BOOKS

Spong, John Shelby. Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers in Exile. HarperOne, reprint 1999. Spong demolishes the stifling dogma of traditional Christianity in search of the inner core of truth. Spong’s book is a courageous, passionate attempt to build a credible theology for a skeptical, scientific age. This book is a blessing for people who have grown up in the Christian tradition and desperately believe in the holiness of the spirit and person of Jesus, but have found it impossible to reconcile contemporary rationality with a confusing and myth-filled explanation of thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of a group of believers of two-thousand years ago. Bishop Spong lays out the difficulties with the Christian religion in the modern era, the sources of conflict and confusion, and suggests ways in which believers can reconcile themselves with the original intention of Jesus and still call themselves Christians. Finally, we can know we are still following the faith even though we recognize mythology and allegory in the foundational writing and traditions of the faith. (288 pages)

Goff, Bob. Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People. Thomas Nelson, 2018. What happens when we stop avoiding difficult people and simply love everyone? In his wildly entertaining and inspiring follow-up to the New York Times bestselling phenomenon Love Does, Bob Goff takes readers on a life-altering journey into the secret of living without fear, care, constraint, or worry. The path toward the outsized, unfettered, liberated existence we all long for is found in a truth as simple to say as it is hard to do: love people, even the difficult ones, without distinction and without limits. Driven by Bob’s trademark hilarious and insightful storytelling, Everybody, Always reveals the lessons Bob learned – often the hard way – about what it means to love without inhibition, insecurity, or restriction. From finding the right friends to discovering the upside of failure, Everybody, Always points the way to embodying love by doing the unexpected, the intimidating, the seemingly impossible. Whether losing his shoes while skydiving solo or befriending a Ugandan witch doctor, Bob steps into life with a no-limits embrace of others that is as infectious as it is extraordinarily ordinary. Everybody, Always reveals how we can do the same.

Book List for the Journey

Allberry, Sam. Is God Anti-Gay? The Good Book Co., 2013. This short book is outstanding. Sam Allberry handles people carefully, texts wisely and issues sensitively, and the result is a supremely helpful book on perhaps the most challenging issue western Christians face today. In this simple book, Sam Allberry wants to help confused Christians understand what God has said about these questions in the scriptures, and offers a positive and liberating way forward through the debate. (88 pages)

Anderson, Sherry Ruth and Hopkins, Patricia. The Feminine Face of God: The Unfolding of the Sacred in Women. NY: Bantam Books, 1991. For many contemporary women, the old patriarchal models of religion are no longer relevant, forming a need to look beyond to a wider, more fulfilling spiritual path. This book shows how many women have redefined traditional beliefs and rediscovered their own unique spiritual heritage. (228 pages)

Andrew, Elizabeth J. Writing the Sacred Journey: The Art and Practice of Spiritual Memoir. Skinner House Books, 2005. Writing the Sacred Journey helps readers to uncover and honor the sacred within their own life stories. Elizabeth Andrew, an experienced writing instructor and spiritual director, gently guides readers through the spiritual writing process from concept to finished manuscript. She identifies some of the initial hurdles writers face in describing the interior, spiritual life and offers practical tips about how to overcome them. Writing the Sacred Journey also explores themes that commonly appear in spiritual memoir, as well as the all-important issue of writing as craft. Readers will learn new and practical skills for every stage of the writing process. Sprinkled throughout the book, these thoughtful activities teach readers new writing techniques and avenues into the creative process. (244 pages)

Armstrong, Karen. A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Ballantine Books, 1994. A History of God is not a tidy linear history. Rather, the definition of God is constantly being repeated, altered, discarded, and resurrected through the ages, responding to its followers’ practical concerns rather than to mystical mandates. Armstrong also shows us how Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have overlapped and influenced one another, gently challenging the secularist history of each of these religions. Each developed the idea of a personal God, which has helped believers to mature as full human beings. Yet Armstrong also acknowledges that the idea of a personal God can be dangerous, encouraging us to judge, condemn and marginalize others. Recognizing this, each of the three monotheisms, in their different ways, developed a mystical tradition grounded in a realization that our human idea of God is merely a symbol of an ineffable reality. (496 pages)

Armstrong, Karen. The Case for God. Anchor, 2010. Moving from the Paleolithic age to the present, Armstrong details the great lengths to which humankind has gone in order to experience a sacred reality that it called by many names, such as God, Brahman, Nirvana, Allah, or Dao. Focusing especially on Christianity but including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Chinese spiritualities, Armstrong examines the diminished impulse toward religion in our own time, when a significant number of people either want nothing to do with God or question the efficacy of faith. Why has God become unbelievable? Why is it that atheists and theists alike now think and speak about God in a way that veers so profoundly from the thinking of our ancestors? (432 pages)

Barbour, Ian G. When Science Meets Religion: Enemies, Strangers, or Partners? Harper One, 2000. The Definitive Introduction To the Relationship Between Religion And Science∗ In The Beginning: Why Did the Big Bang Occur? ∗ Quantum Physics: A Challenge to Our Assumptions About Reality? ∗ Darwin And Genesis: Is Evolution God′s Way of Creating? ∗ Human Nature: Are We Determined by Our Genes?∗ God And Nature: Can God Act in a Law-Bound World? Nuclear physicist and theologian Ian Barbour, winner of the 1999 Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion for his pioneering role in advancing the study of religion and science, presents a clear, contemporary introduction to the essential issues, ideas, and solutions in the relationship between religion and science. In simple, straightforward language, Barbour explores the fascinating topics that illuminate the critical encounter of the spiritual and quantitative dimensions of life. (205 pages)

Bass, Diana Butler. Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening. NY: Harper One, 2012. Churches are suffering huge declines in attendance, yet interest in spirituality is on the rise. Bass argues that we are at critical stage of a new spiritual awakening toward individual and cultural transformation. (269 pages)

Beauregard, Mario PhD and O’Leary, Denyse. The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Case for the Existence of the Soul. NY: HarperOne, 2007. Does God create the brain, or does the brain create God? Drawing on cutting-edge research in brain imaging, Beauregard examines how our brain processes religious, mystical, and spiritual experiences. The evidence he presents flies in the face of conventional thinking and provides scientific documentation for the validity of mystical experiences, giving us a peek into our very souls This means the mainstream neurosciences may have overlooked something of profound importance about who and what we are! (295 pages)

Bessey, Sarah. Out of Sorts: Making Peace with an Evolving Faith. NY: Howard Books, 2015. Bessey models a faith many are seeking, but afraid to voice, one in which it’s ok to be uncertain. She writes of her complicated dance with church and all that implies and learning to live with the questions. (241 pages)

