Good books on spirituality/prayer/faith/etc.

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
pax

pax

ONE love, blood, life
Joined
Nov 5, 2001
Messages
11,412
Location
Ewen's new American home
The "nonbelievers" thread made me think of this...does anyone have any good book recommendations (outside of the Bible, the Torah, the Koran--i.e. not PRIMARY religious texts) dealing with spirituality, religion, prayer, faith, etc.?

Here are some of my favorites:

Socrates Meets Jesus, Peter Kreeft
The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran
She Who Is, Elizabeth Johnson
Living Buddha, Living Christ, Thich Nhat Hanh
Letters and Papers from Prison, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
 
In an indirect way, the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. They're marketed as young adult fantasy novels (like some of CS Lewis' stuff), but there's a much deeper level to them. If you've grown up a Christian, his premises regarding God are hard to swallow and really turn some people off, but if you've got an open mind, dig in!
 
well i'm sure everyone's heard the story about bono supposedly recommending some phillip yancey book (what's so amazing about grace? is that the title?) to noel gallagher. so it seemed somewhat appropriate to bring this up in a discussion about spiritual books on a u2 message board.

my question is...does anyone else find that book as utterly pathetic as i do? i'm honestly not being awkward, creating trouble, being derogatory for the sake of it, etc. just as an absolute non-believer in any form of religion, that book would have pushed me more in the direction of non-religiousness than convincing me that any religion (christianity) is in any way valid. i mean it just seemed ridiculous, irrelevant, more intended to reaffirm someone's beliefs than to encourage others to believe.

or maybe i'm just too much of a hardened cynic to appreaciate it.

thoughts?
 
"Understanding the Bible" by Stephen Harris is the textbook we're using this semester. A purely historical, literary look at the Bible, and the cultures it emerged out of.

It's an easy, enjoyable read. Obviously it's in textbook format so it's not the most entertaining, but I'm finding it's a good start.
 
Don't Laugh but I am reading "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buddhism" and finding it interesting...it just gives you the generalities. I also really love the CS Lewis book "The Four Loves" Very good indeed....

Peace,
Brenda
 
Since spirituality was included in the original quest, I may recommend the following list... those books include a variety of ways... some of them not recommended for everyone (esp. 6 and 7)

1) Rastafari - The New Creation by Barbara Makeda Blake-Hannah (2003 edition)

Definitely uplifting, and very interesting. Includes topics like the Bible and The Ark of Covenant. You can find it at www.onedropbooks.com

2) The World is Sound: Nada Brahma: Music and the Landscape of Consciousness by Joachim Ernest Berendt. Destiny Books (May 1st, 1991)

I read this book when I was 17 and it blew me away.

2) The Upanishads by F. Max-Muller (Translator)
Wordsworth Editions Ltd (March 23rd, 2000)

ok, its a primary religious text, so let me mention the following one as a secondary..

Commentaries on the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita: The Three Branches of India's Life-Tree by Sri Chinmoy
Blue Beyond Books (Dec. 31st, 1996)

3) Zen (Colour Book Series) by Toichi Yoshioka, H. Maezumi (Translator) Japan Publications Trading Co (Oct. 27th, 2000)

Good introduction to Zen schools and theory on meditation.

4) Cosmic Canticle (Us) by Ernesto Cardenal, John Lyons (Translator) Curbstone Press (Dec. 1st, 1993)

Cardenal is one of the most famous poets and priests of Latin America. He actively followed liberation theology.

5) Abide in Love by Ernesto Cardenal, Mev Puleo
Orbis Books (Aug. 1st, 1995)

6) Grimorium Verum

..dating back to 1517, very interesting, but practically impossible to find. I found a part of it though.. a word of warning, be careful with all Grimoires, there are several others out there which may be easier to find (18th century etc.) ..they deal with dark stuff.

7) Voodoo, Past and Present by Ron Bodin, Univ. of Southwestern Louisiana (Dec. 1st, 1990)

Good book I found in New Orleans. Only recommended if you are interested in Voodoo.

8) back to India.. just reading The Great Secret - Talks on the Songs of Kabir, by Osho, a spiritual master from India. There are some very beautiful parts, like a part of the "Tale of Love" that I have blogged (yes, in english!) at

http://www.myblog.de/showpage.php?blog=kwikstep&id=75007

9) Healers on Healing (New Consciousness Reader) by W. Brugh Joy, Jeremy P. Tarcher (Feb 1st 1989)

Just reading that one..

As to primary texts, the Kaballah should be included, and I am trying to find the 6th and 7th book of Moses.
 
Last edited:
Right now I'm reading "A History of God" by Karen Armstrong. It tells about how the beliefs and concept about God evolved over the centuries, from ancient Babylon to the present. It covers mainly the three monotheistic faiths - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - but it also explains and compares how other religions view God, and the huge influence ancient Greek philosophy has on the concept of God. It also talks about how atheism evolved and ponders the future of God in a secular, scientific age.

Its a good read, and it explains a lot!
 
