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.

The Cloisters

by Katy Hays

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies, Education

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, Religion & Spirituality, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts & Culture

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The Clouds

by Aristophanes

Publication year -423

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Education, Good & Evil, Justice

Tags Classic Fiction, Drama, Comedy & Satire, Ancient Greece, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality

Clouds is an Attic Comedy by Aristophanes (circa 450-385 BCE). The play was initially produced at the City Dionysia in 423 BCE, where it placed third in a drama festival. Aristophanes subsequently worked on a revision that he never completed, and it is this incomplete revision that represents the surviving text of the play known today. Clouds centers on the character of Strepsiades and his ill-conceived attempt to learn sophistry, or fallacious arguments, from Socrates... Read The Clouds Summary

The Color of Water

by James McBride

Publication year 1996

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Religion & Spirituality, Social Class

Tags Coming of Age, Race & Racism, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Religion & Spirituality, Parenting, African American Literature, Great Depression, American Literature, Education, Education, Biography

The Color of Water is a nonfiction autobiography published in 1996 by the American author and musician James McBride. Subtitled A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother, The Color of Water chronicles the author’s challenges growing up in the 1960s and 1970s as a child with a white Jewish mother and Black father. Interspersed with the author’s recollections are interview transcripts describing his mother’s abusive upbringing as an Orthodox Jewish woman living in the... Read The Color of Water Summary

The Conference of the Birds

by Farid ud-Din Attar

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Classic Fiction, Narrative Poem, Animals

Considered widely as a masterpiece of Persian literature, Farid ud-Din Attar’s epic poem, The Conference of the Birds, tells the story of thirty birds on a journey to find their ideal Sovereign, the Great Simorgh, the mythical bird that dwells on Mount Qaf, a legendary mountain that encompasses the earth. First published in 1077 CE and consisting of more than 4,500 lines, the central concern of the poem is Sufism, a mystical doctrine of Islam... Read The Conference of the Birds Summary

The Darkest Minds

by Alexandra Bracken

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Childhood & Youth, Community, Conflict, Memory, Power & Greed

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure, Religion & Spirituality

American author Alexandra Bracken’s young adult dystopian novel The Darkest Minds (2012) tells the story of teen protagonist Ruby, who escapes a grim government camp for kids with special abilities. She meets a group of other young people on the run led by the charismatic Liam. The first book in The Darkest Minds series is followed by Never Fade, In the Afterlight, and Through the Dark. Exploring themes of generational conflict and the power of... Read The Darkest Minds Summary

The Da Vinci Code

by Dan Brown

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Perseverance, Conflict, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Religion & Spirituality, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown was originally published in 2003 and has become an international bestseller, with sales of over 80 million. It was made into a popular movie starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tatou, and Ian McKellen. The novel is Brown’s fourth, a fast-paced thriller with political, historical, and religious overtones. Its initial release generated controversy for perceived condemnation of the Catholic Church and historical inaccuracies. Despite the charges, The Da Vinci Code... Read The Da Vinci Code Summary

The Dead Zone

by Stephen King

Publication year 1979

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride

Tags Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Religion & Spirituality, Relationships, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy

The Dead Zone (1979) is a science fiction thriller novel by Stephen King. King’s story about a man who sees visions of the future after awakening from a years-long coma explores themes of missed opportunity, belief, and the sacrifices inherent in moral action. The novel was nominated for numerous awards, including the 1980 Locus Award, and has been adapted for film (1983) and television (2002-07). Please be advised that The Dead Zone includes mention of... Read The Dead Zone Summary

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

by Leo Tolstoy

Publication year 1886

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Death, Family, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Classic Fiction, Christian, Psychological Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Philosophy, Grief & Death, Religion & Spirituality, Russian Literature

The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886) is a fictional novella by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910). The story raises questions about what is important in life through Tolstoy’s observation of social interaction and individual priorities.Tolstoy was born into aristocracy and was popular at a time when Russia was under the autocratic rule of Tsar Nicholas II, the last Russian emperor of the Romanov Dynasty. Tolstoy, whose best-known works are War and Peace (1867) and... Read The Death of Ivan Ilyich Summary