Best Spiritual Books of 2000
The Spirituality & Health Awards - 2000
Selected by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
We are pleased to announce our choices of the 50 most insightful and inspiring spiritual books of 2000. In making this selection from the more than 350 books reviewed during the year on this web site, we have focused on volumes that present a diversity of spiritual practices from the world's religions. As the themes before the titles indicate, we have also sought resources that speak to the interests of those exploring their spirituality in a variety of situations.
ART
Susan Seddon Boulet: A Retrospective by Michael Babcock (Pomegranate, hardcover)
— more than 200 reproductions of Boulet's stunning paintings of unicorns, goddesses, and shamanistic figures of intertwined animals and humans.
BLESSINGS
Blessings for the Fast Paced and Cyberspaced: Parables, Reflections and Prayers by William John Fitzgerald (Forest of Peace, paperback)
— witty and exuberant blessings of creativity, pilgrimage, transformation, and more.
BUDDHISM
Awakening the Buddhist Heart: Integrating Love, Meaning, and Connection into Every Part of Your Life by Lama Surya Das (Broadway Books, hardcover)
— colorful illustrations, helpful exercises, and meditations on the art of cultivating spiritual intelligence in relationships.
CHILDREN
Ordinary Resurrections: Children in the Years of Hope by Jonathan Kozol (Crown Publishers, hardcover)
— a stirring work that will connect you to the people of the South Bronx.
CHILDREN'S BOOK
God Said Amen by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso (Jewish Lights, hardcover)
— a tribute to the generous heart and the wonder it engenders.
CHRISTIANITY
Living from the Center: Spirituality in an Age of Consumerism by Jay McDaniel (Chalice Press, paperback)
— a concrete, imaginative, and user-friendly vision of Christian ethics and ecotheology.
CONSCIOUS AGING
Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying by Ram Dass (Riverhead Books, hardcover)
— a great work of love about the graceful acceptance of the last stages of life.
CROSS CULTURAL
The Global Soul: Jet Lag, Shopping Malls, and the Search for Home by Pico Iyer (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover)
— brilliant essays about our borderless world, urban living, and postmodernism.
DAYBOOK
The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have by Mark Nepo (Conari Press, paperback)
— daily meditations that reveal an appreciation for tears, friendship, patience, pain, and more.
DREAMS
Healing Dreams: Exploring the Dreams that Can Transform Your Life by Marc Ian Barasch (Riverhead Books, hardcover)
— the meanings of healing dreams as windows enlarging our perspectives and mysterious journeys to another world.
ECOLOGY
Life Abundant: Rethinking Theology and Economy for a Planet in Peril by Sallie McFague (Fortress Press, paperback)
— a passionate call for a Christian commitment to the planet emphasizing frugality, simplicity, and inclusiveness.
ESSAYS
The Force of Spirit by Scott Russell Sanders (Beacon Press, hardcover)
— enchanting and poetic observations on marriage, silence, faith, the Bible, and more.
ETHICS
The Book of Jewish Values: A Day-by-Day Guide to Ethical Living by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin (Bell Tower, hardcover)
— a rich smorgasbord of advice for all departments of life.
EVERYDAY SPIRITUALITY
A Place Like Any Other: Sabbath Blessings by Molly Wolf (Image Books/Doubleday, paperback)
— personal responses to God's grace that bring to palpable life the Christian attributes of faith, hope, and charity.
FAITH
Faith Works: Lessons from the Life of an Activist Preacher by Jim Wallis (Random House, hardcover)
— a memoir from an evangelical Christian about his 35 years of bringing service and spirituality together.
FAITH
Leap by Terry Tempest Williams (Pantheon, hardcover)
— an imaginative memoir about how Hieronymous Bosch's painting "Garden of Delights" became a catalyst to her faith.
FAMILY
How the Children Became Stars by Aaron Zerah (Sorin Books, p aperback)
— a family-oriented interfaith treasure trove of stories, prayers, and blessings from the world's religions.
FORGIVENESS
Calm Surrender: Walking the Hard Road of Forgiveness by Kent Nerburn (New World Library, hardcover)
— a celebration of the triumph of the human spirit.
FRIENDSHIP
Into the Tangle of Friendship: A Memoir of the Things that Matter by Beth Kephart (Houghton Mifflin Company, hardcover)
— a beautifully written tribute to the special relationships in the life of a middle-aged wife and mother.
