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A hopeful and easily accessible handbook written with clarity and authenticity, for those interested in exploring Buddhist teachings or simply hoping to improve the quality of their own lives and the lives of others.
Each beautiful chapter develops a topic drawn from Buddhist thought, followed by a section born from interviews with contemporary practitioners and activists, a mindfulness exercise, and a concluding set of reflective queries in the Quaker style. Perfect for those who want to progress on their spiritual journey.
It is hard to avoid the historical echoes of Anabaptists and English Dissenters as a struggle for religious freedom plays out once again in a different key.
A great choice for public libraries and high school and undergraduate art, history, and religion collections.
PREMIUM
The Aromatherapy Companion
Both experienced users of essential oils and novices will likely find this good entry-level book useful.
As valuable for skeptical or reluctant meditative practitioners as it is for experienced ones, this book is actionable, intentional, personal, and practical.
The illustrations are excellent, as is the glossary. This is a first-rate textbook for beginning quilters.
PREMIUM
Cain’s Act: The Origins of Hate
Though brief, this book is a rich interpretation with a depth of ethical implications, expressed clearly in Will Schutt’s translation.
Extensive research with primary-source materials makes this a monumental achievement that will be valuable to scholars and general readers interested in Judaism, religion, and art history.
PREMIUM
The Death of Christ: The Bible and Popular Culture vs. Archaeological and Historical Evidence
The text stays close to the primary classical sources but does not broadly engage the larger scholarly conversation about critical research and debates on the life of Jesus.
The audience for this book may prove to be narrow, perhaps mostly appealing to like-minded evangelical Christians.
Those interested in biblical and systematic theology, specifically the concept of atonement, will find this book instructive and insightful.
While those who feel the borders of their Christian faith are under threat may applaud the approach, those left on the outside may find this presentation less than thrilling.
PREMIUM
All Our Griefs To Bear
Those who lead and support congregations would do well to consider this well-supported book. It’s filled with advice about how to adjust to a post-pandemic world.
Sacks, a sage, never fails to impart an accessible, yet deeply sagacious insight into the modern struggle for a life of meaning and purpose. A valuable list of his published works completes this collection.
This book will be of interest to general readers but especially those wanting to know more about immigration or biblical and theological reflections on the topic.
PREMIUM
Clinging to Hope: What Scripture Says About Weathering Times of Trouble, Chaos, and Calamity
Those with an interest in Swindoll or in works written from a biblical perspective will find this book to be useful.
Bullivant is a playful and knowledgeable guide with fascinating insight into the history and future of this phenomenon.
Useful and perhaps even fascinating for readers interested in Hinduism or in scholarly literature on Vivekananda.
Not a bad first step for seekers stuck in the dark night of the soul; Wickham might be able to help.
PREMIUM
Appalachian Zen: Journeys in Search of True Home, from the American Heartland to the Buddha Dharma
Best for larger Buddhism collections or where biographies of common experiences are popular.
Engaging and profound, Lahn’s insights will be much welcomed by readers looking to deepen their meditation practice. Although grounded in Zen Buddhist philosophy, the essence of his teachings will resonate with people of a variety of backgrounds.
Recommended for readers looking for new, exciting ways to understand the Bible and Christianity, particularly through the eyes of a trans man who is theologically informed and writes lucidly about his journey.
Exhibiting a keen knowledge of the Bible and related scholarship, Sechrest’s work may be a tough read at times for those unversed in biblical scholarship, but it will appeal to those seeking fresh insights from the New Testament.
An accessible and coherent work that brings hope to those who are suffering from the loss of communication and relationships with former friends and estranged loved ones.
This book is an excellent introduction for those interested in Jordan or in faith-based social justice.
Ruttenberg’s book sets out guidelines for full-hearted repentance--the kind of atonement that people should do, but often don’t.
That Chih is captivated by the Dalai Lama is beyond question. But this effusive narrative falls just shy of a hagiography. Perhaps for this reason, Chih’s biography fails to capture the depth of this remarkable human being, the Tibetan people, and the distinctiveness of Tibetan Buddhism.
PREMIUM
Hope: A User’s Manual
Written for believers of faith and non-believers too (Dana is careful not to distinguish between the two), this book is recommended for readers wanting a sympathetic voice to guide them through these confusing and isolating times.
Tackling issues often charged with high emotions, Garcia offers a guide to social change with an accessible and easy-to-understood model. Suited for readers interested in religious studies and social justice.
