Spiritually covered

Ten selected books to help wrap up Christmas shopping

Nothing But Love in God's Water by Robert Darden
Nothing But Love in God's Water by Robert Darden

Christmas is nearing and that means it's time for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's annual selection of books ideal for gift giving. This year's list includes 10 books on a variety of topics related to religion and spirituality, such as an examination of miracles, a look at the enduring popularity of C.S. Lewis and an exploration of black sacred music. That's where we'll start:

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Joy to the World: How Christ’s Coming Changed Everything (and Still Does), by Scott Hahn

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Vanishing Grace: What Ever Happened to the Good News? by Philip Yancey

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C.S. Lewis and the Crisis of a Christian, by Gregory S. Cootsona

Nothing But Love in God's Water, by Robert Darden (The Pennsylvania State University Press, $34.95)

Subtitled "Black Sacred Music From the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement," this book by Darden explores how sacred music helped black Americans challenge oppression by finding a voice through song.

Darden is director of the Gospel Music Restoration Project at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, which is set to be a permanent feature of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History when it opens in Washington next year.

Using personal interviews, as well as rare recordings, Darden delves into the history of black sacred music and finds it "irrepressibly bubbles up and envelopes black people at their times of greatest need." In this book, the first of two, Darden looks at early spirituals like "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel," "Steal Away to Jesus" and "Go Down Moses." He also examines gospel and protest songs, such as "We Shall Overcome" and "Strange Fruit." From Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Mahalia Jackson to Sam Cooke and Thomas A. Dorsey, it's an expansive look at much beloved music and an engaging read for any music lover.

Joy to the World: How Christ's Coming Changed Everything (and Still Does), by Scott Hahn (Image, $23)

Hahn, the best-selling author of The Lamb's Supper, examines the Christmas story in his latest book and finds that at its core it's a story about family.

"Jesus did not come into this world alone. He came into this world by way of a family, and he brought us salvation so that we could share membership in the family of God. That's the very meaning of salvation and the meaning of Christmas ..." he writes.

Hahn introduces readers to each member of the holy family and shares stories of their journeys. He also delves into the lives of Herod and Caesar Augustus and explores the role of angels in the narrative, as well as that of the Magi and shepherds. Joy to the World will take readers deeper into the story of Christmas and perhaps lead to a renewed sense of joy in the holy day.

Vanishing Grace: What Ever Happened to the Good News? by Philip Yancey (Zondervan, $22.99)

Yancey revisits the story of grace 20 years after his best-seller What's So Amazing About Grace? and finds the church is failing in its mission to show grace to the world. He cites opinion polls that show that the public views Christians, particularly evangelicals, in a negative light. Why, he asks, does the church stir up such negative feelings?

Yancey posits that there are pre-Christians, those not exposed to the church who are open to talking about religion, and post-Christians, those with negative feelings toward the church. He says during his travels around the world he has seen both. He has seen the enthusiastic reception of the "Good News" in Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia, but back home -- apart from what he called the "religion-soaked South" where a welcome view of the Gospel is commonplace -- he said the message is often met with antagonism and disbelief and even seen as baffling.

To change, Yancey says, the church needs to find new ways of sharing the Gospel and he goes on to provide examples through the stories of those sharing grace with love.

Lean on Me, by Anne Marie Miller (W Publishing Group, $15.99)

Subtitled "Finding Intentional, Vulnerable and Consistent Community," Lean on Me focuses the role of community in our lives, particularly as it affects our faith. Miller says she found the true meaning of community following the end of her marriage with the help of 10 friends. They formed a group she knew she could count on at any time and through those relationships Miller also strengthened her relationship with God.

"In my most desperate time I needed community. I needed to lean on others," she says. "When I asked my group of friends to commit to helping me through the crisis of my marriage ending, I never doubted that it was a wise step to finding health and wholeness in my relationship with God and others. I didn't realize at the time how lifesaving and life-giving this decision would be."

Using humor and honesty, Miller shares stories from her past to explore the types of relationships we have with one another and offers readers a guide to finding true community of their own.

