Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Science & Technology, Fear, Community, Conflict, Power & Greed, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
Religion & Spirituality
In this collection we've gathered fiction and nonfiction texts that address humanity's age-old search for meaning and purpose within a higher power.
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Science & Technology, Fear, Community, Conflict, Power & Greed, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Good & Evil, Fate, Religion & Spirituality
Tags Fantasy, British Literature, Religion & Spirituality, Science Fiction, Humor
Good Omens, The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman is a darkly comic novel originally published in 1990. It is a satirical imagining of the Biblical apocalypse featuring angels, demons, humans, and the hosts of Heaven and Hell.Pratchett is well known for his ˙comic fantasy Discworld series, which spans 41 books. Gaiman is the author of, among other titles, Stardust, American Gods, and the graphic novel series... Read Good Omens Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Mental Health, Perseverance, Hope, Future, Self Discovery, Religion & Spirituality
Tags Self-Improvement, Psychology, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Inspirational, Health
Publication year 90
Genre Scripture, Nonfiction
Themes Love, Religion & Spirituality, Community
Tags Religion & Spirituality, Christian
The Gospel of John is the last of the four biblical gospels in the New Testament, each offering a biography of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is traditionally attributed to John, one of Jesus’s 12 disciples and a major leader in the early church, though some scholars dispute that attribution. The Gospel of John, most likely written in the latter decades of the first century CE, is part of the Johannine corpus... Read Gospel of John Summary
Publication year 1953
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Religion & Spirituality, Race, Sexual Identity, Family, Shame & Pride, Fathers, Equality
Tags Life-Inspired Fiction, Love & Sexuality, Religion & Spirituality, Race & Racism, American Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Go Tell it on the Mountain is a semi-autobiographical novel by James Baldwin. Published in 1953, the novel tells the story of a teenager in 1930s Harlem named John Grimes as well as his wider family, dealing with themes of religion, sexuality, and race. This guide uses an eBook version of the Modern Penguin Classics edition of the novel. Plot SummaryGo Tell it on the Mountain is set on the 14th birthday of the protagonist... Read Go Tell It on the Mountain Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies, Loyalty & Betrayal, War, Siblings, Place, Race, Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Guilt
Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, World War II, Military & War, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse, Asian History, US History, Religion & Spirituality, Children`s Literature, World History
Publication year 1965
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Community
Tags Anthropology, Education, Education, Anthropology, World History, Travel Literature, Religion & Spirituality, Biography
Guests of the Sheik is a nonfiction book set in Iraq in the early years of the Cold War. In 1956, Elizabeth Warnock Fernea accompanies her husband, Bob Fernea, on a two-year, anthropological, dissertation research trip. As a new bride who is entirely unfamiliar with the Middle East or its history and culture, Elizabeth lives in the rural tribal settlement of El Nahra among the El Eshadda tribe. Though she is unable to speak Arabic... Read Guests of the Sheik Summary
Publication year 1985
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Community, Economics, Nation, Politics & Government, Religion & Spirituality
Tags Social Science, Arts & Culture, Sociology, World History, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Politics & Government
Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life by Robert N. Bellah, Richard Madsen, William M. Sullivan, Ann Swidler, and Steven M. Tipton, is a sociological study published in 1985 that explores the balance between individualism and community within American society. The authors, who bring a collective background in sociology and theology to their analysis, investigate how Americans navigate the tensions between personal autonomy and social belonging. The book addresses topics such as... Read Habits of the Heart Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Good & Evil, Self Discovery, Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger, Community, Siblings, Conflict
Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
Half Bad (March 2014) is the debut novel of author Sally Green. It is also the first book in a trilogy of the same name. The book became an instant bestseller because of its similarity to the Harry Potter series. Green followed Half Bad with Half Wild (2015) and Half Lost (2016). The Half Bad trilogy was eventually produced as the Netflix series entitled The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself. It ran for one... Read Half Bad Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Religion & Spirituality, Community, Hope, Aging, Death
