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 1925

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Art, The Past

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Christian, Philosophy, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

IntroductionThe Everlasting Man is a work of philosophical history, written by G. K. Chesterton in 1925. In The Everlasting Man, Chesterton seeks to demonstrate the providential ordering of history and the uniqueness of human beings in general and of the person of Jesus Christ in particular. Ever since its publication, the book has been widely influential, even contributing to the intellectual conversion of C. S. Lewis, who called it the best popular apologetic he knew.A... Read The Everlasting Man Summary

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Love, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Special Occasions, Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Horror & Suspense, Religion & Spirituality, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

The Exorcist is a 1971 novel in the horror genre by William Peter Blatty. It tells the story of the possession of a young girl named Regan MacNeil. In 1973, the book was turned into a critically acclaimed film that spawned a number of sequels. Plot SummaryIn northern Iraq, an elderly priest named Lankester Merrin finishes an archeological excavation of a tomb and returns to America, shaken by a premonition. While finishing a film shoot with the... Read The Exorcist Summary

Publication year 1950

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Marriage, Love

Tags Immigration & Refugeeism, Religion & Spirituality, Holocaust

“The First Seven Years” is a short story that Bernard Malamud originally published in 1950. The story subsequently appeared in several collections, including The Magic Barrel, which won the 1959 National Book Award for fiction. Malamud’s exploration of the complications of the American Dream for immigrants and the aftermath of the Holocaust make the story an important contribution to American Jewish literature of the twentieth century. This guide is based on the short story as... Read The First Seven Years Summary

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Religion & Spirituality, Aging, Fate, Friendship, Forgiveness, Memory, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Family, Hate & Anger, Love, War, Grief, Marriage, Fathers, Nostalgia, Hope, Mothers

Tags Inspirational, Magical Realism, Religion & Spirituality, Grief & Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a novel by best-selling writer Mitch Albom. Published in 2003, it sold more than 10 million copies and appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2004, the story was adapted into a made-for-television movie starring Jon Voight. In 2018, Albom penned a follow-up called The Next Person You Meet in Heaven. The novel follows the story of Eddie, a man who believes his life was... Read The Five People You Meet In Heaven Summary

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Middle Eastern Literature, Asian Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality

The Forty Rules of Love is a 2009 novel by Elif Shafak. The book tells the story of Ella Rubinstein, a woman in her late thirties who has settled into the complacency of her life. She exists without drive or passion. The narrative follows her unlikely escape from what at first appears to be inevitable unhappiness. The novel also concerns itself with the deep, fraternal love between Sufi dervish Shams of Tabriz and the mystical... Read The Forty Rules of Love Summary

Publication year 1997

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Self Discovery, Truth & Lies, Perseverance

Tags Philosophy, Self-Improvement, Inspirational, Religion & Spirituality, Psychology

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz was first published in 1997. Born into a family of healers and shamans, Ruiz dedicated his life to creating a philosophy that blends ancient Toltec wisdom with modern sensibilities. After its publication, The Four Agreements stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for 10 years and ranked as the 36th best seller of the decade. Many celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey... Read The Four Agreements Summary

Publication year 1960

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Philosophy, Christian, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

The Four Loves, written by C.S. Lewis and originally published in 1960, presents the author’s philosophical and theological differentiation of four types of love: Friendship, Affection, Eros, and Charity. Affection, Friendship, and Eros are classified as “natural” (116) loves, while Charity receives a higher distinction in that it is closest to the type of love that is defined by the maxim “God is love” (1), the premise that underlies all of his arguments. Charity is... Read The Four Loves Summary

Publication year 1927

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Science & Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The Future of an Illusion is a 1927 book by Sigmund Freud in which the Austrian neurologist investigates the origins of society and religion. Freud is well-known as the founder of psychoanalysis, a discipline that he developed in the late 1800s that seeks to use talk therapy to help patients cure their mental disorders. Freud wrote a number of influential books that popularized his psychoanalytic theories, such as The Interpretation of Dreams (1899) and The... Read The Future of an Illusion Summary

Publication year 1794

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Guilt, Memory, Grief, Nostalgia, Conflict, Apathy, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Good & Evil, Wins & Losses, Appearance & Reality

Tags Lyric Poem, Religion & Spirituality, World History, British Literature

Publication year 1882

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Truth & Lies

Tags Philosophy, Existentialism, Science & Nature, World History, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

The Gay Science is a book of poems and collection of 383 aphorisms in five sections that interrogates the origins of the history of knowledge. It celebrates philosophy as a medicine capable of renewing the intellect, and perceives of philosophy as inspiration for individual freedom, and thereby capable of renewing culture. First published in 1882, Nietzsche added a “Book Fifth” to The Gay Science five years later.In The Gay Science, Nietzsche declares God is dead... Read The Gay Science Summary

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Coming of Age, Social Class

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Asian Literature, Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, World History, Religion & Spirituality

The Ghost Bride (2013) is the first novel by Malaysian Chinese author Yangsze Choo. The novel bridges multiple genres, including mystery, ghost story, and coming-of-age romance to explore the rich and complicated world of colonial Malacca at the end of the 19th century, the relationship between life and death, and how the afterlife can contain just as many complexities as the living world. Widely praised, the novel was adapted into a Netflix original series in... Read The Ghost Bride Summary

Publication year 2010

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Joy

Tags Self-Improvement, Inspirational, Psychology, Religion & Spirituality, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Health

The Gifts of Imperfection: Your Guide to Wholehearted Living (2022) by Brené Brown (originally published as The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are in 2010) introduces the key concepts that have become a signature of Brown’s research, such as reclaiming the importance of vulnerability and defining shame as an obstacle to self-development and connection. The original book spent 75 weeks on The New... Read The Gifts of Imperfection Summary