Spiritual Living

Introspection is the keynote of these offerings as the season moves from winter to spring. We see the return of one of the best annuals, Philip Zaleski's anthology of spiritual writing, in perhaps its best issue yet. Catholic theology is touched with mysticism in the writings of Karl Rahner, while Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Rev. James A. Forbes hold us to the implications of our consciences. Stephen T. Asma's introduction to Buddhism is a welcome liberation from daunting vocabulary and ritual, while philosophers René Girard and Gianni Vattimo pursue a melancholy and intellectual vision of Christianity. Jonathan Merritt makes the case for a faith-based ecoawareness, while Sam Keen gives us Christianity as a hero's journey. All in all, a crop of books to grow on in the long nights and cold mornings.

For contemporary Western readers, Asma (philosophy, Columbia Coll.; Buddha for Beginners) has written a new vade mecum about Buddhism that is at once acute, innovative, and refreshing. As a student of philosophy, Asma tries to distance the best of Buddhism—and us—from the mystical, regimented, or dogmatic tendencies of many of the forms of Buddhism that have become popular in the West; he is interested in the rigor of the noncreedal Buddhism the Buddha taught. For him, Buddhism does not require giving up one's passions but recognizing their impact. Asma writes with vigor and humor; he is at his strongest applying his insights to personal and social life but perhaps too rangy for effectiveness in discussing Buddhism and the global village. VERDICT Unlike the stream of books promoting Mahayana Buddhism and its rituals, texts, and temples, Asma's well-written work translates the Buddha's oldest ideas directly for modern readers. An eye-opener for experienced and innocent Buddhists alike.

The start of the year has brought us the annual volume, now from Penguin, of this outstanding series under the editorship of Zaleski, here exhibiting his usual catholicity of taste. He includes poems from the likes of Billy Collins, Seamus Heaney, Louise Glück, and Richard Wilbur, as well as an intriguing new translation of the first canto of Dante's Inferno by Mary Jo Bang; essays by Diane Ackerman, Rick Bass, Leon Wieseltier, John Updike, and Richard Rodriguez; and Nicholas Carr's much-discussed "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" For thoughtfulness and literary pleasure, this instantiation may be the best yet; as Zaleski's preface suggests, "Only those who write for heaven leave a worthy legacy upon earth." VERDICT A beautiful collection, excellent especially for literary-minded readers of all religious persuasions; an essential purchase for most libraries.

As Celano (editor, Christmas with the Holy Fathers) points out, the Lenten and Easter seasons are of paramount importance to believing Christians, and his selection focuses readers' attention on repentance and renunciation as key components of Christian preparation for Easter. Not surprisingly, given the occasionally dubious history of the See, Celano selects writings and prayers from a rather controlled list of Popes, including Leo the Great, Gregory I, John XXIII, John Paul II, and the current Pope. VERDICT A brief and pithy anthology for the season; an essential purchase for areas where Catholic readership is strong.

This is the most recent entry in New Press's "Whose Religion?" series, which includes titles such as Whose Qur'an? and Whose Judaism? Each is defined as concise, so you know what to expect. The Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes Jr. (senior minister, emeritus, Riverside Church, New York) taught at Union Theological Seminary and has been described by Newsweek as "one of the most effective preachers in the English-speaking world." This brief volume reflects a lifetime of thoughtful engagement with both Christianity and the pressing issues addressed here: sexuality, gender equality, racial and economic justice, war, and the environment. Forbes finds compelling evidence in the Bible and his own faith that God calls us toward perspectives that many would call progressive. VERDICT Forbes's voice is crucially important not only for African American communities but also for Christians as a whole. His hard-won insights will reward most Christians. For readers of contemporary pastoral writing.

Greenberg, herself a poet, provides a complete translation of the Psalms. She is, naturally, up against some stiff competition—along with the committee that brought forth the Authorized Version, the likes of the Countess of Pembroke, Isaac Watts, and, more recently, biblical scholar Robert Alter. Greenberg's version speaks with a directness and simplicity that distinguishes it from the magniloquence of most other versions. Hers is not always a directly literal approach—she runs away from the notorious infanticide promised in Psalm 137, for instance, with a "brightest future" and shifts or eliminates the Hebrew's persistent masculine nouns and pronouns in ways that may feel more "right" but disguise the poems' real history. Her version, however, has a spare elegance of its own. VERDICT A clear and moving but not definitive translation of the Psalms for modern readers. Recommended for most collections, especially where there is a strong Jewish readership.

