Tag Archives: religion

Why Do Catholics Do That?

Posted on April 20, 2011 by smellincoffee

Why Do Catholics Do That? A Guide to the Teachings and Practices of the Catholic Church© 1997 Kevin Orlin Johnson304 pages Continuing in my newfound curiosity about the oldest extant Christian organization, I accidentally read the book that inspired the … Continue reading →

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What Catholics Really Believe

Posted on April 6, 2011 by smellincoffee

What Catholics Really Believe: 52 Answers to Common Misconceptions about the Catholic Faith© 1992 Karl Keating155 pages Last week a friend of mine introduced me to the chat client PalTalk, and since then we’ve been spending our evenings together, usually … Continue reading →

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Confessions

Posted on March 3, 2011 by smellincoffee

ConfessionsAugustine of Hippo, 354 – 430Translation © 1961 R.S. Pine-Coffin346 pages At the age of nineteen a young man encountered the golden voice of Cicero. Inspired by Cicero’s lush oratory, this boy began to pursue the love of wisdom, philosophy; … Continue reading →

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The Evolution of God

Posted on January 9, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Evolution of God© 2009 Robert Wright576 pages Evolutionary psychologist Robert Wright uses the concepts of natural morality and the ‘moral imagination’ to  understand the growth and (arguably) increasing maturity of the three Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. … Continue reading →

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Reading Judas

Posted on May 18, 2010 by smellincoffee

Reading Judas: the Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of  Christianity© 2007 Elaine Pagels and Karen King198 pages, including the author’s own work, the text itself, and commentary on the translation. Jesus Christ was a man who traveled through the land … Continue reading →

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The Bhagavad Gita

Posted on April 13, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Bhagavad Gita: a New Translation© 2000 Our Gita, the Muslims’ Koran, your Bible — it’s always the simple things that catch your breath. ‘Love thy neighbor as yourself.’ – the Mahatma, Gandhi Back in late 2006 I began a … Continue reading →

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Strength to Love

Posted on March 30, 2010 by smellincoffee

Strength to Love© 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr158 pages         Strength to Love is a collection of some fourteen sermons written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr,  with an “epistle” to American Christians written by King in … Continue reading →

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The Year of Living Biblically

Posted on February 22, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible© 2007 A.J. Jacobs388 pages Day 111. When I’m jotting down tips on how to land a second wife, it’s clear that the pendulum … Continue reading →

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Dinner with a Perfect Stranger

Posted on February 18, 2010 by smellincoffee

Dinner with a Perfect Stranger: An Invitation Worth Considering © 2005 David Gregory 100 pages  When  Nick Cominsky received a personalized dinner invitation from Jesus of Nazareth, self-proclaimed Deity Extraordinaire, he was more than a little dubious. Obviously, his friends … Continue reading →

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When Religion Becomes Evil

Posted on December 17, 2009 by smellincoffee

When Religion Turns Evil© 2002 Charles Kimball256 pages Published in 2002 before the Iraq War and the rise of the “New Atheism”  Charles Kimball’s When Religion Becomes Evil seeks to preserve religion for humanity’s sake by elaborating on five ways … Continue reading →

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