​Our Library
We are currently in process of building our library.  Anyone is welcome to donate or borrow a book.  If you have a particular book that you would like everyone to know about, we can highlight it as a 'recommend read' on our front page.  All you have to do is give a brief synopsis of the book and explain why you would recommend it.  All 'recommended reads' will be listed on this page in case you have missed the highlight.   As our library continues to grow, eventually all our books will be listed here.  Anyone interested in contributing, recommending, borrowing or organizing,  please contact Fr Harvey.  
Audio Bibles: Old and New Testament on cassettes—the King James Version and the New International Version; also the New Testament on CDs

Bible Study Resources:
Peakes Commentary on the Bible, ed. By Matthew Black and H.H. Rowley, 1977
The Internaional Bible Commentary, ed. F.F. Bruce, 1979
New Bible Dictionary, 1962
Eerdmans’ Handbook to the Bible, 1980
Joseph Free, Archeology and Bible History, 1992
Harpers Bible Commentary, 1988
The Lands and Peoples of the Bible: A Narrative History of the Old and New Testaments, Bernard Youngman, 1959
Bible Then and Now, Jenny Roberts, 1996
Asimov’s Guide to the Bible, Isaac Asimov, 1981
Smith’s Bible Dictionary
The Abingdon Bible Commentary, 1957
The Harper Concise Atlas of the Bible, 1991
The Living Gospels of Jesus Christ, J.B. Phillips,1984
Explaining the Gospels, 1981
Commentaries and Bible Studies on Job; Psalms; Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (together); Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah (together); Genesis; Gospel of Matthew (2 volumes); Gospel of Mark; Gospel of Luke; Gospel of John (volume one of two)

Other Religions
The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions, 1981
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Recommended Readings

Books recommended by Fr. Harvey.
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Books Fr. Harvey bought on his trip to Saint David’s Cathedral:
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1. Wyn Evans, St David’s Cathedral (2015), a picture book about the Cathedral. Martin Crampion’s
2. Depicting St David (2020) is about Saint David in stained glass windows at the Cathedral and around the United Kingdom, with pictures of everyone he discusses.
Two of the books are more or less biographical about Saint David:
3. Saint David of Dewisland and Gerald Morgan,
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 This is God’s Table: Finding Church Beyond the Walls, (2020)                                          by: Anna Woofenden
In this book, Woofenden tells her story of planting a Church in a poor neighborhood in Los Angeles. What makes it even more interesting is that they worship in an empty lot that they also converted into a garden. Neighbors wondered if it was really a garden or if it was really a Church. Woofenden’s answer was, it’s both! The book is wise and good, filled with insights about what it means to be Church today in very unusual circumstances. Even better, Woofenden has now moved to western MA and is transferring her ordination to the Episcopal Church. As a member of our Diocese, she heads up the Good News Gardens Program in which we are participating. Hopefully we can get her to come preach at Saint David’s at some point!

Hiking Through: One Man’s Journey to Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail (2010)  by: Paul Stutzman, 
When Stutzman’s wife died of breast cancer, he decided to process his grief by hiking the Appalachian Trail, all 2176 miles of it. Taking the Trail name “Apostle,” he set off from Georgia on the four and a half month journey. Along the way, he has lots of adventures (and misadventures!) while connecting with God and God’s creation. The result is a charming and often inspiring book.
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Seeking Refuge: On The Shores of the Global Refugee Crisis (2016), 
           by: Stephan Bauman, Matthew Soerens, Issam Smeir, 
This short, accessible book by Evangelical Christians associated with World Relief (and recommended by the Diocese) tackles the refugee crisis from multiple angles. They begin with the biblical commandment to welcome the stranger. They tell stories, challenge myths, identify opportunities for ministry, and acknowledge both the difficulties of helping particular refugees and the root causes of the crisis. The result is a really helpful lesson in the problems refugees face and the tangible ways in which we can help.

