News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

These are the latest beliefs and religion additions to the collection.  It’s easy to reserve things online – just click on the title link next to the cover to check availability, then the link to reserve is at the top left hand side.

Rock the Casbah : rage and rebellion across the Islamic world, by Robin Wright.
Wright posits that the Muslim world is currently experiencing a sentiment of counter-jihad, “a struggle within the faith itself to rescue Islam’s central values from a small but virulent minority.” In Part Two of the book, Wright examines the cultural significance of anti-extremism, from the lyrics of the Tunisian hip-hop artist El General, to the feminist interpretations of the Koran by Amina Wadud…. Wright is an expert on the subject and this book is an accessible and riveting account for readers looking to learn more about the post-9/11 Islamic world. (drawn from Publishers Weekly courtesy of Syndetics)

Awake in the world : teachings from yoga & Buddhism for living an engaged life, by Michael Stone.
Stone continues with the notions that informed his earlier book, uniting the insights of Buddhism with the merits of the practice of yoga. Stone’s particular brief is that we be aware of the importance of participation in communities in ways that further justice and minimize harm to all human beings. …Summary : Elegantly stated “sermons” from a born leader in Buddhism and yoga; perfect for explorers of Eastern traditions. (drawn from Library Journal, courtesy of Syndetics)

Growing up Amish : a memoir, by Ira Wagler.
This memoir offers a nuanced account from a man who straddled both Amish and “English” (non-Amish) worlds. Wagler recounts his Amish upbringing, from dating conventions and worship services to local gossip and schoolyard bullies. The simplicity of everyday life may seem quaint on the surface. Yet Wagler bravely goes on to expose pervasive dissatisfaction among both youth and adult Amish living in what he characterizes as a stifling, formulaic world. … The memoir is worthwhile as much for its Amish insights as for its exploration of one man’s emotional turmoil, regret, and shame. Wagler, who now works at a building and supply company in Lancaster County, Pa., deserves praise for his honesty.(drawn from Publisher’s Weekly, courtesy of Syndetics)

Living the hours, by Anthony Grimley & Jonathan M. Wooding.
Even where people have given up on the institutional churches, monasticism retains an integrity and magnetic appeal. This timely book explores what it is that makes monastic spirituality so attractive to so many people and how it can be incorporated into an individual’s everyday life in practical ways. Chapters include: The appeal of monasticism; Different varieties of monastic experience; Monastic spirituality and personal development; Monastic spirituality and relationships; Monastic spirituality and community living; and Working out a rule of life.” (Syndetics summary)

Paradise lust : searching for the Garden of Eden, by Brook Wilensky-Lanford.
Part adventure story, part historical narrative, Wilensky-Lanford spins the history of explorers who searched for the Garden’s precise earthly coordinates. With adept, well-researched prose, she traces how, from four verses in Genesis naming four rivers flowing from the Garden, scientists and pseudo-scientists, preachers and theologians, have claimed “scientific proof” of Paradise’s location-in Iraq, Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, Florida, Ohio, the North Pole, and elsewhere. .. After traveling the globe on her Paradise quest, she arrives at the stump of “Adam’s Tree” in a contested zone near Basra, Iraq, meditating not so much on the Garden, but on humanity’s first steps from it. (Drawn from Publisher Weekly, courtesy of Syndetics)

The survival of the soul : do you want to know everything? by Lisa Williams.
Many of us have questions about the passage of life and often wonder what happens when we die. Williams explores evidence of the afterlife. Through various channels such as meditation, psychic readings, communication with her Spirit Guide, and a personal near-death experience, Lisa delves into the journey of the soul, discusses the different stages of the afterlife, and reveals what life is really like on the other side. This book addresses the myriad questions many of us have surrounding this subject, especially if we’ve gone through the painful experience of having lost loved ones.

Exploring the presence : more faith patches, by Trish McBride.
“The passionate, rich and honest spiritual journey of a woman who left her church after awakening to the Divine Feminine. In her sequel to Faith Evolving, Trish McBride honours the Presence of the Holy One who permeates All that Is, however we may name Her/Him. The book holds a range of writing: poetry, theological reflection, pilgrimage/travel writing, myth and article” drawn from www.wheelers.co.nz

The real devil : a biblical exploration, by Duncan Heaster.
Heaster seeks to bring out the crucial relationship between doctrine and practice, demonstrating that the ultimate power of true theology is in the radical transformation of human life in practice.

Religion, caste, and politics in India, by Christophe Jaffrelot.
Following independence, the Nehruvian approach to socialism in India rested on three pillars: secularism and democracy in the political domain, state intervention in the economy, and diplomatic non-alignment mitigated by pro-Soviet leanings after the 1960s. These features defined a distinct “Indian model”, if not the country’s political identity. Jaffrelot traces the transformation of India throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, particularly the 1980s and 90s…. The traditional Nehruvian system is giving way to a less cohesive though more active India, a country that has become what it is against all odds. Jaffrelot maps this tumultuous journey, exploring the role of religion, caste, and politics in determining the fabric of a modern democratic state.