Category Archives: Religion

The Heart of Islam

Posted on April 9, 2013 by

Seyyed Hossein Nasr, professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University, wrote The Heart of Islam in 2002 “with the express purpose of explaining certain basic aspects of Islam and widely discussed issues in a manner acceptable to mainstream Islamic … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonfiction, Religion | 4 Comments

The Sacrament of the Present Moment

Posted on March 30, 2013 by

Born in 1675, Jean-Pierre de Caussade was a Jesuit priest who served as spiritual director for the Nuns of the Visitation in Nancy, France, in the 1730s. This little book is a compilation of notes from talks he gave and … Continue reading →

Posted in Classics, Nonfiction, Religion | 4 Comments

The Body and Society

Posted on March 15, 2013 by

When considering the past, especially the ancient past, I sometimes think we imagine the people as one large group—or just a few large groups, divided by region. It definitely feels that way to me when we talk about “the early … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Nonfiction, Religion | 9 Comments

Creed or Chaos?

Posted on February 20, 2013 by

One of my Lenten practices is to read a chapter of a book of Christian theology or practice each day. This year, I started the season off with a collection of essays by Dorothy L. Sayers, and I was challenged, … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonfiction, Religion, Short Stories/Essays | 13 Comments

Life of the Beloved

Posted on January 15, 2013 by

Henry J. M. Nouwen first met his friend Fred Bratman when Bratman was interviewing Nouwen for the New York Times. Sensing the Bratman wasn’t especially happy in his work, Nouwen encouraged him to pursue his dream of writing a book. … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonfiction, Religion | 2 Comments

The Idolatry of God

Posted on January 11, 2013 by

When many people become Christians, they feel a sense of euphoria, a hope that their problems will now be solved because God is with them and they know it. That was certainly the way I felt when I started to … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonfiction, Religion | Tagged | 8 Comments

Siding Star

Posted on December 14, 2012 by

It’s easy to write about books that work within established guidelines. Mysteries, for instance, present a crime and then solve it. You can discuss how well a mystery does that, or what’s original about the presentation or the prose or the … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Religion, Speculative Fiction | 6 Comments

The First Christmas

Posted on December 8, 2012 by

Subtitled “What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’s Birth,” this book by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan takes a close look at the Christmas stories in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. They consider the differences and similarities … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonfiction, Religion | 10 Comments

Between Heaven and Mirth

Posted on November 10, 2012 by

According to James Martin, there’s not nearly as much levity in the church as there ought to be. Christians are too prone to put on grim faces at all times in order to show they know how serious the spiritual … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonfiction, Religion | 8 Comments

The Faith Club

Posted on September 6, 2012 by

The question should have been simple, but when Ranya Idliby’s daughter came home from school and asked, “Do we celebrate Hanukkah or Christmas?” Ranya wasn’t sure how to answer. Ranya is a Muslim and was proud of her heritage, despite … Continue reading →

Posted in Nonfiction, Religion | 11 Comments