50 Women Every Christian Should Know: Learning from the Heroines of the Faith, by Michelle DeRusha (Baker Books, $17.99)

Fans of history and biographies will enjoy this book, but they are by no means the only audience who will find good reading in this well-researched and engagingly written book. As the subtitle suggests and DeRusha writes in the introduction, "I observed my own struggles, flaws, desires, and joys reflected in their stories and in their lives."

The women are listed in order by birth date, from the mystical German nun Hildegard of Bingen to Southern fiction writer Flannery O'Connor. Familiar names (Julian of Norwich, Sojourner Truth, Florence Nightingale, Corrie ten Boom, Mother Teresa, hymn writer Fanny Crosby) are mingled with less familiar: martyr Ann Askew, who was burned at the stake; Catherine Booth, who founded the Salvation Army with her husband; Elizabeth Fry, a Quaker who worked to improve prison conditions in London; Clara Swain, who spent 27 years as a medical missionary in India in the 1800s; and a name familiar to Southern Baptists: Lottie Moon, missionary to China.

Miracles: What They Are, Why They Happen, and How They Can Change Your Life, by Eric Metaxas (Dutton, $27.95)

Best-selling author Metaxas is well-known for his biographical books on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and William Wilberforce, but he takes on a new challenge in writing about miracles. He says the book is an answer of sorts to books by famous atheists like Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris who say miracles are impossible.

The book looks at what miracles are and asks, can a rational person believe in them? What do they mean and do they happen today? He discusses biblical miracles, like Jesus reviving the dead Lazarus, but also shares the stories of people he knows who say they've experienced miracles. Are the stories real, hallucinations or coincidences? He lets the reader decide.

Jesus: A Pilgrimage, by James Martin (HarperOne, $27.99)

Martin, a Jesuit, wrote this book as a way to introduce readers to Jesus -- both those with no faith and those with a deep love of Christ. He does so by taking readers along with him as he recounts a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Along the way he explores the familiar Scriptures of the Gospels as well as what he calls the "hidden life" of Jesus, from his childhood, to his public ministry, his death and resurrection, by addressing the humanity and the divinity of Christ.

Readers will see Jesus' sorrow and joy, his fear and grief. Martin says the humanity of Jesus can be a stumbling block for some, but so can his divinity. It's supernatural and some can't accept him as more than a wise teacher. Martin sees him as fully human and fully divine and shares the Jesus he knows through his stories, scriptural studies and reflections.

Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2015, by The Irish Jesuits (Ave Maria Press, $15.95)

This prayer book is part of a yearly series that provides daily meditations following the spiritual practices of lectio divina, also known as sacred reading, as well as the practices of Ignatian spirituality, which was developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola. The book includes daily readings and meditations, as well as prayer starters, and is perfect for those who want to find a few minutes to pray each day.

These prayer books by the Jesuits are designed to be used along with the devotions on the website sacredspace.ie.

Every Valley: Advent With the Scriptures of Handel's Messiah, compiled by Jessica Miller Kelley (Westminster John Knox Press, $15)

A perfect Advent devotional for music lovers, Every Valley focuses on the text of Handel's Messiah to help prepare readers for the coming of Christ. The book is divided into three parts: Christ's birth and its foretelling, Christ's passion and resurrection and Christ's eternal reign. Opening with the prophesies of Isaiah, the book includes Scripture references through Revelation.

The book features 40 reflections on the Scriptures that make up the libretto of Messiah. They can be used as a starting point for Bible study or personal devotions or used as a daily meditation from Advent through the 12th day of Christmas.

C.S. Lewis and the Crisis of a Christian, by Gregory S. Cootsona (Westminster John Knox Press, $16)

The writings of C.S. Lewis have enthralled readers young and old for decades and his books remain popular more than 50 years after his death. Cootsona says it's because "his crises and their resolutions in his work reflect our own crises and guide us toward resolution."

Cootsona turned to Lewis' writings when going through his own crises and found them to be a useful guide to navigating the highs and lows of the Christian journey. Lewis had his own crises, from the early death of his mother to doubts about God, and they influenced his writings, which Cootsona examines. He shows readers how Lewis was able to endure and find God even in the middle of his darkest times and subsequently share his faith in his stories and books.

(50 Women Every Christian Should Know was reviewed by Laura Brown.)

Religion on 11/29/2014

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