For those familiar with this topic and the ecology and religion space, there isn’t much that is new or surprising. The author does, however, add an irenic, credible, hopeful voice in the often-heated debates surrounding religious involvement, human responsibility, and society’s future on this planet.
Readers looking for life-coaching advice, admonition, affirmation, inspiration, and encouragement will find it here. The text also contributes general knowledge about Hinduism and Indian culture.
The conversation of how to navigate the tension of what it means to be Christian and to live in the world is not new. However, this thought-provoking volume asks readers to reconsider their assumptions and offers fresh challenges in this discussion. Best for religious, church, and community organizations.
This simplistic and unsatisfying book is most disappointing for what it chooses to ignore: the awesome and inexplicable mystery of Job as a text and the even greater mystery of redemptive suffering. Recommended for Bible study groups and seminary libraries.
Although there are not enough anecdotes from desert mothers and fathers to fully appreciate them, Arndt’s book (citing Anglican, Orthodox, and Catholic sources) succeeds in showing that they were not some curious aberration but a genuine response that has repeated itself throughout Church history.
PREMIUM
How We Live Is How We Die
Oft-quoted, much beloved, and radiating kindness, Chödrön remains a guiding light for those seeking spiritual growth.
A good choice for religious, political, and legal scholars seeking a thorough confrontation of what historically has and hasn’t counted as a sincerely held religious belief.
Highly recommended for general readers of gender studies and religious studies. This book deserves a broad readership.
Villodas’s work, which presents the Christian God as one who seeks to forgive, not punish, and calls on disciples to do the same, will appeal to readers who appreciate a down-to-earth Christianity that is not solely focused on itself.
This book is best suited to public libraries with audiences looking for religious devotional materials or religious libraries.
Telling rich stories about people and communities across a vast religious spectrum, Smietana delivers his insights on reimagining American Christianity and organized religion more broadly.
Baker’s book means to reach readers who might be in despair, but it should appeal to anyone who, in her words, “need a touch from heaven.”
By integrating Eastern practices to illuminate her own spiritual tradition and personal encounters, Spitzer moves beyond merely touting the benefits of mindfulness exercises, even while one wonders whether the Big Person can be integrated with these metaphors and practices or must be left behind.
PREMIUM
All the White Friends I Couldn’t Keep: Hope—and Hard Pills To Swallow—About Fighting for Black Lives
This is a book full of difficult choices, about choosing not to waste energy trying to convince those willfully entrenched in racist narratives, during a personal and historic struggle for meaning, life, and Black joy.
Highly recommended for general readers interested in Eastern philosophy and open to learning practical approaches to dealing with anxiety. Masuno’s useful advice is particularly needed in recent times.
Although readers might be occasionally disappointed by an infelicitous approach to a delicate topic or a missed opportunity for a critical conversation with pre-modern quotations, reading Leviticus alongside Zornberg still manages to be a thoughtful, informative experience.
Recommended for readers interested in assimilation issues faced by Irish Catholic immigrants as well as the varied aspects of racism in the United States.
A challenging and contemplative book, eminently readable as engaging prose while offering insight and depth throughout.
Recommended for those interested in improving their lives through an intellectual approach grounded in the realities of life in today’s challenging world.
Salguero’s is not a work for academic researchers or readers already versed in Buddhist philosophy; in fact, he dissuades such readers in the introduction. It will most suit niche readers with a skeptic’s mindset who are seeking basic information about Buddhism. Not a necessary acquisition.
People interested in Jewish history, tradition, and texts, as well as general readers interested in religion or historical narratives, will find this book to be informative and useful.
Meditation has become increasingly popular in self-help in recent years; Epstein’s book is recommended for anyone interested in exploring the potential benefits of a meditation practice.
An excellent account of Jebara’s personal understanding of the Prophet Muhammad that could inspire readers to undertake their own similar journey.
PREMIUM
Wholehearted Faith
Evans’s honest questioning of Christian teachings and a God she mostly (but doesn’t always) believe in will strike a chord with believers and agnostics alike.
Highly recommended for students working on research papers or projects. This work will also appeal to anyone interested in learning about the religious lives of women or to those interested in a more inclusive society.
Readers interested in history or philosophy (whether or not they are religious), will find Ignatieff’s blend of spirituality and self-help to be particularly significant.
Pitre offers a fine introduction to Catholic spiritual life that would be accessible to any reader seeking to go beyond simple prayers and discover the richness of the Catholic spiritual tradition; it might be appreciated by non-Catholic readers as well.
