Best Spiritual Books of 2004
The Spirituality & Health Awards - 2004
Selected by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
We are pleased to announce our choices of the 50 books that have most impressed and inspired us in 2004. We have made this selection from the more than 300 books reviewed during the year on this web site. Choosing only 50 was actually more difficult than it might seem since we already made one selection when we picked the book for a review among all those we read. We only do positive commentaries on books so that you can be assured that all the resources archived in our Reviews Database are recommended for people on spiritual journeys.
We have organized this list by a major theme or spiritual practice covered in the book. (These are not subcategories of the awards.) Through diverse approaches, drawing upon the wisdom and practices of the world's religions, these titles explore the quest for meaning and purpose, wholeness and healing, commitment and community, contemplation and social activism.
We congratulate the authors and publishers of these exceptional contributions to today's spiritual renaissance.
ATTENTION
Long Life: Essays and Other Writings by Mary Oliver (Da Capo Press, hardcover) contains "little alleluias" to the bounties of nature, animals, places, the soul, and literature.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness by Karen Armstrong (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover), the second installment of her spiritual memoir, covers from 1982 when she left a Catholic convent to the present when she is still thinking and speaking about God, religion, and spirituality.
BEAUTY
Beauty—The Invisible Embrace: Rediscovering the True Sources of Compassion, Serenity and Hope by John O'Donohue (HarperCollins, hardcover) presents an imaginative, sweeping, and enthusiastic survey of this spiritual practice.
COMPASSION
The Lost Art of Compassion: Discovering the Practice of Happiness in the Meeting of Buddhism and Psychology by Lorne Ladner (HarperSanFrancisco, hardcover) offers fresh insights and many specific exercises on developing compassion as a state of heart and mind.
CONNECTIONS
Living Affinity: Nurturing the Environment, Our Relationships and the Life of the Spirit by Hsing Yun (Lantern Books, paperback) spells out many practices that grow out of envisioning the interdependence of all things.
CREATIVITY
The Zen of Creativity: Cultivating Your Artistic Life by John Daido Loori (Ballantine, hardcover) presents spiritual practices and helpful exercises to draw out this expressive force.
ENTHUSIASM
Exuberance: The Passion for Life by Kay Redfield Jamison (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover) is a lively and imaginative treatment of an elated state, a cousin to enthusiasm, happiness, and joy, that is rarely discussed in psychological literature.
ETHICS
The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead by David Callahan (Harcourt, hardcover) is a hard-hitting work of social criticism that delineates some reasons for the ethical disarray in the United States.
EVERYDAY SPIRITUALITY
A Good Life: Benedict's Guide to Everyday Joy by Robert Benson (Paraclete Press, paperback) is a fine primer on everyday spirituality bolstered by practice.
FAITH
Beyond Words: Daily Readings in The ABCs of Faith by Frederick Buechner (HarperSanFrancisco, hardcover) is a wonderful collection of this Christian writer's attempts to catch the muffled presence of the Holy in everyday life.
FAITH
Credo by William Sloane Coffin (Westminster John Knox Press, hardcover) is a soul-stirring collection of quotations from this Protestant preacher's sermons and unpublished speeches that overflows with passion, incisive thinking, imaginative political insights, and prophetic commentary on the most troubling issues of the day.
FAITH
What Would I Believe If I Didn't Believe Anything? A Handbook for Spiritual Orphans by Kent Ira Groff (Jossey-Bass, hardcover) is another robust example of the riches awaiting those who explore everyday spirituality with mystery, wonder, and joy.
GRACE
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Farrar, Straus & Girioux, hardcover) is an enchanting novel about an elderly Congregational minister and the memories and legacies he wants to pass on to his seven-year-old son.
HAPPINESS
Celebrating Life: Finding Happiness in Unexpected Places by Jonathan Sacks (Continuum, paperback) lifts up and affirms what is best in religion.
