Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia

2010 Book Selections

January 25, 2010

THE HOLY WAY
Paula Huston

February 22, 2010

PLAIN SECRETS
Joseph Mackall

March 22, 2010

MY FATHER'S PARADISE
Ariel Sabar

April 26, 2010

FINGERPRINT OF GOD
Barbara Bradley Haggerty

May 24, 2010

WANDERINGS
Chaim Potok

 

 

2009 Book Selections

Monday, January 19, 2009

People of the Book
by Geraldine Brooks
From the Pulitzer Prize-wining author of MARCH, comes an intricate, ambitious novel of rich, imagined history and intimate emotional intensity.  PEOPLE OF THE BOOK sweeps its readers on an intellectual adventure.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Three Cups Of Tea
by David Oliver Relin , Greg Mortenson
Anyone who despairs of the individual’s power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer, who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, was inspired by a choice encounter with mountain villagers and promised to build them a school.  “Three  Cups of Tea” combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Gifts of an Uncommon Life
by Howard Friend, Jr.
In his book, “Gifts of an Uncommon Life”,  Howard Friend presents the practice of contemplative activism and how it can affect one’s life in a  positive way.

Monday, April 20, 2009

The Search for God at Harvard
by Ari L. Goldman
“Mr. Goldman always describes other religions with an aware and generous spirit….And he has a journalist’s eye for exactly the right detail, one that will brisk through hardened prejudice and free a reader to appreciate some different belief.” - N.Y Times Book Review

Monday, May 18, 2009

The Promise
by Chaim Potok
“The Promise” is a passionate, energetic narrative.  It brilliantly dramatizes what it is to master and to use knowledge to make one’s own way in the world.

 

Monday, September 21, 2009

How the Irish Saved Civilization
by Thomas Cahill

This book is a fascinating and very readable account of an important piece of history. Not only is it information that is omitted in the standard text books, but it is presented in a way that makes you personally involved in the lives and contributions of such men as St. Patrick. These are living, breathing pages which give dignity and value to a people.

October 2009

SWEETNESS IN THE BELLY
Camilla Gibb

November 2009

TO BE ONE                          
Nathan Rutstein

December 2009

WELCOME TO THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD AND ITS MEANING                    
Joan Chittister

2008 Book Selections

Monday, September 22, 2008

The Misunderstood Jew:
The Church and the Scandal of The Jewish Jesus
by Amy-Jill Levine

“A strong and convincing case for understanding Jesus as ‘a Jew speaking to Jews,’ and for viewing Christianity as a Jewish movement…. Levine does a masterful job of describing the subtleties of anti-Semitism across the years and across the religious spectrum…. In the end Levine offers a prescription for healing and mutual understanding…. Written for the general public this is an outstanding addition to the literature of interfaith dialogue.” - Publishers Weekly

Monday, October 20, 2008

Left to Tell
by Immaculee Ilibagiza

“Left to Tell is for anyone who is weary of the predictable, ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth’ trance most of the world suffers from.  Immaculee Ilibagiza breas that spell by bravely quelling the storm within, and contacting a force so powerful that allows her to calm the storm ‘without,
and more important to forgive the “unforgivable”.  Her story is an inspiration to anyone who is at odds with a brother, a nation or themselves”
Judith Garten – Teacher, Counselor, Child of WW11 Holocaust.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Quarks, Chaos, and Christianity
by John Polkinghorn

In a crystal clear discussion of science and religion and their logical friendship in the search for truth and understanding,  Polkinghorn discusses belief in God, chaos, evolution, miracles, and prayer, and gives an answer to the question: Can a scientist believe?

Monday, December 15, 2008

Tahrih the Pure
by Martha L. Root

This is still the only full biography of Tahirih, Qurratu’l-Ayn, the premier woman of the Baha’i religion, the renowned poet and writer who proclaimed the advent of a new era for humankind. In 1852 she suffered martyrdom for her faith.

