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Torn

Rescuing The Gospel From The Gays-Vs.-Christians Debate

Justin Lee was raised in a conservative Southern Baptist home and was so committed to his faith that classmates called him "God Boy." But as he entered high school, Lee came face to face with feelings he had tried to suppress and realized that he was gay. As a gay man who felt called to service in the evangelical Christian ministry, Lee has urged people on both sides of the debate to promote peace. In his new book, he remembers his path to self-acceptance and encourages gay Christians, their families and their churches to enter into dialogue.

News and Reviews

• May 13-19: A Rumrunner, A Swashbuckler And A Team Of Spies
• 'Torn': Living As An Openly Gay Christian

Paris to the Pyrenees

A Skeptic Pilgrim Walks the Way of Saint James

David Downie chronicles the pilgrimmage he took with his wife from Paris to the Pyrenees and ultimately to the sanctuary of Saint James, a journey on which they followed age-old trails through France rather than the commercialized Spanish route.

News and Reviews

• A Pilgrimage Through France, Though Not For God

My Bright Abyss

Meditation of a Modern Believer

A poet and a man of strong Christian faith meditates on life, death, and being an artist after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer; he describes how he dealt with the creeping doubts and the increasing pain.

News and Reviews

• A Poet Grapples With Faith And Death In The 'Abyss'

New American Haggadah

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

News and Reviews

• Nathan Englander: Stories Of Faith, Family And The Holocaust
• New 'Haggadah': A Sacred Text, And A Good Read
• Nathan Englander: Assimilating Thoughts Into Stories

Did Jesus Exist?

The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth

Bible expert Bart D. Ehrman tackles issues surrounding the mythologies associated with Jesus and the early Christian movement. In addition to marshaling evidence that proves the existence of Jesus, including the writings of the Apostle Paul, Ehrman argues that if someone had invented Jesus, he or she would not have created a messiah who was so easily overcome.

News and Reviews

• March 18-24: True Tales From Haiti, Paris, Early Christendom And Hitler's Germany
• 'Did Jesus Exist?' A Historian Makes His Case

Still

Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis

Ordained Episcopal priest Lauren F. Winner writes about the spiritual crisis she experienced when her mother died and her marriage unraveled. Still delivers reflections on how murky and gray the spiritual life can be while offering guidance on how to see the light we do encounter more clearly.

News and Reviews

• March 4-10: Spiritual Crisis, Suburban Plight And America's War Machine
• A Theologian Has A Falling Out With God In 'Still'

The Vatican Diaries

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Power, Personalities and Politics at the Heart of the Catholic Church

Presents a behind-the-scenes perspective on the Vatican's inner workings that challenges popular perceptions, revealing the personal conflicts, authority-undermining scandals, and modern considerations that are challenging the Vatican's daily business.

News and Reviews

• 'Behind The Scenes' At The Vatican: The Politics Of Picking A New Pope

Erasing Death

The Science That Is Rewriting the Boundaries Between Life and Death

Drawing from meticulous research, one of the world's leading experts on the scientific study of death, the human mind-brain relationship and near-death experiences demystifies what happens to human consciousness during and after death.

News and Reviews

• 'Erasing Death' Explores The Science Of Resuscitation

Help, Thanks, Wow

The Three Essential Survival Prayers

Help, Thanks, Wow describes the three simple prayers — asking for assistance from a higher power, expressing gratitude and feeling awe — that help to deal with the hardships of daily life.NPR Bestseller

News and Reviews

• Anne Lamott Distills Prayer Into 'Help, Thanks, Wow'

Going Clear

Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief

Based on more than 200 personal interviews with current and former Scientologists, both famous and less well-known, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright uses his investigative ability to uncover the inner workings of the Church of Scientology.NPR Bestseller

News and Reviews

• Hollywood Hot Shots, Scientology And A Story Worth The Risk In 'Going Clear'
• 'Going Clear': A New Book Delves Into Scientology

The Dude And The Zen Master

A lighthearted and inspiring dialogue between the Oscar-winning actor and his longtime spiritual guru explores the challenges of Bridges' Hollywood career, and the ways in which Zen teachings have informed his efforts to do good in the modern world.NPR Bestseller

News and Reviews

• Learning To Live In The Moment With 'The Dude'
• Book Review: 'The Dude And The Zen Master'
• Actor Jeff Bridges Plays Not My Job

The Dead Sea Scrolls

A Biography

Chronicles the history of the Dead Sea scrolls, from their initial discovery to the current controversies surrounding them.

News and Reviews

• 'Dead Sea Scrolls' Live On In Debate And Discovery

In The Shadow Of The Sword

The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire

In this sweeping history, Tom Holland reexamines the rise of Islam and places it within the context of the Roman and Persian empires.

News and Reviews

• Feb. 11-17: Romance, Clockwork, Secrets And Empire
• 'Shadow': New Light On Islamic History

The First Muslim

The Story of Muhammad

Lesley Hazleton's researched account of Mohammed's life adds depth and complexity to a story that is simultaneously famous and little-understood.

News and Reviews

• Separating Man From Myth In 'The First Muslim'