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Moving the Mountain

Moving the Mountain

Beyond Ground Zero to a New Vision of Islam in America

by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf

Hardcover, 225 pages, Simon & Schuster, $24, published May 8 2012 | purchase
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  • Moving the Mountain
  • Beyond Ground Zero to a New Vision of Islam in America
  • Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf

The Muslim leader best known for his contributions to the establishment of an interfaith community center near Manhattan's Ground Zero offers insight into his progressive beliefs, ambassador service and advocacy of tolerance and equal rights.

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Heaven on Earth

Heaven On Earth

A Journey Through Shari'a Law From The Deserts Of Ancient Arabia To The Streets Of The Modern Muslim World

by Sadakat Kadri

Hardcover, 372 pages, Farrar Straus & Giroux, $28, published April 10 2012 | purchase
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  • Heaven On Earth
  • A Journey Through Shari'a Law From The Deserts Of Ancient Arabia To The Streets Of The Modern Muslim World
  • Sadakat Kadri

A legal historian and human rights lawyer gives a history of Islamic law and explains how, just in the last forty years, the shari'a has been appropriated and transformed by hardliners desperate to impose their oppressive vision on society.

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Bad Religion

Bad Religion

How We Became a Nation of Heretics

by Ross Douthat

Hardcover, 337 pages, Simon & Schuster, $26, published April 17 2012 | purchase
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  • Bad Religion
  • How We Became a Nation of Heretics
  • Ross Douthat

Traces the decline of Christianity in America since the 1950s, posing controversial arguments about the role of heresy in the nation's downfall while calling for a revival of traditional Christian practices.

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When God Talks Back

When God Talks Back

Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship With God

by T. M. Luhrmann

Hardcover, 434 pages, Random House Inc, $28.95, published March 27 2012 | purchase
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  • When God Talks Back
  • Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship With God
  • T. M. Luhrmann

Draws on anthropological and psychological perspectives to analyze the American evangelical experience, drawing on intimate interviews with members of the Vineyard church while explaining the scientific aspects of intensely practiced prayer and collective supernatural experiences.

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I'm Over All That

I'm Over All That

And Other Confessions

by Shirley MacLaine

Paperback, 218 pages, Pocket Books, $15, published April 3 2012 | purchase
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  • I'm Over All That
  • And Other Confessions
  • Shirley MacLaine
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Did Jesus Exist?

Did Jesus Exist?

The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth

by Bart D. Ehrman

Hardcover, 361 pages, HarperCollins, $26.99, published March 20 2012 | purchase
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  • Did Jesus Exist?
  • The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth
  • Bart D. Ehrman

Defends the idea that Jesus was an actual historical figure and attempts to distinguish the actual man from the Christian God.

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New American Haggadah

New American Haggadah

by Jonathan Safran Foer and Nathan Englander

Hardcover, 160 pages, Little Brown & Co., $29.99, published March 5 2012 | purchase
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  • New American Haggadah
  • Jonathan Safran Foer and Nathan Englander

The author of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close offers a new translation of the text of prayer and song used by Jewish familes each year to celebrate Passover and the story of Exodus, with the text augmented by commentary by a number of modern-day thinkers, including Michael Pollan, Lemony Snicket, Tony Kushner and Judith Shulevitz.NPR Bestseller

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Heaven is for Real

Heaven Is for Real

A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back

by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent

Paperback, 163 pages, Thomas Nelson Inc, $16.99, published November 2 2010 | purchase
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  • Heaven Is for Real
  • A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back
  • Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent

The story of a Nebraska pastor's 4-year-old son, who loses consciousness during surgery, sees a vision of heaven and meets Jesus' special horse.NPR Bestseller

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Sword of the Spirit, Shield of Faith

Sword Of The Spirit, Shield Of Faith

Religion In American War And Diplomacy

by Andrew Preston

Hardcover, 815 pages, Random House Inc, $37.50, published February 28 2012 | purchase
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  • Sword Of The Spirit, Shield Of Faith
  • Religion In American War And Diplomacy
  • Andrew Preston

An analysis of the pivotal role of religion in American foreign policy from the nation's beginnings through the end of the Cold War demonstrates how the beliefs of leaders and everyday citizens have shaped their views on America's place in the world.

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Revelations

Revelations

Visions, Prophecy, And Politics In The Book Of Revelation

by Elaine H. Pagels

Hardcover, 246 pages, Penguin Group USA, $27.95, published March 6 2012 | purchase
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  • Revelations
  • Visions, Prophecy, And Politics In The Book Of Revelation
  • Elaine H. Pagels

Explores the New Testament book of Revelation in a historical first century context, reinterpreting the book as a scathing attack on the decadence of Rome that was subsequently adopted by early Christians as a weapon against heresy.NPR Bestseller

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Religion for Atheists

Religion For Atheists

A Non-Believer's Guide To The Uses Of Religion

by Alain de Botton

Hardcover, 320 pages, Random House Inc, $26.95, published March 6 2012 | purchase
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  • Religion For Atheists
  • A Non-Believer's Guide To The Uses Of Religion
  • Alain de Botton

Alain de Botton argues that everyone can benefit from the wisdom and power of religion, regardless of beliefs, and explains how the secular world can glean insights from religious stories about how to live, how to structure societies and how to achieve a greater appreciation for culture.

