S&P Awards

The Best Spiritual Books of 2012
A Season of Mystery By Paula Huston Spiritual disciplines to bring meaning and wisdom to old age.
A Unified Theory of Happiness By Andrea F. Polard A compelling map about the good things that can grow out of a synthesis of Western science and Eastern wisdom.
A World of Prayer By Rosalind Bradley A top-drawer collection of multifaith prayers selected by spiritual leaders, activists, and humanitarians.
Animal Teachings By Dawn Brunke An enchanting resource on the teachings from the animal kingdom.
Animals and World Religions By Lisa Kemmerer A helpful survey of the attitudes, practices, and core teachings about animals of the world's religions.
Black Dog By Levi Pinfold An inventive children's book about facing fear and finding love. For Children
Blessings of the Animals By Gary Kowalski Delightful essays about the author's ardent spiritual practice of reverence toward all animals.
Desert Fathers and Mothers By Christine Valters Paintner A creative and engrossing close-encounter with the wisdom sayings of the fourth and fifth century Christians.
Don't Believe Everything You Think By Thubten Chodron Wise insights and practices based on a fourteenth-century Tibetan classic about wisdom and compassion.
Eleven Modern Mystics and the Secrets of a Happy, Ho… By Victor M. Parachin An impressive book with an interspiritual flair and a deep appreciation for mysticism.
Every Little Thing By Cedella Marley A feel-good song by Bob Marley made into a feel-good children's picture book. For Children
Everyday Kindness By Stephanie Dowrick A rousing and multidimensional overview of the spiritual practice of kindness.
Everything Is the Way By Elihu Genmyo Smith An astonishing collection of essays on the wisdom of Zen as it applies to everyday life.
Fearless at Work By Michael Carroll Wise counsel on living a fearless life based on 38 spiritual slogans from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
God of Love By Mirabai Starr A passionate and poetic account of the interspirituality of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns By Hena Khan An awe-inspiring children's book about beauty in Islam and colors pervading the everyday life of a young Muslim girl. For Children
Good Citizens By Thich Nhat Hanh An explanation of the relevance of mindfulness to being compassionate citizens set to repair the world.
Growing into God By John R. Mabry A dramatic and engaging map of the path of Christian mysticism with profiles of some its most illustrious movers and shapers.
Help, Thanks, Wow By Anne Lamott The bestselling spiritual writer on the meaning of her most used prayers.
How to Say Yes When Your Body Says No By Lee Jampolsky A life-centered philosophy and practice for dealing with health challenges.
In the Beginning Was the Spirit By Diarmuid O'Murchu An ambitious theological work offering a richer understanding and more expansive view of the Spirit.
India By Diana Eck A spellbinding survey of India's sacred landscape and the pilgrims who frequent these places and spaces.
Inner River By Kyriacos C. Markides An exploration of Eastern Orthodox mysticism and the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit.
It's a ... It's a ... It's a Mitzvah By Diane Heiman, Liz Suneby A playful book introducing kids to the abundant pleasures of being kind, doing good, and repairing the world. For Children
It's Our Nature By Rebeca Orozco A charming, edifying children's book that presents ten animals as spiritual teachers. For Children
Journey to the Heart By Kim Nataraja A survey that opens us to a deeper appreciation and understanding of Christian mysticism.
Kneeling with Giants By Gary Neal Hansen Different ways of praying from ten masters of the medium.
Little Bird By Germano Zullo A marvelous and captivating parable about freedom, soul singing, and joy. For Children
Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change By Pema Chodron Teachings on how to live in beauty with chaos, uncertainty, and change.
Living Nonviolent Communication By Marshall Rosenberg A helpful explanation of the principles and the philosophy of nonviolent communication.
Living the Questions By David M. Felten, Jeff Procter-Murphy Twenty-one topics that need to be addressed by Progressive Christians.
Love Wins By Rob Bell A defense of the grace, love, and mystery of God and Jesus.
Moody Cow Learns Compassion By Kerry Lee MacLean An outstanding children's book about some cows, a snake, and some crickets who benefit from the practice of compassion. For Children
Mr. Zinger's Hat By Cary Fagan A magical children's book about the delight that comes with the creation of stories. For Children
My Life in Jewish Renewal By Edward Hoffman, Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi A wild, robust, and creative memoir of a pioneer in interspirituality and one of the founders of Jewish Renewal.
Natural Brilliance By Irini Rockwell Five Wisdoms teachings developed from a Tibetan Buddhist perspective.
Nourishing the Spirit By Evelyn Eaton Whitehead, James D. Whitehead A substantive examination of the healing emotions of wonder, joy, compassion, and hope.
Our Religious Brains By Ralph D. Mecklenburger A rousing tribute to the important role of our brains in our spiritual journeys.
Prayer of the Heart in Christian and Sufi Mysticism By Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee A probe of the mystical prayers of Christians and Sufis and what they have in common.
Rediscovering Life By Anthony de Mello A life-transforming book about freedom, contentment, and fearlessness.
Sacred Darkness By Paul Coutinho An examination of the pervasive and important role of darkness in the lives of spiritual people.
Saints As They Really Are By Michael Plekon Third in a series of books about holiness and people of faith who put their spirituality to work in the world.
Saracen Chivalry By Pir Zia Inayat-Khan A visionary classic on the spiritual zest and transformative power of the chivalric code.
Seven Thousand Ways to Listen By Mark Nepo A masterwork on the importance of the timely spiritual practice of listening.
Soul Unfinished By Robert Atwell A top-drawer series of essays on the spiritual life of an older person who loves sharing the wisdom he has accrued.
Spirituality By Roger S. Gottlieb A useful exploration of spirituality as a movement that is happening inside and around us.
Sufi Talks By Robert Frager An enlightening collection of talks about the Sufi path and its emphasis on heart, practice, and spiritual maturation.
Swami Vivekananda By Swami Vivekananda, Victor M. Parachin A top-notch collection of the essential writings of the Hindu spiritual teacher who introduced yoga to the West.
The Encyclopedia of Mental Imagery By Barbarah L. Fedoroff, Gerald Epstein An incredibly helpful collection of 2,100 visualization exercises by a master teacher.
The Fire Starter Sessions By Danielle LaPorte An exploration of the secrets of the American ideal of success that will change our perspectives on the subject.
The Freedom of Being By Jan Frazier New insights on the important spiritual practice of being present.
The Great Work of Your Life By Stephen Cope An illuminating and wise guide to vocation and one's true self.
The History of New Thought By John S. Haller Jr. A well-done and wide-ranging history of the New Thought spirituality movement.
The Huston Smith Reader By Huston Smith, Jeffrey Paine A wonderful crosscut of writings from Huston Smith from the past 60 years.
The Path of Centering Prayer By David Frenette A complete handbook on Christian contemplation and the practice of centering prayer.
The Shema in the Mezuzah By Sandy Eisenberg Sasso A children's tale about controversy, mezuzahs, and the Shema that affirms the value of the spiritual practice of listening. For Children
The Thing You Think You Cannot Do By Gordon Livingston A hard-hitting and timely collection of 30 essays of cultural criticism.
Three Hens and a Peacock By Lester L. Laminack A sprightly children's story about three hens and a peacock who try an experiment and come away with new respect for each other. For Children
When Women Were Birds By Terry Tempest Williams An astonishing memoir about Terry Tempest Williams's quest to discover her own values and visions through a creative look at her mother's legacy.
Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross… By Brian D. McLaren A credo for a bold, brand-new world of multi-faith action based on a deep, true hospitality rather than hostility.