Bolen, Jean Shinoda. Crossing to Avalon: A Woman’s Mid-Life Quest for the Sacred Feminine. HarperSanFrancisco, 2004. Dr Jean Shinoda Bolen’s extraordinary memoir celebrates the pilgrimage that heralded her spiritual awakening and leads readers down the path of self-discovery. In this account of her journey to Europe on pilgrimage to sacred sites including Chartres, Glastonbury, and Iona in search of the sacred feminine, she unveils the mythological significance of the midlife search for meaning and renewal. Bolen charts a path that will lead many readers to the heart of their own emotional and spiritual pilgrimages.” (303 pages)

Borg, Marcus. Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most. Harper One, 2016. A manifesto for all progressive Christians who seek the best path for following Jesus today. Each chapter embodies a distinct conviction, and Borg writes provocatively on the beliefs that can deeply ground us and guide us, such as: God is real and a mystery; salvation is more about this life than an afterlife; the Bible can be true without being literally true; Jesus’s death on the cross matters—but not because he paid for our sins; God is passionate about justice and the poor; and to love God is to love like God. Borg manages to convey the essence of Christianity in a way that does justice to those who do not share his views and will greatly enrich the understanding of those who do. (256 pages)

Borg, Marcus J. Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith. HarperOne, reprint, 2015. Borg provides an account of contemporary Jesus scholarship–told in simple language for lay readers–and of his personal struggle to find authentic, mature faith. Here, the historical pre-Easter Jesus and the post-Easter Jesus (whom other writers have referred to as the Christ of faith), or the Jesus revealed by scholarship and the Jesus of Christian tradition are brought together as Borg articulates his own struggle from doubt to faith. His struggle is grounded in contemporary scholarship, personal experience, and “an understanding of the Christian life as a relationship to the Spirit of God–a relationship that involves one in a journey of transformation.” (160 pages)

Borg, Marcus J. The God We Never Knew: Beyond Dogmatic Religion to a More Authentic Contemporary Faith. HarperOne, reprint, 2015. How to have faith—or even think about God—without having to stifle modern rational thought is one of the most vital challenges facing many of us today. Marcus J. Borg traces his personal spiritual journey to the discovery of an authentic yet fully contemporary understanding of God. In a compelling, readable way, he leads us from the distant, authoritarian God of our childhood to an equally powerful, dynamic adult image of God—”the beyond in our midst,” the life spirit that is within us and all around us—that reconciles faith with science, history, critical thinking, and religious pluralism. Borg argues for panentheism the conception of God as being both transcendent (God is more than everything) and immanent (God is in everything). The ancient Jews and the early Christians, he says, understood God in this way, as being “right here,” at the same time that God was also thought to be supernatural and transcendent, the all-knowing king-judge “out there.” Panentheism entails imaging God, not as a monarch to whom we owe fealty, but as a lover with whom we have a relationship. (182 pages)

Buehrens, John. Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals. Beacon Press, 2004. Understanding the Bible is designed to help empower skeptics, seekers, nonbelievers, and those of a liberal and progressive outlook to reclaim the Bible from literalists. It makes accessible some of the best contemporary historical, literary, political, and feminist readings of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. (240 pages)

Burklo, Jim. Open Christianity: Home by Another Road. Scotts Valley, CA: Rising Star Press, 2002. “Open Christianity” is an invitation to keep the faith but drop the dogma. Many Christian-heritage seekers struggle with conflicted yearning. They value much that the tradition offers. But the church door feels closed unless they accept beliefs at odds with logic and the truth of their hearts. “Open Christianity” maintains that yes, you can leave behind that which has ceased to make sense, and still be very Christian. Burklo’s discussion of complex topics such as “a theology of ‘enough’,” “soulful sexuality” and “the gospel truth” will be controversial–but enlightening. A product of the author’s work as a Stanford chaplain, a Protestant pastor, and an urban/street minister, this book encourages spiritual growth that won’t founder on efforts to believe the unbelievable. “Open Christianity” is a non-threatening invitation to see the Christian faith in light of 21stC world. Burklo’s theology makes sense. His personal experiences at the start of each chapter become like modern day parables interpreted by the content of the chapter. This is a helpful book not only for inquirers, but for seasoned theologians. (252 pages)

Campbell, Joseph- with Bill Moyers. The Power of Myth. NY: Anchor books, 1991. To Campbell, mythology was the “song of the universe, the music of the spheres”. With Bill Moyers, Campbell dialogues about many subjects including virgin births, Jesus, God, sacred places, the journey inward- etc., as well as modern topics. A classic! (293 pages)

Carnes, Robin Deen and Craig, Sally Sacred Circle: A Guide to Creating Your Own Women’s Spirituality Group. HarperOne, 1998. This much-needed guide celebrates the rich diversity of women’s spiritual lives and offers practical, step-by-step advice for those who want to create and sustain a spirituality group of their own. Sacred Circle shows us how we can use a group to explore our relationship to the sacred, and honor the divine in everyday life. The authors, drawing from their own group experiences as well as those of many diverse groups around the country, share the model they’ve developed, while offering wise advise on how and why groups work. They propose circle basics, such as listening without an agenda and rotating leadership, and also offer reflections on the power of personal storytelling and thoughts on reclaiming and reinventing ritual. (240 pages)

Chittister, Joan. Between the Dark and the Daylight: Embracing the Contradictions of Life. Image books, 2015. “There is a part of the soul that stirs at night when our defenses are down and our daylight distractions no longer serve to protect us from ourselves,” writes, Chittister. “It’s then, when we least expect it, that questions emerge from the murkiness of our inner underworld…These questions do not call for the discovery of data; they call for the contemplation of possibility.” In words as wise as they are inspiring, she explores the concerns of modern life, of the overworked mind and hurting heart. (176 pages)

Chittister, Joan. Called to Question: A Spiritual Memoir. Sheed and Ward, 2004. Called to Question is Sr. Joan Chittister’s most personal and intense writing to date. Centered around a series of conversations with spiritual writers featured in her private journal, Sr. Joan looks at the common questions or dimensions of life as we know them in our daily lives-not answers as we’ve been given them-in an attempt to unravel their many meanings, to give them flesh, to honor their spiritual import now and here, in our time and in our own lives. By sharing the questions, doubts, and convictions in her own heart, Chittister explores the heart of faith itself and nurtures a spirituality that pushes readers beyond superficial questioning and unexamined faith. (248 pages)

Chopra, Deepak. How to Know God: The Soul’s Journey Into the Mystery of Mysteries. NY: Harmony Books, 2000. A brilliant, scholarly yet lyrical synthesis of neuroscience, quantum physics, personal reminiscence, and Eastern, Western, and spiritual thinking. Robert Thurman calls it “a magical stairway to ascend to a life-changing experience of the sacred. The most important book about God for our times.” (305 pages)

