Religion Notes

Need a little edge in selling your house? Many people rely on the practice of burying a statue of Saint Joseph, convinced that the patron saint of home life can help them toward a speedy and successful transaction. In Saint Joseph, My Real Estate Agent: Why the Patron Saint of Home Life Is the Patron Saint of Home-Selling, Stephen Binz contends that seeking Joseph's intercession is not a superstitious act, but a devotional one. After having a house on the market for seven months with nary a nibble, Binz sheepishly took the advice of his Presbyterian real estate agent and buried a Saint Joseph statue in his yard. A week after the ritual, he had an offer and sold the house—to a man named Joseph. In this book, he offers advice on intercessory prayer to Saint Joseph, even including a prayer service for burying the statue. He also explores the person and character of Saint Joseph as a husband, father and carpenter, inviting readers to know Joseph in a spirit of "prayerful devotion." (Servant/Charis, $6.99 paper (120p) ISBN 1-56955-361-0; June)

Quick quiz: name the patron saint of the Internet. Stumped? It's Isidore of Seville, a sixth-century Spaniard who compiled a massive encyclopedia of the knowledge of his day. In Saintly Support: A Prayer for Every Problem, the Philip Lief Group has collected an A–Z list of 111 topics (rape, floods, breast cancer, sick animals, etc.) and their corresponding saints. Many saints are depicted in lovely b&w illustrations, and each saint's description comes with a corresponding prayer. An appendix features a calendar of feast days. (Andrews McMeel, $14.95 208p ISBN 0-7407-3336-2; June)

There are dozens of books on the history and origins of famous hymns, but few on the contemporary praise songs that are used in evangelical Christian churches on Sundays. To remedy that, Phil Christensen and Shari MacDonald offer Celebrate Jesus: The Stories Behind Your Favorite Praise and Worship Songs. Rich Mullins's chorus "Awesome God," for example, was controversial at the studio because execs were concerned that the line "When he rolls up his sleeves, he ain't just puttin' on the Ritz" might be a bit blasphemous. And the song "You Are My Hiding Place" was written during a divorce, when songwriter Michael Lender was feeling rejected and vulnerable. Worship leaders and lovers of contemporary Christian music will enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at the origins of some of their favorite tunes. (Kregel, $10.99, $19.99 with music CD 176p ISBN 0-8254-2381-3; 2399-6; June)