Great Reads

Below, you will find the titles of some books that I can recommend, should you wish to know more about the unifying similarities that are found among our world religions - I will keep adding to this post in the Pages section.

Some of these books will expand your knowledge and awareness of the interfaith movement, others will give you great insight - through wise and very beautiful reflection, into those 'eternal truths', which run through all of the world's faith traditions.


A Quiet Revolution: the emergence of interfaith conciousness - Peter Kirkwood

'From Asia to America, the Middle East to the Pacific, the interfaith movement is a driving force behind a surging revolution in belief. Kirkwood investigates the growth of interfaith communications in a time of deep transformation. This book introduces some of the key thinkers and activists spearheading interfaith dialogue - a Jewish Rabbi, Roman Catholic Priest, Muslim iman, a Korean Christian theologian - 'quiet revolutionaries', the organisations around the world, and the ideas of accepting difference and variety that are part of broader and increasingly essential interfaith networks'

Seeking the Sacred: transforming our view of ourselves and one another - Stephanie Dowrick

In this book, Stephanie Dowrick allows us to go 'beyond cultural divisions and religious cliches to discover what makes our lives sacred, satisfying and meaningful'. Through personal reflection, the shared stories of others, and beautiful insights drawn from a range of different faith traditions, she shows how 'the sacred can transform the way we understand and value life, changing forever how we interact with others and care for oursleves'.

Towards the True Kinship of Faiths: how the world's religions can come together - The Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama believes that the, ‘essential task of humanity in the 21^st century, must be to cultivate peaceful coexistence'. In this book, he shows how in, ‘our globalised world, nations, cultures and individuals can find opportunities to connect'. Comparing teachings and doctrines to highlight how many of the world faiths espouse and, ‘turn to compassion as a guiding principle for living a good life’, the Dalai Lama encourages,‘people with an aspiration to spiritual perfection to help develop a deep recognition of the value of other faiths'. The insights offered in this important book assist us in that goal.


The Great Transformations: the beginning of our religious traditions - Karen Armstrong

In this insightful book, Karen Armstrong traces 'the development of the Axial Age, examining the contributions of figures such as the Buddha, Socrates, Confucius, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Upanishad mystics, Mencius and Euripides. All of the 'Axial' faiths began in recoil from the unprecedented violence of their time. Despite some differences of emphasis, there was remarkable consensus in their call for abandonment of selfishness and a spirituality of compassion...In each Axial Age case, a disciplined revulsion from violence and hatred proved to be a major catalyst of spiritual change'. In her book, Armstrong shows how the sages from this 'pivotal Age, speak clearly and helpfully to the violence and desperation that we experience in our own time'.

Unifying Truths of the World's Religions: principles for living and loving in peace - C. Lundberg

This 'exhaustively researched book demonstrates that it's the principles that every major faith tradition holds in common - the unifying truths - that have the power and promise to bring us together instead of driving us apart. With over 800 quotations from sacred texts organised in an easy to understand way, this book reveals the simple but powerful philosophy that takes shape from the world's universal truths. Regardless of your faith or world view, this inspiring book will empower you to enjoy, and share, a life of greater meaning, joy and inner peace.'

Unbounded Light: the inward journey - William Williams

In this anthology, 'fifteen tales of inner light are gathered from the ancient scripturul texts of the three major religions, first person accounts from sages and mystics throughout history and the corroborative evidence of modern science. The stories center around two great mysteries - light and conciousness. From a great diversity of cultures, ages, languages and perspectives, they present a common tale - the human encounter with inner light is a very real experience'.