Religion

-- Publishers Weekly, 3/12/2007

A starred or boxed review indicates a book of outstanding quality.

God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
Christopher Hitchens. Twelve, $24.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-446-57980-3

Hitchens, one of our great political pugilists, delivers the best of the recent rash of atheist manifestos. The same contrarian spirit that makes him delightful reading as a political commentator, even (or especially) when he's completely wrong, makes him an entertaining huckster prosecutor once he has God placed in the dock. And can he turn a phrase!: "monotheistic religion is a plagiarism of a plagiarism of a hearsay of a hearsay, of an illusion of an illusion, extending all the way back to a fabrication of a few nonevents." Hitchens's one-liners bear the marks of considerable sparring practice with believers. Yet few believers will recognize themselves as Hitchens associates all of them for all time with the worst of history's theocratic and inquisitional moments. All the same, this is salutary reading as a means of culling believers' weaker arguments: that faith offers comfort (false comfort is none at all), or has provided a historical hedge against fascism (it mostly hasn't), or that "Eastern" religions are better (nope). The book's real strength is Hitchens's on-the-ground glimpses of religion's worst face in various war zones and isolated despotic regimes. But its weakness is its almost fanatical insistence that religion poisons "everything," which tips over into barely disguised misanthropy. (May 30)

Every Day Deserves a Chance: Wake Up to the Gift of 24 Little Hours
Max Lucado. Thomas Nelson, $19.99 (176p) ISBN 978-0-8499-1959-6

Beloved Christian author Lucado (Traveling Light), whose books have sold over 55 million copies, follows the psalmist by encouraging readers to "rejoice and be glad" every day. Lucado does mean every day—even the day you get fired, or the day you learn your husband is having an affair. Since God is in charge, even lousy days are opportunities to grow, serve and find joy. Lucado provides a formula for this tall task: "Grace. Oversight. Direction," easily remembered by the unsubtle acronym G-O-D. The first step to rejoicing each morning is to drench your day in Jesus' grace, remembering that Jesus has forgiven you for whatever mistakes you made yesterday. Next, seek God's oversight and provision in all that you do. Finally, if you "want to blow the cloud cover off your gray day," embrace the direction God offers you. To illustrate these three principles, Lucado draws on biblical stories and contemporary unsung heroes of the faith: a Christian lawyer who oversees an orphanage in Beijing, for instance. "Daylifters"—page-long reflections on Scripture—conclude each chapter, and a study guide (not seen by PW) fills out this inspiring, if anodyne, book. (May)

United Methodist Beliefs: A Brief Introduction
William H. Willimon. Westminster John Knox, $12.95 paper (96p) ISBN 978-0-664-23040-1

Methodist bishop and noted preacher Willimon (Pastor, and, with Stanley Hauerwas, Resident Aliens), opens his lucid and thought-provoking overview of Methodist beliefs with the counterintuitive claim that Jesus actually wasn't principally concerned about beliefs. He wanted people to follow him, not necessarily assent to a set of "cool intellectual propositions" about him. Still, Methodists do have doctrines, which Willimon feels are worthy, God-given guideposts to following Jesus. Willimon first tackles the Trinity, underscoring that "a decisive change in the human heart can and does occur under the prompting of grace and the guidance of the Holy Spirit." He then moves on to Methodist beliefs about Jesus, salvation, grace and good works. Especially important is his chapter on the church, where, reprising themes that pervade his earlier writing, Willimon argues that although Americans desire to go the spiritual life alone, Methodism teaches that people become most fully conformed to Christ when they are part of the larger ecclesial body. Methodist church life, says Willimon, is a tad schizophrenic, appreciating order while also seeking "radical renewal." Written with Willimon's characteristic dry wit, this highly readable book brings to life doctrines that in other hands would seem dry and dusty. Willimon has produced the most insightful introduction to Methodism available today. (May)

The Essence of Shinto: Japan's Spiritual Heart
Motohisa Yamakage. Kodansha (Oxford Univ. Press, dist.), $22 (288p) ISBN 978-4-7700-3044-3