Collins, Francis S. The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief. Free Press, 2007. Collins, a pioneering medical geneticist who once headed the Human Genome Project, provides a testament to the power of faith in the midst of suffering without faltering from its logical stride. Readers will be inspired by Collin’s personal story of struggling with doubt, as well as the many revelations of the wonder of God’s creation that will forever shape the way they view the world around them. Addressing in turn fellow scientists and fellow believers, Collins insists that “science is not threatened by God; it is enhanced” and “God is most certainly not threatened by science; He made it all possible.” Collins’s credibility as a scientist and his sincerity as a believer make for an engaging combination, especially for those who, like him, resist being forced to choose between science and God. (305 pages)

Coleman, Monica A. Bipolar Faith: A Black Woman’s Journey with Depression and Faith. Fortress Press, 2016. Bipolar Faith is both a spiritual autobiography and a memoir of mental illness. In this powerful book, Monica Coleman shares her life-long dance with trauma, depression, and the threat of death. Citing serendipitous encounters with black intellectuals like Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Angela Davis, and Renita Weems, Coleman offers a rare account of how the modulated highs of bipolar II can lead to professional success, while hiding a depression that even her doctors rarely believed. Only as she was able to face her illness was she able to live faithfully with bipolar. “Monica Coleman is a courageous and brilliant theologian whose wisdom and rigor helps sustain many of us. This unique and pioneering book opens a new spiritual zone for our serious attention!”—Cornel West (356 pages)

Dalai Lama. The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality. Harmony-reprint, 2006. After forty years of study with some of the greatest scientific minds, as well as a lifetime of meditative, spiritual, and philosophic study, the Dalai Lama presents a brilliant analysis of why all avenues of inquiry—scientific as well as spiritual—must be pursued in order to arrive at a complete picture of the truth. Through an examination of Darwinism and karma, quantum mechanics and philosophical insight into the nature of reality, neurobiology and the study of consciousness, the Dalai Lama draws significant parallels between contemplative and scientific examinations of reality. (216 pages)

Deming, Will. Rethinking Religion: A Concise Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2004. Offering a brief and accessible point of entry into the subject, the book begins by highlighting the significance of religion in modern society and providing a simple definition that goes beyond vague notions of “faith” or “belief in God.” Drawing material from a diverse range of religions–including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and primal religions–author Will Deming walks readers through thirty examples of how religions “work,” exploring the significance of religious events and pronouncements. He also considers the ethics of studying someone else’s religion, the “truth” of religion, the possibilities for preferring one religion over another, religious pluralism, and the contentious dialogue between science and religion. (176 pages)

Ehrman, Bart D. Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (and Why We Don’t Know About Them). Scholars have made significant progress in understanding the Bible over the past 200 years and these insights are taught in seminaries. Yet such views of the Bible are virtually unknown among the general population; consequently most Americans know little to nothing about what scholars have been saying for 2 centuries. This book is meant to redress that problem. Recommended! (283 pages)

Ehrman, Bart D. Misquoting Jesus: the Story Behind Who Changed The Bible and Why. HarperSanFrancisco, 2005. Fascinating report on the scribes who wrote the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the scholars who used these thousands of manuscripts to establish the best text- so many mistakes made-and Bible translators who use their results to produce the modern translations we use today. You might never read the NT in the same way again. Eye-opening! (218 pages)

Felten, David and Procter-Murphy, Jeff. Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity. HarperOne, 2012. Pastors David Felten and Jeff Procter-Murphy, along with an all-star cast of Bible scholars and top church teachers, provide a primer to a church movement that encourages every Christian to “live the questions” instead of “forcing the answers.” Based on the bestselling DVD course of the same name, Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity includes commentary from such bestselling authors as Diana Butler Bass, John Shelby Spong, Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossan, Brian McLaren, and others. Tackling issues of faith and controversial subjects this book explores matters many churches are afraid to address including the humanity of Jesus and homosexuality, and examines in a new light traditional faith topics such as the Bible, atonement, salvation, the rapture, and more. Living the Questions is the most comprehensive, indeed the only survey of progressive Christianity in existence today. (288 pages)

Fox, Matthew. Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality Presented in Four Paths, Twenty-Six Themes, and Two Questions. TarcherPerigee, reprint, 2000. Maverick theologian Matthew Fox provides a daring view of historical Christianity and a theologically sound basis for personal discovery of spiritual liberation. A cerebral work, this book gives a real understanding that we were not stained with an “original sin” but given an “orginal blessing” Fox writes that the Western emphasis on original sin/redemption has been and is still responsible for many of the ills in our society. Originally, Christianity was more of a nurturing, feminine religion, as were many of the tribal beliefs in times past. Original Blessing makes God into a more accessible, loving deity. In this revolutionary work, Fox shows how Christianity once celebrated beauty, compassion, justice, and provided a path of positive knowledge and ecstatic connection with all creation. (384 pages)

Fox, Matthew. The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine. New World Library, 2009. To Matthew Fox, our crucial task is to open our minds to a deeper understanding of the healthy masculine than we receive from our media, culture, and religions. To awaken what Fox calls “the sacred masculine,” he unearths ten metaphors, or archetypes, to inspire men to pursue their higher calling to reinvent the world. (368 pages)

Funk, Robert W., Dewey, Arthur J., Jesus Seminar. The Gospel of Jesus, 2^nd Edition. Polebridge Press, 2014. The voice of Jesus has for centuries been obscured and his vision skewed even by well-intended gospel writers, who transmitted his words to serve their own concerns. The Gospel of Jesus frees Jesus’ voice from the accretions of time and lets his challenging wisdom stand out as never before. This single composite gospel, created out of the sayings and reports that were deemed probably historical by the Jesus Seminar, is an essential resource for anyone seeking to detect the words of Jesus as they were heard by his earliest listeners For thinking men (and women as well) who desire a rich exploration of “male spirituality”. (140 pages)

Gallagher, Winifred. Working on God. Modern Library Paperback, 2000. Millions are finding it more and more difficult to apply the traditional demands of organized religion to their lives, and yet a complete absence of spirituality leaves them uneasy. Working on God is a book for and about such intelligent, independent people, who are seeking to reconcile their spiritual yearnings with their skeptical intellects. Winifred Gallagher, a behavioral-science reporter, began her investigation of religion in our postmodern age with research and interviews and soon discovered a vast, quiet revolution under way among ordinary men and women grappling with the sacred. Both Gallagher’s brilliant journalistic inquiry and her very personal journey unfold over time spent in a Zen monastery and a cloistered convent, in small-group discussions and healing rituals, in a Conservative synagogue that shares spaces with a Christian church, and in the birthplace of the New Age. Written with humor, empathy, and a rigorous curiosity, Working on God breaks new ground in depicting the broad-based spiritual movement that is transforming many lives. (352 pages)

