like fashionable little planners that fit perfectly into a coat pocket, purse or brief case. If you're thinking of buying one, be aware that there are both Catholic and Protestant editions -- all in the NRSV translation that's both easy to read and reliable in its scholarship. Also, there's a range of binding colors -- so check that out, too. The interior pages are laid out with crisp, clear columns for clarity in reading.
Quoting God: How Media Shape Ideas About Religion And Culture
Baylor University Press assembled this collection of provocative essays by scholars and journalists across the U.S. Currently, the book is used mainly in college-level courses on media and religious studies. Spirit Scholars readers may be intrigued by a long chapter at the end of the book by David Crumm, exploring the spiritual significance of Starbucks, Borders Books and Target stores.
Anne Lamott: Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith
You've just got to love the utter honesty of Anne Lamott! She shares the unexpected beauty of answered prayer with startling grace -- and just as eloquently describes the full spiritual fury of an over-eating binge and the depression and guilt that can follow. She writes honestly about issues of self image, a parent's love, the frustration of the business traveler and even the spiritual struggles within Home Repairs! Now, that's a BOOK!
Andrew Carroll: Grace Under Fire: Letters of Faith in Times of War
The author of this slim new volume is on a mission to explore the power of wartime epistles. He has collected and edited several previous collections and has worked with PBS in producing a documentary on the subject. He's also got this own web site, www.warletters.com. In this book, Carroll zeroes in on exchanges of letters -- and a few Emails -- about spirituality in time of conflict. He starts with the American Revolution and eventually reaches the present day. It's powerful stuff. Well worth reading -- and rereading. And great for adult discussion groups!
- Philip Nel: The Annotated Cat: Under the Hats of Seuss and His Cats
We've been getting complaints recently, here at Spirit Scholars, that we're recommending too many terrific books! In that way, we're dangerous! Well, Dr. Seuss' famous Cat, in 1957, became the Mother of All Dangerous Characters in children's literary imaginations. Scholar Philip Nel deconstructs our Baby Boomer history for us and explains in extensive annotations why Seuss' seemingly simple vision was revolutionary. The book also is full of gorgeous, full-color illustrations from his original books, plus early sketches he made as well!
Jeffrey A. Kottler: Divine Madness: Ten Stories of Creative Struggle
We've savored this book over a couple of months. TEN gripping psycho-biographies by Jeffry Kottler, Chair of the Department of Counseling at California State University. It's easy to glance at this book's cover and miss the spiritual depth of these reflections. But consider the Big Names profiled by Kottler and you'll glimpse the possibilities: Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, Marilyn Monroe, Ernest Hemingway, Mark Rothko, Judy Garland, Brian Wilson, Charles Mingus, Vaslav Nijinsky and Lenny Bruce. Oh, yeah! You need this book. Click on the title here, jump to Amazon and grab it now!
Daniel C. Matt: God & the Big Bang: Discovering Harmony Between Science & Spirituality
Anyone who buys this paperback on the basis of its politically hot title is likely to be surprised by the direction Dr. Matt takes. This is NOT a sober, scientific analysis of Creation narratives. Rather, this is speculative reflection on a much higher plane. It moves from Kabbalah, the centuries-old tradition of Jewish mysticism, to the realm of science. But it also reflects on the capacity of human knowledge, flaws in human prayer and even closes with intriguing reflections on the life of Jesus and a few words about the end of the world. All in 172 pages! (ALSO, Fans of Rob Bell Should Note: Reading this book is recommended while reflecting on Rob's recent lecture tour called, "Everything is Spiritual"!)
Daniel C. Matt: Zohar: Annotated & Explained (Skylight Illuminations)
Dr. Matt is now 10 years into a 20-year project to prepare an English translation of the entire Zohar, the masterpiece of the Jewish mystical tradition known as Kabbalah. When finished, his entire multi-volume translation and commentary will run about 6,000 pages. This breezy introduction is less than 200! To get an authentic taste of the Zohar, Matt has written a brief introduction and then offers us 17 intriguing passages about everything from Creation and Sabbath to the Wedding Celebration.
