Religion and Spirituality Books

I wish I would have read this a long time ago. To the point and great read on Social teaching.

This compendium is surprisingly readable, and gives a broad view of the Church's glorious social teaching -- something which is not well understood by many. I am confident that in time, my copy will be dilapidated.
I must take issue, however with a reviewer who also gave five starts to the Compendium. He said it was "essential for deacons". But in the book's introduction, it is plainly stated that the book was primarily for Bishops, but also for priests, for men and women religious, for lay people, for Christians in non-Catholic communities, for those of other religions, and for those with no religion at all. In short, the book is for every human on this planet EXCEPT Catholic Deacons.

I'm one quarter the way through: reading slowly with pencil often in hand. This is a MUST READ for all who have grown tired of the way of the world. It offers so much tangible direction and as a result hope. "Hope" in the sense of what we are to be about.

Another reviewer suggested that a family might read it. Indeed! I've all but decided that it shall be the gift I give to those about whom I care come Christmas. Surely, some eyes might roll. But it is too precious of a "gift" not for some attempts to be made to put it on a lamp stand.

This is essentially a book about good citizenship. It can and should be read by any senior adolescent or adult person of good will. It should be on the bookshelf of any family raising children, just like Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, and parents should discuss it with their young as these are nearing adulthood. Likewise, it should be discussed in the junior and senior classes of any high school, and certainly again in college and university level courses of human sciences (e.g. Sociology).
The book is absolutely non-confessional. In fact you need not even be a Christian to appreciate it, just, as I said before, a person of good will. Of course, the reader will have to tolerate that the words God and Church are mentioned here and there, but there is no religious indoctrination per se. The practical concepts are bound to be convincing to most everyone.

. . . which belongs on the shelf of priests, deacons, pastoral associates, and social justice ministers throughout the Catholic Church.

The "Compendium" does not break any new ground. It does not promulgate any new doctrine. It offers no new teaching. What it DOES do, is gather under a single cover, a concise presentation of ALL the Church teaching on social issues from Rerum Novarum through its publication in 2005. In other words, it is one of the most useful single-volume reference works available for anyone in ministry. No more having to keep shelves of reference material -- everything even remotely related to social justice, human rights, economic and political concerns, environmental issues, etc. can be found -- and easily accessed -- in this document. In addition to 250+ pages of text, there is a lengthy list of Church documents which are used as source material, and an extremely thorough index. I have personally taught from this book, and am proud to recommend it both personally and professionally.

Very, very highly recommended

This, no doubt, is one of the best works on prayer in the English language, if not the best. A book to be read slowly, quietly and with much concentration. Every line has good rich teaching for us all. Thanks to Baker Book House for compiling this complete printing.

This book has challenged me and helped mold my understanding and practice of prayer. It calls the believer to stretch and reach further in prayer, putting faith into practice. Bounds' emphasis is on scripture and dependence on Christ.

About 11 years ago God drew me into an greater understanding and deeper practice of prayer than ever before in my life. I inquired concerning some of the leading "Prayer Ministries" around the world and wrote several of them and asked this question: "What are the top 25 best books ever written on prayer?" Six replied. Many of the same books were recommended, but 1st Place and 2nd Place were the same on all 6 lists. Andrew Murray's book: With Christ In The School Of Prayer was either #1 or #2 on each list. E. M. Bounds writings on "prayer" was also either #1 or #2 on each list.
No book, not even Murray's, has ever been written on "prayer" that can hold a candle to The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer. In fact, if you read this book (actually 8 little books) and it doesn't revolutionize your prayer life, then you need to re-read it until it does. If you read this book and think that it is "mediocre", that will be more of a statement about you than about this book. Seldom is any book hailed as the unquestioned "Greatest Book" on a particular subject by ALL the specialists on that subject, but this one is. And the experts are right. So bless yourself or someone today and buy this book. Then get ready for the revolution! God bless. Mike

Its one of those books that you could close your eyes, flip it open to any page, run your finger down the page to any point, open your eyes and it'll be a quote that you want to put in your sermon on prayer. Get it. Read it...daily.

For almost a century Edward McKendree Bounds' (1835-1913) books on prayer have been classic works, stimulating and inspiring Christians to develop a fuller prayer life and become prayer warriors. A forceful writer and deep thinker, Bounds spent the last nineteen years of his life reading, writing, and praying. He rose at 4 a.m. daily for many years, and was indefatigable in his study of the Bible.

