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.

April Morning

by Howard Fast

Publication year 1961

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Family, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Military & War, US History, Religion & Spirituality, Relationships, American Revolution, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

April Morning is a historical fiction work by Howard Fast, a prolific author whose writings spanned the bulk of the 20th century. Published in 1961, midway through Fast’s career, the novel is one of many he wrote on the Revolutionary War and the birth of America. Originally intended for a general audience, it came to be regarded as a young adult novel as many middle and high school English programs included it in their curriculum... Read April Morning Summary

A River Sutra

by Gita Mehta

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Education, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Indian Literature, Diversity, Religion & Spirituality, Asian Literature, Classic Fiction

A River Sutra, a novel by Indian American author Gita Mehta, was first published in 1993. The novel is set on the banks of the Narmada River in India, and it is comprised of interconnected stories about characters who are drawn to the river. The narrator seeks to retreat from the world after his wife’s death, but he gains an appreciation for the lived experiences of humanity through the stories he hears. The novel discusses... Read A River Sutra Summary

As A Man Thinketh

by James Allen

Publication year 1902

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Fear, Joy, Love, Mental Health, Future, The Past, Environment, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Art, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Literature, New Age, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

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

... Read As A Man Thinketh Summary

A Secular Age

by Charles Taylor

Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes The Past, Self Discovery, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Politics & Government, Sociology, Arts & Culture, World History, Philosophy

... Read A Secular Age Summary

A Severe Mercy

by Sheldon Vanauken

Publication year 1977

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Marriage, Beauty, Grief, Death, Self Discovery, Love, Trust & Doubt

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Christian, Grief & Death, Biography

Sheldon Vanauken’s celebrated memoir A Severe Mercy is a moving portrait of deep love confronted with suffering and death. Published in 1977, A Severe Mercy was written by Vanauken from the compilation of many years’ worth of journal entries, hand-written letters, and firsthand accounts of the people and events that the narrative relates. As a Yale- and Oxford-trained scholar and professor of English and an accomplished poet and author, Vanauken brings his literary expertise to... Read A Severe Mercy Summary

A Shopkeeper's Millennium

by Paul E. Johnson

Publication year 1978

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags US History, Education, Education, World History, Religion & Spirituality

In A Shopkeeper’s Millennium: Society and Revivals in Rochester, New York, 1815–1837, historian Paul E. Johnson analyzes the social factors that led to Rochester’s religious revival in the 1830s. This guide follows the first edition of A Shopkeeper’s Millennium, which was first published in 1978. Rochester’s revival was part of a larger religious movement in 19th-century America, known as the Second Great Awakening, during which time numerous Americans joined evangelical Protestant churches. Rochester’s revival centered... Read A Shopkeeper's Millennium Summary

Ash Wednesday

by T. S. Eliot

Publication year 1930

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Hope, Death, Appearance & Reality

Tags Narrative Poem, Religion & Spirituality, British Literature, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

... Read Ash Wednesday Summary

A Tale Of A Tub

by Jonathan Swift

Publication year 1704

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Siblings

Tags Satirical Literature, Irish Literature, British Literature, World History, Philosophy, Philosophy, Humor, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s Travels, A Modest Proposal) wrote A Tale of a Tub (published in 1704) not only to expound upon the hypocrisy of religion in early 18th century England, but to explore ideas about critics, oration, ancient and modern philosophies, digressions, and the nature of writing itself. These themes are all underscored with a satirical tone that takes religion, authors, and critics to task. The title refers to the tub that sailors used to... Read A Tale Of A Tub Summary

A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge

by George Berkeley

Publication year 1710

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Language, Science & Technology, Environment

Tags Philosophy, Metaphysical, Irish Literature, Education, Education, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Irish philosopher and Anglican Bishop George Berkeley (1685-1753) wrote A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge in 1710. The short work expounds Berkeley’s philosophy of immaterialism, a form of empiricism asserting that nothing exists outside of a mind’s perception of it. Objects, therefore, are not things, but ideas. Berkeley’s philosophy critiques that of contemporary empiricists John Locke and David Hume, who contended that the mind can perceive the material world in abstract and that... Read A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge Summary

Augustown

by Kei Miller

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Family, Colonialism, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Race & Racism, World History, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Religion & Spirituality

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Autobiography of a Yogi

by Paramahansa Yogananda

Publication year 1946

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Space, Science & Technology, Self Discovery

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Indian Literature, Philosophy, Asian History, Philosophy, Biography, Self-Improvement

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952) was first published in 1946 and has since become a much-loved and admired book around the world. It is regarded as one of the classics of 20th-century spiritual literature. In 1999, it was named by a HarperCollins panel of authors and scholars as one of the “100 Best Spiritual Books of the Century.” In the book, Yogananda tells the story of his life, beginning with his childhood... Read Autobiography of a Yogi Summary

A Vision

by William Butler Yeats

Publication year 1925

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Art

Tags Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Irish Literature

... Read A Vision Summary