HEALTH
Invisible Heroes: Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal by Belleruth Naparstek (Bantam, hardcover) presents imagery exercises and regimens for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
HEART
Messages from Amma: In the Language of the Heart edited by Janine Canan (Celestial Arts, hardcover) contains 125 teachings from this modern day Indian saint.
HOPE
God Has A Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time by Desmond Tutu (Doubleday, hardcover) sums up the ideas and beliefs that have served as the foundation of the South African archbishop's sermons, speeches, and writings.
HOPE
The Impossible Will Take A Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Keeping Hope Alive in a Time of Fear by Paul Rogat Loeb (Basic Books, paperback) is a true hope booster with essays by some of the most eloquent, visionary, and provocative people writing today.
ISLAM
Why I Am a Muslim: An American Odyssey by Asma Gull Hasan (Thorsons/Element, hardcover) offers feisty insights into Islam and the many misconceptions people have about it.
JESUS
The Questions of Jesus: Challenging Ourselves to Discover Life's Great Answers by John Dear (Image Books, paperback) opens up new doors and leads us on the paths of peace, justice, compassion, and nonviolence.
JESUS
When Jesus Came to Harvard: Making Moral Choices Today by Harvey Cox (Houghton Mifflin, hardcover) relates the stories of Jesus and stories about him to some of the most nettlesome ethical and moral conundrums of our times.
JUDAISM
First Steps to a New Jewish Spirit: Reb Zalman's Guide to Recapturing the Intimacy and Ecstasy in Your Relationship with God by Rabbi Zalman M. Schacter-Shalomi with Donald Gropman(Jewish Lights, paperback) contains many rituals and spiritual practices that can be done at work, at home, or on the streets.
JUSTICE
Bethlehem Besieged: Stories of Hope in Times of Trouble by Mitri Raheb (Fortress Press, paperback) is an inspiring work by a Palestinian Arab who is a Lutheran minister and interfaith leader in Bethlehem.
JUSTICE
Testimony: The Word Made Fresh by Daniel Berrigan (Orbis Books, paperback) presents an incisive overview of the author's ardent faith, prophetic words, and ethical convictions.
KABBALAH
The Secret Life of God: Discovering the Divine Within You by Rabbi David Aaron (Shambhala, hardcover) offers an imaginative spiritual exploration of the challenges we all face as agents of the divine in the unfolding of the world.
LIVES
The Passionate Troubadour: A Medieval Novel about St. Francis of Assisi by Edward Hays (Forest of Peace/Ave Maria Press, paperback) is a radical, bold, and full-hearted salute to the legacy of a holy man of the margins.
MEANING
The Virtue in The Vice: Finding Seven Lively Virtues in the Seven Deadly Sins by Dr. Robin R. Meyers (Health Communications, hardcover) examines how pride, lust, greed, envy, anger, and other feelings can be pathways to ethical action and a more balanced life.
MUSIC
Communing With Music: Practicing the Art of Conscious Listening by Matthew Cantello (DeVorss Publications, paperback) is an ideal resource for those on a spiritual journey who want to make the most out of their experiences with this medium.
NATIVE AMERICAN SPIRITUALITY
Nature's Way: Native Wisdom for Living In Balance with The Earth by Ed McGaa, Eagle Man (HarperSanFrancisco, hardcover) challenges us to reinstitute this sacred path to see the manifold ways in which the Great Spirit is manifested in the happenings on the earth.
NATURE
The Future of Ice: A Journey into Cold by Gretel Ehrlich (Pantheon, hardcover) pays tribute to winter and glaciers and envisions what will be lost in a "deseasoned " world.
PACIFISM
Clarence Jordan: Essential Writings edited by Joyce Hollyday (Orbis Books, paperback) contains this Southern Christian's sermons and excerpts from his "Cotton Patch" version of the New Testament.
PEACE
At Hell's Gate: A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace by Claude Anshin Thomas (Shambhala, hardcover) bears witness to the power of meditation and mindfulness to transform the soul and open the way to nonviolence and a compassionate life.
