Taking Religion Seriously by Charles Murray

 Spiritual autobiography from the author of The Bell Curve.

The Day is Now Far Spent by Robert Cardinal Sarah

 Outstanding analysis of our cultural crisis.

The Idol of Our Age by Daniel J. Mahoney

Nice book discussing the "religion of humanity" and its subversion of Christianity.

Bad Religion by Ross Douthat

Against the notion that our country is becoming increasingly secular, Douthat advances the thesis that it is as religious as ever - only that religion is no longer orthodox Christianity but a variety of Christian heresies. These heresies dispense with the tensions and demands of the traditional faith and, usually, replace it with some sort of self-affirming vacuity. There's a lot more to it than that. An insightful read.

Something Other than God by Jennifer Fulwiler

A riveting conversation story - could hardly put it down.

Strangers in a Strange Land by Archbishop Charles Chaput

Excellent book discussing how to live as faithful Catholics in a post-Christian America.

Approaches to God by Jacques Maritain

A short work by the great Thomas philosopher on the "many ways to God." Includes - beyond the Five Ways of St. Thomas - a Sixth Way from Maritain himself based on the experience of the intellect. Maritain is always worth reading.

Elijah in Jerusalem by Michael D. O'Brien

The sequel to O'Brien's Father Elijah. A much shorter book than the first and not as action-packed, the theme of the book being Elijah's witness to the truth in Jerusalem. In this book Elijah's task is not so much to convert the Antichrist as to bear witness against him. The story is essentially Elijah's attempt to confront the Man of Sin, and his encounter with and witness to various people along the way. A worthy successor to the excellent Father Elijah.

Harry Potter and the Paganization of Culture by Michael D. O'Brien

I've been a longtime opponent of the Harry Potter series, since the time I first read them many years ago to discover if they were appropriate for my children. Michael D. O'Brien's book, written in 2010, presents an insightful criticism of Potter world as well as a critique of contemporary fantasy in general.

Father Elijah by Michael D. O'Brien

Father Elijah is a book I read back in the 90's and, for some reason, had a hankering to read again. I'm glad I did. It's an apocalyptic thriller, but very different from what you might expect given that description. There are no car chases or explosions, and the pacing is far more measured than is typical in contemporary fiction. It is apocalyptic in the authentic Biblical sense, an icon of the final battle between good and evil.

O'Brien's religious understanding is orthodox and profound. Since Christ has already won the battle for us in his Life, Death and Resurrection, the apocalypse is not really about defeating evil but saving souls. Thus the Father Elijah of the book's title is not sent by the Pope to destroy the Antichrist but rather to attempt to save the soul of the man who might be the Antichrist (the President of Europe), since as long as a man is alive his salvation is always possible. On the other hand, the forces of evil would like nothing better than to corrupt Father Elijah and claim him as a casualty; the drama of the book is then Father Elijah's journey into the heart of darkness on a quest to save the President while maintaining his own faith in the face of temptation and horror.

The measure of this book is that reading it is itself a spiritual experience and an education in the true nature of the war we are fighting.

10% Happier by Dan Harris

Dan Harris is a host of Good Morning America and Nightline on ABC TV. The book is about his discovery of Buddhist meditation and how it made him, in his words "10% happier." It actually does more than that for him, giving him some center and peace in a typical "type A" lifestyle.

The book is worth reading for Harris's style and self-deprecating humor. For a TV personality, he's refreshingly free of vanity.

Bad Religion by Ross Douthat

Douthat is among the more Chestertonian voices writing today. In this work, his claim is that the dominant religious culture in America today is not unbelief or indifference, but various forms of Christian heresy. His answer is a call to the historical Christian witness of individual sanctity rather than political mobilization.

How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization by Thomas Woods

Excellent account of the Catholic Church's influence on the development of Western civilization.

The Victory of Reason by Rodney Stark

Account of the crucial contributions of Christianity to the development of Western Civilization in terms of science, politics and culture.

Atheist Delusions - The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies by David Bentley Hart

Excellent response to the New Atheism, made in terms of showing just what it is that Christianity has added to the world and what it might lose when (if) Christianity disappears.

Aquinas by Edward Feser

Good introduction to the philosophy of the master.

Skeptics and True Believers by Chet Raymo

Picked this up for a few $$$ at the used book store. Usual stuff about folks who accept science (yea!) rather than remain dogmatically ignorant in religion (boo!). You should be able to find it on the shelf at your local Strawmen'R'Us.

Dialogs Concerning Natural Religion by David Hume

I re-read these every few years. If you are serious about philosophy of religion, you have to be able to answer Hume.

Belief and Nonbelief by Eco and Martini

This book is a series of letters between Umberto Eco (author of The Name of the Rose) and Cardinal Martini. It's pretty short, and both Eco and Martini spend a lot of time talking about talking rather than just talking. Just as I thought they started to engage, the book ended.