“Acts of Faith” by Eboo Patel
Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation is the author’s account of growing up Muslim in America. Originally published in 2008, Acts of Faith was selected as the 2011-2012 Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Common Read.
A committee of UUA staff selected Acts of Faith as the UUA’s common read: “Ten years after 9/11, the book describes the vulnerability of youth to violent, fundamentalist influences and makes a case for all of us, particularly youth, to promote pluralism through engagement in interfaith dialogue, education and social justice work.”
A common read invites participants to read and discuss the same book in a given period of time. The selection of Acts of Faith follows up on last year’s UUA common read, Death of Josseline, also available in the lending library. For more information about the UUA’s common read, visit http://www.uuabookstore.org/.
The UUA Bookstore invites readers’ stories of how they used the common read in congregations of on their own: send them to bjackson@uua.org.
A 2008 speaker at the UUA General Assembly, Patel is founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), an international, nonprofit, youth service leadership organization. Patel writes “The Faith Divide” blog for The Washington Post and has also written for the Harvard Divinity School Bulletin, the Chicago Tribune, The Clinton Journal, The Review of Faith and International Affairs, The Sunday Times of India; and National Public Radio. He has been featured on CNN Sunday Morning; NPR’s Morning Edition; the PBS documentary Three Faiths, One God; The New Republic; American Public Media; the BBC; and CNN. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.
“Coming Out in Faith”
Edited by Susan A. Gore and Keith Kron, Coming Out in Faith: Voices of LGBTQ Unitarian Universalists assembles contributions by various writers. It offers the shared experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Unitarian Universalists. It both celebrates Unitarian Universalism’s embrace of LGBTQ people and raises awareness of the strengths they bring to questions of personal faith and organizational vitality.
Susan A. Gore is an educator, activist and entrepreneur and the author of Cultural Detective: An International LGBT Curriculum. Keith Kron is the director of the UUA’s Office of Ministerial Transitions. He is also the former director of the UUA’s Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Concerns.
“Theology Ablaze”
In Theology Ablaze: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary Year of Unitarian Universalism, Tom Owen-Towle shares insights into the essential theology of Unitarian Universalism.
According to Owen-Towle, “Unitarian Universalist theology has caught fire in the past 50 years. In the decades since merger, Unitarian Universalism has been maturing spiritually. We’ve been fanning the flames of our faith. We’ve been growing in theological literacy, dialogue, and depth. We acknowledge that everyone is a bona fide theologian.
“Our brand of progressive theology is sorely needed in the 21st century. As a life-affirming, liberating, and loving religion, Unitarian Universalism stands ready to heal the spirit while reforming society.”
The book explores 29 classic themes including God and death, justice and silence, love and evolution. It includes questions for personal reflection or for group discussion.
Owen-Towle has been a parish minister since 1967 and is the author of two dozen books on personal relationships and spiritual growth. He conducts workshops and retreats on the core themes of his books.
Owen-Towle is married to Carolyn Sheets Owen-Towle and they are the devoted parents of four children and active grandparents of six. Owen-Towle is also a guitarist, Little League coach and a budding magician, especially merry-making with seniors.
Cynthia Parkhill
UUCLC Lending Library
September 2011