POETRY
Between Two Souls: Conversations With Ryokan by Mary Lou Kownacki (Wm. B. Eerdmans, hardcover) is an extraordinary book of poetry that demonstrates the beauty and the bounties of spiritual openness, hospitality, and connections.
POVERTY
The Working Poor: Invisible In America by David K. Shipler (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover) presents a harrowing portrait of the plight of millions of men, women, and children who are struggling just to survive with dead-end and low-paying jobs.
PRAYER
Praying a New Story by Michael Morwood (Orbis Books, paperback) is the perfect resource for small groups interested in exploring new avenues of devotion and spiritual practice.
PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY
In the Heart of the Temple: My Spiritual Vision for Today's World by Joan Chittister (BlueBridge, paperback) gives equal emphasis to contemplation and social action.
QUESTING
Desert Father: A Journey in the Wilderness with Saint Anthony by James Cowan (Shambhala, hardcover) presents the author's quest to learn from the ascetic practices of a fourth century hermit who was a pioneer of spirit.
SHAMANISM
American Shaman: An Odyssey of Global Healing Traditions by Jeffrey A. Kottler and Jon Carlson with Bradford Keeney (Brunner-Routledge, paperback) is filled with amazing stories, meaningful rituals, and insights into the varied ways that the shamanistic practices of indigenous peoples can enrich our lives.
SOLITUDE
The Wisdom of Solitude: A Zen Retreat in the Woods by Jane Dobisz (HarperSanFrancisco, hardcover) salutes the riches that come from spiritual practice during a 100-day winter experience in the woods of New England.
STORIES
Hasidic Tales: Annotated and Explained by Rabbi Rami Shapiro (Skylight Paths Publishing, paperback) contains new translations and interpretations of these stories that are filled with insights into human nature and Divine activity in everyday life.
STORIES
Once Upon a Time in Africa: Stories of Wisdom & Joy compiled by Joseph G. Healey (Orbis Books, paperback) contains many gems on family, community, joy, and the ancestors.
SUFISM
The Drowned Book: Ecstatic and Earthy Reflections of Bahauddin, The Father of Rumi translated by Coleman Barks and John Moyne (HarperSanFrancisco, hardcover) contains a treasure trove of insights into yearning, mystery, and grace.
TEACHERS
Re-enchantment: Tibetan Buddhism Comes to the West by Jeffery Paine (W. W. Norton, hardcover) includes richly developed profiles of Buddhist teachers in a substantive historical overview of this movement.
THEOLOGY
Passion for God: Theology in Two Voices by Jurgen Moltmann and Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel (Westminster John Knox Press, paperback) contains six theological gems.
TRANSFORMATION
A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life by Parker Palmer (Jossey-Bass, hardcover) explores the meaning of community, teaching and learning for transformation, and the importance of nonviolent social change.
TRANSFORMATION
Sacred Therapy: Jewish Spiritual Teachings on Emotional Healing and Inner Wholeness by Estelle Frankel (Shambhala, hardcover) offers plenty of insights and practices to enhance your ongoing soul work.
VIRTUES
Infinite Life: Seven Virtues for Living Well by Robert Thurman (Riverhead, hardcover) is filled with ethical exercises and meditations that reveal the bounties of selflessness, interconnections, and a joyous path of freedom.
WISDOM
The Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice by Ron Miller (Skylight Paths, paperback) is an inspiring paperback for those who want to practice the wisdom of Jesus and step into the Kingdom of God right now here on earth.
WORK
Awake At Work: Facing the Challenges of Life on the Job by Michael Carroll (Shambhala, hardcover) is one of the best books ever written about practicing spirituality on the job.
ZEN
Bring Me the Rhinoceros: And Other Zen Koans to Bring You Joy by John Tarrant (Harmony, hardcover) demonstrates the practice of using enigmatic queries to encourage curiosity and uncover a hidden kindness in life.
