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shansometimes's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
BLACK LITURGIES is a genuinely remarkable book. It's written in devotional form and includes prayers, poems, and meditations—what I'd typically call "devotions"—that pierce the soul, warm the heart, and inspire a conviction that calls for justice, equity, and a life of love influenced by the divine (which, in my case and the author's, is Jesus Christ).
The author, Cole Arthur Riley, clearly writes from a predominately—though not fundamentalist—Christian perspective but aims to make BLACK LITURGIES inspiring and accessible to people at different places of their spiritual journey. This book likely wouldn't sit well with readers who like strictly and traditionally Christian books, but I believe it's the type of book that could help those longing to reconnect with God (or spirituality in general) take a step forward.
I also believe it's a read that could restore some people's faith in people of faith, especially in Christians, if they've never read anything from a more progressive Christian perspective and are stuck associating faith with a type of religion that may have traumatized them in the past.
But I wouldn't say BLACK LITURGIES is about how to put yourself into a religious box at all; the content, while intersectional and sporadically interfaith, is very personal and vulnerable. Riley's writing is for YOU, the reader, to contemplate your own spiritual health. Her writing makes a beautiful guide.
I loved and appreciated the formula that every chapter followed, leading with wise quotes from Black ancestors, Bible scriptures, etc., and continuing into a stunning letter by the author, breath prayers, and more. Just like with her previous book, THIS HERE FLESH, her writing is so gorgeous, deeply thought out, and complex that I struggle to review it at all.
Riley's writing is shaped by nuance and grace and expressed in a way that reflects goodness and charitable spirituality. It makes what's intellectual and historical approachable and beautiful. If you follow @blackliturgies on Instagram and treasure the words published there as I do, you'll just have to trust me and read this.
*This review is based on a digital ARC provided by the publisher. Opinions are 100% mine.
The author, Cole Arthur Riley, clearly writes from a predominately—though not fundamentalist—Christian perspective but aims to make BLACK LITURGIES inspiring and accessible to people at different places of their spiritual journey. This book likely wouldn't sit well with readers who like strictly and traditionally Christian books, but I believe it's the type of book that could help those longing to reconnect with God (or spirituality in general) take a step forward.
I also believe it's a read that could restore some people's faith in people of faith, especially in Christians, if they've never read anything from a more progressive Christian perspective and are stuck associating faith with a type of religion that may have traumatized them in the past.
But I wouldn't say BLACK LITURGIES is about how to put yourself into a religious box at all; the content, while intersectional and sporadically interfaith, is very personal and vulnerable. Riley's writing is for YOU, the reader, to contemplate your own spiritual health. Her writing makes a beautiful guide.
I loved and appreciated the formula that every chapter followed, leading with wise quotes from Black ancestors, Bible scriptures, etc., and continuing into a stunning letter by the author, breath prayers, and more. Just like with her previous book, THIS HERE FLESH, her writing is so gorgeous, deeply thought out, and complex that I struggle to review it at all.
Riley's writing is shaped by nuance and grace and expressed in a way that reflects goodness and charitable spirituality. It makes what's intellectual and historical approachable and beautiful. If you follow @blackliturgies on Instagram and treasure the words published there as I do, you'll just have to trust me and read this.
*This review is based on a digital ARC provided by the publisher. Opinions are 100% mine.
bridge_paez's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
Beautifully written.
bookwormmelissa's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to Convergent Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. Cole Arthur Riley's This Here Flesh was one of my top books of the year when I read it pre-release, so I was excited to see this new title in her canon. Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human is a beautiful devotional written from and for the black experience. Section topics are similar to those in This Here Flesh, and the format between liturgies remains the same, and the final section includes shorter devotions for specific days of the year. I really appreciated the meditation questions she includes, and the extensive format is designed to really draw the reader into a safe space. She even includes a template at the end for readers to write their own liturgies. While this book was not written for me, I really appreciated her thoughtfulness in putting this collection together.
radagast_the_brown's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
4.75
i don't think i've ever read something that has made me feel nostalgic for the god of my childhood until now. i bought this book to reread again (and again) in future
jvegarocha's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0