God Grew Tired of Us (2007)      by: John Bul Dau with Michael Sweeney
This is the inspiring (and tragic!) story of John Bul Dau, one of the “lost Boys” of South Sudan. Militia from Sudan attacked Dau’s village in the middle of the night when he was thirteen years old. He fled, and so began a trek of many hundreds of miles, first to Ethiopia and then to Kenya. After several years in a refugee camp, he was allowed admittance to the United States. Here Dau continued the education he began in the camp by entering Community College, married another refugee from South Sunday and began a family, and created an organization to support other refugees from South Sudan. Dau was sustained throughout his trials and tribulations by a vibrant Christian faith.

​The Great Divorce (1946)        by: C.S. Lewis
This short and engaging novel tells the story of passengers who take a bus from Hell to Heaven where they are met by people they used to know. In each case, the person from Heaven invites their old friend/family member to stay. The book takes the form of a series of dialogues in which most of the people from Hell refuse the invitation. Lewis is clear that his book is not intended as an accurate picture of the afterlife. Instead it is a profound exploration of why we so often reject God’s invitation to lives of joy and love. Somehow that inspires rather than depresses!
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The Language of God (2006)       by: Francis Collins
If you are among the many people who believe that science and religion don't mix, please read this book! The author, Francis Collins, is a scientist who headed up the human genome project. He is also a devout Christian. With his feet deeply entrenched in the worlds of science and religion, he has heard all the criticisms of both and in this book he addresses the debate full-on. 

The Language of God provides thoughtful analyses of all the arguments concerning religion and science and the supposed incongruity of believing in both. Whatever your position is in this issue, this book, with its detailed explanations, should prove enlightening. Spoiler alert: As a Christian and a scientist, Collins becomes even more awestruck the more deeply he delves into science. As he says, "Science is not threatened by God; it is enhanced. God is most certainly not threatened by science. He made it all possible."
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Giving Sorrow Words: Poems of Strength and Solace, (2002)       ​by: Karen vanMeenen and Charles Rossiter, eds., with Kathleen Adams
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This short collection of poems was made by the National Association for Poetry Therapy Foundation following the 9-11 attacks as a way of giving expression to our national and personal grief. The idea behind this collection (and poetry therapy more generally) is that we need ways to articulate our feelings, and that both reading and writing poetry can help. Many of the poems themselves are quite moving. Fr. Harvey's particular favorite was Denise Levertov’s “Hope It’s True.” The authors also recommend easy activities the reader can do to explore the images and feelings of each poem.
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Sabbath Keeping (1999)              by:  Donna Schaper
​This charming little book invites us to observe Sabbath—a day or just a few minutes—as a way of reminding ourselves what is important, remembering that God is in charge and not us, and making time for play and restoration. It doesn’t take long to read, and it is full of helpful tips about ways to think about and keep Sabbath in our complicated and over-stimulated 24/7 world. ​​
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A Promise to Astrid (2012) by: Michael Tourville
This book is written by a local author telling a true story that happened at a local Episcopal Church. It was recently made into a Hallmark movie! It describes the relationship between a young man (Tourville himself) and an older woman (Astrid) who was his neighbor and fellow parishioner. Tourville and Astrid engaged in a loving competition to see who could help the other more. The book includes a preface by our very own Scott Seabury, who also has a cameo in the Hallmark movie and whose family partly inspired the portrayal of the priest in the film!
There will be a screening of the movie at St. David's sometime this year. We will announce the date and time as soon as it becomes available.
Love is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubled Times, (2020)                                          by: Michael Curry 
This charming book, by our Presiding Bishop, combines his personal story with an insightful and inspiring meditation on love. He ends with this claim: “When God, who is love, becomes our spiritual center of gravity, and love our moral compass, we live differently, regardless of what the world around us does. The world changes for the better, one life at a time” (248). In an appendix, he offers practical tips for creating a personal rule of life to help each of us live the way of love a little better. 


Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference, (2009) 
      by: Warren St. John
This very engaging book tells the story of a soccer team made up of refugee children from many nations who come together in a small Georgia town. It gives us a glimpse of the challenges faced by refugees, as well as the challenges they can present to their host communities. By the end, the book makes two inspiring points. First, as the subtitle suggests, one determined woman really can make a difference. And, second, people from all over the world can get along, even if it is not always easy. Highly recommended!
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 The Twelve (1984) by Bernard Ruffin
The Search for the Twelve Apostles (1973) by W.S. McBirnie, 
These two books both investigate the lives of Jesus’ closest followers, beginning with what we know about the apostles from Scripture, but mostly based on subsequent traditions. Both are reasonably interesting, particularly for those curious about the apostles. Ruffin seems to be Catholic, and McBirnie Protestant, which gives the books a slightly different feel. Both tend to give the later legends more credit than I am inclined to do. McBirnie quotes his sources at some length; Ruffin mostly just tells the story. Of the two, I liked Ruffin slightly better. 
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​Peter Kreeft, Symbol or Substance: A Dialogue on the Eucharist with C.S. Lewis, Billy Graham, and J.R.R. Tolkien, 2019
This is a book about Eucharistic theology in the form of a conversation between C.S. Lewis, representing the Anglican position, Billy Graham, representing Evangelicals, and Tolkien, representing Roman Catholicism. The book is helpful for introducing some of the most important options for understanding the Eucharist. The author is himself Catholic and so, not surprisingly, he gives Tolkien the last word. But along the way, he gives a fair picture of the other two perspectives as well. And since Fr. Harvey is Anglican, he found the presentation of Lewis’ position the most compelling!
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The Cross and the Lynching Tree (2011)        by: James Cone

This is a challenging book in more ways than one. James Cone is arguably the most important theologian to develop a self-consciously Black Theology. As the title suggests, he draws a parallel between the crucifixion and lynching. Cone says that remembering the lynching tree keeps us mindful of the brutal horror of the cross. And remembering the cross helps us to find redemption even in the face of horrors like lynching. The book can be theologically dense. But the Beloved Community Team of our diocese has recommended that people read it, 
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Paul: Apostle of Christ      (DVD)
​This 2018 film begins shortly before the execution of Saint Paul in Rome. Paul himself is a major character, but Luke (author of the third Gospel and The Acts of the Apostles) is in some ways even more important. Luke moves back and forth between the imprisoned Paul and the beleaguered Christian community, which was undergoing serious persecution. In addition to telling a good story, the film has a deeply Christian message. (107 minutes)
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Crazy Christians and The Power of Love
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
​These two collections of sermons by perhaps the best preacher in the Episcopal Church are fun to read. The sermon "Crazy Christians" did much to get Curry elected as our Presiding Bishop. "The Power of Love," his royal wedding sermon, catapulted him onto the world stage. Closer to home, another sermon from The Power of Love, "The Way of Love" is the basis for our 2019 Lent program here at Saint David's. Check them out--you won't regret it!
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The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach about Jesus’ Final Days in Jerusalem (2006 )           
​                              by:  John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg,
​Appropriate for Holy Week, Borg and Crossan are scholars interested in reconstructing the details of Jesus’ life. In this book, based largely on the Gospel of Mark, they go day by day through the final week of Jesus’ life, culminating with his crucifixion. Although Fr. Harvey doesn’t endorse every claim they make, the book is full of historical insights that shed light on Jesus’ mission and the foundational events of the Christian faith.
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​The Anglican Vision      by: James Griffiss
In this book, Griffiss explains what it means to be Christian in an Anglican (i.e. Episcopalian) way. The book combines personal stories with history and theology. As it says on the back of the book, Griffiss "focuses especially on Anglicanism's ability to hold together theological continuity with social and cultural change, because of its particular grasp of the meaning of the Incarnation--the Good News of God dwelling in and among us." Perhaps best of all, the book is only 130 pages!  
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The Practice of Prayer                         by: Guenther
​​In this book, Guenther begins by defining spirituality as "the ordering of our loves." By that she means we love lots of things, but not equally. Unfortunately, many of us have loves that are disordered. So, for example, we love success more than family or friends, or we love anything more than God. Guenther argues that every spiritual discipline aims at correcting the disorder in our love life. By concentrating on the things that are most important, we cultivate more love for them. Prayer is one of the best ways we can cultivate our love for God. The book is her description of how we do just that. 
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