Selected by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
We are pleased to announce our choices of the 50 books that have most impressed and inspired us in 2004. We have made this selection from the more than 300 books reviewed during the year on this web site. Choosing only 50 was actually more difficult than it might seem since we already made one selection when we picked the book for a review among all those we read. We only do positive commentaries on books so that you can be assured that all the resources archived in our Reviews Database are recommended for people on spiritual journeys.
We have organized this list by a major theme or spiritual practice covered in the book. (These are not subcategories of the awards.) Through diverse approaches, drawing upon the wisdom and practices of the world's religions, these titles explore the quest for meaning and purpose, wholeness and healing, commitment and community, contemplation and social activism.
We congratulate the authors and publishers of these exceptional contributions to today's spiritual renaissance.
ATTENTION
Long Life: Essays and Other Writings by Mary Oliver (Da Capo Press, hardcover) contains "little alleluias" to the bounties of nature, animals, places, the soul, and literature.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness by Karen Armstrong (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover), the second installment of her spiritual memoir, covers from 1982 when she left a Catholic convent to the present when she is still thinking and speaking about God, religion, and spirituality.
BEAUTY
Beauty—The Invisible Embrace: Rediscovering the True Sources of Compassion, Serenity and Hope by John O'Donohue (HarperCollins, hardcover) presents an imaginative, sweeping, and enthusiastic survey of this spiritual practice.
COMPASSION
The Lost Art of Compassion: Discovering the Practice of Happiness in the Meeting of Buddhism and Psychology by Lorne Ladner (HarperSanFrancisco, hardcover) offers fresh insights and many specific exercises on developing compassion as a state of heart and mind.
CONNECTIONS
Living Affinity: Nurturing the Environment, Our Relationships and the Life of the Spirit by Hsing Yun (Lantern Books, paperback) spells out many practices that grow out of envisioning the interdependence of all things.
CREATIVITY
The Zen of Creativity: Cultivating Your Artistic Life by John Daido Loori (Ballantine, hardcover) presents spiritual practices and helpful exercises to draw out this expressive force.
ENTHUSIASM
Exuberance: The Passion for Life by Kay Redfield Jamison (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover) is a lively and imaginative treatment of an elated state, a cousin to enthusiasm, happiness, and joy, that is rarely discussed in psychological literature.
ETHICS
The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead by David Callahan (Harcourt, hardcover) is a hard-hitting work of social criticism that delineates some reasons for the ethical disarray in the United States.
EVERYDAY SPIRITUALITY
A Good Life: Benedict's Guide to Everyday Joy by Robert Benson (Paraclete Press, paperback) is a fine primer on everyday spirituality bolstered by practice.
FAITH
Beyond Words: Daily Readings in The ABCs of Faith by Frederick Buechner (HarperSanFrancisco, hardcover) is a wonderful collection of this Christian writer's attempts to catch the muffled presence of the Holy in everyday life.
FAITH
Credo by William Sloane Coffin (Westminster John Knox Press, hardcover) is a soul-stirring collection of quotations from this Protestant preacher's sermons and unpublished speeches that overflows with passion, incisive thinking, imaginative political insights, and prophetic commentary on the most troubling issues of the day.
FAITH
What Would I Believe If I Didn't Believe Anything? A Handbook for Spiritual Orphans by Kent Ira Groff (Jossey-Bass, hardcover) is another robust example of the riches awaiting those who explore everyday spirituality with mystery, wonder, and joy.
GRACE
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Farrar, Straus & Girioux, hardcover) is an enchanting novel about an elderly Congregational minister and the memories and legacies he wants to pass on to his seven-year-old son.
HAPPINESS
Celebrating Life: Finding Happiness in Unexpected Places by Jonathan Sacks (Continuum, paperback) lifts up and affirms what is best in religion.
