Today’s spirituality and religion news round-up features insights into religion and the history of violence, questions over whether or not we need to be happy, and a guide to over a dozen books for your Christmas and Hannukkah shopping list.
Karen Armstrong, a former nun, spoke on the community-supported radio station KPFA’s show Letters and Politics on Wednesday about her book Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence, which just came out in paperback. During the interview, Armstrong discusses Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, including Sharia law, which she described as “counter-cultural.”
In a Huffington Post Religion article titled Is Happiness Really All That You Need, New Mexico State University philosophy professor Mark Walker explores morals and talks about his book, Happy-People-Pills For All. Walker cites the lives of Mother Theresa and Keith Richards while offering a definition of happiness during the interview.
The Religion News Service listed 15 titles “that bring wit, inspiration and ideas” to Christmas and Hannukkah gift-giving this year. The guide includes Michel Faber’s The Book of Strange New Things and Billy Graham’s reflection on death, Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity, and Our Life Beyond.
Also offering a list of faith-based books just in time for the holidays, the writers at San Antonio Express-News listed Sam Beeson’s work A Rare Nativity at number one. Other books include My Badass Book of Saints: Courageous Women Who Showed Me How to Live by Maria Morera Johnson and Putting God Back in the Holidays by Bill and Penny Thrasher.
