To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Age
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Robert Barron, with John Allen Jr. Image, $27 (272p) ISBN 978-1-524-75950-6
Barron, the auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles and host of the PBS documentary Catholicism, passionately proclaims the beauty, joy, and truth of the Catholic faith in these wide-ranging and illuminating conversations with journalist Allen (The Global War on Christians). Convinced that if people can grasp the beauty of Catholicism they will convert, Barron advocates a new evangelization. He’s opposed to what he calls a “beige Catholicism,” a bland and watered-down faith that he says becomes virtually indistinguishable from the “beige” versions of other religions. He firmly believes that if people are attracted by the beauty of Catholicism or by the goodness of the lives of its saints, they’ll begin to look for the truths that underlie this beauty and goodness. Allen and Barron also cover debates about the relationship between religion and science and how Catholicism must confront a sexualized culture. They demonstrate the ways that the beauty, goodness, and truth of the faith fit in with modern science, but take a predictably conservative approach to dealing with sexual impulses. These illuminating, easy-to-read, and genial conversations reveal Barron’s passion for his faith and zeal for introducing it to others. (Nov.)
You Are Beloved: Daily Meditations on Spiritual Living
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Henri J.M. Nouwen. Convergent, $26 (416p) ISBN 978-1-101-90637-8
Drawn from the many writings by Dutch Catholic priest and theologian Nouwen (The Wounded Healer), the reflections in this welcoming daily devotional encourage readers to think of themselves as God’s beloveds. Short daily meditations offer soothing and thoughtful insights into pain and healing, nonviolence and love, suffering, and compassion, among other subjects. In one reflection, Nouwen reminds readers to reject society’s loud messages proclaiming that we must prove our belovedness through our looks or our wealth: “Each one of us is unique, known by name, and loved by the One who fashioned us.” Another heartfelt devotion urges the practice of true hospitality by creating a free and welcoming space where “a stranger can become a friend instead of an enemy.” Nouwen quietly urges readers to reconsider freedom so that it is not simply an action that liberates from oppressive forces but rather an act of forgiveness and bonding. These graceful selections from Nouwen’s writings contain hopeful thoughts for every day of the year. (Nov.)
Mother of the Unseen World: The Mystery of Mother Meera
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Mark Matousek. Spiegel & Grau, $26 (240p) ISBN 978-0-8129-9725-5
Journalist Matousek (Sex, Death, Enlightenment) tells the life story of Mother Meera, an Indian mystic believed by her followers to be an incarnation of the Divine Mother. Born Kamala Reddy in a small south Indian village in 1960, Mother Meera underwent an open-eyed samadhi (a trance state said to be an encounter with the divine) at age 6 and became famous throughout India at age 14 after well-known mystics and ashram leaders corroborated her claims. Matousek chronicles her travels as a spiritual guide, from the residence for orphans she founded in India to her eventual home in Thalheim, Germany, receiving pilgrims such as Matousek himself. Mother Meera’s story is incredible, but the book itself is more heartfelt than hard-hitting. Matousek begins his story with the spiritual awakening he underwent upon first meeting Mother Meera, and he openly, passionately describes her appeal: “This woman was unlike anyone I’d seen before—qualitatively different—as if she belonged to another species.” Matousek is a lively guide, but those not already interested in Mother Meera’s story will find this book most valuable as an introduction to the presence of avatars in Hindu spirituality. Agent: Joy Harris, Joy Harris Literary. (Nov.)