HEALTH
Invisible Heroes: Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal by Belleruth Naparstek (Bantam, hardcover) presents imagery exercises and regimens for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
HEART
Messages from Amma: In the Language of the Heart edited by Janine Canan (Celestial Arts, hardcover) contains 125 teachings from this modern day Indian saint.
HOPE
God Has A Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time by Desmond Tutu (Doubleday, hardcover) sums up the ideas and beliefs that have served as the foundation of the South African archbishop's sermons, speeches, and writings.
HOPE
The Impossible Will Take A Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Keeping Hope Alive in a Time of Fear by Paul Rogat Loeb (Basic Books, paperback) is a true hope booster with essays by some of the most eloquent, visionary, and provocative people writing today.
ISLAM
Why I Am a Muslim: An American Odyssey by Asma Gull Hasan (Thorsons/Element, hardcover) offers feisty insights into Islam and the many misconceptions people have about it.
JESUS
The Questions of Jesus: Challenging Ourselves to Discover Life's Great Answers by John Dear (Image Books, paperback) opens up new doors and leads us on the paths of peace, justice, compassion, and nonviolence.
JESUS
When Jesus Came to Harvard: Making Moral Choices Today by Harvey Cox (Houghton Mifflin, hardcover) relates the stories of Jesus and stories about him to some of the most nettlesome ethical and moral conundrums of our times.
JUDAISM
First Steps to a New Jewish Spirit: Reb Zalman's Guide to Recapturing the Intimacy and Ecstasy in Your Relationship with God by Rabbi Zalman M. Schacter-Shalomi with Donald Gropman(Jewish Lights, paperback) contains many rituals and spiritual practices that can be done at work, at home, or on the streets.
JUSTICE
Bethlehem Besieged: Stories of Hope in Times of Trouble by Mitri Raheb (Fortress Press, paperback) is an inspiring work by a Palestinian Arab who is a Lutheran minister and interfaith leader in Bethlehem.
JUSTICE
Testimony: The Word Made Fresh by Daniel Berrigan (Orbis Books, paperback) presents an incisive overview of the author's ardent faith, prophetic words, and ethical convictions.
KABBALAH
The Secret Life of God: Discovering the Divine Within You by Rabbi David Aaron (Shambhala, hardcover) offers an imaginative spiritual exploration of the challenges we all face as agents of the divine in the unfolding of the world.
LIVES
The Passionate Troubadour: A Medieval Novel about St. Francis of Assisi by Edward Hays (Forest of Peace/Ave Maria Press, paperback) is a radical, bold, and full-hearted salute to the legacy of a holy man of the margins.
MEANING
The Virtue in The Vice: Finding Seven Lively Virtues in the Seven Deadly Sins by Dr. Robin R. Meyers (Health Communications, hardcover) examines how pride, lust, greed, envy, anger, and other feelings can be pathways to ethical action and a more balanced life.
MUSIC
Communing With Music: Practicing the Art of Conscious Listening by Matthew Cantello (DeVorss Publications, paperback) is an ideal resource for those on a spiritual journey who want to make the most out of their experiences with this medium.
NATIVE AMERICAN SPIRITUALITY
Nature's Way: Native Wisdom for Living In Balance with The Earth by Ed McGaa, Eagle Man (HarperSanFrancisco, hardcover) challenges us to reinstitute this sacred path to see the manifold ways in which the Great Spirit is manifested in the happenings on the earth.
NATURE
The Future of Ice: A Journey into Cold by Gretel Ehrlich (Pantheon, hardcover) pays tribute to winter and glaciers and envisions what will be lost in a "deseasoned " world.
PACIFISM
Clarence Jordan: Essential Writings edited by Joyce Hollyday (Orbis Books, paperback) contains this Southern Christian's sermons and excerpts from his "Cotton Patch" version of the New Testament.
PEACE
At Hell's Gate: A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace by Claude Anshin Thomas (Shambhala, hardcover) bears witness to the power of meditation and mindfulness to transform the soul and open the way to nonviolence and a compassionate life.