HEALTH AND HEALING
My Grandfather's Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging by Rachel Naomi Remen (Riverhead Books, hardcover)
— stories testifying to the various ways we can befriend life through kindness, silence, and compassion.
IMAGINATION
Imagine: What America Could Be in the 21st Century edited by Marianne Williamson (Daybreak/Rodal e, hardcover)
— essays by 40 contemporary thinkers on their visions of a better America.
INTERFAITH
Happiness Here and Now: The Eightfold Path of Jesus Revisited with Buddhist Insights by Elizabeth West (Continuum, paperback)
— a down-to-earth primer on the spiritual benefits of interfaith dialogue.
JESUS
Jesus: The Teacher Within by Laurence Freeman (Medio Media Book/Continuum, hardcover)
— an excellent guide to Jesus as a key to inner transformation.
JESUS
Rabbi Jesus: An Intimate Biography by Bruce Chilton (Doubleday, hardcover)
— insights gleaned from the Gospels and ancient Jewish literature on Jesus as a rabbi and a devotee of a Galilean brand of Judaism that put the accent on direct communication with God.
JOURNALS
The Intimate Merton: His Life from His Journals edited by Patrick Hart and Jonathan Montaldo (HarperSanFrancisco, hardcover)
— a soulful and searingly honest selection from seven vol umes of Thomas Merton's journals.
JUSTICE
Upside Down: A Primer for the Looking-Glass World by Eduardo Galeano (Metropolitan Books/Henry Holt and Company, hardcover)
— a powerful account of the suffering of those left out of the rising tide of economic benefits in the Americas.
KINDNESS
How We Behave at the Feast: Reflections on Living in an Age of Plenty by Dwight Currie (Cliff Street Books, hardcover)
— thoughtful essays on the virtues of hospitality, the importance of charity, the value of promises, and more.
LOVE
A More Ardent Fire: From Everyday Love to Love of God by Eknath Easwaran (Nilgiri Press, paperback)
— a devotional work based on the way of love as presented in the Bhagavad Gita.
MARRIAGE
Beyond the Myth of Marital Happiness by Blaine J. Fowers (Jossey-Bass, hardcover)
— a description of the partnership model where couples work together to create a better world.
MEMOIR
The Barn at the End of the World: The Apprenticeship of a Quaker, Buddhist Shepherd by Mary Rose O'Reilley (Milkweed Editions, hardcover)
— a gritty and enlightening spiritual memoir demonstrating the value of participating in multiple religions.
MONASTIC WISDOM
Desiring Life: Benedict on Wisdom and the Good Life by Norvene Vest (Cowley, paperback)
— a celebration of Benedictine views on our relationship to the world, the challenges of developing character, and ethics.
MYSTICISM
Arise, My Love . . . : Mysticism for a New Era by William Johnston (Orbis, paperback)
— a vision of a global Christianity that is hospitable to all religions, respectful of sexuality and science, and attuned to the needs of the poor.
PAIN
Finding a Joyful Life in the Heart of Pain by Darlene Cohen (Shambhala, hardcover)
— practices to help people hobbled by pain feel more connected to their bodies, feelings, the earth, and other people.
PEACE
The Courage for Peace: Daring to Create Harmony in Ourselves and the World by Louise Diamond (Conari Press, paperback)
— a philosophical book on unity, interrelatedness, love, and co-creativity as the building blocks of peace.
POETRY
The Leaf and the Cloud: A Poem by Mary Oliver (De Capo Press/Perseus, hardcover)
— a book-length poem that testifies to beauty and mystery in our world.
POVERTY
Eyes of the Heart: Seeking a Path for the Poor in the Age of Globalization by Jean-Bertrand Aristide (Common Courage Press, paperback)
— a fierce and prophetic wake-up call for those who are indifferent to the victims of the global economy.
PRACTICE
The Direct Path: Creating a Journey to the Divine Using the World's Mystical Traditions by Andrew Harvey (Broadway Books, hardcover)
— instruction in 18 sacred practices that can help us draw close to God and commit to political, social, sexual, and economic transformation.
PSYCHOLOGY
Who Are You? 101 Ways of Seeing Yourself by Malcolm Godwin (Penguin/Arkana, paperback)
— clear and succinct overviews of archetypes, chakras, enneagram types, sun signs, and more keys to self-discovery.