Lewis’s infectious optimism (about the power of love and its potential to change society) will reignite hope in many readers who might be weary from personal and professional struggles.
Individual readers and discussion groups interested in Gospel-based spirituality will appreciate this book’s broad-based approach to a familiar scripture passage.
This faith-centered memoir will find an audience particularly among readers interested in the intersection of religion, gender, and politics.
For readers seeking solace and a deeper spiritual practice, or anyone with an interest in Benedictine monastic practices. With its advice on contemplation, this is also a helpful guide for groups.
General readers will benefit from Nhat Hanh’s focus on mindfulness and positive at the individual level. Recommended for anyone wanting a better world for future generations.
Christians in general and ones specifically concerned about social justice will find this book to be almost essential reading.
To advocate for a non-productive spirituality, Sherrill focuses on the pragmatic benefits of contemplation and offers a handful of spiritual life hacks for readers in need of advice or guidance.
Interspersed with allusions to Toni Morrison’s seminal Beloved, Bailey’s book is simultaneously evocative and provocative.
Witkowski does an admirable job covering an extraordinary life. Her book will appeal first to people of faith, but jazz lovers will find it valuable too.
Armas’s gift for storytelling and in-depth research in Latine theology make for an account that’s accessible for lay readers as well as religion scholars interested in Christian theology through the lens of Indigenous knowledge systems. For public and academic libraries focused on inclusive, representational theological collection development.
A valuable resource for teachers, students, and anyone interested in religion and contemporary American society.
Complete with a discussion guide, this is a sobering yet inspiring discourse for open-minded, thoughtful readers.
With its frequent reminders that we are not alone, this personal account is recommended for the reader who needs encouragement to move forward through life’s darker moments.
Ogren has authored a tour de force with this well-written and captivating volume that reexamines the role of religion in the period leading up to American independence. A must for readers interested in an often untold perspective on the history and religious identity of the United States.
More than just a celebration of Jane Eyre, Zoltan’s touching account, spanning spirituality, literature, memoir, and self-help, will resonate with fans of re-reading as a meditative practice.
A personal collection that offers a firsthand glimpse into lives that most of us will never know, but which social media is making less of a mystery.
PREMIUM
Christians Against Christianity: How Right-Wing Evangelicals Are Destroying Our Nation and Our Faith
An examination and call to action that will be of particular interest to readers of White Evangelical Racism, by Anthea Butler, or Jesus and John Wayne, by Kristin Kobes Du Mez.
An excellent starting point for those who wish to explore new religions further. Recommended for anyone interested in emerging religions, and an essential resource for academic and religious libraries.
Highly recommended for readers who are seeking reassurance of God’s presence in their lives. Stephens’s latest work, in its substance and delivery, compares to books by Mark Hamilton or Max Lucado.
Roberts argues that Eve is a role model to be emulated because of her ability to move beyond her past and partner with God to create a hopeful future. Her words will draw in fellow Evangelical Christians who are navigating fear or insecurity.
As with mysticism, highly personal accounts of Jesus run the risk of portraying the Jesus one wants to see, rather than encountering the transformative power of the Spirit. Bass neatly avoids most of this and so provides a portrait of Jesus for progressive Christians of all stripes that is as tangible, compelling, and biblical as the Christ of their more fundamentalist counterparts.
While there is a bit of a reliance on “the enemy” to explain bad behavior, Carpenter’s message is basically a hopeful one that emphasizes her concept of God’s love.
These moving narratives, offering firsthand perspectives from a racially diverse group of LGBTQ Christians and their families, will resonate with many.
A thoughtful approach to a vital topic. It will especially appeal to fans of Jemar Tisby’s The Color of Compromise.
A must for devotees of Sadhguru. This work will also be of interest to those trying to explore the complex topic of karma in a more conversational form. However, readers seeking an academic exploration of karma may want to consider other resources.
A well-written, passionate critique of the current state of the Catholic Church by one who, to a certain extent despite himself, still respects and admires it.
Citing research from scholars like N. T. Wright and Richard B. Hayes, this latest book by Keller will find an audience among experienced students of Christian theology, especially those interested in the practical application of biblical concepts.
This insightful book blends histories of religious belief, political change, and societal needs, to provide a coherent narrative outlining various undercurrents that shaped and ultimately determined predominant religious views. Highly recommended for readers interested in Islamic religious thought.
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