As breathing is a physical reality to us, so prayer was a reality for Bounds. He took the biblical command "pray without ceasing" almost as literally as animate nature takes the law of the reflex nervous system, which controls our breathing.

Because Bounds so diligently practiced what he preached, we was able to capture the essence of prayer, and his works live on to call today's Christians to higher discipleship and an energetic, God-devoted prayer life.

I have loved getting a first-person look at these alternate realities through Dolores Cannon's excellent work with hypnosis and past-life regression. I've been hooked on this type of research and reporting since the first book of hers that I read (Jesus and the Essenes). I really appreciate the inside information helping me with my healing practice and expanding my skills. I feel much more connected to the Universe, God, my galactic family. After I read (faster than ever before) 6 of Dolores' books within the last 4 weeks, I was astonished to find an email from a friend on the other side of the US saying that we should expect a very public visit (showing?) of a UFO over the states for 3 days, on October 14, 2008!!!! I've been telling everyone about it. Reading these books has helped me open up this subject to my students and clients without feeling like I'm going to be made fun of. I trust the material, so I can talk about it with confidence. Previously unexplained things make so much more sense now! Thank you Dolores, angels, aliens, ETs! Thank you Amazon for carrying these awesome books that will help change the world!

Dolores Cannon's work is absolutely incredible and her comittment to finding "lost information" and sharing it world wide is of such great benefit for all of us... especially at this particular time in our evolution. The information that is shared with her is astounding and of such high integrity. Only recommended for serious seekers... be prepared to have your awareness greatly expanded.

Absolutely Excellent!!

Delores Cannon, yet again, brings forth Important and Urgent Information for the Times that we are in!!! This Information will help to finally Awaken the Readers to Understand What Is!!!!

If You Have Read The Prophecies Of Nostradamus From The Same Author,You Wil, After Reading These Books(1-2-3) Understand Better The Sections Concerning The Upgrade Of Consciousnes Of The Population Of Earth.
Xcellent Reading.

Wow, is all I can say. If you love The Course in Miracles, Conversations with God, Disappearance of the Universe, The Power of Now or the Way of Mastery, The Convoluted Universe Vol 1 and 2 are mind blowing. Her specialty is as a record keeper for our time of all of the mysteries in life and she has record kept quite nicely through her regression therapy with thousand of individuals over a 20 year span. So if you have questions about dimensions, life after death, the reason of the pyriamads, how to awaken, the life of Jesus, and so much more you will be joy-filled to find this woman's books. Here lies the records on our earth for you to yet discover. And what a joy it is. The dedication and the wisdom obtained by her devoted work is simply amazing, and if placed in the hands of everyone who lived here on this earth not being enlightened would be impossible. Thank you Dolores for your committment to this work. Your books have helped me fill in all the missing pieces my mind has desired to know.

This is an excellent piece of work which cuts to the core of our emotional fight with God. It reflects the real struggle of Bible figures who over the ages have had the same struggles.

But in the end it will bring a deep sense of peace when the struggle is over. A great tool to understanding and working out our emotions.

One of the best books I have encountered on human emotions in relation to God's working in our lives and the failures of the human heart in dealing with them apart from God. Chapter 10 - Abandonment and Despair: The loss of hope, and Chapter 11 - Redemptive Despair: The restoration of hope, have been wonderful assets in helping others.
PW

This book has uncovered so much truth into my life and a message you will not hear from the pulpit but should. It has set me free! Incredible writing!

Dr. Dan Allender, makes a powerful case for the "righteousness" of emotion at its purist God given form. For most of my life I have been taught that emotion is wrong, from the devil, and from our brokenness. This book challenges that belief and has cleaned up emotion's reputation as it is usually drug through the mud of the sin we allow it to create in and through us. Emotion is blamed for the sin the carrier produces; much like Christ or the church is blamed for the sin Christians produce. Thank you for clearing up emotions reputation. This book has given me permission to feel. I now have a clearer picture of the Gospel of Christ!

This book was very good reading. It was easy to follow, yet was not shallow or filled with platitudes. It causes one to truly look at the root of one's emotions and deal with them. For too long emotions have been misunderstood. One camp says that they are evil. The opposite camp states that emotions are truth. Both are wrong, and the truth regarding our emotions comes out in this book. I was very impressed with the way the authors handled the subject and challenged the reader to look deeper, with honesty, into our emotions.

