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.

The Woman in Black

by Susan Hill

Publication year 1983

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Grief / Death

The Woman in Black (1983) by Susan Hill follows the gothic literary tradition. Hill explores traditional horror tropes, such as abandoned estates and ghost hauntings, set in an unspecified time in England’s countryside. The horror novella focuses on the first-person point-of-view of Arthur Kipps as he reflects on a ghost haunting he experienced as a young man. Hill explores themes of loss and mourning, the impact of holding onto the past, and the clash between... Read The Woman in Black Summary

The Wonder

by Emma Donoghue

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, History: World, Irish Literature

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The Wordy Shipmates

by Sarah Vowell

Publication year 2008

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Past, Society: Colonialism

Tags History: U.S., Religion / Spirituality, Politics / Government, American Literature, History: World, Humor

Essayist and commentator Sarah Vowell published her historical and social commentary The Wordy Shipmates in 2008. A humorous but seriously critical examination of the Puritan emigrants that traveled with the flagship Arbella from England to Massachusetts in 1630, the book revisits leading Puritan figures and the colonial events and ideologies they created while trying to establish the “city upon a hill” that defined their Christian mission in, what was to them, a New World.Though colonial... Read The Wordy Shipmates Summary

The World Is Too Much with Us

by William Wordsworth

Publication year 1807

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Society: Community

Tags Lyric Poem, Religion / Spirituality, Industrial Revolution, Romanticism / Romantic Period

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Things We Lost to the Water

by Eric Nguyen

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Community, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Immigration / Refugee, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Bullying, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, History: Asian, Natural Disaster, Parenting, Military / War, Race / Racism, Religion / Spirituality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

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Think Like a Monk

by Jay Shetty

Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

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

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This is Water

by David Foster Wallace

Publication year 2009

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Philosophy, American Literature, Self Help, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality

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This Is Your Mind on Plants

by Michael Pollan

Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Identity: Indigenous, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Science / Nature, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Agriculture, Anthropology, Business / Economics, History: European, History: U.S., Politics / Government, History: World, Journalism, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Food

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This Present Darkness

by Frank E. Peretti

Publication year 1986

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Christian literature, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality

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This World is not Conclusion

by Emily Dickinson

Publication year 1862

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Lyric Poem, American Literature, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Religion / Spirituality

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Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous

by George Berkeley

Publication year 1713

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects

Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Metaphysical, History: World, Philosophy, Irish Literature, Classic Fiction

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Through Gates of Splendor

by Elisabeth Elliot

Publication year 1957

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, History: World, Biography

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Thus Spoke Zarathustra

by Friedrich Nietzsche

Publication year 1883

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

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

Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None is a work of fiction written by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Published between 1883 and 1885, the allegorical novel also known as Thus Spake Zarathustra is a collection of speeches by a character named Zarathustra to the villagers of The Motley Cow. Nietzsche uses many literary devices such as personification, allegory, and allusion. The philosophical points referenced in Thus Spoke Zarathustra include the death of... Read Thus Spoke Zarathustra Summary

Till We Have Faces

by C. S. Lewis

Publication year 1956

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Mythology, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, Fantasy

C.S. Lewis’s final novel, Till We Have Faces, is a retelling of the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche. The novel is narrated by Orual, the Queen of Glome, and is framed as a complaint against the gods. Orual is the eldest of three sisters; her siblings are Redival and Istra—whom Orual calls Psyche. Orual is an ugly child who resents Redival’s beauty and whose only friend is her tutor, a Greek slave called the... Read Till We Have Faces Summary

Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story

by Mary Downing Hahn

Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Grandparents, Self Discovery

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story is a gothic middle grade novel written by Mary Downing Hahn and published in 1994. Hahn is known for incorporating elements of the thriller and gothic genres into stories for young readers. This novel follows 12-year-old Drew as he spends the summer with his Aunt Blythe and an irritable great-grandfather in their creaky, shadowy ancestral home. When a dying boy who looks strikingly similar to Drew mysteriously appears in... Read Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story Summary

To My Dear and Loving Husband

by Anne Bradstreet

Publication year 1678

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Love / Sexuality

... Read To My Dear and Loving Husband Summary

Too Bright to See

by Kyle Lukoff

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Gender

Tags LGBTQ, Fantasy, Relationships, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

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Took

by Mary Downing Hahn

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality

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