Religion & Spirituality

In this collection we've gathered fiction and nonfiction texts that address humanity's age-old search for meaning and purpose within a higher power.

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1949

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Relationships, British Literature

English writer Graham Greene penned his novella The Third Man to work out the finer details of the plot and setting for the screenplay of Carol Reed’s 1949 film of the same name. (In writing screenplays, Greene preferred to work from source material in story format.) Although publication of the novella wasn’t originally planned, the film was such a huge commercial and critical success that the novella was published in 1950. The film The Third... Read The Third Man Summary


Publication year 1992

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Self Help, Grief / Death, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1994

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery

Tags Finance / Money / Wealth, Self Help, Business / Economics, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1951

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger

Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Sociology, Social Science, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (1951), by Eric Hoffer, is a philosophical treatise that explores the question of why ordinary people join mass movements and become fanatical devotees of what they perceive as a holy cause. Hoffer argues that prospective fanatics—the soon-to-be true believers—experience personal frustration so intense that their strongest desire is to lose their individuality altogether by surrendering to something greater than themselves. Mass movements exploit this frustration... Read The True Believer Summary


Publication year 1898

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Love / Sexuality, Gothic Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude

Tags Christian literature, Inspirational, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Modern Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Self Help


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Holidays & Occasions, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1976

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Education, Education, Christian literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery

Tags Self Help, Religion / Spirituality, Inspirational, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine

Michael A. Singer’s The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself, originally published in 2007, is a spiritual self-help book about living life from the point of view of centered consciousness. Identifying with the nonstop chaos of thinking, emotion, and stimulus in our minds causes most of our problems, and Singer offers insight about how to identify as pure awareness and simply notice our experiences pass by without identifying with them. He discusses how our levels... Read The Untethered Soul Summary


Publication year -500

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy


Publication year 1902

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Science / Nature

The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Nature (1902) by William James is a philosophical examination of how religious revelations function in individuals’ lives and minds. This renowned work applies James’s theoretical framework of pragmatism to the study of the functionality of religion. James utilizes radical empiricism to examine both the subjective and objective experiences of religion. James argues that individual experiences, not major religious institutions, form the spiritual shape of the world. He... Read The Varieties of Religious Experience Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Community

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Magical Realism, Education, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Parenting, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1960

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Southern Gothic, Christian literature, Religion / Spirituality, American Literature, Southern Literature, Gothic Literature, Classic Fiction

The Violent Bear It Away is a fiction novel published in 1960 by the American author Flannery O’Connor. Written in O’Connor’s trademark Southern Gothic style, the book chronicles the inner turmoil of a 14-year-old boy from rural Tennessee as he struggles against his destiny of becoming a prophet. It is an expansion of O’Connor’s 1955 short story, “You Can’t Be Any Poorer Than Dead,” which is presented here as the book’s first chapter.This study guide... Read The Violent Bear It Away Summary


Publication year 1848

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Class

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Fireside Poets, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1952

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Self Discovery, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality, Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Christian literature

C. S. Lewis’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a fantasy novel for children originally published in 1952 as the third installment of The Chronicles of Narnia series. However, because recent editions of the series tend to number the books in chronological order of storytelling rather than the original order of publication, it is most often counted as the fifth volume in modern printings. The Chronicles of Narnia includes seven novels: The Lion, the... Read The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Psychology, Science / Nature, Self Help, Sociology, Arts / Culture, Technology, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: War

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Magical Realism, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Romance, Fantasy, New Adult, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1905

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Nation

Tags Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, American Literature, Education, Education, Military / War, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government