2007 Book Selections

November 19, 2007

The Chosen (1967) by Chaim Potok

The Chosen, a book by Chaim Potok, was published in 1967. It is the story of two teenage Jewish boys who form a friendship though they come from different worlds. Set in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, the story takes place over a period of seven years beginning in 1944 when the protagonists are fifteen years old. It is set against the backdrop of the historical events of the time: the end of WWII, the death of President Roosevelt, the revelation of the Holocaust in Europe and the struggle for the creation of the State of Israel. A thoroughly engaging story, The Chosen has become a classic over the years.

October 8, 2007

The Veil and the Male Elite (1991) By Fatima Mernissi

Fatima Mernissi, PhD, a scholar of sociology in Morocco, sets out to investigate the role of the veil in Islam. Closely analyzing verses in the Qur’ān that discuss female covering, Mernissi asserts that female veiling was not commanded by God. Furthermore, Mernissi also investigates hadith (sayings and actions attributed to the Prophet Muhammad) that discuss female covering and concludes that those hadith that declare that women must veil are not authentic. Rather, they were created by misogynists who did not want women and men to be equal.

September 17, 2007

Man’s Search for Meaning (1946) By Viktor E. Frankl

Viktor E. Frankl, PhD, a famous psychologist of the 20th century, set out to write his memoirs in this work that spans his life, including the suffering experienced as a Holocaust survivor and his consequential search for meaning in the midst of this suffering. Frankl proceeds to make the argument that suffering is a part of human experience. Although it is inevitable, humanity does have the choice to reflect on this suffering and change from it, a lesson he learned both from his experiences in concentration camps and later from his patients.

Monday, May 19, 2007

Speaking of Faith by by Krista Tippett
 
A former diplomat and graduate of Yale Divinity School, Krista Tippett grew up in an evangelical culture and spent a decade as a nonreligious person. In her book Speaking of Faith, Krista Tippett draws on her own life and the conversations she has had with theologians, scientists, ethicists, and activists as creator and host of public radio's popular show of the same name to explore religious traditions around the world. As Tippett observes, faith is as much about questioning as it is about certainties. Faith has a tremendous capacity to nourish our lives and communities, if we can learn how to speak of it meaningfully.  Such dialogue is often challenging since the topics of faith and ethics are often steeped in anger fear, and suspicion.  However, Tippett skillfully speaks to this topic and listens with care to others as they share their own unique views on matters of faith.

Monday, April 28, 2007

The Story of Baha’u’llah by Drew Cederquist

An inspiring and dramatically paced introduction to the Prophet and Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, The Story of Bahá’u’lláh presents in a clear narrative style the life of the Prophet from His birth into a wealthy and noble Persian family, through His transforming spiritual experience while incarcerated in the infamous Black Pit of Tehran, and over the decades of harsh and increasingly remote exile that followed. Despite the schemes of his foes and the hardships of his exile, Bahá’u’lláh openly proclaimed the divine guidance revealed to Him. Woven into the story are Bahá’u’lláh’s principal teachings, the heart of which was a new vision of the oneness of humanity and of the divine Messengers and references to historical events and persons that place the development of the new religion in a global context.

Monday, February 25, 2007

Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light by Brian Kolodiejchuk, M. C.

The life and message of Mother Teresa continues to fascinate.  This book is a response to the plea of many who knew, loved, and admired her and who desire to know the motive of her action, the source of her strength, the reason for her joy, and the intensity of her love.  These pages unveil her interior life with all its depth and drama, and add unsuspected riches to the spiritual heritage Mother Teresa offers to the world." - Excerpted from the Preface by Brian Kolodiejchuk, M. C.

Monday, January 21, 2007

Encountering Other Faiths by Maria Hornung

In ENCOUNTERING OTHER FAITHS, Maria Hornung provides a needed examination of the imperative of interreligious dialogue within the world—and within the United States. This text supports the development of skills in the practice of interreligious discourse, and gives practical counsel on how to encourage interreligious dialogue in its nascent stages. The author uses a creative interdisciplinary approach to create and illustrate a process model that supports interested people in becoming acquainted with interreligious dialogue.