BELIEF LIT OR NOT, SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Religion, especially as a literary classification, does not strictly mean religious. Sure, religion collections necessarily include the voices of those who hew closely to tradition, who seek to explicate or explore religions at their most fundamental levels, but they also—if they’re going for a full-picture vibe—involve all of the voices who butt against dogma and systems, scriptures and strictness.
A collection of religion books can be many things—rich, diverse, inquisitive, solemn, improper, even heretical—and that’s something worth relishing. Religions have never been about just one perspective; they have always been an exercise in meaning-making, and as much as that sometimes means comfortably sticking to the conclusions of previous generations, it also always involves a broader evolution. It has to; meaning moves with our changing needs. In the histories of the world’s religions, even notions that are written in stone shift in our understanding from age to age.
We’ve sought to honor the full picture here, gathering in works from and about believers, non-believers, change-makers, and the current heretics who may someday be considered saints. We have books about practice in both Western and Eastern traditions, both how-tos and devotional works; we also included a history of halal food that traces shifts in culinary restrictions, showing that absolutes and rules of practice are never forever so.
Because religions sometimes lead people to behave cruelly or counterintuitively, we also have a book that addresses the theological disconnects that led to the surprising 2016 election results. That’s part of religion’s legacy now; it should not be ignored. We have a book that resurrects the silenced voices of the world’s religions, showing that marginalized people have always been both present and crucial, alongside a title in which a woman of faith finds her voice within tradition.
Our religious historical fiction includes sixteenth century feminist nuns and nineteenth century abolitionists—maybe not the best-behaved people according to the religious authorities of their ages, but proud changemakers nonetheless, who forged their paths with faith in mind. One speculative novel plays upon earthly immortality; another dances through the afterlife with aplomb. In the pages of these books, even edgy golems are doing their best to honor something higher, to push toward a fresh conception of all that is ancient and fundamental.
We cover a book that explores religion psychologically; another shows how careful theological consideration can be used to save hurting people’s lives. Fundamentalism and exploration are reviewed side by side, each on their own merits. There are no easy answers here, but there are plenty of stunning singular understandings. Each of the titles we reviewed represents one or more perspectives; they don’t have to agree with one another to be a beautiful fit, or equal parts of the eternal reach toward something true. We hope that they find a way to speak to you.