Listmania!
Important Spiritual Gems
The Religious Experience of MankindThe Religious Experience of Mankind by Ninian Smart
Buy new: £13.90 / Used from: £9.91
A great introduction to comparative religion - a succinct summary of almost all religions the world has known. THE book that sparked my interest in theology and religion in general
Awakening the Buddha WithinAwakening the Buddha Within by Lama Surya Das
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £0.99
One of the most readable and practical introductions to Buddhism
Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to AwakeningBuddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening by Stephen Batchelor
Buy new: £3.09 / Used from: £2.50
If you're not inclined to be "religious", this is a great summary of why you should still look seriously at Buddhist ideas about the self and the world
Scepticism Inc.Scepticism Inc. by Bo Fowler
Buy used from: £0.71
A funny, irreverent novel, poking fun at every religion in the world, but ultimately with a serious message
The Sea of FaithThe Sea of Faith by Don Cupitt
Buy used from: £9.50
Brilliant summary of agnostic and athestic thought, from a theologian who has rejected traditional theism for a more "non-realist" faith
The Miracle of Theism: Arguments for and Against the Existence of GodThe Miracle of Theism: Arguments for and Against the Existence of God by J.L. Mackie
Buy new: £18.19 / Used from: £8.00
One of the best introductions to athestic arguments against the existence of God
Feminist Theology: A ReaderFeminist Theology: A Reader by Ann Loades
Buy new: £9.89 / Used from: £2.57
A fascinating insight into feminist theology, from one of my former professors!
Siddharta (Dover Thrift Editions)Siddharta (Dover Thrift Editions) by Hermann Hesse
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Fantastic novella by one of the greatest minds of European literature. Goes beyond the Buddha's teachings to ask you to test them for yourself
Solitaire MysterySolitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder
Buy new: £2.41 / Used from: £0.01
An introduction to Western philosophy, told in the context of an often confusing and interesting mystery story
The Bhagavad-gita (Penguin Classics)The Bhagavad-gita (Penguin Classics) by Anonymous
Buy new: £1.76 / Used from: £1.90
One of the most accessible Hindu texts, a glorious poem of love and divine unity
Islam (Penguin Religion)Islam (Penguin Religion) by Alfred Guillaume
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Slightly old-fashioned, but still one of the classic introductions to Islam
The Brothers Karamazov (Penguin Classics)The Brothers Karamazov (Penguin Classics) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Buy new: £6.49 / Used from: £4.44
Unputdownable read. Classic exposition of "protest atheism" amongst other fundamental human dilemmas
The Glass Bead Game (Vintage Classics)The Glass Bead Game (Vintage Classics) by Hermann Hesse
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £4.25
I read this when I was 14, but re-read it again recently. Mind-blowing examination of spiritual and human existence, with no comfortable answers
Spiritual Intelligence: The Ultimate Intelligence (Bloomsbury Paperbacks)Spiritual Intelligence: The Ultimate Intelligence (Bloomsbury Paperbacks) by Danah Zohar
Buy new: £2.93 / Used from: £1.00
Some dubious aspects, but an interesting examination of whether we all have a "God-spot" within our brains
The Consolations of PhilosophyThe Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton
Buy used from: £1.87
The author explains difficult philosophical ideas in a down-to-earth and relevant way - how does philosophy solve our sadnesses and angst in the modern world
The World Treasury of Modern Religious ThoughtThe World Treasury of Modern Religious Thought
Buy used from: £0.33
Great collection of key spiritual and religious classic texts from modern times, from Albert Camus to Albert Schweitzer
The Essential Tao: An Initiation into the Heart of Taoism Through the Authentic Tao Te Ching and the Inner Teachings of Chuang-tzu - A Compendium of Ethical WisdomThe Essential Tao: An Initiation into the Heart of Taoism Through the Authentic Tao Te Ching and the Inner Teachings of Chuang-tzu - A Compendium of Ethical Wisdom
Buy new: £3.16 / Used from: £3.42
Great introduction and commentary on the Tao te Ching, also included in this volume
Jerusalem: City of MirrorsJerusalem: City of Mirrors by Amos Elon
Buy used from: £0.98
I love this book! A sweeping biography of this amazing, sad, battle-scarred, and inspirational place
The Unbearable Lightness of Being: Twentieth Anniversary EditionThe Unbearable Lightness of Being: Twentieth Anniversary Edition by Milan Kundera
Buy used from: £9.20
Not a theological book, but an inspirational novel with plenty to say on the human condition.
Thompson Chain Reference Bible-NKJVThompson Chain Reference Bible-NKJV
Buy used from: £53.83
The Bible I used to study at Uni - full of cross references, and extra items invaluable to the serious scholar
Animal LiberationAnimal Liberation by Peter Singer
Buy new: £9.09 / Used from: £7.45
Yes, animals do have rights too! Here is the definitive justification of animal ethics