QUESTING
The Nature of Generosity by William Kittredge (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover)
— a stimulating examination of the human capacity for generosity, diversity, and delight in a pluriverse of meanings.
RELIGION
The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover)
— an ambitious cultural, historical, and religious survey of the militant voices of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim fundamentalists from 1492 - 1999.
RITUAL
Remembering Well: Rituals for Celebrating Life and Mourning Death by Sarah York (Jossey-Bass, hardcover)
— a thoughtful resource for clergy, friends, and family members who are planning funerals and memorial services.
SELF-ESTEEM
Building Self-Esteem: The Christian Dimension by Anselm Gruen (Crossroad, paperback)
— a Christian perspective on creating and maintaining self-esteem through faith, grace, mystery, and prayer.
SEX
Zen Sex: The Way of Making Love by Philip Toshio Sudo (HarperSanFrancisco)
— essays celebrating eros, desire, and lovemaking.
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
Show Me Your Way: The Complete Guide to Exploring Interfaith Spiritual Direction by Howard A. Addison (Skylight Paths, hardcover)
— groundbreaking examination of the benefits of interacting with a guide from a tradition other than your spiritual home.
SPIRITUAL POLITICS
Spirit Matters by Michael Lerner (Hampton Roads Publishing, hardcover)
— a grand vision of an emancipatory spirituality that is an alternative to the the status quo.
SUFISM
The Illuminated Prayer: The Five-Times Prayer of the Sufis by Coleman Barks and Michael Green (Ballantine/Wellspring, hardcover)
— a teaching book with illustrations and explanations of ablutions, daily prayers, and supplications.
TEACHERS
After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path by Jack Kornfield (Bantam, hardcover)
— an invaluable resource for those wondering what to do after an experience of enlightenment or mystical union with the Divine.
WORLD RELIGIONS
One River, Many Wells: Wisdom Springing from Global Faiths by Matthew Fox (Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, hardcover)
— a substantive sourcebook of the spiritual wisdom of teachers from the world's religions, contemporary scientists, and mystical seers.
ZEN
Sweeping Changes: Discovering the Joy of Zen in Everyday Tasks by Gary Thorp (Walker and Company, hardcover)
— a fine primer on everyday spirituality that demonstrates the importance of our intimacy with things.
Selected by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
We are pleased to announce our choices of the 50 most insightful and inspiring spiritual books of 2000. In making this selection from the more than 350 books reviewed during the year on this web site, we have focused on volumes that present a diversity of spiritual practices from the world's religions. As the themes before the titles indicate, we have also sought resources that speak to the interests of those exploring their spirituality in a variety of situations.
ART
Susan Seddon Boulet: A Retrospective by Michael Babcock (Pomegranate, hardcover)
— more than 200 reproductions of Boulet's stunning paintings of unicorns, goddesses, and shamanistic figures of intertwined animals and humans.
BLESSINGS
Blessings for the Fast Paced and Cyberspaced: Parables, Reflections and Prayers by William John Fitzgerald (Forest of Peace, paperback)
— witty and exuberant blessings of creativity, pilgrimage, transformation, and more.
BUDDHISM
Awakening the Buddhist Heart: Integrating Love, Meaning, and Connection into Every Part of Your Life by Lama Surya Das (Broadway Books, hardcover)
— colorful illustrations, helpful exercises, and meditations on the art of cultivating spiritual intelligence in relationships.
CHILDREN
Ordinary Resurrections: Children in the Years of Hope by Jonathan Kozol (Crown Publishers, hardcover)
— a stirring work that will connect you to the people of the South Bronx.
CHILDREN'S BOOK
God Said Amen by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso (Jewish Lights, hardcover)
— a tribute to the generous heart and the wonder it engenders.
CHRISTIANITY
Living from the Center: Spirituality in an Age of Consumerism by Jay McDaniel (Chalice Press, paperback)
— a concrete, imaginative, and user-friendly vision of Christian ethics and ecotheology.
CONSCIOUS AGING
Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying by Ram Dass (Riverhead Books, hardcover)
— a great work of love about the graceful acceptance of the last stages of life.
CROSS CULTURAL
The Global Soul: Jet Lag, Shopping Malls, and the Search for Home by Pico Iyer (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover)
— brilliant essays about our borderless world, urban living, and postmodernism.
DAYBOOK
The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have by Mark Nepo (Conari Press, paperback)
— daily meditations that reveal an appreciation for tears, friendship, patience, pain, and more.
