Spirituality and Religion November 2007

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Spirituality and Religion November 2007

"It is in our lives, and not from our words, that our religion must be judged."
~ Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), 3rd U.S. president

New and Recently Released!

The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the White House - by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy

Publisher: Center Street
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 8/14/2007
ISBN: 9781599957340
ISBN-10: 1599957345

Evangelist Billy Graham has served as a spiritual advisor to 11 different U.S. presidents and their families, starting with President Truman. Though he only became close to some (such as Eisenhower and, more famously, Nixon), he was always available, even if rarely called. This insightful look at Graham's relationships with the nation's leaders evaluates his counsel and his role in bringing faith and politics together during the past half century. Those curious about his role as spiritual confidante as well as anyone looking to learn more about the spiritual lives of the presidents themselves will be well pleased.

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The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible - by A.J. Jacobs

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/9/2007
ISBN: 9780743291477
ISBN-10: 0743291476

Avoid mixed-fiber clothing. Stone blasphemers. Pray three times daily. Grow a beard. Kill magicians and destroy idols. These are just some of the more than 800 instructions found in the Hebrew Bible that author A.J. Jacobs attempted to follow for one year (well, at least the ones that weren't illegal). The result is both edifying and entertaining, as Jacobs stops shaving, consults with his spiritual board, explores biblical literalism, and tries to understand why these rules were written. Though by the end he isn't necessarily a convert, he certainly isn't unaffected by his journey, for if nothing else he's found solace in prayer.

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Speaking of Faith - Krista Tippett

Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 3/1/2007
ISBN: 9780670038350
ISBN-10: 0670038350

As a journalist and then a diplomat, author Tippett was enthralled by the promise of political solutions to divisive issues. When politics failed tp provide worthy answers, she attended Yale Divinity School to pursue larger questions about what makes a meaningful life. In her quest for faith's illumination of life's complexities, passions, and frailties, she developed a style of discourse--a "life of conversation"--that she now shares with millions of people every week via her public radio program. Tippett's in-depth conversations with theologians, scientists, ethicists, and seekers who share their experiences, combined with her engaging style, are revolutionizing the way many think and speak of faith in their families and communities and in the larger world.

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Head and Heart : American Christianities - Garry Wills

Publisher: Penguin Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/4/2007
ISBN: 9781594201462
ISBN-10: 1594201463

A historical examination of what led to modern religious tensions addresses such topics as the Enlightenment era of the eighteenth century, the separation of church and state, and the free-market environment that has enabled religion to flourish.

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Focus on: Politics and Religion

The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 9/11/2006
ISBN: 9780618680009
ISBN-10: 0618680004

In an impassioned rebuttal to religion, a noted sceintist and author of the The Blind Watchmaker speaks out on the irrationality of belief in God: criticizes the dire impact of religion on soceity, from the Crusades to September 11 and argues that religion fuels war, bigotry, child abuse, violence, and other ills.

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American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation - by Jon Meacham

Publisher: Random House
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 3/20/2007
ISBN: 9780812976663
ISBN-10: 0812976665

Newsweek editor and bestselling author Jon Meacham offers an incisive historical portrait of religion and politics in America, from the colonial period to the present day. He argues that the U.S. was founded on the belief that all faiths are equal under the law, and that contemporary society should embrace the principles of the Founding Fathers. Meacham also covers early religious differences as well as the wartime presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. If after finishing this book you want to learn more about the religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers, try David Holmes' Faiths of the Founding Fathers.

American theocracy : the peril and politics of radical religion, oil, and borrowed money in the 21st century - Kevin Phillips

Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 3/21/2006
ISBN: 9780670034864
ISBN-10: 067003486X

A political commentator evaluates today's political climate and the inherent dangers posed by such factors as global over-reach, religious fundamentalism, and ballooning debt, in an account that draws on historical examples

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The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future - by Vali Nasr

Publisher: Norton
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 8/1/2006
ISBN: 9780393062113
ISBN-10: 0393062112

In The Shia Revival, professor of international politics Vali Nasr considers the ways in which struggles between the Shia and Sunni Muslims in the Middle East will affect the region's future. As he gives a history of the differences between (and within) the two groups, he offers insight into the battle for political and spiritual leadership of the Muslim world. Though the differences are based in an ancient religious rivalry, they hold great import for all the Muslim countries in the area. Nasr's clear analysis is "fast-moving, engaging, and ultimately unnerving" (The New York Times).

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Contact your librarian for more great books!

Sacred Causes : The Clash of Religion and Politics, From the Great War to the War on Terror - Michael Burleigh

Publisher: HarperCollins
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 3/1/2007
ISBN: 9780060580957
ISBN-10: 006058095X

Documents historical battles over religion in Europe throughout the past century, analyzing how political actions have camouflaged religious agendas as well as how the secular and non-secular arenas have intersected in major military conflicts.

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