Reading as Spiritual Practice: 5 Nonfiction Books for Faith Transitions
Reads for when faith doesn’t take a label....
So you’re experiencing a faith transition and are looking for nonjudgmental resources/books, wordy companions for the journey. If that’s you, here are 5 books (+ a bonus resource) that were and are some of my favorite companions for this particular journey of unlearning and learning.
# 1 and # 2: unbelieve and jaded by Marla Taviano
The first and second on this list are sister books in Marla Taviano’s amazing poetic journey about her faith transition. Both are excellent reads if (1) you are going through a faith transition or (2) you have a loved one who is going through a faith transition and you want to listen in on and learn from what they might be experiencing to empathize with them. While not easy in subject matter, these books are equal parts hard-hitting and laugh-out-loud funny.
# 3: Handbook of Denominations in the United States
I wish this encyclopedic resource covered (1) more than the United States and (2) more than just Christian groups. That being said, it includes a wealth of information about the major schools of Christian thought in the United States (as well as their histories) and where most Christian denominations (including the really small ones) plot in that history and in their positions on all manner of important subjects. I like this resource because it helped me figure out next steps during my times of faith transitions. It has also helped me understand my own background and the religious context of the traditions of others. I personally am also struck by some of the unifying threads across Christian denominations (the-love-God-love-neighbor-because-Jesus stuff), and that gives me some hope that we all may be able to talk with each other in an inclusive and safe way someday.
# 4 and # 5: Becoming Rooted by Randy Woodley and Living Resistance by Kaitlin B. Curtice
If you miss the format of daily devotionals and are looking for something that is still Christian-ish but has more of an interfaith, nature-based, and justice-oriented lens, look no further than these two lovely books. Both are by Indigenous authors and are hope-filled, practical, and grounding.
One Other Resource
As always, this list is by no means exhaustive, but I just had to include the Black Liturgies Project by Cole Arthur Riley, which is not a book but is a place with justice-oriented breath meditations and prayers that are so amazing that I cannot put them into words. Great for when you want to pray but don’t have words.
So what books did I miss? What books have helped you during faith transitions?
In Wonder,
Kandi Zeller (she/her)
Instagram: @kandi.zeller
Wonderful suggestions. Living Resistance is on my reading list! I'd also add all of Madeleine L'Engle's nonfiction (actually, her fiction too). She writes with such an expansive, graceful faith, she helped me to shuffle off many coils of fear as my spirituality evolved.
I’m so honored to be on this list, friend! 🥰 Thank you!! I loved Becoming Rooted, and I’m reading Living Resistance right now. And have you read Cole Arthur Riley’s book, This Here Flesh? You will loooooove it. (also, can you send me that photo??)