Western visitors to Japan sometimes come away with the idea that Shinto, Japan's indigenous religion, is a "dead" tradition, with shrines preserved as mere historic sites or tourist traps. Not so, claims Yamakage, who represents "the 79th generation of an ancient Shinto tradition" and makes a case for living Shinto as a faith-based religion that is predicated on "the belief in the presence of the kami," or spirits. Yamakage calls for a return to koshinto, the ancient Shinto practice that he says had no shrines at all, and for a rejection of the "secular, materialistic, atheistic society" that he believes modern Japan has become. He offers a strong introduction to Shinto, stressing that it is nondogmatic, nondoctrinal and almost wholly decentralized. Still, Shintoists are united by a reverence for nature and an emphasis on self-purification, particularly through water rituals and cleansing. The book is nicely designed, with an excellent layout and black-and-white photos throughout. At times, Yamakage's voice can be overly strident, as when challenging the faith and motivations of some contemporary Shinto priests. Overall, however, this is a fine primer that makes a compelling case for Shinto as a religion invested with deep meaning. (May)

Conversations with Mormon Authors
Compiled and edited by Christopher Kimball Bigelow. Mormon Arts and Letters (Baker & Taylor, dist.), $39.95 (272p) ISBN 978-0-85051-111-6; paper $17.95 ISBN 978-0-85051-108-6

On the heels of Mormonism for Dummies and the hilarious Mormon Tabernacle Enquirer, Bigelow leans on his background as founding editor of the Mormon literary magazine Irreantum to explore questions of LDS writing and literature. This anthology of interviews with 28 LDS authors explores a range of genres from young adult romance to screenplays, poetry to sci-fi and fantasy. Powerhouses like novelists Levi Peterson and Terry Tempest Williams, essayist Eugene England, filmmaker Richard Dutcher and humorist Robert Kirby all weigh in. The questions go from the sublime (Is there a coherent Mormon literary scene? Will there ever be an LDS Saul Bellow or Flannery O'Connor? What is faithful writing?) to the nuts and bolts of writing habits, publishing houses and marketing. It has some blatant holes in its roster (no Gerald Lund or Orson Scott Card), but most of all it lacks an epilogue from the editor that could have provided some analysis of recurring themes and internal debates. That work is left entirely to the reader. Nevertheless, this collection will be valuable to the growing field of Mormon studies and will be a must-read for aspiring LDS writers. (May)

Islam: Past, Present & Future
Hans Küng. Oneworld (NBN, dist.), $39.95 (1,024p) ISBN 978-1-85168-377-2

Prominent Christian theologian Küng completes his trilogy on the world's three monotheistic faiths with this lengthy analysis of Islam's 1,400-year history. As in his previous volumes, he speaks against the clash of civilizations and for peace through inter-religious dialogue. He sees each faith as having had major paradigm shifts that have moved it forward, and, in fact, praises Islam for advancing the Arab people quite rapidly, in some cases much faster than similar periods for Christianity. Nevertheless, he claims the Muslim world has neglected to move to its next paradigm due to various failures: arrogant ulama (religious scholars), greed among the wealthy, and the lack of health care and education. Equally critical of Christianity and Judaism, Küng is a lone, profound voice searching for greater understanding through asking difficult questions. He is intuitively confident that Muslims are ready to revitalize their religion, hungry for such rethinking through new Qur'anic interpretations that are already underway. Although the thousand-page book is overblown and could use some stringent editing, it contains insightful ideas and worthwhile commentary. Those intimidated by the lengthy volume may prefer to peruse the fascinating maps and tables throughout, which neatly and graphically summarize the book's major points. (May)

Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To: Divine Answers to Life's Most Difficult Problems
Anthony DeStefano. Doubleday, $18.95 (176p) 978-0-385-50990-9

Books on prayer are legion, most often focusing on why we should pray and how to do it correctly. DeStefano, author of A Travel Guide to Heaven, offers readers a refreshing look at this evergreen topic by focusing on 10 prayers God "always" answers. "Why don't people take advantage of prayers that work? One big reason is that they are so caught up in prayers that don't always work," says DeStefano. He offers readers this guarantee: "before you even get to the last page of this book, your life will begin to change before your eyes." Prayers include "God, show me that you exist," "God, forgive me," "God, give me courage" and "God, lead me to my destiny." DeStefano uses the Christian Bible as the foundation for his work, not offering quick fixes but instead expounding on the need for true repentance, right motives and genuine commitment. More conservative camps will most likely cluck at what they see as DeStefano's lack of firmness about salvation as a prerequisite to both heard and answered prayer, but a careful reading shows that the author understands faith, not selfishness, is the foundation for these prayers. His cheerful style and heartfelt faith make this an optimistic look at a timeless subject. (May)