Greyber, Daniel. Faith Unravels: A Rabbi’s Struggle with Faith and God. Wipf and Stock, Pubishers, 2012. This is a thoughtful book written by a sensitive rabbi. It is an insider’s look at how a religious man comes up against that religion in the face of the death of loved ones. Particularly, because his relation to the ones he loses does not fall into the seven relations the Jewish tradition recognizes as “official” mourners, he finds his emotions and desires butting up against his faith. Death itself is a challenge to him and makes him question his choices to be a rabbi. From inside the experience, he discusses the nature of Judaism, the struggle of understanding God, and the question of faith and practice. Whether you are religious or not, whether you are Jewish or not, and whether the grief you struggle with is related to the loss of a loved one or the loss of a potential path not taken, this book will have something meaningful to say to you. (140 pages)

Hagerty, Barbara Bradley. Fingerprints of God: The Search for the Science of Spirituality. NY: Riverhead Books, 2009. Can we measure faith? Who or what is God? Hagerty has brought her considerable reporting skills to meticulously document scientific studies and intersperses them with the experiences of a number of people, including herself. It’s a scientific and spiritual journey well worth taking. (285 pages)

Harris, Maria. Dance of the Spirit: Seven Stages of Women’s Spirituality. Bantam, 1991. Women’s spirituality, suggests Harris, is a “dance of the Spirit” consisting of seven steps: “Awakening, Discovering, Creating, Dwelling, Nourishing, Traditioning, and Transforming.” Each step has its own chapter, with introductory guidance in “Centering” (being still) and concluding exercises to help readers connect with insights. Very much an interfaith book (Harris draws on Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism). Each woman has a special spiritual destiny, as unique and inalienable as the rhythms that govern her life. Maria Harris teaches women how to dance to the music of their own souls and discover the spiritual steps that can transform their lives. (240 pages)

Henderson, Katharine Rhodes. God’s Troublemakers: How Women of Faith Are Changing the World. Bloomsbury Academic, 2008. A book about women who are changing the world as leaders in the public arena. Whether Christian, Jewish or Muslim―their work is religiously or spiritually motivated. They are religious or socio-ethical entrepreneurs, who have invented organizations or movements to repair the world. What shaped and formed them? How do they integrate a progressive social agenda with their faith? How do they exercise public leadership in a world where women’s public roles are sometimes still suspect? (256 pages)

Hidalgo, Michael. Changing Faith: Questions, Doubts and Choices About an Unchanging God. VVP Books, 2015. We have questions not because we reject faith in God, but because we live in a rapidly changing world of new realities, new technology and new insights that demand new answers. This changes how we live, communicate, think and believe. We know we are moving from somewhere, but we don’t exactly know what we are moving toward. That’s what this book is about. (192 pages)

Hitchens, Peter. The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith. Zondervan, 2010. Hitchens takes the reader on a journey of doubt to faith. His anecdotes about life in Soviet Russia reinforce his belief in God and Christianity. (224 pages)

Hooper, Richard. Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and Lao Tzu: The Parallel Sayings. Hampton Roads, 2012. This book presents the basic building blocks of world spirituality, showing us the common threads. It moves beyond dogma toward finding divinity within ourselves. (172 pages)

James, Craig A. The Religion Virus: Why We Believe in God. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform, 2 edition, 2013. James’s The Religion Virus can facilitate a wholesale change in the way we think about religion … an engaging, entertaining, and educational journey … packed with a lot of good information.” — Secular News Daily. “Full of powerful, ground-breaking ideas, packaged in a deceptively simple, easy-reading style. This is the most fun I’ve had reading non-fiction in a long time.” — Phil Steele (190 pages)

Jenkins, Peggy Joy, Ph.D. Nurturing Spirituality in Children: Simple Hands-On Activities. Atria Books/ Beyond Words, 2008. The greatest gifts that a child can receive are an opened mind, a caring heart, and ignited creativity. This fully expanded, illustrated edition of Nurturing Spirituality in Children includes sixty-two simple and thought-provoking lessons that can be shared with children in less than ten minutes each. The lessons are easy to prepare and understand; they use commonly available materials and complement a wide variety of religious perspectives. (192 pages)

Johnson, George S. Courage to Think Differently. 2013. To obtain copies go to www.adventurepublications.net or call 1-800-678-7006. A collection of writings on culture as it relates to religion, individualism, ecology, vocation, and the poor. Thirty writers- most well-known in their field. (Wendell Berry, Joan Chittister, Elie Wiesel, M.L. King, Sallie McFague, Marcus Borg, Bill Moyers, Walter Brueggemann, etc.) (302 pages)

Johnson, George. Fire in the Mind: Science, Faith, and the Search for Order. NY: Vintage Books, 1995. Are there laws governing the universe? Or is the order we see a mere artifact of the way evolution wired the brain? And is what we call science only a set of myths in which quarks, DNA, and information fill the role once occupied by gods? These questions lie at the heart of Johnson’s exploration of the border between science and religion, cosmic accident and timeless, law. He contrasts two groups found in NM which then asks- where does science end and religion begin? (328 pages)

Kavanaugh, Patrick. Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers. Zondervan, 1996. Handel, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Dvorak, Stravinsky, Messiaen . . . Men of genius as different as their music – but all inspired by deep spiritual convictions. Peter Kavanaugh uncovers the spirituality of twenty of music’s timeless giants, revealing legacies of the soul as diverse as the masterpieces they created. Warmly written, beautifully illustrated, and complete with listening recommendations for each composer, Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers is a fascinating look at the inner flame that lit the works of these masters. (256 pages)

Keen, Sam. Hymns to An Unknown God: Awakening the Spirit in Everyday Life. NY: Bantam Books, 1994. Keen rekindles awareness of the presence of the divine in ordinary life and guides the reader to an ongoing exploration of personal, psychological, and spiritual attitudes. His hymns and philosophy contain the power to help heal the split that divides us from our world and from ourselves. (293 pages)

Kidd, Sue Monk. When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life’s Sacred Questions. HarperOne- reissue, 2016. Blending her own experiences with an intimate grasp of spirituality, Sue Monk Kidd relates the passionate and moving tale of her spiritual crisis, when life seemed to have lost meaning and her longing for a hasty escape from the pain yielded to a discipline of “active waiting”. (226 pages)

Kidd, Sue Monk. The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman’s Journey From Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine. HarperOne- rev Upd edition, 2016 What happens when the wife of a Southern Baptist minister, a loyal adherent to his religious tradition, suddenly discovers an alternative religious tradition that speaks more strongly to her spiritual longings? Kidd recounts her own journey of anger, fear, and joy from her traditional Baptist upbringing to her new discovery of the power of nontraditional feminine religious experiences. Along her journey, Kidd encounters some of the most powerful feminist religious voices of her times, from Phyllis Trible to Carol Christ, and records these voices as guideposts on her journey. Additionally, her extensive knowledge of many subjects, including theology, mythology and the arts, made possible the copious references and cross-references that will prove invaluable for readers who wish to follow her in this same search. While Kidd cautions that each woman’s path will be unique, there is no question but that many women will find in her book a mirror of their own present conditions and a hopeful call to self-discovery. A graceful account of awakening and transformation. (304 pages)