DREAMS
Healing Dreams: Exploring the Dreams that Can Transform Your Life by Marc Ian Barasch (Riverhead Books, hardcover)
— the meanings of healing dreams as windows enlarging our perspectives and mysterious journeys to another world.
ECOLOGY
Life Abundant: Rethinking Theology and Economy for a Planet in Peril by Sallie McFague (Fortress Press, paperback)
— a passionate call for a Christian commitment to the planet emphasizing frugality, simplicity, and inclusiveness.
ESSAYS
The Force of Spirit by Scott Russell Sanders (Beacon Press, hardcover)
— enchanting and poetic observations on marriage, silence, faith, the Bible, and more.
ETHICS
The Book of Jewish Values: A Day-by-Day Guide to Ethical Living by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin (Bell Tower, hardcover)
— a rich smorgasbord of advice for all departments of life.
EVERYDAY SPIRITUALITY
A Place Like Any Other: Sabbath Blessings by Molly Wolf (Image Books/Doubleday, paperback)
— personal responses to God's grace that bring to palpable life the Christian attributes of faith, hope, and charity.
FAITH
Faith Works: Lessons from the Life of an Activist Preacher by Jim Wallis (Random House, hardcover)
— a memoir from an evangelical Christian about his 35 years of bringing service and spirituality together.
FAITH
Leap by Terry Tempest Williams (Pantheon, hardcover)
— an imaginative memoir about how Hieronymous Bosch's painting "Garden of Delights" became a catalyst to her faith.
FAMILY
How the Children Became Stars by Aaron Zerah (Sorin Books, p aperback)
— a family-oriented interfaith treasure trove of stories, prayers, and blessings from the world's religions.
FORGIVENESS
Calm Surrender: Walking the Hard Road of Forgiveness by Kent Nerburn (New World Library, hardcover)
— a celebration of the triumph of the human spirit.
FRIENDSHIP
Into the Tangle of Friendship: A Memoir of the Things that Matter by Beth Kephart (Houghton Mifflin Company, hardcover)
— a beautifully written tribute to the special relationships in the life of a middle-aged wife and mother.
HEALTH AND HEALING
My Grandfather's Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge, and Belonging by Rachel Naomi Remen (Riverhead Books, hardcover)
— stories testifying to the various ways we can befriend life through kindness, silence, and compassion.
IMAGINATION
Imagine: What America Could Be in the 21st Century edited by Marianne Williamson (Daybreak/Rodal e, hardcover)
— essays by 40 contemporary thinkers on their visions of a better America.
INTERFAITH
Happiness Here and Now: The Eightfold Path of Jesus Revisited with Buddhist Insights by Elizabeth West (Continuum, paperback)
— a down-to-earth primer on the spiritual benefits of interfaith dialogue.
JESUS
Jesus: The Teacher Within by Laurence Freeman (Medio Media Book/Continuum, hardcover)
— an excellent guide to Jesus as a key to inner transformation.
JESUS
Rabbi Jesus: An Intimate Biography by Bruce Chilton (Doubleday, hardcover)
— insights gleaned from the Gospels and ancient Jewish literature on Jesus as a rabbi and a devotee of a Galilean brand of Judaism that put the accent on direct communication with God.
JOURNALS
The Intimate Merton: His Life from His Journals edited by Patrick Hart and Jonathan Montaldo (HarperSanFrancisco, hardcover)
— a soulful and searingly honest selection from seven vol umes of Thomas Merton's journals.
JUSTICE
Upside Down: A Primer for the Looking-Glass World by Eduardo Galeano (Metropolitan Books/Henry Holt and Company, hardcover)
— a powerful account of the suffering of those left out of the rising tide of economic benefits in the Americas.
KINDNESS
How We Behave at the Feast: Reflections on Living in an Age of Plenty by Dwight Currie (Cliff Street Books, hardcover)
— thoughtful essays on the virtues of hospitality, the importance of charity, the value of promises, and more.
LOVE
A More Ardent Fire: From Everyday Love to Love of God by Eknath Easwaran (Nilgiri Press, paperback)
— a devotional work based on the way of love as presented in the Bhagavad Gita.
MARRIAGE
Beyond the Myth of Marital Happiness by Blaine J. Fowers (Jossey-Bass, hardcover)
— a description of the partnership model where couples work together to create a better world.
