Books for Studying Religion

Claire Asks:

I am getting into religion and could you suggest any books to read for the study not the practice of religions? Any good survery books or something?

Dear Claire,

Thanks for your question! I think that it would help me to know a little bit better what about religions you'd like to study, and from what angle you'd like to approach religion. However, a few books come to mind:

The Sacred and the Profane by Mircea Eliade

The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (Haven't read, but know it's a classic)

Religious Autobiographies by Gary Comstock

Her Voice, Her Faith: Women Speak on World Religions by Arvind Sharma (I haven't read this, but it looks like a good overview)

Finally, this book is more about a personal search for the religion that suits you best, but it might be also be interesting as a kind of overview, since it's got several different ways of looking at religious experience (I liked it a lot).

Finding your Religion by Scott McClellan

Roses and Shrines

Angela asks:

Ok - I have a question. Last week I had a retreat and it was held at Maria Stein Center (a Catholic retreat center.) I have never been completely opposed to the Catholic faith, because I am a nut for tradition - but I left with an uneasy feeling and some questions regarding their symbolism and "stuff." On to my questions- On many of the pictures and statues of Mary her sandals had roses on them - does this represent anything? Second, I visitied the "Shrine of the Holy relics" - do these shrines wig you out (cause they do me)?

Angela,

Before the printing press made mass media--newspapers, books, etc.--available to the public, most people couldn't read. People learned about spiritual things, instead, from pictures, symbolism, and the spoken word. So when the church wanted to teach about a particular saint, they gave that person a symbol to go with them to make them recognizable to the person viewing the portrait. So Saint Sebastian, who was martyred, is always shown with arrows going through his body. Saint Ambrose, who earned the nickname "The Honey-Tongued Doctor" often has a beehive nearby.

As you noticed, Mary is often associated with the rose. There are many possible reasons for this. Mary is known as the Queen of Heaven and the rose is, by parallel, known as the queen of flowers. There is also an association with Jesus, whose blood is red like a rose, and who is associated with the Rose of Sharon. In general, the rose is known as the most beautiful of flowers and is associated with love, which made it a rich symbol for imaginative connections with Mary.

To answer your second question: The old shrines with the holy relics in them don't necessarily wig me out, but I do feel like the space is different. It's a little bit like being in a cemetery--close to death and dead people--but with the difference that it's much more public, and there are usually miracles credited to whatever the saint-object is. I usually just feel like there has been a lot of prayer in the place, giving it a sense of peace and mystery, but also, maybe, some desperation.