Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Religion Book Reviews Available Now (page 7)


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Cover art for RADICAL REINVENTION
NONFICTION
Released: July 10, 2012

"A somewhat intriguing but mostly uneasy faith journey."
Oakes (Writing/Univ. of California; Slanted and Enchanted: The Evolution of Indie Culture, 2009) chronicles her uneasy entry back into the Catholic Church, with plenty of F-bombs thrown in for good effect. Read full book review >
Cover art for THOMAS BECKET
NONFICTION
Released: July 3, 2012

"Guy exposes Becket's history so well that readers may question how much of a saint he really was. "
In this lively new biography of Thomas Becket, Guy (A Daughter's Love: Thomas More and His Dearest Meg, 2009, etc.) illustrates his vast knowledge of medieval England. Read full book review >
Cover art for EVOLUTIONARIES
NONFICTION
Released: July 1, 2012

"Thoughtful and provocative."
Debut author Phipps offers a challenging reexamination of the connection between the "evolutionary dynamics of the universe and the very being of the divine." Read full book review >
Cover art for CANDIDATE WITHOUT A PRAYER
NONFICTION
Released: June 15, 2012

"A Woody Allen–esque tale of an uneasy conscience in Christian America. "
A mild, witty memoir by an activist atheist and founder of the Secular Coalition for America. Read full book review >
Cover art for A BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF ISLAM
NONFICTION
Released: June 5, 2012

"A strident call to energize Muslim Americans to promote notions of pluralism, toleration and equal rights for women. "
A candid, patriotic pushback against Muslim stereotyping by a deeply anti-Islamist Navy veteran and physician in Arizona. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE AMERICAN BIBLE
NONFICTION
Released: May 29, 2012

"Awesome scholarship to an admirable purpose."
A religious scholar's compendium of essential American texts. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE ALEPPO CODEX
NONFICTION
Released: May 15, 2012

"Through the Levantine haze and a millennium of safekeeping, a carefully paced narrative of purloined Judaica."
A unique 1,000-year-old book is the pursued object of this scriptural detective story. Read full book review >
Cover art for IN THE SHADOW OF THE SWORD
NONFICTION
Released: May 15, 2012

"Smoothly composed history and fine scholarship."
Elegant study of the roiling era of internecine religious rivalry and epic strife that saw the nation of Islam rise and conquer. Read full book review >
Cover art for BECOMING SISTER WIVES
NONFICTION
Released: May 1, 2012

"A different take on married life, of broader interest because of the issue of same-sex marriage and Mitt Romney's membership in the LDS."
A behind-the-scenes look at the life of a celebrity polygamist family. Read full book review >
Cover art for BAD RELIGION
NONFICTION
Released: April 17, 2012

"A refined jeremiad sure to shake up the Christian establishment."
A piercing critique of heresy in a country where "traditional Christian teachings have been warped into justifications for solipsism and anti-intellectualism, jingoism and utopianism, selfishness and greed." Read full book review >
Cover art for HEAVEN ON EARTH
NONFICTION
Released: April 10, 2012

"With occasional personal travel details added to an engaging scholarly history, Kadri offers a readable, useful companion to the Qur'an."
A history of the development of shari‘a law, from Muhammad's recitations to modern interpretations of the Qur'an. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE AWFUL GRACE OF GOD
NONFICTION
Released: April 10, 2012

"A timely study, not only because of ongoing Islamic terror threats, but also because of more homegrown activities like the attempt on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords last year."
Wexler and Hancock (Nexus: The CIA and Political Assassination, 2011, etc.) use newly available documentation from the FBI and other sources to present their case for the role of religious terrorism and white supremacists in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Read full book review >