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 Man to Send Rain Clouds

by Leslie Marmon Silko

Publication year 1974

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Death, Community, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Realistic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Relationships, Education, Education

Written by Indigenous American author Leslie Marmon Silko and published in 1968, “The Man to Send Rain Clouds,” a short story depicting the relationship between Laguna Pueblo customs and Christianity, received international acclaim. Inspired by an incident in Silko’s hometown, the short story won her a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. “The Man to Send Rain Clouds” was later compiled into an anthology of works by Indigenous American writers called The Man... Read The Man to Send Rain Clouds Summary

The Man Who Knew Infinity

by Robert Kanigel

Publication year 1991

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Loneliness, Religion & Spirituality, Colonialism

Tags Science & Nature, World History, Depression & Suicide, Education, Religion & Spirituality, Indian Literature, Biography

The Man Who Knew Infinity is a 1991 biography of famed Indian mathematician Srinivāsa Ramanujan, written by Robert Kanigel. The text closely follows Ramanujan’s rise from humble origins to become one of the most influential mathematicians of the 20th century. Joining forces with another notable mathematician in his own right, G. H. Hardy of Cambridge University, Ramanujan produced some of the most insightful, imaginative, and original work in mathematics that is still studied today. From Ramanujan’s... Read The Man Who Knew Infinity Summary

The Man Who Was Thursday

by G. K. Chesterton

Publication year 1908

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, British Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

The Man Who Was Thursday is a thriller novel published in 1908 by the English author G.K. Chesterton. Subtitled A Nightmare, the book weaves together elements of mystery, comedic farce, and allegory around the threat of anarchy in turn-of-the-century London. For over a century after its publication, The Man Who Was Thursday inspired numerous adaptations, including a 1938 Mercury Theatre radio-play written by Orson Welles. Other works by Chesterton include Orthodoxy, The Ball and the... Read The Man Who Was Thursday Summary

The Mastery of Love

by Don Miguel Ruiz

Publication year 1999

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Love, Fear, Mental Health, Appearance & Reality, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Self-Improvement, Religion & Spirituality, Relationships, Philosophy, Psychology, Love & Sexuality, Philosophy, Inspirational, Psychology

... Read The Mastery of Love Summary

The Memory Palace Of Matteo Ricci

by Jonathan Spence

Publication year 1984

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Memory, Religion & Spirituality, Art, Globalization

Tags Philosophy, Philosophy, World History, Biography, Chinese Literature, Religion & Spirituality

Jonathan D. Spence’s The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci (1984) is a biography of 16th-century Jesuit priest Matteo Ricci. Spence is a former professor of history at Yale University and a specialist in Chinese history. The biography is a study of cross-cultural exchange between Ming China and Counter-Reformation Europe. It charts Ricci’s attempts to teach a mnemonic device called the memory palace to scholarly elites in Ming China and his experiences as a missionary in... Read The Memory Palace Of Matteo Ricci Summary

The Mist

by Stephen King

Publication year 1980

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Community, Fear, Religion & Spirituality, Perseverance

Tags Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Psychological Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Mystery & Crime Fiction

... Read The Mist Summary

The Monkey

by Stephen King

Publication year 1980

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture, Good & Evil, Family, Coming of Age

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

... Read The Monkey Summary

The Monkey's Paw

by W.W. Jacobs

Publication year 1902

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Death, Fate, Family

Tags Horror & Suspense, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion & Spirituality

W. W. Jacobs (William Wymark Jacobs) wrote his well-known horror story “The Monkey’s Paw” in 1902. The short story is about the White family and the three wishes granted to them through an ominous monkey’s paw. The “monkey’s paw” has become part of popular culture and appeared, for example in The Simpsons television show as part of its Treehouse of Terror episodes. This guide cites the paragraphs of the Project Gutenberg version.Written in the third... Read The Monkey's Paw Summary

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

by Robin S. Sharma

Publication year 1996

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Future, Midlife, Self Discovery, Mental Health, Beauty, Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Gratitude, Fate, Religion & Spirituality, Environment

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

... Read The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Summary

The Mountain Is You

by Brianna Wiest

Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, New Age, Conflict

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

... Read The Mountain Is You Summary

The Muqaddimah

by Ibn Khaldun

Publication year 1377

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Politics & Government, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Race, Religion & Spirituality, Community

Tags World History, Medieval, Middle Eastern History, Middle Eastern Literature, Sociology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics & Government, Religion & Spirituality

... Read The Muqaddimah Summary

The Myth of Sisyphus

by Albert Camus

Publication year 1942

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Death, Truth & Lies, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Philosophy, Depression & Suicide, Religion & Spirituality, Absurdism, French Literature, Philosophy, World History, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

One of the monuments of 20th-century philosophy, The Myth of Sisyphus, by Nobel Prize-winning author Albert Camus, delves deeply into the emptiness of life and how to cope with it. Published in France in 1942, during the darkest days of World War II, the book resonated strongly with French readers and soon had a worldwide following. The 2018 edition of the 1955 English translation by Justin O’Brien forms the basis for this study guide.The book’s... Read The Myth of Sisyphus Summary

The New Couple in 5B

by Lisa Unger

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Love, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Gender Identity, Friendship, Marriage, Social Class, Community, Art, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense

... Read The New Couple in 5B Summary