LITERARY SPIRIT \ Religion in the media
"Girl Seeks Bliss" by Nicole Beland (Plume, 157 pages, $14).
The cover exposes this book's obvious marketing recipe: Take two hot trends in publishing (chick lit and spirituality), mix and make money. But inside is a surprisingly thoughtful introduction to the basics of Buddhism. Yes, it's packed in pop culture, with tips like: "Learn Buddhist breathing techniques so you can chill out instead of flip out when life throws you for a loop," or "Bring the Buddha to work" to achieve career satisfaction. But with all its breeziness, the book also does a fine job of guiding readers through the core teachings of Buddhism. There's an overview of Buddhist history, an introduction to the Four Noble Truths and tips on meditation technique.
"Guiding Lights" by Eric Liu (Random House, 215 pages, $19.95)
The urge to change our lives for the better can tug at the heart as an old year ends and a new one begins. But how best to throw off routines and entrenched bad habits? One way, Eric Liu says, is to seek out a good teacher. They are all around us, he says, intuitive souls who avoid a cookie-cutter approach and help each individual find a uniquely right path. His book is a fascinating look at some amazing teachers -- a major league pitching coach, a brave inner-city priest, a Hollywood acting teacher, an orchestra conductor, a high school debate coach, a painter of public murals -- and many, many more.
"God vs. the Gavel" by Marci A. Hamilton (Cambridge University Press, 414 pages, $28)
Few things in American public life are as dangerous as the intersection of religion and law. Marci A. Hamilton, a lawyer with significant experience before the Supreme Court, presents a strong case for two propositions. First, religious organizations and institutions are not above the law and should, in the vast majority of situations, be subject to the same regulatory provisions as any other legal entity. She documents centuries of legal and political struggle to undermine religious immunity and subject religious leaders and their work to the same courts as all other people. She discusses in detail issues such as child welfare, marriage, zoning, prisons and the military, rejecting the widespread notion that religious people and institutions always act for the common good. Second, Hamilton promotes the role of the legislature (state and federal) as the proper place to determine when religious entities are to be granted exceptions to the rule of law. She critiques the efforts of elected assemblies in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (1993, declared unconstitutional in 1997) and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (2001).
"Holiest Wars" by Timothy Furnish (Praeger Publishing, 178 pages, $44.95)
Jews, Christians and Muslims will all profit from this book because it describes a tradition deeply rooted in all three religions and surprisingly relevant to the current geopolitical situation. Timothy Furnish is professor of Islamic Studies at Georgia Perimeter College in Atlanta. He writes about Mahdism, the Islamic tradition that anticipates the appearance of a messianic figure who will purify and unite Islam, eradicate all socioeconomic injustices in the world, and establish the Muslim faith as a universal religion. This idea is, rooted in Judaism, is similar to Christian eschatological ideas, and is hotly debated throughout the Muslim world.
"Listen to Her Voice" by Miki Raver (Chronicle Books, 176 pages, $22.95).
Eighteen Biblical women are featured: the well-known Sarah ... the lesser-known Tamar; the quiet Eve ... the flamboyant Jezebel. Their stories are drawn from different Scriptures -- Standard, Revised, Hebrew -- and accompanied by 80 evocative illustrations, art masterpieces all, from Rubens' lush Delilah to Gustav Dore's dainty Deborah. Miki Raver identifies a trio of women's themes in the Bible: "sexuality, spirituality and strategy." Present the power and the beauty of this book to the special women in your life, and to those who love them.
"Hanukkah Lights" Introductions by Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz (Melcher Media, 128 pages, $19.95).
Like starpoints glinting from the branched candelabrum that symbolizes the Jewish Festival of Lights, this collection's short stories sparkle. More impressive is that they also have a resonant glow, like the "miracle" oil that kept the menorah going for eight days in the legend of Hanukkah's origin: Every tale in the book is a treasure -- and you don't have to be Jewish to appreciate them. One of the most surprising is science fiction writer Harlan Ellison's 1994 time travel twist, "Go Toward the Light." Unusual illustrations that resemble fabric and paper inlay, by Sandra Dionisi, offer additional touchpoints. A CD of four bonus stories is included with the book.