Levine, Amy-Jill. The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus. HarperOne, 2007. Review by Paul O’Shea This is a book written by a Jew, who places Jesus firmly within his Jewish environments. And to do it succinctly, with wit and a deep appreciation for both Judaism and Christianity. Amy-Jill Levine is well-known in the world of Christian New Testament scholarship, and her book is a mitzvah for Jews and Christians. She is a modern Orthodox Jew, observant and informed as much about her own faith tradition as she is about the beginnings of the Christian movement. Levine brings to the table a wealth of knowledge about the late Second Temple period, the Jewish mileau surrounding the life of Yeshua/Jesus, and the complex beginnings of the Christian movement. Her razor sharp erudition is applied to the person of Jesus the observant and faithful Torah Jew using mishnaic and later rabbinic texts to give the reader a very comprehensive picture of the world/s in which Jesus lived and moved. Reading the Gospels from a Jewish perspective and with a critical eye to “weeding” out inaccurate (usually Christian) interpolations gives this foundation period in Christian history a wonderfully refreshing and academically satisfying perspective. (256 pages)

Martin, Colby. Unclobber. Westminster John Knox Press, 2016. Churches in America are experiencing an unprecedented fracturing due to their belief and attitude toward the LGBTQ community. Armed with only six passages in the Bible—often known as the “clobber passages”—the traditional Christian position has been one that stands against the full inclusion of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters. Unclobber reexamines each of those frequently quoted passages of Scripture, alternating with author Colby Martin’s own story of being fired from an evangelical megachurch when they discovered his stance on sexuality. UnClobber reexamines what the Bible says (and does not say) about homosexuality in such a way that breathes fresh life into outdated and inaccurate assumptions and interpretations. (184 pages)

McLaren, Brian D. The Great Spiritual Migration: How the World’s Largest Religion is Seeking a Better Way to Be Christian. Convergent Books, 2016. Drawing from his work as global activist, pastor, and public theologian, McLaren challenges readers to stop worrying, waiting, and indulging in nostalgia, and instead, to embrace the powerful new understandings that are reshaping the church. He explores three profound shifts that define the change: ∙ Spiritually, growing numbers of Christians are moving away from defining themselves by lists of beliefs and toward a way of life defined by love. ∙ Theologically, believers are increasingly rejecting the image of God as a violent Supreme Being and embracing the image of God as the renewing Spirit at work in our world for the common good. ∙ Missionally, the faithful are identifying less with organized religion and more with organizing religion—spiritual activists dedicated to healing the planet, building peace, overcoming poverty and injustice, and collaborating with other faiths to ensure a better future for all of us. McLaren invites readers to seize the moment and set out on the most significant spiritual pilgrimage of our time: to help Christianity become more Christian. (288 pages)

Merrrit, Carol Howard. Healing Spiritual Wounds: Reconnecting With a Loving God, After Experiencing a Hurtful Church. HarperOne, 2017. Because of sexism, homophobia, and manipulative religious politics, established religious institutions weren’t always holy or safe. Instead of offering refuge, these institutions have betrayed people’s hearts and souls. “People have suffered religious abuse,” she writes, “which can be different from physical injury or psychological trauma.” Though participation and affiliation in traditional religious institutions is waning, many people still believe in God. Merritt contends that many leave the church because they have lost trust in the institution, not in God. Healing Spiritual Wounds addresses the church’s dichotomous image—as a safe space and as a dangerous place—and provides a way to restore personal faith and connection to God for those who have been hurt or betrayed by established institutions of faith. Merritt does not sugarcoat the wrongs institutions long seen as trustworthy have inflicted on many innocent victims. Sympathetic, understanding, and deeply positive, she offers hope and a way to help them heal and reclaim the spiritual joy that can make them whole again. This is a new and different type of book…part memoir, part social commentary, part guide to personal growth. Amazingly, all these elements work together seamlessly. (240 pages)

Meyers, Robin R. Saving Jesus from the Church: How to Stop Worshipping Christ and Start Following Jesus. NY: Harper One, 2009. Meyers recasts core Christian concepts in an effort to save Christianity from its obsession with personal salvation. The first half of the book is powerful, with radical rethinking, the second half mostly pastoral and commentary. Worth it for that first half! (231 pages)

Moore, Thomas. A Religion of One’s Own: A Guide to Creating a Personal Spirituality in a Secular World. Avery, 2016. The purpose of this book is to provide guidance to those who seek a path that for Moore involves a return to a sacred environment and a sacred self of self. Moore might refer to us as seekers – people who are wakening up to and finding portals to wonder and transcendence. Central to Moore’s argument is the need to explore within oneself what it is that awakens your soul? Where in life do you find your spirit? And much of the book is then taken up with exploring ways in which one connects, in small steps and then in larger ones, with becoming sensitised to that which awakens you, the ways in which you find and meld into the Other, what one may have once called God. What he proposes is that we sift through all the spiritual and religious material we have available — past, present, future — and create a spirituality of one’s own. (288 pages)

Morwood, Michael. Is Jesus God?: Finding Our Faith. The Crossroad Publishing Co,. 2001. Morwood’s book has authentic, succinct, simple insights into the potential for Christianity, and Roman Catholicism in particular, in the modern world. Together they answer questions of inquiring Catholics and other persons of good will. The books are in- tended for those in particular who have moved or are moving beyond conventional stages of adult faith development. They know that their religious tradition/spirituality is a truth and not the truth. It is for those who need and want cosmic generating principles for their lives. Morwood gives them that. The book will initially be upsetting for those who think of Jesus only in the sense of having provided a bloody sacrifice to redeem humankind from a “fall”. But the invitation to live in one’s own time and place with the Spirit of God even as Jesus did is irresistible for those who have heads to learn, hands to work, and hearts to love. Morwood has done a great service for all who do not want to leave their brains at the doors of their churches, or their mosques or synagogues for that matter. (144 pages)

Morwood, Michael. It’s Time: Challenges to the Doctrine of Faith. Kelmor Publishing, 2013. Christianity, along with other major religions, has to make sense of its major beliefs in light of contemporary knowledge about the universe and our place in it. This calls for a major overhaul in how we understand “God”, how we interpret Jesus as revealing the Divine Presence in human form, and what this means for worship and prayer. This contemporary “story” is radically different from the traditional Christian story about an elsewhere, heavenly God who disconnected from humanity. His basic message is that “truth” must change in light of new knowledge and new information. The claim by the hierarchy that the “doctrinal truth” can never change has to go. Michael has the courage to speak the truth even if the Vatican doesn’t want to hear it. (179 pages)

O’Murchu, Diarmuid. Catching Up with Jesus: A Gospel Story For Our Time. The Crossroad Publishing Co., 2005. This book lays the challenge at your feet – the real message of Jesus is how to live fully a human life while focusing on the divine within you and every human being. Father O’Murchu’s point is looking at God’s incarnation from the beginning of man’s existence and seeing Jesus’ role as the fulfillment of this. The challenge is the same reiterated by G.K. Chesterton – Christianity should not be condemned, it’s never been tried. And the book’s central theme – Jesus came to show us a radically new way of living our human life in the Spirit of God. (216 pages)

