Asking the Clergy: More summer reading

Summer leisure reading doesn’t have to be all escapist fare. It can include serious works that help us seek a deeper understanding of our own and other’s faiths. This week’s clergy discuss books and other works that inform, inspire and enlighten.

The Rev. Monte Malik Chandler

Senior pastor, Assembly of Prayer Baptist Church, Roslyn Heights

A good read for the faithful is "The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus' Teachings and How They Have Been Corrupted" (Three Leaves Press, 2006), by Obery M. Hendricks Jr., a biblical scholar and minister. This book was a game changer for me because it offers real insight into the Scriptures and puts them in a historical context.

Another suggestion would be "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents" (Random House, 2020), by Isabel Wilkerson, which demonstrates how race and religion have been used to undergird caste systems throughout the world, whether it be in North America, Europe or India.

I’d also recommend "The Cost of Discipleship" (Touchstone, 1995), by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of my theological heroes. While studying at Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan, Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor, attended Abyssinian Baptist Church and taught in its Sunday school. After returning to his homeland, he spoke out against Hitler, Nazism and the Third Reich — and was executed by the Nazis in April 1945.

Lastly, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s "Letter from the Birmingham Jail," which is posted online. It’s critical for people to understand how little has changed since King’s day.

Bob Yugi Festa of Huntington

Zen practitioner

In the summer, people slow their frenetic pace, and a looming vacation signals the routine needs to be disrupted. No matter where they find themselves, beach, mountains or in their own backyard, it is time to switch to summer reading fare.

Buddhists — or any reader for that matter — can’t go wrong by picking up a copy of "Siddhartha" (Simon & Schuster, 2008), a novel by Hermann Hesse written in 1922. The story takes place in India during the time of Gautama Buddha — popularly known as the Buddha — and concerns a young Brahmin from a wealthy family who leaves home to find the path to "lasting satisfaction," or as the Dalai Lama puts it, "happiness." The first half of the novel parallels Gautama Buddha’s life almost verbatim and could easily be mistaken for a biography of Gautama. Near the end of the first half of the book, Siddhartha meets Gautama and decides that while his teachings are insightful and elegant, he must seek enlightenment for himself.

In the book’s second half Siddhartha’s story diverges from the Buddha’s in many ways. Siddhartha finally has the insight that brings him his lasting satisfaction, and it comes in a flash stimulated by his years of searching.

Anu Jain of Jericho

Member of Jain Centers of New York

When I was a child, my grandparents always encouraged me to read Jain stories during prolonged school breaks. I would find those stories to be fascinating and a refreshing change from the academic studies.

One of the best books for learning about Jainism is the "Kalpa Sutra of Bhadrabāhu Svami," a Jain text from the fourth century BCE containing the biographies of the Tirthankaras, our spiritual teachers. The Kalpa Sutra describes the life of Lord Mahavira, a founder of our faith who at about age 30 relinquished all worldly possessions to pursue spiritual enlightenment. I recommend the 2005 English translation published by Kastur Chand Lalwani, which is available on Amazon.com.

Other than Kalpa Sutra, there are many Jain life stories about our tirthankaras, goddesses and monks. Reading these books can lead us through any period of darkness and guide us into the light. Reading awakens our minds, helping us through weak moments. I strongly encourage my own children to read books about Jainism that helped me build my personality and taught me many important life lessons.