John of God: The Brazilian Healer Who's Touched the Lives of Millions
Heather Cumming and Karen Leffler. Atria/Beyond Words, $22.95 (224p) ISBN 978-1-58270-164-6

Sometime in 1951 João Teixeira de Faria, age nine, rightly predicted which houses in his aunt's neighborhood would be damaged or destroyed by an impending windstorm. Since then, his abilities have expanded to include the channeling of a number of Entities, or spirits. Two of his followers (from the Casa de Dom Inácio de Loyola, where he makes his home and performs his healings), Cumming and Leffler, began gathering testimonials and "spirit photographs," pictures that they believe capture the essence of the spirits. The result is a combination history–prayer guide–visitors' primer on medium João and his work in South America and throughout the world. The team-writing approach makes for repetition (though this may also be due to the epithetic nature of the story) and, at times, contradiction. Testimonies come from a wide variety of sources—farmers, doctors, lawyers and even Peruvian officials—and include an equally broad spectrum of experience, from herbal prescriptions to invisible surgeries, crystal bed treatments to physical surgeries. All this purportedly comes from a man who, in his earthly corporeal incarnation, can neither read nor write. Skeptics will not likely be persuaded by this testimony to the Brazilian healer. (May)

The Organic God
Margaret Feinberg. Zondervan, $16.99 (224p) ISBN 978-0-310-27244-1

An emerging popular writer for culture-savvy evangelicals, Feinberg challenges 20-somethings and older Christians to trade in their current relationship with God for an "organic" one. In a word, Feinberg describes her former understanding of God as "polluted," while today she longs for closeness to the creator as characterized by all that is "natural, pure, and essential." Throughout these introspective spiritual musings, Feinberg (What the Heck Should I Do with My Life? and God Whispers) is engaging and thoughtful as she pairs the mysteries of the divine-human relationship with everyday wonders found in the material world. Thematically laid out, the book shares Feinberg's personal recollections from childhood on to present-day experiences while pointing to various aspects of God's character; Feinberg's God is bighearted, beautiful, wise, talkative, infallible, generous, stubborn, kind and mysterious. In one particularly transparent story, Feinberg shares how God nudged her to bestow generosity by giving away a beloved sweater, a pair of gloves and some gourmet treats. Feinberg resisted, only to ruin the sweater, lose a glove and find the treats uneatable within a 24-hour period. She learned that "the Organic God doesn't just want me to give until it hurts, but rather to give until it feels good." Feinberg's quirky personality shines forth on every page, making her text a delectable treat. (May)

Reasons to Believe: How to Understand, Explain, and Defend the Catholic Faith
Scott Hahn. Doubleday, $19.95 (260p) ISBN 978-0-385-50935-9-0

Many times in its 2,000-year history, the Catholic Church was under tremendous scrutiny and even persecution, thus necessitating the faithful to provide a cogent and passionate explanation of doctrine to skeptics. These explanations developed into a formal branch of theology known as "apologetics." Hahn, an increasingly popular theologian, speaker and writer, has grabbed the doctrinal baton with books like The Lamb's Supper and Hail, Holy Queen. Here he presents a contemporary apologetics for those who feel a need to defend their faith in the postmodern world. Hahn certainly knows the Catechism, and his writing is concise and certain. He unabashedly declares the Catholic faith to be "the only Christian body that professes one faith, undivided, unchanged, throughout the world and throughout the ages." While some may be persuaded by this rhetoric, such phrases will come across to others as overly triumphalistic, especially since the history of the church includes many doctrinal disputes and painful clashes over belief that Hahn glosses over. Readers wrestling with doubts about their faith may not find much solace in Hahn's work, but Catholics who feel the need to articulate their viewpoint to fellow believers and nonbelievers could benefit from Hahn's clear explanation of doctrine. (May)

Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar
Alan Morinis. Shambhala/Trumpeter, $22.95 (224p) ISBN 978-1-59030-368-9