O’Donohue, John. Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom. NY: Harper Perenial, 1998. Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom offers an exploration of the secret universe we all carry inside us, the connections we forge with the worlds of our friends and loved ones, and the products of our worlds reflected in the things we create outside of ourselves. Anam Cara, Gaelic for “soul friend with whom one can umburden the heart,” is an ancient journey down a nearly forgotten path of wisdom into what it means to be human. By a poetic priest with the soul of a pagan. A must for anyone who yearns for a spirituality that is accepting of bodily wisdom, but does not deny the power of the Christian vision. (234 pages)

Palmer, Parker. The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity and Caring. Jossey-Bass, 1999. The Active Life is Parker J. Palmer’s deep and graceful exploration of a spirituality for the busy, sometimes frenetic lives many of us lead. Telling evocative stories from a variety of religious traditions, including Taoist, Jewish, and Christian, Palmer shows that the spiritual life does not mean abandoning the world but engaging it more deeply through life-giving action. He celebrates both the problems and potentials of the active life, revealing how much they have to teach us about ourselves, the world, and God. (176 pages)

Poitier, Sydney. The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography. HarperSanFrancisco, 2007. “I have no wish to play the pontificating fool, pretending that I’ve suddenly come up with the answers to all life’s questions. Quite that contrary, I began this book as an exploration, an exercise in self-questing. In other words, I wanted to find out, as I looked back at a long and complicated life, with many twists and turns, how well I’ve done at measuring up to the values I myself have set.”—Sidney Poitier. In this luminous memoir, a true American icon looks back on his celebrated life and career. (272 pages)

Polkinghorne, John. Quarks, Chaos, and Christianity: Questions to Science and Religion. NY: Crossroad, 1999. The author draws on discoveries made in atomic physics to make credible the claims of Christianity, and helps refine Christian perceptions through the knowledge that the new science brings. He discusses belief in God, chaos, evolution, miracles, and prayer, and answers the question- Can a scientist believe? (100 pages)

Powers, Elizabeth and Mandelker, Amy. Pilgrim Souls: A Collection of Spiritual Autobiography. Touchstone, 1999. Fifty-eight writers whose search for truth and understanding has spanned over two millennia and several continents. From Saint Augustine and Rabi’a to T. S. Eliot and Kathleen Norris, each of these autobiographers tells the story of the inner life as a spiritual quest. Although separated culturally, historically, and linguistically, they are united by their efforts to respond to Socrates’ challenge to “know thyself.” In four parts this insightful collection includes works by:
* Wanderers and seekers, like Leo Tolstoy and Thomas Merton, who feverishly explore many experiences and world views
* Pilgrims and missionaries, like Anne Bradstreet and David Livingstone, who unwaveringly pursue God and holiness in lives of self-sacrifice
* Mystics and visionaries, like Julian of Norwich and Annie Dillard, who discover the ecstasy of epiphany in a life of contemplation and seclusion
* Scholars and philosophers, like Simone Weil and Blaise Pascal, who seek to ground spiritual conviction in a rational certitude.
Strong, deep, and enduring, the selections in this illuminating anthology remind us that “the unexamined life is not worth living” and speak to us with an immediacy that transcends time and space. (544 pages)

Rohr, Richard. Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation. Whitaker House, 2016. In the pages of this book, internationally recognized teacher Richard Rohr circles around the most paradoxical idea of the Trinity as he explores the nature of God—circling around being an apt metaphor for this mystery we’re trying to apprehend. Early Christians who came to be known as the “Desert Mothers and Fathers” applied the Greek verb perichoresis to the mystery of the Trinity. The best translation is dancing. Our word choreography comes from the same root. Although these early Christians gave us some highly conceptualized thinking on the life of the Trinity, the best they could say, again and again, was, Whatever is going on in God is a flow—it’s like a dance. But God is not a dancer—God is the dance itself. That idea might sound novel, but it is about as traditional as you can get. God is the dance itself, and God invites you to be a part of that dance. (224 pages)

Rohr, Richard. Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life. Jossey-Bass, 2011. Most of us tend to think of the second half of life as largely about getting old, dealing with health issues, and letting go of life, but the whole thesis of this book is exactly the opposite. What looks like falling down can largely be experienced as “falling upward.” In fact, it is not a loss but somehow actually a gain, as we have all seen with elders who have come to their fullness. Explains why the second half of life can and should be full of spiritual richness Offers a new view of how spiritual growth happens, and that loss is gain (240 pages)

Rohr, Richard. What the Mystics Know: Seven Pathways to Your Deeper Self. The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2015. Drawing from the best and most poetic of Richard Rohr’s essays from nearly a quarter of a century, each chapter in this new collection examines one of the seven core mystical truths. Organized according to the mystical paths that every worshiper must follow, Rohr identifies the despair of everyday life, promotes opportunities for change even in the face of pain, thereby transforming one’s deeper self into a beacon of light that aids in the perpetual metamorphosis of others. Illuminating these insights with reflections on Christian and Jewish scriptures while citing the greatest religious writers throughout the ages, Rohr offers an unparalleled window into the wisdom of the mystics, within a succinct volume that represents the best treasury of his vast library of writing. (176 pages)

Russell, Peter. From Science to God: A Physicist’s Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness. Novato, CA: New World Library, 2002. What is the nature of reality? Russell writes of a radically different, but healing, view of ourselves and the universe- one in which God takes on a new meaning and spiritual practice a deeper significance. (129 pages)

Sandmel, Rabbi Samuel. Jewish Understanding of the New Testament. Skylight Paths, 2004. A Jewish Understanding of the New Testament introduces the text to Jewish readers. Samuel Sandmel applies scholarly criticism and provides historical background to the writings of the New Testament, revealing how the sacred literature of other religions can provide fresh perspectives on one’s own beliefs. (368 pages) Without compromising his Jewish identity or encouraging any traditional Jewish stereotypes of the New Testament, Sandmel offers an enlightened view of Christian beliefs and encourages readers to acknowledge their common humanity with people of all religions. (368 pages)

Schroeder, Gerald L. God According to God: A Scientist Discovers We’ve Been Wrong About God All Along. HarperOne, 2010. A remarkable book. The science as well as the meaning of this universe and of life are discussed with insight, rigor, and depth along with a perceptive, challenging and scholarly view of the Old Testament. A brilliant mix of ancient exegesis and modern science that will convince some and infuriate others. Schroeder’s book demands the attention of anyone who wonders if God must be exiled from the modern, enlightened mind. Great for a thoughtful reader! (256 pages)

