San Antonio College Library

The tradition of home shrines first began evolving in the American Southwest during the Mexican colonial period, when priests often travelled to homes to perform mass, novenas, baptisms, and marriages, a practice that continues today. This colourful book features the personal altars of mostly Hispanic families living in the towns and villages of northern New Mexico. Most are devoutly Catholic, and although Roman Catholic dogma does not officially...

What if religions are neither all true nor all nonsense? The long-running and often boring debate between believers and non-believers is finally moved forward by Alain de Botton's inspiring book, which boldly argues that the supernatural claims of religion are entirely false--but that it still has some very important things to teach the secular world. Religion for Atheists suggests that rather than mocking religion, agnostics and atheists should instead...

Born between 1965 and 1983, the young adults of Generation X grew up in an era of unprecedented wealth and consumerism. Rebelling against the liberal family, social, and academic environments in which they were raised, some have made strengthening their faith a priority. The new faithful is a groundbreaking new book that examines the growing trend toward religious orthodoxy among today's young adults. Author and journalist Colleen Carroll offers strong...

What we see for the first time is the many-layered complexity of religious life in early New England, and the importance within it of traditions derived from those of the Old World.

The Penitente Brotherhood, formally known as La Fraternidad Piadosa de Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, is a lay Catholic organization unique to New Mexico and southern Colorado. This book documents moradas, the buildings in which the Brothers meet and pray, and offers an intimate and respectful account of their religious observances. The Penitente Brothers have been objects of intense curiosity ever since New Mexico became a tourist attraction, and...

The foundations for our extraordinary high-tech world don't just come from the West, but from Islamic and Arabic speaking scientists of the Middle Ages. Dr. Hayat Sindi and Professor Jim Al-Khalili trace the stories behind the genesis and development of the car, flight, robotics and algorithms; the technology that transformed astronomy, farming, hospitals and surgery; and the creation of the world's first university.

From the very start, Islam has been a force to contend with in the West. It motivated European Christians to undertake the Crusades; strongly influenced the cultures of Spain, Sicily, and southern France; gave us, among many others, the concepts of chivalry and courtly love; and took, in turn, primarily the Western style of military architecture. (30 minutes)