MEMOIR
The Barn at the End of the World: The Apprenticeship of a Quaker, Buddhist Shepherd by Mary Rose O'Reilley (Milkweed Editions, hardcover)
— a gritty and enlightening spiritual memoir demonstrating the value of participating in multiple religions.
MONASTIC WISDOM
Desiring Life: Benedict on Wisdom and the Good Life by Norvene Vest (Cowley, paperback)
— a celebration of Benedictine views on our relationship to the world, the challenges of developing character, and ethics.
MYSTICISM
Arise, My Love . . . : Mysticism for a New Era by William Johnston (Orbis, paperback)
— a vision of a global Christianity that is hospitable to all religions, respectful of sexuality and science, and attuned to the needs of the poor.
PAIN
Finding a Joyful Life in the Heart of Pain by Darlene Cohen (Shambhala, hardcover)
— practices to help people hobbled by pain feel more connected to their bodies, feelings, the earth, and other people.
PEACE
The Courage for Peace: Daring to Create Harmony in Ourselves and the World by Louise Diamond (Conari Press, paperback)
— a philosophical book on unity, interrelatedness, love, and co-creativity as the building blocks of peace.
POETRY
The Leaf and the Cloud: A Poem by Mary Oliver (De Capo Press/Perseus, hardcover)
— a book-length poem that testifies to beauty and mystery in our world.
POVERTY
Eyes of the Heart: Seeking a Path for the Poor in the Age of Globalization by Jean-Bertrand Aristide (Common Courage Press, paperback)
— a fierce and prophetic wake-up call for those who are indifferent to the victims of the global economy.
PRACTICE
The Direct Path: Creating a Journey to the Divine Using the World's Mystical Traditions by Andrew Harvey (Broadway Books, hardcover)
— instruction in 18 sacred practices that can help us draw close to God and commit to political, social, sexual, and economic transformation.
PSYCHOLOGY
Who Are You? 101 Ways of Seeing Yourself by Malcolm Godwin (Penguin/Arkana, paperback)
— clear and succinct overviews of archetypes, chakras, enneagram types, sun signs, and more keys to self-discovery.
QUESTING
The Nature of Generosity by William Kittredge (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover)
— a stimulating examination of the human capacity for generosity, diversity, and delight in a pluriverse of meanings.
RELIGION
The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover)
— an ambitious cultural, historical, and religious survey of the militant voices of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim fundamentalists from 1492 - 1999.
RITUAL
Remembering Well: Rituals for Celebrating Life and Mourning Death by Sarah York (Jossey-Bass, hardcover)
— a thoughtful resource for clergy, friends, and family members who are planning funerals and memorial services.
SELF-ESTEEM
Building Self-Esteem: The Christian Dimension by Anselm Gruen (Crossroad, paperback)
— a Christian perspective on creating and maintaining self-esteem through faith, grace, mystery, and prayer.
SEX
Zen Sex: The Way of Making Love by Philip Toshio Sudo (HarperSanFrancisco)
— essays celebrating eros, desire, and lovemaking.
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
Show Me Your Way: The Complete Guide to Exploring Interfaith Spiritual Direction by Howard A. Addison (Skylight Paths, hardcover)
— groundbreaking examination of the benefits of interacting with a guide from a tradition other than your spiritual home.
SPIRITUAL POLITICS
Spirit Matters by Michael Lerner (Hampton Roads Publishing, hardcover)
— a grand vision of an emancipatory spirituality that is an alternative to the the status quo.
SUFISM
The Illuminated Prayer: The Five-Times Prayer of the Sufis by Coleman Barks and Michael Green (Ballantine/Wellspring, hardcover)
— a teaching book with illustrations and explanations of ablutions, daily prayers, and supplications.
TEACHERS
After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path by Jack Kornfield (Bantam, hardcover)
— an invaluable resource for those wondering what to do after an experience of enlightenment or mystical union with the Divine.
WORLD RELIGIONS
One River, Many Wells: Wisdom Springing from Global Faiths by Matthew Fox (Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, hardcover)
— a substantive sourcebook of the spiritual wisdom of teachers from the world's religions, contemporary scientists, and mystical seers.
ZEN
Sweeping Changes: Discovering the Joy of Zen in Everyday Tasks by Gary Thorp (Walker and Company, hardcover)
— a fine primer on everyday spirituality that demonstrates the importance of our intimacy with things.
Reviews copyright 1998 - 2007 by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, SpiritualityandPractice.com.
