DATE: Saturday, June 14, 1997               TAG: 9706120083

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E3   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: Issues of Faith 

SOURCE: Betsy Wright

                                            LENGTH:   70 lines

SOME BOOKS THAT HAVE INFLUENCED RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

THOMAS JEFFERSON once declared that he could not live without books. I've often felt the same way. My idea of heaven is a huge, well-lighted library with cozy chairs and no clocks.

My love of books must show because I'm often asked to recommend those works that have helped me in my spiritual journey. Today, just in time for Father's Day giving and summer vacation reading, I'm listing those books that have profoundly influenced my religious beliefs. Next week, I hope readers will send me their lists.

The Scriptures. Read the Scriptures of your faith or that of another. One great collection, put together in 1987 by historian Jaroslav Pelikan, is from Oxford University Press. It includes Judaism's The Tanakh, Hinduism's The Rig Veda, Islam's The Qur'an, Confucianism's The Analects of Confucius, Buddhism's The Dhammapada and Christianity's The Apocrypha and The New Testament. Missing from the collection is Taoism's Tao Te Ching.

The Christian Agnostic, by Leslie D. Weatherhead. Abingdon Press. Throughout this book I kept saying: ``Yes, yes, yes!'' This is a true classic. It's great for Christians but even better for those non-Christians who have serious questions about the faith.

The Road Less Traveled, by M. Scott Peck. Touchstone (Simon & Schuster). Peck's analysis of real love is extraordinary. I've read this book three times and always discovered something new about myself.

Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, by Marcus Borg. Harper Collins Publishers. If all you get out of this book is a new understanding of the verse ``Be ye merciful,'' that will be plenty to ruminate on for years.

The Jewish Way, by Rabbi Irving Greenberg. Touchstone (Simon & Schuster). I've got many books on Judaism, but this one has given me, by far, the greatest insight into that wonderful faith. Greenberg reveals the heart of Jewish faith through the prism of its holy days. Absolutely enlightening!

Mere Christianity, C.S.Lewis. Collier Books (MacMillan Publishing Co.). Anything by Lewis is great. If you want a real spiritual challenge, try The Screwtape Letters.

Jews, God and History, by Max I. Dimont. Penguin Books. While very educational, this history book is often quite fun, thanks to Dimont's wry humor and sense of irony. It's a jewel!

The Religions of Man, by Houston Smith. Perennial Library (Harper & Row). For my money, this is the classic work on religion. I've got a dogeared paperback, but the recent anniversary edition with photographs would be a real nice gift for Dad . . . or yourself!

The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams. Avon Books. Yeah, I know it's a child's book, but it's also one of the most spiritual books I've ever read.

When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough, by Harold Kushner. Pocket Books. I've grown by reading all of Kushner's books, but this really spoke to my midlife, baby boomer's heart.

God Came Near, by Max Lucado. Multnomah Press (Questar). For Christians, this is an inspiring, thought-provoking work that will help them better understand the concept of the incarnate Christ. This is one book I love to give as a gift. It's one I keep handy for its quick-to-read, each-stands-on-its-own chapters. Lucado's other works are also excellent, but this is my favorite.

More great books: ``Messengers of God,'' by Elie Wiesel; ``The Bible and Us,'' by Andrew M. Greeley and Jacob Neusner; ``The Origin of Satan,'' by Elaine Pagels; ``A History of God,'' by Karen Armstrong; and ``Becoming a Thinking Christian,'' by John B. Cobb Jr. MEMO: Every other week, Betsy Mathews Wright publishes responses to her

opinion column. Send responses to Issues of Faith, The Virginian-Pilot,

921 N. Battlefield Blvd., Chesapeake, VA 23320; call 446-2273; FAX (804)

436-2798; or send computer message via bmw(AT)infi.net. Deadline is

Tuesday prior to publication. Must include name, city and phone number. KEYWORDS: BOOK LIST

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