"The Mystical Language of Icons" by Solrunn Nes (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 112 pages, $30).
This remarkable survey of Christian icons is an ideal gift for both the artist and contemplative in your life. European iconographer Solrunn Nes presents striking, full-color images of her work while covering artistic technique, historical context and theological commentary. The book offers not only information, but also the opportunity for meditation. The reader is invited to meditate on the icons as the author illuminates the conventional language of iconography presented in colors, symbols and gestures and grounded in historical, biblical and theological context.
"Confessions of a Prayer Wimp" by Mary Pierce (Zondervan, 224 pages, $10.99).
This isn't the book for your friend who has a divinity degree or the one who's read all of Huston Smith's work. It's for the rest of us -- those who struggle to fit in prayer time, who can't keep straight all the books and heroes of the Bible. The 26 chapters are short and breezy, but there is substance in Mary Pierce's conversational style. She challenges herself and her readers to find the divine in the everyday -- through quiet reflection, writing, listening to music. She makes Bible stories relevant to harried parents and she never makes you feel like you're not devout enough.
"Five-Minute Bible Stories" by Lois Rock; Illustrated by Richard Johnson (Augsburg Fortress, 96 pages, $17.99).
The stories are efficient, filled with eloquent prose and enough conflict to keep both parent and child engaged. Lois Rock retells 20 Bible stories without condescending to her target audience of 4- to 8-year-olds. The predictable stories are here -- Noah, David and Goliath, Jonah. But there are surprises -- the Tower of Babel, the parable of the lost sheep. Richard Johnson's whimsical illustrations do more than support the tales; they include details that enhance the stories.
"Three Kings and a Star" by Fred Crump Jr. (Urban Ministries Inc., 31 pages, $12.95).
Practically everyone has heard or read the story of the three wise men, the kings who visited baby Jesus bringing along their precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. In Fred Crump Jr.'s "Three Kings and a Star," he tells the same story, in an easy style tailor-made for a bedtime story for young children. But the 31-page book has a delightful twist: All the characters, from Jesus to King Herod, are black. Even the animals take on an ethnic flavor. The story itself is not changed in any way to reflect a specific cultural point of view. But the bold richness of the six-color illustrations and the characters make the book even more relevant for black children, a target of publisher Urban Ministries Inc. The book would make an excellent gift that can become a family heirloom.
"The Making of the Pope 2005" by Andrew M. Greeley (Little, Brown and Company, 254 pages, $23.95).
The Rev. Andrew Greeley is angry at the Catholic Church. Why? Because he says it's on a collision course with a disaster of its own making. It's out of touch with parishioners, resists change and suffers from a massive communication breakdown. John Paul II had tremendous presence on the world stage but failed to unify Catholics through stern authority, Greeley says. The priest was surprised with the selection of brilliant, conservative Joseph Ratzinger as the new pope but is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt as a reformer. The book's strength is the sociologist's analysis of the church and what it must do to survive.
"No More Christian Nice Guy" by Paul Coughlin; Foreword by Dr. Laura Schlessinger (Bethany Publishing House, 224 pages, $17.99)
Paul Coughlin is the host of a talk radio show in Oregon. You may not have heard of him, but you have heard of Laura Schlessinger, who writes the foreword. As Coughlin uses the phrase, a Christian Nice Guy (CNG) is an immature adult male who has received Christ as Lord and attends church. The characteristics of the CNG: passive/aggressive, avoids conflict and pain, lacks confidence to move forward in his career, lets the abusive past ruin his present and future relationships. Coughlin admits to being a former CNG. The goal is to become a Christian Good Guy (CGG). Coughlin holds up Jesus as the perfect example of a Christian Good Guy. Chapters 9 and 10 attempt to describe the journey from CNG to CGG. The task is admirable, but the book is disappointing. Coughlin's strength lies in storytelling but he falls short on the actual process of change.
Knight Ridder Newspapers