Welcome to GURU - the Religion/Spirituality Bookclub!
"Gathering Unusual Religious (and spiritual] Understanding"
Founding members of this club:
Eleni Rozanitis (email: EROZANIT@drew.edu)
Sheli Jasterzbski (email: MJASTERZ@drew.edu)
Erica Durante (edurante@drew.edu)
Statement of purpose
A “guru,” according to one definition found on Dictionary.com, is “an intellectual or spiritual guide or leader,” the denotation signifying an all-encompassing soul or being that is sagacious and sure (Dictionary.com 1). Though the term is ascribed to the Hindu religion, it is not bound to it; indeed, the sense of the word here is more general, more widely available and applicable than most may realize. With this idea of generality in mind, the co-founders of GURU and I have formed the basis for a book club that welcomes edification via exploration into various religious and spiritual philosophies. By touching on both works of fiction and nonfiction mostly in the novel format, we hope not only to expand our knowledge of world religions and the differences between religion and spirituality, but also to establish a stronger connection to our own faiths or beliefs. (Sheli)
Books the club might read
Madeleine L'Engle / A Wrinkle In Time series: A Wrinkle in Time
*thanks to www.awrinkleintime.net for pics*
A Wrinkle in Time - want to know more? Click HERE!
As the first book of fiction in a four-part science fiction series, A Wrinkle In Time has many Christian, spiritual undertones while telling the tale of Meg Murry, her little brother, Charles Wallace, and the rest of the quirky Murry gang. These characters go on an adventure into space to save their science-genius of a father, only to find that the world is in danger of 'The Black Thing' - an ultimate, devilish symbol of the evil that envelops the world yet can not fully outshine it because of the world’s defenders: those pure in heart and intent. But can they defeat the Black Thing once and for all?
Dante Alighieri / The Divine Comedy - want to know more? Click HERE!
Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso are the three books that comprise the whole of Dante's Divine Comedy. The poet takes us through each theological stage of the afterlife in order to show that one needs to descend into Hell (past the temptation to sin) in order to make the final ascent to Heaven. As critic Dunstan Tucker notes, "the Christian life is continually purgational," and with the idea of descent leading to ascension, we see how a world-renowned poet illustrates the ideal Christian lifestyle - a lifestyle firmly rooted in the plan of the Divine.
Inferno - in a nutshell, welcome to Hell!
Purgatorio - you'll be cleansed by water in this realm like no other!
Paradiso - with its angels and song, you'll want to read it for so long!
Religion of Peace?: Why Christianity is and Islam Isn't by Robert Spencer
Brief Description of book- NO SPOILERS!!!
World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored & explained by John Bowker
Islam: A Short History by Karen Armstrong
"The picture of Islam as a violent, backward, and insular tradition should be laid to rest, says Karen Armstrong, bestselling author of Muhammad and A History of God. Delving deep into Islamic history, Armstrong sketches the arc of a story that begins with the stirring of revelation in an Arab businessman named Muhammad. His concern with the poor who were being left behind in the blush of his society's new prosperity sets the tone for the tale of a culture that values community as a manifestation of God. Muhammad's ideas catch fire, quickly blossoming into a political empire. As the empire expands and the once fractured Arabs subdue and overtake the vast Persian domain, the story of a community becomes a panoramic drama. With great dexterity, Armstrong narrates the Sunni-Shi'ite schism, the rise of Persian influence, the clashes with Western crusaders and Mongolian conquerors, and the spiritual explorations that traced the route to God. Armstrong brings us through the debacle of European colonialism right up to the present day, putting Islamic fundamentalism into context as part of a worldwide phenomenon. Islam: A Short History, like Bruce Lawrence's Shattering the Myth and Mark Huband's Warriors of the Prophet, introduces us to a faith that beckons like a minaret to those who dare to venture beyond the headlines."
-amazon.com
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
In the shade of a banyan tree, a grizzled ferryman sits listening to the river. Some say he's a sage. He was once a wandering shramana and, briefly, like thousands of others, he followed Gotama the Buddha, enraptured by his sermons. But this man, Siddhartha, was not a follower of any but his own soul. Born the son of a Brahmin, Siddhartha was blessed in appearance, intelligence, and charisma. In order to find meaning in life, he discarded his promising future for the life of a wandering ascetic. Still, true happiness evaded him. Then a life of pleasure and titillation merely eroded away his spiritual gains until he was just like all the other "child people," dragged around by his desires. Like Hermann Hesse's other creations of struggling young men, Siddhartha has a good dose of European angst and stubborn individualism. His final epiphany challenges both the Buddhist and the Hindu ideals of enlightenment. Neither a practitioner nor a devotee, neither meditating nor reciting, Siddhartha comes to blend in with the world, resonating with the rhythms of nature, bending the reader's ear down to hear answers from the river. In this translation Sherab Chodzin Kohn captures the slow, spare lyricism of Siddhartha's search, putting her version on par with Hilda Rosner's standard edition.
-amazon.com
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Handmaid’s Tale is the chilling narrative of Offred, a woman in a misogynistic, post-apoclypitic American society that bases itself off of Christianity. As a handmaid, Offred must have ritualitistic sexual intercourse with her owner, the Commander, while his chaste Wife, Serena Joy, watches. If Offred becomes pregnant, she must surrender her child to the Commander and Serena Joy. Eventually, Offred meets Nick, the Commander’s chauffer and the two attempt to escape the opressive society in which they live.
Author/title
Brief Description of book- NO SPOILERS!!!
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