Hunter's (Churches for the Sake of Others; Christianity Beyond Belief) story ought to be moving and exemplary to many readers. Despite his faith and commitment, he became disillusioned with church and found a new way back to his religion through what he calls "repracticing": reinvigorating belief with spiritual practice, which he views as a springboard to renewed spiritual life. Although Hunter recommends something more like action than passivity, it is not always easy to discern what he would have the tired but earnest Christian do—except as he has done, to reinvest meaning into liturgical practice. VERDICT An intriguing but perhaps incomplete brief for spiritual renewal from a pastor who has moved from evangelical to Episcopal practice.

Katz (teacher, Alexander Muss H.S., Israel), a former combat soldier for the Israel Defense Forces, offers a collection of brief historical and biographical narratives about a wide range of Jewish heroes, from Theodor Herzl in the 19th century to the likes of Hannah Senesh in the 20th century to living and less-well-known exemplars. Katz's writing and method are straightforward, and his perspective is uncomplicatedly both Jewish and, necessarily, Zionist. Katz is sensitive to the contributions of women to the Jewish struggle; photographs lend specificity and poignance. VERDICT An introductory-level text for readers who are interested in a Zionist understanding of the history of Israel since the later 19th century.

Rahner was one of the 20th century's most admired Catholic theologians; he was associated with the Nouvelle Théologie, which, though much criticized by Pope Pius XII, became one of the sources of reform that led to the development of Vatican II. This new collection of his writings is the first English translation in this country of a book that appeared in German as long ago as 1966, but it is a welcome addition to the Rahner catalog in English. Although mysticism is not perhaps the first word associated with Rahner, mysticism connects what Rahner saw as God's self-giving and our need for the transcendent, as found in that God. Organized around the liturgical year, Rahner's text includes sermons, prayers, and reflections. VERDICT A beautiful and concise introduction to the mind and spirituality of this crucial 20th-century Catholic theologian.

This is the latest entry in the "Catholic Spirituality for Adults" series, which includes books on prayer, charity, holiness, and Mary, among others. With trademark eloquence, Shea (Elijah at the Wedding Feast) shows how contemporary Christians can navigate through the spiritual process that Shea believes Jesus lived and how they may enact it for themselves. Chapters address such notions as metaphor, understanding the self, and coming to terms with the Resurrection. VERDICT Shea is one of the Catholic Church's most effective popular theologians, with a singular ability to reach the heart of American Catholics; his latest book will not disappoint Catholics and other Christians.

Walker (New Testament, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford Univ.; In the Steps of Jesus) has written a book that seeks to guide curious or beginning Christians in the essentials of the faith; it is, as Walker writes, a kind of pocket guide to the New Testament, drawing readers along through 12 easy stages of faith development, such as "Enjoy Jesus' Resurrection," "Feed on His Scriptures," "Live His Life," and "Trust Him for the Future." Appendixes stress the uniqueness of Jesus, the historicity of his resurrection, and the importance of baptism for the believer. Walker certainly meets his own goal of simplicity, but his failure to address the continuing challenges that such a literal faith meets in a science-driven and media-savvy age weakens the whole. VERDICT A well-argued and thoughtful but perhaps blinkered route into the Christian life.

Bird (A Healing Grove) has enjoyed a rich and complex background before writing in spirituality. This is perhaps her most far-reaching effort thus far. Her work on Hoodoo (African American folk magic traditions) has not been without its critics, but Bird is after something different from a traditional conception of Hoodoo—she is, like many postmodern neopagans (although she might resist that term), inventing a new tradition that syncretizes the best of her inherited traditions and the best of the practices she sees around her. Her book is stuffed with bits of folklore, advice, and even a recipe or two. VERDICT Bird's work will frustrate scholars or purists but should delight many general readers interested in, or open to, this approach.

Dove's new book is a sort of sequel to her Lunchtime Enlightenment. She is a kind of disciple, after the fact, of Indian mystic Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh), and her route to meditation is meant to address the lives of busy contemporary people through the release of laughter, tears, and silence, as well as related techniques that address everyday activities such as exercise. Dove's work is full of gentle insights, and her recommendations could be followed by adherents of almost any religious faith. VERDICT Dove's low-key and resolutely noncontroversial approach to relaxed meditation is well suited to the modern circumstances she addresses.