David Batstone: Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade--and How We Can Fight It
OK. You're already interested in this issue and what you really want is a hands-on, heavy-duty book that investigates modern systems of human trafficking. This gritty book carries an advisory: "This book deals with mature subject matter." That's because this is grim stuff about slave laborers, child soldiers and enslaved sex workers. The book was written by David Batstone, professor of ethics at the University of San Francisco and, for six years, the executive editor of Sojourners Magazine. Another reason to buy his book? In the final section of the book is an extensive overview of groups and Web sites around the world that can help to connect you with this modern-day abolitionist campaign.
Eric Metaxas: Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery
This is a gripping, easily accessible biography of the major figure behind the British abolition movement 200 years ago. It's even got some cool photos in the center of the book. No, it's not a new scholarly examination of the period or the man -- but it's well worth picking up and reading. Here's the telling details in the biography of author Eric Metaxas: "He has written for VeggieTales and Rabbit Ears Productions, earning 3 Grammy nominations for Best Children's Recording." (And we point that out, as Veggie Tales fans, with the greatest respect for Mr. Metaxas.)
Maya Angelou: Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
In only a little more than 100 pages, poet and teacher Maya Angelou offers a dozen prayers that will resonate instantly with anyone questing for peace and inclusion in our world. If you're a follower of Angelou's work, you're likely to recognize some of these pieces, such as "On the Pulse of the Morning," read at President Bill Clinton's 1993 inauguration or "Amazing Peace, written for the 2005 lighting of the Christmas tree at the White House. (Click on any of the book titles in these Spirit Scholars mini-reviews and you'll jump to Amazon where you can buy them!)
James Tobin: Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to World War II
Michigan writer James Tobin does a wonderful job of capturing Ernie Pyle's tough road through life, illuminating how this humble reporter was able to so powerfully chronicle life in the face of death. The world was poorer for the loss of Pyle in the final year of the war, cut down by machine gun fire in the Pacific. The simple honesty of Pyle's prose often forced Americans to confront the brutal truth of violent conflict. Tobin's book is a great read for anyone interested in World War II, in journalism -- and in the spiritual struggle to maintain clarity of vision when the whole world seems to be exploding around us.
Anita Ganeri: This Is My Faith: Hinduism (This Is My Faith Books)
Barron's should be applauded for thinking up this innovative series of books -- and pulling it off with such depth, breadth and a cheap purchase price, as well! This is a new series of six, large, hardback books aimed at young readers. If you're familiar with the colorful DK books, filled with photos and illustrations that catch young readers' eyes, then you'll feel right at home with this series. Volumes include Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. Incredibly priced at less than $5 per volume, this is a set of books that teachers and parents should snap up to share with young readers they know.
Tony Campolo: Letters to a Young Evangelical (Art of Mentoring)
The leading prophet of evangelical America has done it again! Campolo may be a perennial thorn in the side of other evangelical leaders because of his provocative pushing on a whole array of issues, but he seems to be moved by a sincerely compassionate spirit. For Protestants, this book is great to read and to pass along to friends who may be searching for a new church home -- or who may be rethinking the gray area between mainline and evangelical realms.
Brian K. Vaughan: Pride of Baghdad
For a fresh viewpoint on the War in Iraq, writer Brian Vaughan and artist Niko Henrichon tell the haunting story of a family of lions set loose from the Baghdad Zoo during the bombing of the city in 2003. The lions become our fresh eyes and ears in experiencing the disorienting carnage of war--and perhaps a way for us to feel renewed compassion for a tragedy that hs been playing itself out for far too long. This graphic novel is violent, its themes are mature and it is NOT suitable for children.
Mike Davis: Planet of Slums
Understanding global poverty is virtually impossible in the early years of this new millennium without understanding the half-century-long drift toward slums. Davis draws upon solid data but writes in an eloquent style that's accessible to anyone. Beyond charting the current problems of the world's vast slums, Davis writes about how world leaders essentially let them form with early hopes that these imploding pits of humanity somehow might become "cities of hope." It's also a book suitable for classes and adult study groups to read and discuss over a series over a half-dozen weeks.
