'Voluptuous' may not be a common word associated with God, but the author speaks metaphorically of God in a way that calls us to laughter, love, and joy -- voluptuousness as 'full delight' -- and invites us to worship a God of intimacy rather than a God of distance. The light yet not trivial tone of this work supports the author's basic premise that we are meant to live our humanity joyfully, thankfully, and fully from our hearts. The book is rooted in the Christian tradition but affirms that truth can also be found in other religions, spirituality, and secular practices.

God of Love is Mirabai Starr’s passionate and personal exploration of the interconnected wisdom of the three Abrahamic faiths. She shares an overview of essential teachings, stories of saints and spiritual masters, prophetic calls for peace and justice, and for the first time in print, deeply engaging narratives from her own spiritual experiences. She guides readers to recognize the teachings and practices that unify rather then divide the three religions, and sheds light on the interspiritual perspective, which celebrates the Divine in all paths. It is Mirabai’s hope that this book will serve as a reminder that a dedication to lovingkindness is the highest expression of faith for all three religions. EARLY REVIEWS FOR God of Love “Mirabai Starr takes us out dancing with the One. God of Love is a confluence of the currents of Judaism, Islam and Christianity all emptying into the great ocean of Love.” —Ram Dass, Author Be Here Now “In a time of division between people, this book — which is a masterful blend of research, storytelling, poetry, and memoir — is like a sacred magnet, pulling on the spiritual heart of all seekers.” —Elizabeth Lesser, Cofounder, Omega Institute; Author, Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow “Mirabai Starr writes of the divine from a luminous gene inherited by only a few. We hear The True Song in each word she attributes to the holy. It is more than just her song; it is the Melody of the Spheres translated by an astute musician. We are always touched by the genuine in her call to the reader to love and love well, to see with the sacred eye of beauty.” -Ondrea & Stephen Levine, Authors Embracing the Beloved "Mirabai's book has brought me great consolation." -Daniel Berrigan, S. J. activist-priest; Author, No Gods but One “This book brilliantly reminds us that in the heart of the Abrahamic traditions there burns a singular divine flame.” -Rev. Robert V. Thompson, Author A Voluptuous God “A wonderful and ‘perfect’ book. Highly recommended.” -Rabbi David A. Cooper, Author God Is a Verb “[God of Love] will expand your vision and inspire your search; I recommend it with great joy.” -Andrew Harvey, Author The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism “At home in the three great Abrahamic traditions, Mirabai Starr takes us on a deeply personal journey 'Toward the One,' exploring aspects of the 'God of Love' as seen through the eyes of Jewish, Christian and Muslim mystics. This is a book which will delight the seeker of sacred connections between these traditions and those who look forward to a day when Jerusalem, the city shared by all these faiths, will be a house of prayer for all people." -Reb Netanel Miles-Yepez, Co-Author A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters

"God-Shaped Hole will change you as a reader, writer and human. It is rare books like this one that remind me why I fell in love with the written word."—Colleen Hoover When I was twelve, a fortune teller told me that my one true love would die young and leave me all alone... It's a dark prediction, but Beatrice Jordan never really believed in true love anyway. So, no harm done. She's accepted her lot in life: living in Los Angeles as an artist, not letting herself get too attached to anyone. It's not perfect, but nothing is. Until fate intervenes. It's a simple personal ad: "I am seeking a friend for the end of the world..." Eleven little words that change Beatrice's life irrevocably. Because they lead her to Jacob Grace, an unpredictable writer looking for something he can't name. Both of their worlds shift that day and what follows is a love story unlike any other; brimming with creativity and passion, as two lost souls find themselves in each other. From hole-in-the-wall record stores to late night phone calls, together, Beatrice and Jacob transcend the loneliness of their lives. But dark realities and secrets soon rise to the surface, as does Beatrice's fear of an inescapable fate. Despite it all, this is a story of real love: the kind that breaks you and remakes you, the kind that changes you forever. The kind of love worth having, even if it's short lived, even if you know you might lose it. God Shaped Hole is a brand new kind of love story, introducing dreamers to a quintessentially raw romance and inspires everyone to live and love as vividly as possible—the perfect book club or beach read for fans of The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves, In Five Years by Rebecca Serle, and More Than Words by Jill Santopolo. Praise for God-Shaped Hole: "This generation's Love Story."—Kirkus "If Holden Caulfield were a twenty-seven-year-old woman living in LA, this is the book he'd write, or read. It's very fast and very funny, and at its core it's that rarest of things—a truly convincing love story."—Dave Eggers "With wit and humor, the author brings these characters and their quirky, artsy friends alive. Bottom Line: You'll dig it"—People

In 18th-century France, matter itself - in forms ranging from atoms to anatomies - became a privileged object of study. This book defines what is at stake in the emergence of an enlightened secular materialism by showing how questions of figure are consistently located at the very heart of 18th-century debates on the nature of material substance.

For the Love of God is a provocative and inspiring re-interpretation of six essential Biblical texts: The Song of Songs, the Book of Ruth, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Jonah, and Job. In prose that is personal and probing, analytically acute and compellingly readable, Ostriker sees these writings as "counter-texts," deviating from convention yet deepening and enriching the Bible, our images of God, and our own potential spiritual lives. Attempting to understand "some of the wildest, strangest, most splendid writing in Western tradition," she shows how the Bible embraces sexuality and skepticism, boundary crossing and challenges to authority, how it illuminates the human psyche and mirrors our own violent times, and how it asks us to make difficult choices in the quest for justice.