Henry Blackaby will give you an encourageing word every day. We don't need Theology all the time . Sometimes we need a word on an A.W. Tozer level of encouragement. A word that will help your spiritual maturity. On top of all this you get a journal to record you thoughts. It is the perfect Devotional. Every Christian should be learning from H.B. Now you have the best in Journals.

Relevent, thoughtful, thought-provoking. The space beside each day's reading is a great way to keep notes, prayer concerns etc.

I was looking for a devotional book that would give me a simple outline but informative spiritual messages, which I could develope my knowledge into experiences... that would be beneficial for me spiritually. I was very happy to view the subject of chapters that where interesting, and realistic in growth opportunities of learning simple knowledge, that could be applied during my christian walk on this earth.

I am looking forward to reading my daily devotionals and making notes in my fantastic journal, that will assist me in experiencing God day by day!

EXTREMELY good insights and teaching w/ room to write your thoughts, Great for a couple to use for their daily devotions or for just yourself. Not the usual thoughts/teachings/yada yada that you find in most devotiobals. Far above the pack!!

my fault i should have looked at the inserts. i have gone through other studies by the same author and am looking forward to beging this one, right after i finish the one to which i have already commited myself.

Great book for children 3 years and older. I bought this for my 2.5 year old daughter and she didn't pay too much attention. Now that she is three she really enjoys going through this after dinner each night. Great colors and great stories.

Simple, easy to read for kids. Application to Biblical values is pretty good. Great pictures. May need more input from parent (to child) after reading through devotions, question time, etc...

My 5 and 6 year LOVE these devotions. A great way to take all of God's creation and apply it to our lives.

Wonderful devotional. My mother bought this for our daughter (she's 7 and in first grade) as a birthday gift and she just loves it. We have read through the entire book over and over again and she never gets tired of reading the devotionals. It's very well done. The stories are great and keep her attention. The scripture versus fit the stories perfectly and are easy for her to understand. This devotional is not over her head. All the subject matter is stuff that she can understand and can relate to her everyday life. This is very well done. Highly recommended.

I love this book for the children because it kills two birds with one stone. First, it explains the characteristics of each animals, (for each story), then they tie that in to what God wants us to do/what He wants for us. They also have a verse to pull it all together. Each story takes about 3 minutes to read. Every family should have this added to their library. Great buy too.

I have read this devotional for over 12 years now and every time I think to start my day by reading the message for the day - it is ALWAYS the right thing that I need to hear that day! It is truly a word from God for whoever will listen. Read it today - check it out online with the Kenneth Copeland website where it is also posted everyday.

Every morning I read it along with my Bible, then I speak in tongues and am set to go Spirit filled with fire in my bones, ready to preach the Gospel to anyone... This is really a good devotional especially for those who want to acquire and strenthen your faith. The Copelands came and preached at my Church and they really are great teachers of the Bible and NOT religion or traditions of man. Great book!

What an excellent devotional! The best of many I have read because it is scripturally sound, based on truth, dares you to challenge and increase your faith and it's brief enough to easily handle daily.

I cannot recommend this more strongly. I read this Devotional everyday and it is the most uplifting thing you can do first thing in the morning.

It starts out with a scripture. Then Gloria or Kenneth expand on that scripture with faith, power and authority. It then gives you further bible reading for the day.

The Copeland's are real Faith preachers! It is all WORD, WORD, WORD!

If you are hungry for some spiritual meat, you can get it right here!

I love the Copeland's. God bless them!!

this book has been a tool that helped guide me thru life with my daily struggles and decisions. it is a good mental reference for me because everything in this book is so positive and on point. it gave me knowledge and wisdom that i could understand and incorperate into my daily life because its seems so real and todate. i read this book years ago and bought it for a friend, just like someone did me, and the person always tells me that they see a bit of me in every page of the book. its amazing how a daily reading tool could not only stick with you but rub off on to others. i offer this book to anyone who is searching for all the good things that influential words can bring. i promise you it wont be a waste.

I read this book once . These are truly the words of the god . A normal human being cannot conceive or write such words . It is humbling , i could
only hold it with utmost reverence also feel quite blessed to know the way the gods creation works as said by him .Definitely improves the out look of the world . After spending decades trying to rationally explain away every thing that happens in the world , this book lead me back to faith and devotion .

