Religion Books

In TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE, sportswriter and best-selling author Mitch Albom chronicles his weekly conversations with his former college professor and mentor, Morrie Schwartz, in the months before the Brandeis University sociologist succumbed to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease. Their Tuesday conversations ranged widely over basic human concerns--love, money, commitment, spirit, how people spend their days thinking and doing, and what really matters in the world. In what the publisher is calling "spirituality literature for grown-ups," the author recounts his mentor's final, lasting gift: the wisdom to see his own life as something different than the accretion of fame, money, and success.

Hardcover / Fine $3.00

More copies

This is the autobiography of Black Elk, a Lakota Indian fighting for freedom at the end of the 19th century, as told to author John G. Neihardt. While his tale glows with eyewitness accounts of historic events and Lakota Sioux customs, the heart of the book is Black Elk's soulful visions of a better future for his people and, by extension, for all humanity. He urges us to follow the "good red road" of interconnectedness and respect for all life, to honor the past without becoming mired in it, and to regard the earth as sacred. It is this emphasis on earth-centered spirituality that has made BLACK ELK SPEAKS a classic of Native American literature and the environmental movement.

Paperback

More copies

A scientist argues that an individual's belief in God is illogical and/or foolish, and that organized religion has been behind a great deal of violence and harm throughout history. Richard Dawkins, from Oxford, considers the many conceptions of God and the many arguments for his existence, and finds them to be wanting. Atheism, says Dawkins, is a rational alternative that can provide a true appreciation of the wondrous bounty of the world.

Paperback / Very Good $13.48

More copies

Based on ancient documents found in France around the turn of the century, HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL confronts and challenges traditional Christian beliefs. The authors' alternative view of Christian history asserts that Jesus may not have perished on the cross, but instead may have lived to marry and father children whose lineage continues today.

Paperback $4.52

More copies

Written when confronted with the death of his own son, Rabbi Kushner's book looks to solace those people who have been "hurt by life" and who want to achieve an understanding of why they were hurt and to proceed with living and with loving God.

Compact Disc

More copies

Multiculturalism is the overriding spirit in a book that honors some of the world's most popular and beloved religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, and select tribal religions. Huston Smith, long-celebrated scholar of religion, shares his enthusiasm for how people around the world celebrate and adore their gods. In an all-embracing and non-judgmental style, Smith covers the religions' essentials without getting bogged down in lengthy comparisons of how a particular sect relates to another.

Paperback

More copies

A prominent scientist, who has served as head of the Human Genome Project, tells of his journey from atheist to believer, and argues that science and religion are compatible. Francis Collins thoughtfully considers perennial questions about God and man, as well as the many new issues brought up by advances in modern science.

Paperback

More copies

This erudite and thought-provoking book is an excellent introduction to three major religious faiths--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam--and their differing views of God, as well as the way these views have shaped the world. Karen Armstrong's personal history includes time spent as a nun in her homeland of England; this fact makes her comparative religious study resonate with a passion that testifies to her own quest for understanding. Far from being a dry, academic tome, A HISTORY OF GOD is written in a lucid conversational style that engages readers and takes them on a ride through humanity's often convoluted relationship with the divine. Armstrong's basic idea is that successful religions and sects have always relied on effectiveness and pragmatism rather than philosophy or historical tradition. This is key to her theory that, while the major religions are in sharp contrast to each other in ritual and practice, they collaborate in their mystical traditions--traditions, she asserts, that have developed from an abstract, collective unconscious that does not rely on symbols and liturgy. A HISTORY OF GOD is a fascinating book that reverently questions the existence of God while championing the existence of the soul.

Hardcover

More copies

A series of interviews that Bill Moyers conducted with Joseph Campbell near the end of the scholar's life. They range across his writings and serve as a summing up. Each chapter has a focus on one aspect of myth as reflected in Campbell's writings and each conversation brings out the idea that myths go across time and are present in modern, everyday life.

Prebinding

More copies

Inspirational author Bruce Wilkinson shows how to overcome life's obstacles to reach one's dreams. In the first half of the book, the author presents a parable about a young man called "Ordinary" who pursues his "Big Dream" with the help of the "Dream Giver" (God). The second half addresses the reader directly, using examples from Wilkinson's own life and ministry to explain his concepts in more detail.

Hardcover / slight underlining $1.49

More copies