What everyone was talking about: an evangelical pastor’s reflection on where non-Christians spend eternity. What everyone had enough of: books about the King James Bible. This week, we look back on a year in religious publishing. The best-of list includes a memoir of a new Christian mother whose child has Down syndrome; the story of a group of Buddhist monks who saved their monastery from a wildfire; and a humor book that makes “a serious argument for joy” in religion.

 

Check out Marcia's selections for the Best Books of 2011

 

Marcia Nelson, Associate Religion Editor at Publishers Weekly

All around the country, a growing number of churches, mosques and synagogues are switching bank accounts. They’re withdrawing millions of dollars out of big banks, like Bank of America and Wells Fargo, and putting their money into community banks and credit unions. It’s a way to protest what they see as unfair mortgage and lending habits- and they’re not quiet about the change.

 

Pictured: Rev. Bell speaks to crowd about why his church is divesting from Bank of America.

 

Rev. Ryan Bell, pastor of Hollywood Adventist Church

Most of us imagine Satan as a red guy with hooves, a forked tongue, a tail, and a big pitchfork. We also imagine him as the incarnation of absolute evil. But you won’t find that description anywhere in the Bible. In fact, the scriptures say he looks a lot like us.

 

Pictured: Satan as Lucifer, the fallen archangel, tempting Jesus in the desert. The name "Lucifer" wasn't clearly applied to Satan until around the third century.

 

Albert Hernandez, co-author of "The Quest for the Historical Satan"

Despite their name, Satanists don’t worship the Devil. They don’t even believe he exists. For members of the Church of Satan, there is nothing supernatural about the universe. There is no God or devil, no heaven or hell, and no need to worship in religious organizations. Magus Peter Gilmore explains that Satanists "see Satan as a symbol of a deeply human approach to existence, of triumphing carnally and enjoying life, and not putting it off to look for some possible spiritual existence.”

 

Magus Peter H. Gilmore, high priest of the Church of Satan