POETRY
Between Two Souls: Conversations With Ryokan by Mary Lou Kownacki (Wm. B. Eerdmans, hardcover) is an extraordinary book of poetry that demonstrates the beauty and the bounties of spiritual openness, hospitality, and connections.
POVERTY
The Working Poor: Invisible In America by David K. Shipler (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover) presents a harrowing portrait of the plight of millions of men, women, and children who are struggling just to survive with dead-end and low-paying jobs.
PRAYER
Praying a New Story by Michael Morwood (Orbis Books, paperback) is the perfect resource for small groups interested in exploring new avenues of devotion and spiritual practice.
PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY
In the Heart of the Temple: My Spiritual Vision for Today's World by Joan Chittister (BlueBridge, paperback) gives equal emphasis to contemplation and social action.
QUESTING
Desert Father: A Journey in the Wilderness with Saint Anthony by James Cowan (Shambhala, hardcover) presents the author's quest to learn from the ascetic practices of a fourth century hermit who was a pioneer of spirit.
SHAMANISM
American Shaman: An Odyssey of Global Healing Traditions by Jeffrey A. Kottler and Jon Carlson with Bradford Keeney (Brunner-Routledge, paperback) is filled with amazing stories, meaningful rituals, and insights into the varied ways that the shamanistic practices of indigenous peoples can enrich our lives.
SOLITUDE
The Wisdom of Solitude: A Zen Retreat in the Woods by Jane Dobisz (HarperSanFrancisco, hardcover) salutes the riches that come from spiritual practice during a 100-day winter experience in the woods of New England.
STORIES
Hasidic Tales: Annotated and Explained by Rabbi Rami Shapiro (Skylight Paths Publishing, paperback) contains new translations and interpretations of these stories that are filled with insights into human nature and Divine activity in everyday life.
STORIES
Once Upon a Time in Africa: Stories of Wisdom & Joy compiled by Joseph G. Healey (Orbis Books, paperback) contains many gems on family, community, joy, and the ancestors.
SUFISM
The Drowned Book: Ecstatic and Earthy Reflections of Bahauddin, The Father of Rumi translated by Coleman Barks and John Moyne (HarperSanFrancisco, hardcover) contains a treasure trove of insights into yearning, mystery, and grace.
TEACHERS
Re-enchantment: Tibetan Buddhism Comes to the West by Jeffery Paine (W. W. Norton, hardcover) includes richly developed profiles of Buddhist teachers in a substantive historical overview of this movement.
THEOLOGY
Passion for God: Theology in Two Voices by Jurgen Moltmann and Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel (Westminster John Knox Press, paperback) contains six theological gems.
TRANSFORMATION
A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life by Parker Palmer (Jossey-Bass, hardcover) explores the meaning of community, teaching and learning for transformation, and the importance of nonviolent social change.
TRANSFORMATION
Sacred Therapy: Jewish Spiritual Teachings on Emotional Healing and Inner Wholeness by Estelle Frankel (Shambhala, hardcover) offers plenty of insights and practices to enhance your ongoing soul work.
VIRTUES
Infinite Life: Seven Virtues for Living Well by Robert Thurman (Riverhead, hardcover) is filled with ethical exercises and meditations that reveal the bounties of selflessness, interconnections, and a joyous path of freedom.
WISDOM
The Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice by Ron Miller (Skylight Paths, paperback) is an inspiring paperback for those who want to practice the wisdom of Jesus and step into the Kingdom of God right now here on earth.
WORK
Awake At Work: Facing the Challenges of Life on the Job by Michael Carroll (Shambhala, hardcover) is one of the best books ever written about practicing spirituality on the job.
ZEN
Bring Me the Rhinoceros: And Other Zen Koans to Bring You Joy by John Tarrant (Harmony, hardcover) demonstrates the practice of using enigmatic queries to encourage curiosity and uncover a hidden kindness in life.