Schroeder, Gerald L. The Hidden Face of God: Science Reveals the Ultimate Truth. NY: Touchstone Book, 2001. From the wisdom encoded in DNA and analyzed by information science, to the wisdom unveiled in the complexity of cellular life, to the wisdom inherent in human consciousness, this book offers a tour of modern science., and will open a world of science to religious believers, and will cause skeptics to rethink some of their deepest beliefs. (216 pages)

Schroeder, Gerald L. The Science of God: The Convergence of Scientific and Biblical Wisdom. FreePress, reprint edition, 2009 In The Science of God, distinguished physicist and Biblical scholar Gerald L. Schroeder demonstrates the surprising parallels between a variety of Biblical teachings and the findings of biochemists, paleontologists, astrophysicists, and quantum physicists. In a brilliant and wide-ranging discussion of key topics that have divided science and religion—free will, the development of the universe, the origin of life, and the origin of man—Schroeder argues that the latest science and a close reading of the Bible are not just compatible but interdependent. (256 pages)

Schwartz, Gary E. Ph.D. The G.O.D. Experiments: How Science is Discovering God in Everything, Including Us. NY: Atria Books, 2006. Scientist Schwartz blends psychology, quantum physics, and mathematics to examine the science of spirit. Schwartz, trained in the scientific method, designed experiments to test his hypotheses. The book is scientifically rigorous, and spiritually reassuring- an eye-opening wake-up call for anyone wondering about life’s true meaning and the existence of a universal intelligence. (292 pages)

Shapiro, Rabbi Rami. God: A Rabbi Rami Guide. Kindle reprint. This book is available again as a kindle book. Written by one of the nation’s top theologians, this is a down-to-earth, tolerant, and uplifting guide to the God shared and revered by all religions and spiritual practices. These pages can shift the world view of those who dare to consider possibilities outside of their childhood image of God. (60 pages)

Shapiro, Rabbi Rami. The World Wisdom Bible: A New Testament for a Global Spirituality. Skylight Paths, 2017. A groundbreaking spiritual conversation that invites you to step beyond the limits of any one faith into a global spirituality. The World Wisdom Bible is a global spiritual conversation about the nature of life and how best to live it. Drawing on ancient and timeless texts from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and Taoism, this compendium of sacred texts juxtaposes seemingly divergent teachings to create a spiritual collage of wisdom that crosses religious boundaries, and invites the reader to step beyond the limits of any one faith into a global spirituality. Organized by themes―The Absolute, Justice, Wisdom, Compassion, Spiritual Practice, Ethical Living, and more―The World Wisdom Bible is more than an anthology of diverse teachings; it is a new scripture for those who describe themselves as spiritual independents, spiritual but not religious, and nones. Where conventional Bibles and scriptures speak to believers of one religion or another, The World Wisdom Bible speaks to seekers of every faith and none. (218 pages)

Shucat, Raphael. Jewish Faith in a Changing World: A Modern Introduction to the World and Ideas of Classical Jewish Philosophy. Academic Studies Press, 2012. Shuchat presents the reader with some of the main and timeless issues of Jewish philosophy over the ages and updates them to twenty-first century thinking, making each issue relevant for the modern reader. This book offers a fresh intellectual outlook on the Jewish faith, and contains a timely message for all religionists and thinkers in the twenty-first century. (250 pages)

Smith, Huston. Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief. HarperOne reprint, 2006. In this challenging but accessible book, Smith ardently declaims religion’s relevance, taking on luminaries, such as Carl Sagan and Stephen Jay Gould, who hold that “only matter exists” and suggest that religion relates only to “subjective experiences.” Smith defines such thinking as scientism, an unfortunate worldview distinct from science, which, in and of itself, he celebrates. But scientism, Smith says, contributes to “modernity’s tunnel,” a metaphorical structure that hides the metaphysical from view. He argues that “scientists who are convinced materialists deny the existence of things other than those they can train their instruments on,” but in reality have “discovered nothing in the way of objective facts that counts against traditional metaphysics.” Moreover, Smith’s disarming tone with perfectly placed anecdotes and quips, tempers the audacity of his theses and the difficulty of his subject matter. While he may be vulnerable to critiques that inevitably arise when non-scientists engage and challenge scientific claims, Smith demonstrates an impressive grasp of physics and biology, and defers to scientists who share his concerns. Most gratifyingly, after spending the book’s first half implicating science, philosophy and the media in the marginalization of religion, Smith spends the second half elucidating and affirming metaphysical worldviews and imagining ways for science and religion to partner more equitably in the future. (304 pages)

Sonsino. Rifat. Finding God: Selected Responses. Behrman House, revised edition, 2002. What is God anyway? First published in 1986, Finding God contains essays on significant Jewish thinkers attempting to answer the question looming above us all: Is there more than one way to perceive of God? How can we know God? What does God “want” from us? As in the earlier edition of Finding God, this book explores the approaches to God found in biblical texts and in the prayer book as well as those of the classical and medieval rabbis. This latest edition of Finding God includes two new essays on the distinct theologies of Abraham Joshua Heschel and Alvin Reines, as well as a chapter on newer approaches, including those of Harold Schulweis, Marcia Falk, Lawrence Kushner, and others. (186 pages)

Spong, John Shelby. Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy. NY: HarperOne, 2016. Bishop Spong offers a radical new way to look at the gospels today. Revealing the layers of misunderstanding created over the centuries by Gentile ignorance of things Jewish, he reveals how a literal reading of the Bible is so far removed from the original intent of the Jewish authors of the gospels that it has become an act of heresy. He uses the gospel of Matthew as a guide to explore the New Testament’s literary and liturgical roots, explaining how the passages would have been understood by the Jews of that day. (367 pages)

Spong, John Shelby. Eternal Life: A New Vision Beyond Religion, Beyond Theism, Beyond Heaven and Hell. HarperOne, 2010. Spong reviews a lifetime of passionate engagement with biblical study and with questions of faith, charting his growing discomfort with language that seemed limited, falsifying and inadequate. Arguing that modern scientific understanding necessitates dismissing outdated metaphors and assumptions by which faith seeks to calm human anxiety, Spong suggests an understanding of God not as a person, but as the process that calls personhood into being. Spong’s examination of the gospel resurrection accounts includes an intriguing interpretation of John’s portrayal of Jesus as a being so courageously present that he was open to the ultimate reality of life, love and being. Fear of death is the most fundamental fear of human existence. The only way it can be conquered is through knowledge and experience of your eternal being. Eternal Life: A New Vision is an elegant invitation to find this part of yourself and be liberated. This work, bound to be influential, offers new insights into religion’s big questions about life and death, making an invaluable contribution to both religious scholarship and faithful exploration. (227 pages)

