Rounding up the Saints: Recommended Books about our Spiritual Mentors
164,504.
That’s how many books come up when you search with the word “saint” on Amazon.com…But don’t worry—if you don’t have time to read tens of thousands of books, we’re
here to help.
Wisdom of the Benedictine Elders:Thirty of America's Oldest Monks and Nuns Share their Lives' Greatest Lessons by Mark W. McGinnis
The old adage to “respect your elders” is easier to follow after you’ve read [this book]. Although their Depression-era childhoods, attraction to religious life at a young age, and decades of living in community may seem foreign to 21st-century readers, the insights of these spiritual seniors will resonate with seekers of any age.
Plan
B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott
When
Anne Lamott “came out”as a left-wing Christian
in her first spiritual autobiography, Traveling Mercies:
Some Thoughts on Faith (Pantheon, 1999), she struck
a nerve with thousands, maybe millions, of women—and
more than a few men. Now here was a Christian who didn’t
make you want to gag. She was smart, sassy, and hip—and
I’m not just talking about the dreads...
101
Exercises for the Soul by Bernie S. Siegel
If
you’re already committed to a weekly Pilates class,
a Saturday morning run, or regular visits to the Stairmaster,
then it won’t be much of a stretch to learn that
not only does your body need regular exercise, but so does
your soul. Sometimes the spiritual life can be so focused
on the interior that we forget it’s also something
we should do.