Stanford (The Seven Next Words of Christ) has had a tougher row to hoe than most, as an HIV-positive hemophiliac, Christian minister, husband, and father. Although memoirs as such rarely rise to the level of spiritual reading, the extraordinary circumstances of Stanford's life, his unblinkered clarity about it, and his unquenchable gratitude for God's presence in it make this book a salutary exception. As he eloquently writes, his illness is a continuing reminder that "what divides us is, ultimately, of little consequence." VERDICT A heartbreaking—and remaking—life story from a longtime survivor of hemophilia and HIV, alarming and inspiring by turns.

Desmond Tutu, Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, as well as chairman of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, hardly needs an introduction. His latest book was cowritten with his daughter, an Episcopal priest as well as executive director of the Tutu Institute for Prayer and Pilgrimage. The book is founded on the broad notion that we are created with the freedom to choose good or evil but also incline fundamentally to the good. Abstract theology or spirituality has never been Archbishop Tutu's way; accordingly, this book flows effortlessly through narratives that illustrate Tutu's unquenchable hope. VERDICT A crucially important book from the Nobel Peace Prize winner; a witness to our tumultuous times.

Wade (founder, Soldiers of Love) asked more than 100 leaders and thinkers to contribute brief essays on ways to improve the world, and his respondents here include Al Gore, Ted Turner, George W. Bush, President Obama, Marianne Williamson, Tony Blair, and Paul Prudhomme, speaking to peace; security; freedom; democracy; prosperity; spiritual, racial, and ecological harmony; health; and moral purpose. The broad range is hard to describe in brief. The contributors agree that something can be done, and even must be done, but their solutions are as various as they are themselves. VERDICT A fascinating octopus of a book on global change, reaching in all directions at once.

Keen (Your Mythic Journey) presents a provocative book on the dilemmas of modern spiritual life. His premise—his controlling metaphor in this book—is nothing less than mapping spirituality to the journey of the hero through separation and alienation to initiation and finally to return. For Keen, our alienation from our spiritual selves—and from an apparently "absent" God—can lead us to a rediscovery of elemental emotions that make renewed spirituality possible. VERDICT This profound, psychologically informed guide through our current difficulties, in the spirit of Joseph Campbell, is highly recommended for many seekers.

Merritt deals with the relationship of Christian faith to the environment, tracing his own journey from uncertainty to advocacy about the need for "greening" in the church. His book is interesting because many of his fellow conservative Christians feel, as he points out, that the return of Jesus cancels out any obligation to care for the earth in the meanwhile ("Nonsense!" he writes) or doubt the reality of global warming. Merritt uses "Plan Points" and call-outs to crystallize his ideas, e.g., "Because God powerfully reveals himself through the creation around us, we should reflect on it and respond to it," and, "The human tendency to pursue more and better is impossible to reconcile with the divine plan." VERDICT Merritt's powerful and faith-driven ideas should come as a healthy shock to many Christians. A welcome and salutary salvo for a faith-based environmental activism from a conservative Christian.

Paintner (Awakening the Creative Spirit), a Benedictine oblate, here gives us a fresh and original treatment of Christian spirituality. The elements she speaks of—water, wind, earth, and fire—are of course not elements as contemporary science understand them, but Paintner's work is closer to poetry than science, as she reflects on the metaphorical powers of these old-style elements and selects poetry and prayers that engage them. Her chapters include ideas for reflection and prayer, as well as guides for lectiones divinae with each of the elements. VERDICT A lovely, brief book reconnecting Christian spirituality with the natural world.

Journalist Park has written a kind of sideways memoir, which also incorporates sociological, psychological, and historical tidbits. After his three-year-old son pronounces the word God, Park explores his own childhood, wonders at the phenomenon of religious faith, and considers the paradoxes of clinging to secular and humanist values in a profoundly religious environment. VERDICT A gently humorous, insightful journey through one man's heart and one family's life, as seen through the lens of belief. Highly recommended.

Vattimo and Girard are perhaps not household names in the United States but are well-known philosophers in Europe: Vattimo, a Catholic nihilist and a clever deployer of the ideas of Martin Heidegger; Girard, admired author of such books as Violence and the Sacred. Both men, from varying viewpoints, see Christianity as a crucial influence on world culture. This short volume is a compilation of conversations between the two held between 1996 and 2006, as well as essays written by each between 1999 and the present. Bracing and even daunting in its intellectual adventurousness, the book shows two very different minds with Christianity as "the religion of exit from religion" and one of the most important sources of democracy, individualism, and the free market—some of the very forces that have weakened its grip on contemporary society. VERDICT Rich, difficult, fascinating, and provocative reading on Christianity and culture from two of the new Europe's leading eggheads.