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When I Was a Child I Read Books

When I Was a Child I Read Books

by Marilynne Robinson

Hardcover, 206 pages, Farrar Straus & Giroux, $24, published March 13 2012 | purchase
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  • When I Was a Child I Read Books
  • Marilynne Robinson

A new collection by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Gilead revisits such themes as the role of faith in modern life, the inadequacy of fact and the inherent contradictions of human nature.

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Patience

Patience

The Art of Peaceful Living

by Allan Lokos

Paperback, 221 pages, Penguin Group USA, $14.95, published January 5 2012 | purchase
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  • Patience
  • The Art of Peaceful Living
  • Allan Lokos

A forefront meditation instructor and author of Pocket Peace shares recommendations for cultivating more patience — explaining the relationship between patience and anger, while revealing how to recognize various manifestations of anger to develop key disciplines.

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The Righteous Mind

The Righteous Mind

Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion

by Jonathan Haidt

Hardcover, 384 pages, Random House Inc, $28.95, published March 13 2012 | purchase
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  • The Righteous Mind
  • Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
  • Jonathan Haidt

The author of The Happiness Hypothesis presents a groundbreaking investigation into the origins of morality at the core of religion and politics, offering scholarly insight into the motivations behind cultural clashes that are polarizing America.

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American Grace

American Grace

How Religion Divides and Unites Us

by Robert D. Putnam, David E. Campbell and Shaylyn Romney Garrett

Paperback, 707 pages, Simon & Schuster, $19.99, published February 21 2012 | purchase
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  • American Grace
  • How Religion Divides and Unites Us
  • Robert D. Putnam, David E. Campbell, et al

Draws on two national surveys on religion, as well as research conducted by congregations across the United States, to examine the profound impact that religion has had on American life and how religious attitudes have changed in recent decades.

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Still

Still

Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis

by Lauren F. Winner

Hardcover, 244 pages, HarperCollins, $24.99, published January 31 2012 | purchase
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  • Still
  • Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis
  • Lauren F. Winner

Lauren F. Winner shares her experience of a marriage unraveling, which plunged her into a world of doubt and spiritual crisis, and how she was able to overcome this "middle stage" of her spiritual life to find hope and healing.

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The Man In The Middle

The Man In The Middle

An Inside Account of Faith and Politics in the George W. Bush Era

by Timothy S. Goeglein

Hardcover, 241 pages, B & H Pub Group, $19.99, published September 15 2011 | purchase
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  • The Man In The Middle
  • An Inside Account of Faith and Politics in the George W. Bush Era
  • Timothy S. Goeglein

Discusses how President George W. Bush's decisions were made for the greater good, and how many of them could serve as a blueprint for a more thoughtful, confident conservatism.

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Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life

Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life

by Karen Armstrong

Paperback, 222 pages, Random House Inc, $14, published December 27 2011 | purchase
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  • Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life
  • Karen Armstrong

The award-winning author of A History of God shares practical recommendations for promoting world peace by cultivating one's intrinsic tendencies for compassion, outlining a program for achieving mindfulness and engaging in acts of kindness.

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The Jewish Annotated New Testament

The Jewish Annotated New Testament

New Revised Standard Version Bible Translation

by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler

Hardcover, 637 pages, Oxford Univ Pr, $35, published November 15 2011 | purchase
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  • The Jewish Annotated New Testament
  • New Revised Standard Version Bible Translation
  • Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler

In The Jewish Annotated New Testament, eminent experts under the general editorship of Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler put these writings back into the context of their original authors and audiences. And they explain how these writings have affected the relations of Jews and Christians over the past two thousand years.

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 How to Be Compassionate

How to Be Compassionate

A Handbook for Creating Inner Peace and a Happier World

by Dalai Lama XIV

Paperback, 147 pages, Pocket Books, $14, published December 13 2011 | purchase
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  • How to Be Compassionate
  • A Handbook for Creating Inner Peace and a Happier World
  • Dalai Lama XIV

Through practical exercises and personal anecdotes, a revered spiritual leader shows how individuals' compassion can lead to global changes.

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Padre Pio

Padre Pio

Miracles and Politics in a Secular Age

by Sergio Luzzatto

Paperback, 371 pages, St Martins Pr, $22, published November 22 2011 | purchase
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  • Padre Pio
  • Miracles and Politics in a Secular Age
  • Sergio Luzzatto

An unbiased historical appraisal of the life of the controversial 20th-century saint examines the miracles he is believed to have performed as well as detracting reports, offering insight into the relationship between modern Catholicism and politics.

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