Morinis, director and founder of the Mussar Institute, summarizes the practice of Mussar "in the phrase tikkun ha'middot ha'nafesh—improving or remedying the traits of the soul"—while emphasizing that it is not self-help. Rather, "it means working on yourself, but not for the sake of yourself... but... to bring the soul to wholeness and holiness." Each of us is born with an inner soul that is irrevocably pure, but the outer layers constantly engage in the age-old struggle between good and evil. By determining our soul curriculum, or "issues that repeatedly challenge [us]," we can strengthen our souls and therefore every aspect of our lives. Specifically, he addresses 18 soul traits: humility, patience, gratitude, compassion, order, equanimity, honor, simplicity, enthusiasm, silence, generosity, truth, moderation, loving-kindness, responsibility, trust, faith and yirah (a combination of fear and awe, without a true English counterpart). In most cases the explanations are clear and delightfully illustrated with colorful Talmudic tales, though occasionally some traits, like moderation and generosity, seem at odds with each other. Early on, Morinis explains that a Mussar book should be read "slowly, in little segments, so the material can be thoroughly absorbed and digested." So, too, should readers of any religion take their time with this engaging tome of wisdom, lore and suggested practice. (May)

Anger: Discovering Your Spiritual Ally
Andrew D. Lester. Westminster John Knox, $16.95 (168p) ISBN 978-0-664-22499-8

Anger is unavoidable and perfectly natural, according to Lester, professor of pastoral theology and pastoral counseling at Brite Divinity School. As part of what God created and called good in Genesis, anger is only wrong or sinful when used in destructive rather than creative ways. In this primer on the subject, Lester explores frequently misinterpreted biblical narratives about God, Jesus and anger, and provides a six-step process for recognizing, naming, evaluating and using creatively that emotion most of us wish would go away. Anger occurs when our values, self-understanding, physical being or future hopes and dreams are threatened, says Lester. Using illustrative stories from the Bible and contemporary life, he makes a convincing case for his "threat model." As is true with any one-size-fits-all answer, however, the model gets stretched thin occasionally ("When the Jews came to arrest Jesus in the Garden, Peter felt his investment in Jesus and his mission were threatened"). Nonetheless, the book—written in clear and nontechnical language, with frank descriptions of the inappropriate ways people express anger, as well as suggestions for using it as an ally instead—will help readers from a Christian background understand, befriend and use their anger creatively. (May)

The Religious History of American Women: Reimagining the Past
Edited by Catherine A. Brekus. Univ. of North Carolina, $59.95 (320p) ISBN 978-0-8078-3202-1; $19.95 paper ISBN 978-0-8078-5800-4

University of Chicago historian Brekus (Strangers and Pilgrims) brings together 12 innovative and engaging essays about women and religion in U.S. history. Several authors treat Catholic women and race: Emily Clark introduces nuns who evangelized slaves in 18th-century New Orleans, and Amy Koehlinger contextualizes white nuns' civil rights activism in the story of the postconciliar reform of religious orders. Many essays make methodological or theoretical points that have broad applications to historical scholarship. Janet Moore Lindman looks beyond churches to find women's spirituality, arguing that women's letter writing, good works and attendance at funerals are meaningful acts of piety that historians may miss if they keep their eyes trained on "the meetinghouse." Susanna Morrill, in a fascinating piece on Mormon women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, reads popular literature as a key to women's theological discourses. A few of the essays are less original—Pamela Nadell's article on women in American Judaism, for example, makes the uncontroversial claim that it is important to "emphasize women's agency" and to see women as "historical actors" in their own right. The academics and students who will likely make up this volume's main audience are in for a treat. (Apr. 23)

I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith Through an Atheist's Eyes
Hemant Mehta. WaterBrook, $13.99 paper (224p) ISBN 978-1-4000-7347-4

Mehta, an atheist, once held an unusual auction on eBay: the highest bidder could send Mehta to a church of his or her choice. The winner, who paid $504, asked Mehta to attend numerous churches, and this book comprises Mehta's responses to 15 worshipping communities, including such prominent megachurches as Houston's Second Baptist, Ted Haggard's New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Willow Creek in suburban Chicago. (Mehta ranks Willow Creek as the church most likely to draw him back.) Mehta, who grew up Jain, offers some autobiographical context, then discusses nonreligious people's approach to topics such as death and suffering. But all that is just a preamble to Mehta's sketches of the churches he attended. He doesn't find much community in churches; families sit far apart from other families, and people race "out the front doors to their cars" as soon as the service ends. Churches earn high marks for Mehta when they offer great speakers and focus on community outreach, but they also do many things wrong, including singing repetitive songs and alienating non-Christians by ubiquitously proclaiming them to be "lost." Mehta's musings will interest Christians who seek to proselytize others and who want to identify their evangelistic mistakes. (Apr. 17)