What Now? Meditation for Your Twenties and Beyond
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Yael Shy. Parallax, $15.95 trade paper (249p) ISBN 978-1-941529-82-9
Shy, senior director of the NYU Global Spiritual Life Center, draws from her own experiences to offer meditation advice to 20-somethings in this light, approachable guide. Shy covers familiar ground: teaching the three Buddhist marks of impermanence (impermanence, suffering, no-self), expanding mindfulness practices to everyday life, and “agreeing to let my story of myself as unlovable die, and seeing what happens.” What sets Shy’s offering apart is her candor in revealing her own vulnerability as a young person, including romantic break-ups and peer pressure during college, her struggle to find her spiritual place after being raised Jewish, and a revealing section on entering the job market. When writing about heartbreak or loneliness, she describes a three-part sequence of reactions—being overwhelmed, turning a mindful eye to her body-mind, and developing a healthy relationship to her emotions—that serves as a model for practicing meditation. For Shy, meditation is not just not learning how to take deep breaths, but a process of “becoming familiar with life” and “coming home to ourselves” by “growing ever more expansive and loving toward all of the darkness within.” This easily digested, insightful book will be welcomed by her target audience. (Nov.)
In the Middle of the Mess: Strength for This Beautiful, Broken Life
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Sheila Walsh. Thomas Nelson, $22.99 (224p) ISBN 978-1-4002-0491-5
Walsh (Five Minutes with Jesus), cohost of the TV show Life Today, opens her poignant text with a letter to her father, who committed suicide when she was five years old. In her letter, Walsh engages with her late father’s battle with depression, sharing that she, too, has had thoughts about taking her own life: “I’ve been tormented by thoughts of suicide for most of my life—first of my father’s, then of my own. Is this a shocking confession? It is to most people, and it should be.” Walsh delves into practical ways she has learned to arm herself against depression, recommending journaling and confession as helpful in overcoming dark thoughts. Weaving together memoir and tips for happier living, Walsh aims to help readers find “a place to show up in our brokenness and still be loved, a safe place where we can come as we are.” Each chapter focuses on a theme (“No More Bumper Sticker Faith,” “You Are Braver Than You Know,” “Rejecting the Lies We Believe”) that is explored first through Walsh’s own experiences and then through passages from scripture that impart a lesson, concluding with a brief reflection. Readers will appreciate Walsh’s courage and candor as she challenges other Christ followers to be honest about their struggles and to help out fellow sufferers with kindness and compassion. (Nov.)
Awaiting the King: Reforming Public Theology
James K.A. Smith. Baker Academic, $22.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-8010-3579-1
In this third volume of philosophy professor Smith’s Cultural Liturgies project (after You Are What You Love), he makes a nuanced critique of the contemporary church’s involvement in the political sphere. He argues for a “posture correction” that will empower Christians to “work for justice—laboring to build humane economies and life-giving cities.” Engaging with the ideas of multiple theologians—beginning with Augustine, whose City of God is the “animating source” of Smith’s project—Smith explores characteristics of a “Christian public theology” that defies a “neat-and-tidy compartmentalization of the spiritual and the political.” Smith posits both that “Christian worship is political in nature... led by—an ascended King” and that the civic sphere brims with religious elements: “Our public rituals have the force of rites.” Buttressing his analyses with plentiful references to popular culture, Smith makes complex theological arguments accessible to lay readers. Though he writes from an unapologetically evangelical perspective, Smith’s cultural sensitivity and in-depth exploration of multiple political and philosophical perspectives offer Christians across the political spectrum a welcome, constructive contribution to contemporary debates about church and politics. (Nov.)
Happiness in This Life
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Pope Francis. Random House, $27 (247p) ISBN 978-0-52551-097-0
With this wide-ranging collection of writings, homilies, and addresses, the current pontiff dispels any notion that religious practice is dour and antiquated. True to his origins as a Jesuit priest, Pope Francis places the laity above all else and urges Catholics, especially young adults, to use their grace to help the less fortunate: “This is the prayer that a young person should make: ‘Lord, what do you want from me?’ ” Francis endorses reading the Beatitudes in order to find true inner happiness and exhorts readers to memorize them in the same way they would memorize the Ten Commandments. Francis rails against consumerism, arguing that the desire to continually acquire material goods only leads to spiritual emptiness: “Let us distance ourselves from the longing to possess things, from the idolatry of money, and from wastefulness.” This hodgepodge of quotes grouped loosely together is nonetheless inspiring. It brings together the pope’s most affecting passages to inspire Catholics (and those of other faiths) to lift up those around them who suffer. (Dec.)
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