Picks from July 2007
Trouble Don’t Last Always – Soul Prayers by Diana Hayes
About the author:Diana L. Hayes is a Professor of Systematic Theology in the Department of Theology at Georgetown University. Her areas of specialization are Womanist Theology, Black Theology, U.S.Liberation Theologies, Contextual Theologies, Religion and Public Life, and African American and Womanist Spirituality.
Dr. Hayes is the first African American woman to receive the Pontifical Doctor of Sacred Theology degree (S.T.D.) from the Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium). She is the author of 6 books and over 50 articles.
Notes on the book:
Trouble Don’t Last Always is a personal narrative—a sustained prayer—of a young African American woman. It chronicles her struggle to understand God’s message as revealed in her ongoing battle with rheumatoid arthritis just as her career as a theology professor was beginning. The author has dedicated to book “to all who, like me, struggle daily with a chronic illness, but is meant for all who have found themselves, at times, ‘soul-sick and weary’ in the hope that these prayers of my soul may give you the inspiration to ‘keep on keepin’ on.”
The author calls upon her African American heritage, especially spirituals, gospel songs and poetry to discern where God is leading her and to find strength and courage for the journey.
Tender Fires: The Spiritual Promise of Sexuality by Fran Feder
About the author:Fran Ferder, FSPA, is a co-founder and co-director of Therapy and Renewal Associates (TARA), a counseling and consultation resource in the Pacific Northwest. She had more than 35 years of ministerial and professional experience as a college professor, director of student counseling, psychotherapist, psychological consultant for various religious communities and dioceses, and a research director for a major social ministry study. Fran holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Loyola University in Chicago. She has authored or co-authored, with Rev. John Heagle, numerous articles and books on spirituality, sexuality and ministry. A native of Salem, Oregon, Ferder is a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.
Notes on the book:
For many of us, the biggest issue in our lives and with our church is guilt about relationships and sexuality. We may be voluntarily or involuntarily single, struggling or thriving in a committed relationship, or passionately celibate--but at some point we're made to feel like we're compromising our faith when we live what's in our hearts. Whether its our church, our parents, or society that makes us feel this way, Sr. Fran Ferder and Fr. John Heagle show that what God intends for us is not guilt, but the fullness of life itself. http://tenderfires.com
Is It a Date or Just Coffee?: The Gay Girl’s Guide to Dating, Sex, and Romance by Mo Brownsey
About the author:Maureen (Mo) Brownsey is a writer, filmmaker, college professor and stand-up comic. She lives in San Francisco.
Notes on the book:
Is It a Date or Just Coffee? is a nuts-and-bolts guide to help you figure out what is wrong with the people you have been dating, help you find the people you should be dating and show you how to craft a personal ad designed to entice babes but repel psyche-sucking wackos. Understanding that love involves equal parts romance, lust and neuroses, Mo Brownsey provides some wise and witty advice to help you navigate the dating minefields.
