Book Series for Spiritual Growth

Many people have the idea that spiritual growth is something that happens only when we follow a pattern of study focusing on a specific set of teachings. Those who are part of a religious tradition often believe that their spiritual growth hinges solely on their study of the texts, or scriptures, which are sacred to their tradition.

While it is true that these texts should be a major part of one’s spirituality within their tradition, everyone receives information that can help them grow in their relationship with the Divine from many different places. Individuals who seek such growth, whether they adhere to a religious or faith tradition, to a philosophical perspective, or simply wish for a connection to something greater than themselves, will find inspiration in the sacred texts, nature, art, and even in fiction.

Fiction in books, television, film, and comics may seem mundane and separated from spirituality, but in reality, spirituality is not separate from our mundane lives. The Divine is found everywhere. It is in the smallest corners of our lives, in the shows we watch, and in the books we read.

I discovered this during one summer break when I was working on my M.Div. I recall blithely stating to someone that I was going to do nothing but read fiction all summer. I was going to stay far away from books about God all summer long. My brain was tired. I didn’t want to think. I wanted to avoid theology.

That lasted until I picked up the first book and settled in for a good read.

I discovered that I could no more stay away from theology than I could stay away from water in the middle of summer. It turns out, every cozy story about a small village in England, every tale about folks in mid-twentieth century Scotland, every story about small-town America has a spiritual element to it. Whether religion is mentioned; whether “God” is even suggested; whether there’s a church or a temple or a synagogue, spirituality permeates the lines between the words in just about everything I read.

No matter what genre I’m reading, there is something in the stories that speak to my inner Being.

I could list hundreds of books and short stories that feed my soul, but I’ve decided to share just a handful of series that do it for me. As an Interspiritual person, I find inspiration in stories from all kinds of people and all kinds of cultures. As an Interspiritual priestess, I recommend that readers explore all kinds of stories.

The series I have listed are, in my estimation, very spiritual books. You’ll be familiar with most of them, I suspect. The most important thing though is that you don’t go looking for the spirituality in the tales. Just read the stories. The rest will happen naturally.

The books:

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien

It seems unlikely that there is anyone reading this who has not heard of the trilogy. If nothing else, there’s the beautiful set of films produced and directed by Peter Jackson, which introduced multiple generations of young people to the timeless fantasy series. When linguist John Ronald Reuel Tolkien wrote the three books that comprise this trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, fantasy as a genre was changed. LOTR (as the series has become abbreviated since the films) was influenced by Tolkien’s interest in languages, mythology, archaeology, medievalism, nature, and religion. As a devout Catholic, Tolkien inevitably brought his sense of good and evil into his stories. These books speak to my spirit in a way that lifts me, takes me outside of myself, and connects me to something eternal.

The Practical Magic Series by Alice Hoffman

First, there was Practical Magic. Again, many of us saw the movie first. This was the case for me, to be honest. I really loved the movie. Yet, the book is better. Hoffman’s use of magical realism is the stuff writer’s envy is made of. Since Practical Magic was published in 1995, Hoffman has released The Rules of Magic (2017), Magic Lessons (2020), and The Book of Magic (2021). Throughout these books, Hoffman shows us that it is the unseen connections to our families, our family’s past, our own past, and even our futures that reveal our true nature and bring us into a higher state of Being.

His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman

This series was quite controversial in its time, and probably still is. The series is a charge against the church, its hierarchies, and its political influence. The His Dark Materials trilogy includes Northern Lights (The Golden Compass in North America), The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. The church is not spirituality, and spirituality is not the church. There is plenty of spirituality reflected in the story. In my opinion, it’s intelligent, adventurous, and thought-provoking.

The Languedoc Trilogy by Kate Mosse

Labyrinth was the first book in this series. It was followed up with Sepulchre and Citadel. These stories hinge on the supernatural and the occult. All three books are well-researched historical novels that pull together the supernatural tale of one Audric Baillard, a writer who speaks Occitan, the language of the Cathars, and who has an abiding interest in the past. It’s the supernatural aspect of this trilogy that speaks to my spirituality, as well as the empowering determination of Mosse’s female protagonists. These are books I will be going back to before too long.

Elfquest by Wendy and Richard Pini (Comic series)

Oh, my beloved elves! ElfQuest was far ahead of its time when it comes to acceptance of differences, love between friends, and polyamorous love. It treats these issues as if this was just the way of things. It does it without bravado or angst. I think that in a way, this is part of why Elfquest is very spiritual to me. The interconnectedness of the elves, the land, and the wolves is a spiritual language that I understand. These beautiful comics present spirituality from a mystical perspective that speaks directly to my own spirituality.

The Children of Llyr Series by Evangeline Walton

This series of four books, Prince of Annwn, The Children of Llyr, The Song of Rhiannon, and The Island of the Mighty are retellings of the four branches of the Mabinogion. The Mabinogion is a collection of Welsh mythological tales that include Arthurian legend, stories of the intervention of the fae in British history, and the mysticism of Celtic tradition. Reading these stories, one gets a sense that they exist between times in a liminal space where the unbelievable becomes possible. It is this Mystery which calls to my spirit.

The Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi

Tripathi’s treatment of the life and times of Shiva, a Hindu God, as an individual whose choices have powerful consequences, is both complicated and compelling. The books in this trilogy are The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas, and The Oath of the Vayuputras. Even knowing that this story is the product of Tripathi’s imagination, albeit fueled by Hindu texts, I found spiritual inspiration throughout the books. Philosophical discussions between characters around issues like karma and fate inevitably spark some internal ponderings about my own choices in life, as well as my part in the spiritual evolution of humanity.

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Books are like doorways into new worlds. The covers of a book are liminal spaces, much like the doorway between yesterday and today. Standing with one foot in a book and one foot in the “real” world, I am on the threshold of Becoming. To Become, to Be, is more than to exist corporeally in the physical world. To Be is to be Present in the Presence of All That Is. Each book that I read brings me closer to Being. Most of the time, I don’t pay attention to that.

The books on this list forced me to pay attention.

Have fun!

This article first appeared in In For a Penny on Medium.