The Top Ten.

A friend from Elon, who I really met in Copenhagen (go figured) asked me to compile a list of my ten favorite religious/spiritual books that have affected/influenced me the most. Before I list them, I should note that these are in no particular order and can easily change depending upon what new texts I pick up and where I am in my life on a personal level.

The Top Ten.

Reaching Out by Henri Nouwin.
I read this book the fall semester of my sophomore year. In it Nouwin, an amazing spiritual thinker and simply wonderful writer, encourages the reader to mold their life in God by transitioning in three key ways. My favorite quote (which, incidently is included in each of my emails) reads "In everything keep trusting that God is with you, that God has given you Companions for the journey." Brace yourself for page after page of lyrical encouragement and solid hope.

The Essential Rumi, trans. Coleman Barks
My interest in Rumi was first sparked when Coleman Barks, who translated the poetry in this book, visited Elon and read some of Rumi's works. Rumi was a 13th century Persian poet and founder of Sufi mysticism. This book is filled with insights that sneak up on you when you need them most. It is certainly a collection that you can open whenever you need rest, and you will undoubtedly find the peace you search for.

Bible
I'm not sure that I need to explain this.

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
This book is amazing. Lamott takes you from laughing hysterics to tears in a matter of pages, all the while taking you a journey with her through struggling with Christianity and life. A breath of fresh air and supremely reassuring that wherever we are on our journey, we're OK.

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
Like Lamott, Miller offers a huge breath of fresh air as he takes the reader on an accessible journey through a series of short essays. This evangelical author easily whirls the reader into the challenges of being a Christian when everything else seems stack against that. Never thought the word liberal and evangelical could go together. Miller is proof that it can.

If Grace is True: Why God Will Save Every Person by Phillip Gulley and James Mulholland
This is on of the most transformitive books that I have ever read. Based on a single, simple sentence "I believe God will save every person," the authors simply and elegantly explain their belief in universal salvation by focusing on a different word in that sentence for each chapter. With delightful stories and extremely relative tales, the authors will certain make you wonder about the temptation of exclusivity in Christianity.

The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor
Flannery O'Connor is one of my all-time favorite authors. This Catholic, Southern writer makes adept observations in her gothic/grostesque stories that cut to the quick. I've oftentimes found myself shocked throughout reading her works, but I always finish them with a sense of having gained something. In a letter to a friend, O'Connor wrote "While the South is certainly not Christ-centered, it is definitely Christ-haunted." This assertion haunts her own works, making them seductively meaningful and transformative.

New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver
Mary Oliver is amazing. Her poems are wonderfully descriptive. Read "The Summer Day" or "The Journey" and see what I'm talking about.

The Art of Pilgrimage by Phil Cousineau
I was required to read this book before embarking on my time in Copenhagen. Cousineau takes the reader on a path to prepare them for a journey, not just a trip. In a word, wonderful.

Anam Cara by John O'Donohue
Meaning "Soul Friend," Anam Cara explores the ideas of Celtic spirituality in an way which not only makes it accesible to readers, but life-altering.