Mildred said:
well i'm sure everyone's heard the story about bono supposedly recommending some phillip yancey book (what's so amazing about grace? is that the title?) to noel gallagher. so it seemed somewhat appropriate to bring this up in a discussion about spiritual books on a u2 message board.

my question is...does anyone else find that book as utterly pathetic as i do? i'm honestly not being awkward, creating trouble, being derogatory for the sake of it, etc. just as an absolute non-believer in any form of religion, that book would have pushed me more in the direction of non-religiousness than convincing me that any religion (christianity) is in any way valid. i mean it just seemed ridiculous, irrelevant, more intended to reaffirm someone's beliefs than to encourage others to believe.

or maybe i'm just too much of a hardened cynic to appreaciate it.

thoughts?
Click to expand...


i thought the first half of that book was really touching. the story of the protestant father forgiving the IRA, was especially moving. the first half really moved me in my belief in Grace; however, the latter half of that book was filled with far too much dogma (ie anti-gay) for my tastes. yancey is probably (despite half of this book) one of the better current christian writers. his books on jesus and jesus's bible were both very insightful. plus he wrote a book about his faith surviving the church...how many american christians talk like that? no, he's not quiet as progressive as i'd like him to be, but it's better than Jerry Falwell (not that that says much).
The Bhavidad-Gita and the Tao Te Ching are books that i cherish. Gandhi's Autobiography (Struggles with Ahimpsa) is also a must read.
Oh, and how could i forget the Tao of Pooh...that book is seriously one of my all-time favorites.
 
nbcrusader said:
We've been referring to these books lately:

Hard Sayings of the Bible, Walter Kaiser
Click to expand...
Hrmm... Sounds very interesting. Does this have to do with misinterpretations of the Bible, and how we fail to relate the message to our own society? I'd like to learn a bit about it.

What did you think of it?
 
"The Cloister Walk" by Kathleen Norris

and

"Open Secrets" by Richard Lischer

Both are autobiographical and very well-written. They are both products of the authors' experiences of living in a religious community. They do a good job of plunging beneath the surface of Christianity's questions and traditions. Very insightful and redeeming.
 
The Jesus I Never Knew changed my life and view on christianity. I know I've posted this a lot but it's because I wish someone would have emphasized how good it really is.
 
I'm sure you've heard of them, but they're good books — "The Case for Christ" and "The Case for Faith" — both by Lee Strobel. The guy was a crime reporter for the Chicago Tribune for many years and he asked some great religious leaders and thinkers the toughest questions about Jesus and Christianity. They're very thorough, intriguing and eye-opening. C.S. Lewis is a good way to go too.
 
Oh, I just forgot my favorite book that everyone should read "Blue Like Jazz," by Donald Miller. It's tagline is "Nonreligious Thoughts On Christianity." It's truly brilliant. He's funny too. He talks about time he spent living with a group of hippies and one of his chapters is called "Penguin Sex." Good stuff.

I'm currently reading his new one, "Searching for God Knows What," and it's also really good, so far.

Check out www.bluelikejazz.com for more info.

peace
 
Ok, one more post. :wink: Check out www.relevantbooks.com. These guys break the mold. They have books that would be what you're looking for, then they have great books on U2's faith, Johnny Cash's faith and a hilarious book, "The Christian Survival Guide," that pokes fun at the Christian subculture and stuff. They also have "Understanding God's Will," and "The Revolutionary Communicator," which takes a look at how Christ delivered his teachings. I highly recommend this stuff to anyone.
 
I know it's already been mentioned but it's well-worth mentioning again:

The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho and of course One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Happy Reading!
 
coemgen said:
I'm sure you've heard of them, but they're good books — "The Case for Christ" and "The Case for Faith" — both by Lee Strobel. The guy was a crime reporter for the Chicago Tribune for many years and he asked some great religious leaders and thinkers the toughest questions about Jesus and Christianity. They're very thorough, intriguing and eye-opening. C.S. Lewis is a good way to go too.
Click to expand...

I second the Lee Strobel recommendation. He has quite a few more, these are good books for those looking for "proof".
 
Mildred said:
well i'm sure everyone's heard the story about bono supposedly recommending some phillip yancey book (what's so amazing about grace? is that the title?) to noel gallagher. so it seemed somewhat appropriate to bring this up in a discussion about spiritual books on a u2 message board.

my question is...does anyone else find that book as utterly pathetic as i do?

or maybe i'm just too much of a hardened cynic to appreaciate it.

thoughts?
Click to expand...

Hey Mildred,
No I didn't find it pathetic...in fact I found it inspiring! Yancey has an amazing ability to tell stories, and a very gentle way of exposing the heart of an issue, and allowing the reader to draw his/her own conclusions. "What's so amazing about Grace" would have to be one of my all time favourite books and it does a very good job of revealing the failure of a simplistic view of spirituality and in particular fundamentalist Christianity. Frankly I don't see where you get the anti-gay thing?? Another good read by Yancey is the book "Rumours of another World" as well as the others mentioned... "The Jesus I never knew" and "The Bible Jesus Read".

Happy exploring!

P.S. I also second those who have suggested C.S. Lewis
 
Someone already mentioned The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis, but I've got to second that recommendation. If you've ever struggled with how a good God could allow so much evil and pain in the world (and you're willing to really engage your brain in exploring this question) it's an amazing read. That guy was so bemphing smart, and a great writer.

Another great book is Finding Faith, by Brian McLaren. He takes a very honest look at the search for spiritual connection. A couple of great chapters in that book: "Jesus Anonymous" and "Why is church the last place I look for help in my spiritual search?"


I'm a fan of buying books, but an even bigger fan of exchanging good books with friends so everybody doesn't have to drop $20 on something they've never read. I'd be glad to send one of these (or just about any other book on my shelf) to anybody in here, as long as you promise to:
1) read it
2) send it back to me eventually
 
Last edited:
Divinci Code is an interesting and engrossing read.:up:
Im loving it.

I think LMPA suggested here a while back.

db9
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

D
Reverend Eugene Peterson....U2=Prophet????? THoughts?
Replies
3
Views
474
hiphop
hiphop
LMP
  • Locked
The Desert Island Part Deux Master List
2 3
Replies
68
Views
5K
phanan
phanan
U
U2 & Faith - mid nineties
Replies
3
Views
3K
U2Soar
U
U
Heart Of Darkness : The Story Of The Joshua Tree ? CRUCIFIXION
Replies
0
Views
2K
U2Soar
U

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom