September Publications

A number of excellent studies have recently addressed the political and social role of the Catholic Church in Europe during the Holocaust. Along comes a book that explores the church's role in setting the stage for that Holocaust. If the title of The Popes Against the Jews: The Vatican's Role in the Rise of Modern Anti-Semitism isn't enough of a hint, David Kertzer spells out his thesis in the introduction: Although "the Vatican never approved the extermination of the Jews... the teachings and actions of the Church, including those of the popes themselves, helped make it possible." Kertzer argues that centuries of the church's demonization of the Jews paved the way for genocide. (Knopf, $27.95 368p ISBN 0-375-40623-9)

Health Communications' Inc.'s Chicken Soup series has hatched another chick, though this one is so superior to the usual round of "chicken soup for the [insert your occupation or identity here]'s soul" that it deserves special mention. Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul: Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit, edited by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins, enhances the series' basic recipe with a few delicious matzo balls. Contributors include Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, Kirk Douglas, Rabbi Harold Kushner, Golda Meir, Anne Frank, George Burns, Ed Koch and a host of unknowns. Portions of the proceeds go to Hadassah and the National Yiddish Book Center. ($12.95 paper 356p ISBN 1-55874-898-9)

While many books have been written about the Nation of Islam, far fewer have offered personal accounts of life within the movement. (Sonsyrea Tate's Little X stands out in this small group.) Vibert White's Inside the Nation of Islam: A Historical and Personal Testimony of a Black Muslim is unusual in that it provides a relatively late account of life in the Nation. He focuses on the 1980s and 1990s, after Louis Farrakhan had split with Wallace D. Muhammad and the Nation's numbers had dwindled to fewer than 10,000 members. White, who is no longer a member, draws upon his experience as an internal analyst for Farrakhan to present the group's history and evolution. It's a fascinating, detailed account. (Univ. Press of Florida, $24.95 272p ISBN 0-8130-2082-4)

Ancient Christian Wisdom

Frederica Mathewes-Green, whose books on Eastern Orthodoxy have popularized ancient Christian practice for a modern audience, beautifully underscores the importance of following the precedent of the earliest Christians in The Illumined Heart: The Ancient Christian Path of Transformation. Too often, she argues, contemporary Christians bend to the "confusing winds" of change, subordinating Christian tradition to popular ideas. (So stubborn is she in her claim for the superiority of ancient wisdom that she offers an unusual disclaimer at the outset: "I hope not to say anything original. If I do, ignore it.") Mathewes-Green thoughtfully reflects upon how 21st-century Christians can incorporate early spiritual practices, such as continuous prayer, spiritual direction, fasting and communal worship. (Paraclete, $13.95 116p ISBN 1-55725-286-6; Oct.)

Although the sixth-century Rule of St. Benedict has primarily been applied to monastic life—and was originally written for the monastic situation—can it also pertain to families? Absolutely, says David Robinson, a Presbyterian minister and father of three. In The Christian Family Toolbox: 52 Benedictine Activities for the Home, Robinson applies principles from the Rule to the oft-chaotic norms of family living. "At the heart of Benedictine wisdom we find a family cloister," he notes, offering specific suggestions for communal prayer, mutual work and a ministry of hospitality. (Crossroad, $16.95 paper 160p ISBN 0-8245-1958-2; Sept.)

Buddhist Sacred Sites

Lonely Planet presents Buddhist Stupas in Asia: The Shape of Perfection, exploring stupas (sacred structures that function as memorials of enlightenment) in 13 Asian countries. As shown in more than 250 color photographs, stupas are tremendously diverse in appearance, ranging from gold-topped domes to marble temples to giant sculptures. Some stupas serve as reliquaries, or repositories for relics of enlightened masters. This informative, beautiful book is a fine introduction to the sacred art and architecture of Buddhism. ($34.99 176p ISBN 1-86450-120-0; Sept.)