Tags Religion & Spirituality, Inspirational, Biography
Have a Little Faith: A True Story is a 2009 nonfiction book by American journalist and author Mitch Albom. The book can be classified as an inspirational memoir, as it centers on the author’s interactions with two faith leaders, one Jewish and one Christian, over an eight-year period. In 2011, Have a Little Faith was adapted into a made-for-television film starring Laurence Fishburne, Martin Landau, and Bradley Whitford. This study guide refers to the 2009... Read Have a Little Faith: A True Story Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Fear, Guilt, Love, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Fathers, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger
Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
Heart-Shaped Box (2007) is the debut novel of horror writer Joe Hill, son of the famous Stephen King. The novel is a contemporary Gothic story about Judas “Jude” Coyne, a retired rock star hunted by a ghost. His confrontation with the ghost forces him and his girlfriend, Marybeth “Georgia” Kimball, to confront their respective pasts and current relationship. Hill went on to publish novels such as Horns (2010), NOS4A2 (2013), and The Fireman (2016), as... Read Heart-Shaped Box Summary
Publication year -600
Genre Scripture, Nonfiction
Themes Religion & Spirituality, Future, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Marriage, Community, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos
Tags Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Jewish Literature
The Hebrew Bible is the standard canon of Jewish sacred texts, composed in a period that falls across the second and first millennia BCE. It is also referred to as the Tanakh, an acrostic portmanteau of the three major sections of the Hebrew Bible: the Torah (“teaching”), the Nevi’im (“prophets”), and the Ketuvim (“writings”). The Hebrew Bible is a collection of 24 major texts, in which there are 39 books. These 39 books correspond to... Read Hebrew Bible Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Power & Greed, Good & Evil, Appearance & Reality
Tags Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
Publication year 1974
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Family
Tags Crime & Law, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Psychology, Psychology, Religion & Spirituality, Biography
Vincent Bugliosi (1934-2015), the lead prosecutor in the case of the murders committed by Charles Manson and his followers, wrote the book Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders as a detailed account of the trial, evidence, and interviews with the witnesses that eventually put these horrific criminals behind bars. Written with the help of ghostwriter Curt Gentry, the book highlights Bugliosi’s insider’s perspective on the events, with detailed explanations of the gory... Read Helter Skelter Summary
Publication year 1955
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Religion & Spirituality, Fear, Love
Tags Christian, Symbolic Narrative, Psychology, Religion & Spirituality, Self-Improvement, British Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Hannah Hurnard’s 1955 novel Hinds’ Feet on High Places is an allegorical portrayal of purgation, progress, and ascent within the spiritual life. Born to Quaker parents, Hurnard struggled with her faith in her youth but experienced a powerful conversion at the age of 19. Inspired, she gained theological training in England and went on to author almost two dozen books over the course of her life, including a sequel to Hinds’ Feet entitled Mountain of... Read Hinds’ Feet on High Places Summary
Publication year 1909
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Truth & Lies
Tags Politics & Government, Religion & Spirituality, Education, Education, Asian Literature, World History, Philosophy, Philosophy, Indian Literature, Classic Fiction
Hind Swaraj, or Indian Home Rule, by Mohandas K. “Mahatma” Gandhi, was published in 1909 and inspires people in India to work for independence from British colonial control. The book outlines Gandhi’s critique of Britain’s domination of India; it urges the Indian people to reject English customs, laws, and industry in favor of traditional Indian ways. Gandhi also encourages India to reject armed conflict and instead adopt a policy of nonviolent, passive resistance.Hind Swaraj is... Read Hind Swaraj Summary
Publication year 1212
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Loneliness, Place, Religion & Spirituality
Tags Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Natural Disaster, Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1977
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Religion & Spirituality, Good & Evil, Art
Tags Religion & Spirituality, Science & Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy
SummaryHoly the Firm is a 1977 book on Christian spirituality by American naturalist and author Annie Dillard. Dillard, whose 1974 Pilgrim at Tinker Creek won the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction, is often championed for her ability to describe and narrativize the natural world. In Holy the Firm, Dillard applies this ability to what happened during a three-day period on an island in Puget Sound. Dillard ultimately stayed on this Island for two years... Read Holy the Firm Summary