Giving—The Sacred Art

It is hard to make individual philanthropy, a sacrificial virtue mandated by the major world religions, sound enticing, inspirational and even occasionally pleasurable—but this book often succeeds in doing just that. "Generosity can give you joy," asserts Wright, a researcher on faith and family at Indiana University. In this refreshingly candid volume on the transformative power of sharing one's material, emotional and spiritual wealth, the author ponders the theological, psychological and social significance of giving. It is many things, she says: worship, stewardship, discipline and an act of redemption, charity and justice. Less a scholarly tome than a practical treatise, Wright’s book offers multiple resources, including worksheets, exercises, quotations from some of the world’s faith traditions and a bibliography. Readers of all faiths, or none, will find many useful suggestions for incorporating giving into their lives. The writer’s willingness to share specific examples of change from her own life is both helpful and provocative, underlining her assertion that giving offers the potential to change not only the individual but ultimately the world. (Sept). * Publisher's Weekly *