Here are some of the most anticipated spirituality and religion titles coming out during the month of August, including Koitsu Yokomaya’s An Intelligent Life which applies Buddhist wisdom to life’s most pressing questions. Wanda Brunstetter, named one of Amish country’s most beloved storytellers, is also releasing her new book The Gift in August.

Aug. 1

Madness: American Protestant Responses to Mental Illness by Heather H. Vacek (Baylor University, $39.95; ISBN 978-1-4813-0057-5). A traced history of Protestant reactions to mental illnesses.

Hope Without Optimism by Terry Eagleton (Univ. of Virginia, $22.95; ISBN 978-0-8139-3734-2), explores questions of hope that draws on theology, cultural and political theory, and philosophy.

The Gift by Wanda E. Brunstetter (Shiloh Run Press, $15.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-61626-082-8). A young Amish couple struggle to find peace and love in a modern-day marriage of convenience.

A Long Letting Go: Meditations on Losing Someone You Love by Marilyn Chandler McEntyre (Eerdmans, $15; ISBN 978-0-8028-7310-1) is a collection of meditations offering comfort, direction, hope, and respite for the family, friends, and caregivers of dying persons.

Aug. 3

ThetaHealing Seven Planes of Existence by Vianna Stibal (Hay House, $24.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-4019-4855-9) is for those seeking to deepen their understanding of the philosophy behind the creation of ThetaHealing.

Aug. 4

Ferguson and Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community by Leah Gunning Francis (Chalice, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-8272-1105-6), features interviews with more than two dozen St. Louis-area clergy, revealing more about the Ferguson protests and the long reconciliation needed in the wake of Michael Brown’s death.

Maybe Today: A Simple Approach to a Soul-Satisfying Life by David Butler and Emily Belle Freeman (Ensign Peak, $15.99; ISBN 978-1-6297-2038-8) introduces five holy patterns to follow for those seeking a soul-satisfying life.

Aug. 11

An Intelligent Life: Buddhist Psychology of Self-Transformation by Koitsu Yokoyama (Wisdom, $16.95; ISBN 978-16-14291961). A how-to on making intelligent use of our lives: forget the self, live more fully for others, and find happiness deep within.

I Can Pray Every Day by Catherine Christensen and Corey Egbert (Cedar Fort, $14.99; ISBN 978-1-4621-1646-1), is a children's book that features simple prayers and colorful illustrations of baby animals.

Aug. 18

Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome by Reba Riley (Howard, $24.99; ISBN 978-1-5011-2403-7), is a memoir about reclaiming faith and overcoming chronic illness.

The Grammar of God: A Journey into the Words and Worlds of the Bible by Aviya Kushner (Spiegel & Grau, $27; ISBN 978-0-3855-2082-9), features the surprising experience of reading the Bible in English for the first time after growing up reading it in Hebrew, examining the power of translation.

Aug. 20

The Secret of Effortless Doing: Be… and It Will Be by Ronny Hatchwell and Zach Sivan (Rainbow Ridge, $15.95; ISBN 978-1-937907-35-8), makes a case that human’s default state of being is happiness and serenity.

Aug. 25

Buddhism for Dudes: A Jarhead’s Field Guide to Mindfulness by Gerry Stribling (Wisdom, $14.95; ISBN 978-1-6142-9229-6. A former Marine answers questions about life with a healthy dose of Buddhist wisdom for the regular guy.

The Plain Choice by Sherry Gore (Zondervan, $15.99; ISBN 978-0-3103-3558-0) tells the story of one of the few people on earth to have successfully joined the Amish from the outside.

Rising Strong by Brené Brown, Ph. D. (Spiegel & Grau, $27; ISBN 978-0-8129-9582-4) explores failure and encourages readers to get back up again.

Aug. 30

The Letters of Robert Giroux and Thomas Merton edited by Patrick Samway (Univ. of Notre Dame, $29; ISBN 978-0-2680-1786-6), shows how the noted editor helped the Trappist monk become one of the greatest spiritual writers of the 20th century.