Favorite Religious Books to Read
Father George Rutler knows that finding a favorite religious book seems a daunting task since there are a plethora of books that are religious in nature on every subject known to man. To narrow the search down, one must know what makes a book religious. A sincere search for a deity would be a possible answer. A religious book should inspire. It should take its reader on a journey into a different realm. It should share stories of good people who have to suffer horrible things, The Shack, by William P. Young comes to mind. It should tell how a person can make decisions that often go awry but can always end well because of what was learned from them as Coelho’s The Alchemist did for many. A religious book should paint a picture of life’s struggles, Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress, and maybe even give readers a graphic idea of what the afterlife can be like as in Dante’s Inferno.
Everyone has a story to tell. Christian personalities, evangelists, apologists, and lay persons have put pen to paper and because of revelation, fear, struggles or divine inspiration sought to share a life changing word or experience that set them free. The desire to do the same for everyone who turns the pages of their books is why long after the book has been placed back on the shelf to collect dust, its words, characters and messages still resonate in the heart and lives of its reader.
Father George Rutler is such a writer. Rutler is a prolific author who has written over thirty popular books that have encouraged and inspired both Catholic and protestant readers. Some of his titles are A Crisis in Culture, Our Peculiar Times: Catholic Wisdom for Times of Crisis, The Wit and Wisdom of Father George Rutler, Hints of Heaven, and Stories of Hymns. He has also contributed articles to Crisis Magazine and writes a weekly newsletter.
Rutler was a practicing Episcopalian for many years. He served as an Episcopal priest for nine years in Pennsylvania and was the youngest rector in the Episcopal church in the states. In 1979 he became a fervent supporter of Catholicism after being received into the Catholic Church. He has since served the city of New York and his spirited parish at Church of St. Michael the Archangel. He uses his gifts and influence to edify people and point them to the Cross.
The favorite religious book for Catholics, protestants, agonists, atheists, anyone one desiring a saving and practical relationship with God is the Bible. This remarkable book speaks to the human experience and how we need a savior. It has everything. Lyrical and romantic poetry, history of kings and nations, letters that encourage, teach, and correct, revelations for the future, and essays about the beginning of time and life. If you need a favorite book curl up with a Bible, you will not be disappointed.