Religion in Review

Original RBL Reviews

Never to Leave Us Alone: The Prayer Life of Martin Luther King Jr.

Lewis V. Baldwin. Fortress Press, $16.95 paper (196p) ISBN 978-0-8006-9744-0

Those who lived through the tumultuous days of the civil rights movement well remember the near omnipresence of Martin Luther King Jr., the brilliant and courageous Baptist minister who understood his mission to be bigger than the politics and prejudice that surrounded him. He knew that America would never be a great nation until it dealt justly with the issue of race. Historian Baldwin offers a penetrating and insightful look into the prayer life of King, an aspect of this great leader that is often overlooked. We visualize King marching and preaching; we rarely envision him on his knees, pleading with God for guidance. In fact, this facet of King’s life was central to what he would later become. “King’s leadership was effective because his praying and preaching were effective,” Baldwin writes. Believing that “the prayerless life is devoid of meaning and therefore not worth living,” King would often retreat to his prayer closet, seeking divine guidance for the task ahead. Baldwin has afforded a wonderful glimpse into King’s most private moments. (Sept.)

A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God’s Sovereignty

Joni Eareckson Tada. David C. Cook, $21.99 (224p) ISBN 978-1-4347-6532-1

It’s been more than 40 years since the diving accident that permanently confined Tada to a wheelchair. Now the disabilities advocate and author of nearly 50 books has chronic pain—and this book was written before her recent diagnosis of breast cancer. With a team of people propping her up in bed to write this book, the usually sunny Tada writes about suffering as she feels it, offering a raw, authentic perspective on pain. God may not always heal, she writes, and sometimes God may call people to suffer. It’s an idea that causes some to blame God. But Tada demonstrates through her life and writing that a painful change can lead to new opportunities, proving that “the hardships themselves are not wasted.” Tada warns readers to be prepared to suffer, but to then focus on pleasing God and helping others who are in pain. Longtime fans will experience a more nuanced Tada, one whose optimism is laced with fear. Readers new to her writing can expect to find a knowing friend who sets aside her plea for healing, opting instead for earthly purpose and spiritual contentment. (Sept.)

Hope Unseen: The Story of the U.S. Army’s First Blind Active-Duty Officer

Capt. Scotty Smiley with Doug Crandall. S&S/Howard, $24.99 (256p) ISBN 978-1-4391-8379-3

Smiley, a U.S. Army captain, was willing to give his life in combat in Iraq. But he found he was less willing to give up his eyesight after a car bomb in Iraq hit him with shrapnel. The Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient, who now teaches leadership courses at West Point, delivers vivid descriptions of violent scenes in Iraq, but that action is slowed by weaving in medical descriptions of his injuries. When the army assumed blindness would end his military career, Smiley and his wife, Tiffany, refused to sign the retirement papers, and that defiance served to propel the couple forward into rehabilitation. Called “the oak” by his friends for his strong faith in Christ, he says the doctor’s announcement that he would be totally blind was the worst moment of his life. He tells how his friends and his faith helped him recover. The author and his co-writer paint rich word pictures, a story and dialogue that flow, and a satisfying and hopeful ending. This is a triumphant, true story of sacrifice and perseverance. (Sept.)

The End and the Beginning: Pope John Paul II—The Victory of Freedom, the Last Years, the Legacy

George Weigel. Doubleday. $32.50 (608p) ISBN 978-0-385-52479-7

Weigel’s sequel to Witness to Hope, his 1999 biography of Pope John Paul II, provides new details about the late pontiff’s confrontation with communism, paints an often moving portrait of his final five years, and ends with a frank analysis of his achievements and failings. By far the most fascinating portion of the book is that dealing with Communist efforts to thwart the work and damage the reputation of John Paul, both when he was Archbishop Karol Wojtyla of Kraków and following his 1978 election as pope. Weigel revisits the topic in this book because of information that has become available since publication of the earlier book.Although Weigel writes admiringly of the late pope, his assessment of John Paul’s papacy points to deficiencies in a number of areas, including his failure to see through the deceit that allowed the Rev. Marcial Maciel, founder of the Legion of Christ, to lead a double life. Papal devotees and detractors will find this to be an honest and thorough account by a man who has devoted 15 years to researching and recounting John Paul’s life. (Sept.)

Daniel White Hodge. IVP Books, $17 paper (220p) ISBN 978-0-8308-3732-8

Hip-hop culture, once an underground phenomenon, has woven itself into mainstream popular culture in the U.S. and abroad over the past three decades. And it is a true culture that transcends music, as Hodge (Heaven Has a Ghetto), author and adjunct professor at Azusa Pacific University, makes clear. After laying a foundation with a brief history of the “post-soul” era, the author examines several intersections between hip-hop and faith, including liberation theology, social justice, and community building. While there are currents of religious faith running through hip-hop, it is also a culture very comfortable with postmodernity. The author weaves in sociological perspectives as well as the results of interviews he conducted with young adults regarding faith and hip-hop. He also addresses the issue of race with honesty and aplomb, which is not only refreshing, but also necessary. Hip-hop culture is itself piercingly honest, speaking truth about the urban experience and the disturbing oppression that can accompany it. This work is a must-read for music fans and anyone curious about an intelligent treatment of faith within popular music cultures. (Sept.)