Attempting to "rate" a book such as this is a very humbling task since it is truly beyond such Earthbound concepts as "good" or "bad'.This book is Meher Baba's definative work, the words of an Enlightened Master.If you're ready to move on from the plethora of "Spirituality Lite" books in the New Age section of your favorite book store, this is the one book that you need to read. A truly profound and extremely challenging work
by a true Avatar

WOW!!! If there is one spiritual book that you should read, it is this one. It explains everything that you ever wanted to know - period. It anwered all my questions regarding life and its purpose. In order to fully leverage the content, Discources should be read first.

I was exposed to this book first by Avisa during medical school 1998. The book has changed my life. It helped me to cope with life problem much easier. It makes you understand life better, what is death and what happens to us when we die? Without purpose, life is meaningless. you become less materialistic. You can cope better with death of the loved one. I think all of us should read this book. I refer to it as a solution to problems. The book will be bring meaning to all the religion, Koran, Bible and Jew. The more time you read the book the more you get out of it, they say one must read it at least five times. I love this book, there is lots of love. God bless God in man.

this book explains "the meaning of life" in a way that is the best raodmap I have ever seen before. The book is complex, not so easy to read but is so full of amazing info that it is worth the investment of time and effort it takes to go thru it. Nothing else you will ever read even comes close to explaining the mystery of life and the universe////

Keenan explores the realm of the soul in this pleasant, enlightening discussion. A problem I had is that he never (that I can remember) defines the soul or discusses the spirit. So, much of the language about the soul is somewhat ambiguous. I think at times he referred to what I consider the spirit as the soul. I never grasped exactly what he means by "soul," which is frustrating when that is the focus of the book.

Much of the book lacked the passion that really moves a reader to wake up to the sense of soul and spirituality and the need to address the unseen world. The book is told/read without much drama.

Keenan does share insights about life that will probably cause you to examine your priorities and direction in life. He shares stories that are relevant but that didn't seem to strike a loud enough chord to me. I think he could have gone deeper into his spiritual well to offer the reader more living water that what is here.

I think there is a lack of specificity about what he truly believes regarding the soul. He doesn't share much of his Catholic belief system but more of a watered down spirituality that ignores much of what one would expect a Catholic priest to believe.

There were some nuggets that I can take with me such as looking for the miracle in everyday life, expecting gifts from God and from life, and trusting in the guidance of providence when least suspected.

I would encourage him to be more earnest about what he believes in the future.

I thought this was a good book. Because it was about football. It was'ent just one team it has different players and some of the best players from the 80's to the 90's. Some players are still playing till this day.Thats what this books about good professional players ;about their good days and their bad days.

I didn't finish the book yet because I keep going over some chapters that apply to my own spiritual journey. I can relate to so many things Fr. Pauls says. He is truly a gifted author and buying this book was no "coincidence." I was looking for another book, but this came into my hand because God wanted me to read Fr. Paul's words. Thank you Father Paul for sharing your insights with us. We are on this journey together.

Sometimes, books like these can become too heavily optimistic and, therefore, alienate the reader that really needs comfort in a time of suffering. When I purchased this book, my older sister had just died at the age of 27 and I was desperate for some kind of comfort. My friends and family, though they tried, only seemed to make me feel worse. This book, however, was just what I needed.

Good News for Bad Days takes a sober and uplifting look at life without making your problems seem mundane or unworthy of notice. It is a book that is full of empathy and not pride or guilt. Father Keenan does not push Christianity down your throat or even try to convert the reader, rather he uses modern day situations to show the different ways one can look at life and times of need.

If you are looking for a friend to be compassionate and there is no one in sight, this book is just what you need.

This is a truly helpful book. Father Keenan's compassion comes alive on these pages. You can feel his hand in yours as you read. It's been a fad for quite some time now to say that one is "into spirituality" or is "a spiritual person." But to completely understand spirituality, one must first realize the function of the soul in life. Soulfulness is the basis of all things spiritual, emotional, and physical. It is our very essence. And this guide will help you in your quest to make your life a soulful one. On a personal note: My family sustained the loss of my dear sister just weeks before the release of this book. It served as a comforting tool to all the members of my family during this difficult time. But whether you are hurting, searching, happy, or sad, Father Keenan's words will lead you to a better understanding of the very thing that gives us the vitality and strength that we so need to survive: the soul. Father Keenan taught me so much through this book that I have actually been able to use what I've learned to help others through loneliness, loss, and frustration. And it's been an absolute delight to share what I've learned with all of God's souls who have come into my life.