Through the Animal's Eyes: A Story of the 1st Christmas
This may look like a children's book, and it is perfect for curling up on a dark night, as a family, to recall the Nativity story 2,000 years ago. But there's a whole lot more here than a typical picture book. Artist Christopher Wormell is trying to recast our visual imagery of this story -- and put its furry, flying and slithering cast of wildlife back into our mental picture of life in the Middle East.
Charles Dickens and Friends: Five Lively Retellings
Please, find the Oct. 31 article about Charles Dickens' spiritual world to understand why we are so highly recommending this storybook for children. It's suitable for children age 8 to 12, but this 51-year-old reviewer still loves a cleverly created graphic novel like this -- so, whatever your age, you'll have fun flipping through its quick summaries of "Christmas Carol," "David Copperfield," "A Tale of Two Cities," "Great Expectations" and "Oliver Twist." And you cannot beat this price -- just $7.99. Click on the book title, above, and grab one now from Amazon.
Autumn: A Spiritual Biography of the Season
So much to read! So little time! This 2005 title actually slipped away from us with all the falling leaves last year -- but it's a terrific seasonal reflection. We add this recommendation as we reflect on seasons in Spirit Scholars as well. Tip to clergy -- there's preachable reflections in this volume that collects gems by folks like E. B. White, Anne Lamott -- and even PD James!
Reza Aslan: No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam
If you're collecting a few good books to help you understand Islam, Aslan's book should be in that starter collection. He's a balanced voice trying to make sense of the historical forces churning through the Islamic world today.
Huston Smith: The Soul of Christianity: Restoring the Great Tradition
If collected in one place, the books that Smith has written, prefaced or edited would form a small library. So, you may be thinking "I've got some of his stuff on the shelf already" -- and you'd miss this wonderful little gem. It's a personal overview of Christianity's history and its future written from a sober, yet hopeful viewpoint.
Bob Edgar: Middle Church: Reclaiming the Moral Values of the Faithful Majority from the Religious Right
Former congressman and now head of the National Council of Churches, Edgar is really a spiritual bridge builder trying to carve out what he calls a "middle" course for America's many religious groups. Rather than splintering over hot-button issues, Edgar's call is to unite in universal religious concerns for the poor, the needy and the planet's well being.
Philip Yancey: Prayer Does It Make Any Difference?
Yancey's millions of fans hardly need a rave review to move them to grab his latest books. At 352 pages, this moving and yet widely researched new book, packed with 22 chapters on the nature of prayer, will quickly become a classic for Christian readers. It's the sort of book that Protestant pastors and teachers will want to have on their shelves to savor -- and to recommend to friends. If you've never read Yancey, see the article in the main Spirit Scholars magazine column here (or click on "Books").
Marcus J. Borg: Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary
In recent years, Bible scholar Marcus Borg has been assembling all he has learned about early Christianity to help modern Christians confidently navigate the churning cultural changes swirling around us. He's sometimes cast as a liberal reformer, but readers of this new book are likely to find a lot of helpful insights -- whatever their religious orientation. This is an excellent book for adult study groups. And it's also an intriguing choice for non-Christians who are interested in a cutting-edge overview of what is known by intellectually curious Christians about the nature of this world-changing figure, Jesus.
Sue Monk Kidd: Firstlight: The Early Inspirational Writings of Sue Monk Kidd
Readers who love Sue Monk Kidd's fiction will enjoy this little collection of inspirational essays, written earlier in her career, some of them for Guideposts Magazine. If you enjoy her "voice," this is a great collection to tuck into a purse or briefcase and savor in times of daily meditation over a couple of weeks.
Just one week ago, Spirit Scholars went public and already we're expanding -- following suggestions that readers have sent from around the country, mostly sent in via E-mail so far.
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