The Thorn

Beverly Lewis. Bethany House, $19.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-7642-0814-0; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-0-7642-0574-3

The newest Amish novel by Lewis (The Secret) opens the Rose Trilogy, centered on Rose Kauffman and her family. Rose and her older sister Hen (Hannah) are independent thinkers, and therein lies the plot. Hen has married Brandon Orringer, an Amish-hating “English,” but when the Amish life comes to make sense to Hen as a way to raise their four-year-old daughter, Mattie, Hen leaves her husband and her modern life almost as abruptly as she left her family to marry. Rose, meanwhile, is best friends with Nick, the bishop’s adoptive son, whose link to the modern world, where he lived for the first 10 years of his life, is visible in the ponytail he wears. But Rose is also enamored of Silas Good, a proper Amish man whose interest in Rose is clear. As with other series, Lewis spends time at the outset establishing characters and their dilemmas. Both Rose and Hen are young, winning, highly flawed characters. If there’s anything Lewis is better at than writing Amish novels, it’s hooking readers to find out what happens in the rest of the series. (Sept. 7)

Read more religion reviews at http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/reviews/religion.html

Sneak Peeks:

Religion Book Reviews Coming in PW, September 13

Sue Fishkoff. Schocken, $27.95 (384p) ISBN 978-0-8052-4265-2

In this informative and revealing primer on kosher food, practice, business, and history, Fishkoff delves into the ins and outs of why the kosher industry continues to grow at an astounding rate despite the small number of observant Jews who actually require kosher-certified food. Having spent years researching and following mashgichim Orthodox Jews who supervise the production of kosher food and ingredients around the world), Fishkoff has an impressive arsenal of firsthand stories and inside information to keep the narrative moving. The volume provides in-depth chapters on what kosher means, what mashgichim do, the growth of the kosher supermarket, kosher winemaking, and going kosher globally, among other related topics. With an obvious zeal for what she writes, Fishkoff will engage readers with both the religious and professional facets of this complex and misunderstood standard as she explains why so many people prefer kosher cuisine despite its higher costs. (Oct. 12)

Muhammad: A Story of the Last Prophet

Deepak Chopra. HarperOne, $25.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-06-178242-8

Chopra, an iconic figure in American popular culture, proves with this biography of Muhammad that he is more than just a New Age talking head. Varying by chapter the narrative viewpoints and using actual characters from the life of Muhammad, such as Muhammad’s first wife, Khadijah, and his daughter Fatima, Chopra tells the story of Muhammad’s life in this “teaching novel.” Similar volumes by Chopra have already profiled Buddha and Jesus. While technically this is fiction, several historical events—including ones dear to many Muslims’ hearts—are related. The result is one of the most imaginative and touching biographies of Muhammad. For instance, in the prelude, inventively narrated by the Angel Gabriel, the angel bringing the revelation of the Qur’an to Muhammad, describes the illiterate caravan trader who had married his wealthy female boss. The next chapter, narrated by Muhammad’s grandfather Abdul Muttalib, tells the legend of the Zamzam well, which Muslims visit to this day in their annual hajj pilgrimage. Chopra goes on to describe a people yearning for a message that would liberate them from polytheistic tribalism, and the messenger, a trustworthy but frightened man who became a prophet. Chopra’s grasp of Muhammad’s mission and life extends his range in a surprising direction; his popularization is welcome. (Oct.)

A First Look at the Stars:

Starred Reviews Coming in PW, September 13

span class="Starred15pt">H Spiritual Envy: An Agnostic’s Quest

Michael Krasny. New World Library, $22.95 (264p) ISBN 978-1-57731-912-2

The contention between the “new” atheists and the devout is causing a resurgence in agnostic studies. Krasny (Off Mike) is a public radio host and a self-declared agnostic, maintaining a position that “stands open to verification of either side of the God question.” Deftly balancing biography and literary scholarship, the book is both a personal examination of agnosticism and a balanced voice in the complex debate over faith’s role in society. Krasny grew up a strong believer in his Jewish faith, until adolescent questioning led him to declare he just wasn’t sure. Despite a lost connection with God, the young Krasny continued to seek a divine presence, even admitting to feelings of envy toward those possessing “the consolation of faith.” In this book, agnosticism is a tool to philosophically engage with various manifestations of faith including organized religion, spiritual-but-not-religious sentiments, and even paranormal theories. Readers expecting a late chapter conversion will be disappointed; Krasny remains agnostic to the end, even while declaring his respect for the benefits religion can bring to believers. (Oct.)

On the Virtual Shelves: Web Exclusive Religion Book Reviews

Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam by Akbar Ahmed (Brookings Institution, July)