Mrs Osteen does a wonderful job showing the reader how to keep your chin up even in the worst of times. Giving us views and glimpses into her own heart of steel, Dodi Osteen shows the reader the true power of applying God's word to not only your health, but your daily life as well. A Must read!

I purchased this book after I was diagnosed with cancer. I found it to be very uplifting and inspiring. My husband and mother also read it and found it to be a blessing for them as ones who are dealing with a family member going through such an ordeal. I then passed it on the a friend who was diagnosed with cancer and then order another one for myself. The point being, purchase several of these as you'll want to keep one and pass on to others as inspiration.

I bought this book for a friend with lung cancer. I see Dodie Osteen every Sunday sitting in her son's congregation on nationwide TV nearly 25 years after being told that she had weeks to live in 1981. I have since come back and bought more copies of the book for my aunt with Parkinson's, my mother with rhuematoid arthritis, for my sister and her husband who have had breast/prostate cancer. An inspirational book whether you are ill or not that everyone should read, especially if you or someone you love is ill.

Don't let the title of this review fool you into thinking I'm skeptical of Dodie Osteen's story; not at all! This gorgeous booklet, chock full of Scripture as well as Dodie's remarkable story, is only further proof to me of God's miraculous ways. God has used Dodie in many ways as a tool to spread His glory, and her disease was just another way He came through for her. Dodie is now living fulfillment of His promise to work all things for His good.

The only qualm I had with the book was not the story itself, but some of Dodie Osteen's occassionally extreme and presumptious remarks. Shortly after she and her husband found out she had life-threatening cancer, they went home to pray. At this point, Dodie turned to her husband and said "Darling, you are the head of this house. You are going to have to take authority over this cancer in my body".

Now, I've heard of men being told that they're the head of things they really have no authority over, but this is a new one: cancer? I rather think that only God has authority over disease, not man or woman. Talk about placing a load in your husband's hands!

Dodie then said that her husband "anointed her with oil as they got down on the bedroom floor, face down before God, and he took authority over any disease and any cancerous cells in her body".

This just gave me a bad taste: her husband "taking authority" over her disease and anointing her with oil? He's her husband, not a priest or an intermediary between herself and God. This display of theirs seemed overly done and rather misdirected. Just goes to show how men ruled the roost back then. (And I don't just say this because of her husband's actions; this poor woman had to go to a gynecologist who was not only male, but a friend from church! Can you imagine being a pastor or pastor's wife and having someone from your own flock inspect you in such a personal way? Blecch! The very thought makes me sick)

There was only one other comment in this book that I found offensive, but it did rather throw me. Dodie, when relating her prayers to God, said, "I reminded the Lord that my husband needed me, my children needed me, my flock needed me, and HE needed me".

I actually read this line over to make sure I'd understood it. She actually told God that He NEEDED her? I was so gobsmacked, I almost laughed. Dodie honey, God doesn't "need" anyone. Or, if He does, it's only because He chooses to. He made you, knowing perfectly well what He would do with you. The Word tells us, in fact, that before we existed, God wrote in His book everything we would do. We are needed in the world by others, yes, but only because God made it so, not because He was at a loss without us. What threw me was not only Dodie's thought that God needed her, but the fact that she "reminded" Him of this. As though God Almighty needs reminding of anything! Good heavens; I'm no stodgy conservative, but that line of thinking is laughable at best and blasphemous at worst. God knows how He plans to fit you into His works, Dodie; He doesn't need any help or reminding, and if He did, you'd be in big trouble having to entrust your disease to such a God!

Inspite of these faults of logic, this book is, altogether, a beautiful recounting of an event that could only be described as miraculous. If nothing else, I recommend you read it for the more than forty Scripture quotes in it; those alone should prove healing to the most deeply wounded soul. Rest assured, Dodie Osteen is a woman of gump, but she gives all the credit to God as the Healer of all.

My wife has been diagnosed with Cancer. This book has helped us to remind us of God's promises. He is faithful. Dodie's testimony is so amazing and encouraging. She offers a chapter with 40 healing scriptures that have been uplifting for us. I saw her the other day on TV and she does not look like a 90th years old lady. God is good, get the book if you need to be remind of His grace and healing power.