Tompkins, Ptolemy. The Modern Book of the Dead: A Revolutionary Perspective on Death, the Soul, and What Really Happens in the Life to Come. Atria Books, 2012. A modern, all-encompassing exploration of what happens after we die, combining spirituality with philosophy, history, and science, guiding us toward the timeless truth that human consciousness lives on after death. Throughout history, Books of the Dead have provided comfort, hope, and insight into death and dying, uniting readers with those who have passed before them and shedding light on the process of death. In The Modern Book of the Dead, Tompkins draws from the teachings and writings of major religious and philosophical traditions that comment of the afterlife, especially Christianity and Buddhism, but without adhering to one single philosophy. He blends Eastern models of death and rebirth with a more Western emphasis on personal identity and the soul of the individual, offering a comprehensive “map” of the afterlife. This is not a book written for the beginning inquirer, nor is this a book for the virgin explorer of life’s ultimate mysteries. This is a book that is to be read by those who have spent countless hours seeking out the same answers that the author, himself, has tirelessly sought, and is not a starting point of the study itself. (304 pages)

Thompson, Peg, Ph.D Finding Your Own Spiritual Path: An Everyday Guidebook. San Francisco: Harper, 1994. A guide and help to those seekers wanting a new kind of relationship with spirituality- filled with exercises, journal-keeping ideas, and real-life stories. (200 pages)

Thurman, Howard. Meditations of the Heart. Beacon Press, 1999. Meditations of the Heart is a beautiful collection of meditations and prayers by one of our greatest spiritual leaders. Howard Thurman, the great African-American spiritualist and mystic, was renowned for the quiet beauty of his reflections on humanity and our relationship with God. This collection of fifty-four of his most well-known meditations features his thoughts on prayer, community, and the joys and rituals of life. Within this collection are words that sustain, elevate, and inspire. Thurman addresses those moments of trial and uncertainty and offers a message of hope and endurance for people of all faiths. (216 pages)

Vanzant, Iyanla. One Day My Soul Just Opened Up: Forty Days and Forty Nights Toward Spiritual Strength and Personal Growth. Touchstone, 1998. From Iyanla Vanzant, the star of the hit Oprah Winfrey Network show Iyanla: Fix My Life, this book is a program of inspiration and motivation that will help you work through problems and improve your emotional and spiritual health. Through exercises and readings, Iyanla provides you with the tools to tap into your strengths and make your dreams come true. This book will open your mind, heart, and soul to the truth of your identity as a creative and powerful being. (320 pages)

Walsh, Walter. Essential Spirituality: The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind. Wiley, 2000. In his decades of study, Dr. Roger Walsh has discovered that each of the great spiritual traditions has both a common goal and seven common practices to reach that goal: recognizing the sacred and divine that exist both within and around us. Going beyond Care of the Soul, Essential Spirituality integrates the spiritual principles of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Taoism into one truly rewarding way of life in which kindness, love, joy, peace, vision, wisdom, and generosity become an ever-growing part of everything you do. Filled with stories, exercises, meditations, myths, case histories, prayers, and practical advice, this extraordinary book has the power to change your life now. “An engaging, inspiring synthesis of the core insights of humanity’s spiritual traditions. (320 pages)

Watts, Gary L. Painful Questions: Facing Struggles With Faith. Herald Pr, 1999. This book tackles the painful questions that we often are afraid to ask out loud and it admits that they bring struggles to faith and Watts faces them where they are and with care and concern and great insight brings them to us in a great book for anyone–the pastor, the curious, and the struggling. (240 pages)

Web, Val. Stepping Out With the Sacred: Human Attempts to Engage the Divine. NY:Continuum, 2010. Something More—the sacred, the divine, mystery, the numinous, GOD! How do we connect? Where do we connect? When do we connect? Val Webb takes us on an exciting journey through the many ways that people of many faiths have tried to connect with the Sacred, playing hide and seek with the Divine. A challenging journey for those still seeking to connect! A fascinating journey for those who like to ‘count the ways’! An exploration that is exciting, brilliant and accessible to all—but haunted by the ultimate question: Do we really connect? (263 pages)

Weems, Renita. Listening for God: A Minister’s Journey Through Silence and Doubt. Touchstone, 2000. A few years ago, Renita J. Weems, one of the nation’s leading black women preachers, hit a spiritual brick wall that she describes in her stark, lyrical, and often amazing memoir, Listening for God: A Believer’s Journey Through Silence and Doubt. The book is a collection of prayers, journal entries, and meditations that discuss her initial anger at God’s absence in her life and her gradual willingness to “[accept] the silence as a new way of communicating with the divine and [learn] to perceive God in my life in new, amusing, laughable, glorious ways.” In contrast to the many spiritual memoirs that relate new believers’ intoxicating experience of divine intimacy, Listening for God stands out as a careful and honest description of the spiritual desert in which many mature believers find themselves stranded, to their dismay and surprise. “If God was going to speak to me,” Weems writes, “God would just have to do it amidst the clutter of family, the noise of pots and pans, the din of a hungry toddler screaming from the backseat during rush hour traffic, and the hassles of the workplace.” God did, and Weems captures the divine noise with a near-perfect combination of wit, pleasure, and respect. (208 pages)

Wikstrom, Erik Walker. Simply Pray: Modern Spiritual Practice to Deepen Your Life. Skinner House Books, 2005. Offers fresh answers to the age-old question, “Why pray?” Building from the shared prayer forms of many faiths, Wikstrom offers a modern prayer bead practice that you can make your own. In addition, the author includes practical suggestions for composing prayers to use with the beads. Simply Pray is an excellent guide for anyone seeking a unique spiritual practice that is deeply rooted in the world’s great religions. (152 pages)

Wink, Walter. The Powers That Be: Theology for a New Millennium. Doubleday, 1999. The Powers That Be reclaims the divine realm as central to human existence by offering new ways of understanding our world in theological terms. Walter Wink reformulates ancient concepts, such as God and the devil, heaven and hell, angels and demons, principalities and powers, in light of our modern experience. He helps us see heaven and hell, sin and salvation, and the powers that shape our lives as tangible parts of our day-to-day experience, rather than as mysterious phantoms. Based on his reading of the Bible and analysis of the world around him, Wink creates a whole new language for talking about and to God. Equipped with this fresh world view, we can embark on a new relationship with God and our world into the next millennium. (224 pages)

Wiseman, James A. Theology and Modern Science: Quest for Coherence. NY: Continuum, 2002. Wiseman tackles some of the really tough issues with honesty- presenting a number of scholarly opinions, and then his own on cosmology and creation, evolution, human soul, space-time and divine action. (149 pages)

Zierman, Addie. Night Driving: A Story of Faith in the Dark. Convergent Books, 2016. In her second memoir, Addie Zierman powerfully explores the gap between our sunny, faith fictions and a God who often seems hidden and silent. Against the backdrop of rushing Interstates, strangers’ hospitality, gas station coffee, and screaming children, Addie stumbles toward a faith that makes room for doubt, disappointment, and darkness…and learns that sometimes you have to run away to find your way home. (240 pages)