Few would disagree that September 11, 2001, was a significant turning point--what author Thomas Cahill (The Gifts of the Jews) has called a "hinge of history." Among the many things that changed after that day were the needs and interests of readers, and upcoming books from publishers of religion and spirituality reflect their efforts to respond quickly to those changing needs.
The prevailing themes are those that have become all too familiar in the past few months. Books on comparative religions and interreligious dialogue are much in evidence, reflecting the search for understanding. The number of books focused specifically on Islam has increased exponentially; titles include everything from introductory overviews and reference texts (from Oxford, Columbia, Paulist, Oneworld, Orbis and Marlowe) to examinations of the faith's intersection with politics and terrorism (from Columbia, Oxford, Brazos, Eerdmans, Fortress, North Carolina and Strang). Women are the focus in InterVarsity's Daughters of Islam (Mar.). There are also books that simply explore the richness of Islamic history and culture, such as Markus Wiener's Islamic Art and Literature (Mar.) and historical and theological titles from Kazi, one of the pioneering Islamic publishers in the U.S..
Plumbing the theological problem of evil--a classic intellectual and emotional struggle in religion--now seems a newly urgent task, a fact reflected in titles like the March releases Why God? by Rea McDonnell (New City), Archetype of the Apocalypse by Edward Edinger (Open Court) and a new translation of Aquinas's On Evil by John and Jean Oesterle (Notre Dame). Also receiving fresh treatments are the topics of grief, suffering and loss, with titles from publishers as varied as Eerdmans, HCI, Multnomah and Thomas More referring specifically to the tragic events of September 11.
Not surprisingly in today's economic climate, the lists of some publishers are shorter this season. Still, title output for the category overall appears to have held remarkably steady. The anchor subcategories of spirituality, inspiration, Christian living and devotional guides are as full as ever, and the number of books of prayers and about the practice of prayer has grown substantially. Other flourishing subcategories are Catholicism--with title submissions more than double last season's--and evangelical Christian fiction, also nearly doubled. Recent consumer studies have indicated that readers are clamoring for more of the latter ("Christian Book Buying Preferences Examined," Religion, Nov. 26, 2001), and publishers are heeding the call.
The intersection of religion and literature has generated collections of the spiritual musings of such literary lions as James Carroll, Sandra Cisneros and Frank McCourt (Resurrecting Grace, Beacon, Aug.) and Robert Graves, Phillip Roth and Anthony Burgess (Son of Man, Thunder's Mouth, April). Poetry is the focus of several titles, including The Poetry of Piety: An Annotated Anthology of Christian Poetry (Baker Academic, Mar.) and The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God, an epic poem by John Piper (Crossway, April). Books on writing as a spiritual practice (from InterVarsity and Upper Room) may bode well for future publishing seasons.
Aside from welcome additions on Islam, several other important reference books make their debut this spring, including two by Barnard professor Randall Balmer, Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism (Westminster John Knox, Mar.) and (with Lauren Winner) Protestantism in America (Columbia, July). Other tomes destined for the well-read religionist's bookshelf include An Encyclopedia of African American Christian Heritage (Judson, June) and The Cambridge Illustrated History of Religions (Mar.).
Booksellers tell us that religion books sold especially well this holiday season, despite the more straitened circumstances of many shoppers. As all of us strive to make sense of an increasingly complex world, these books promise to play an important role in the nation's recovery.
