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The teen years are often a time of spiritual crisis, as young people struggle to sort out their own beliefs. Yet most would die of embarrassment if anybody suspected their preoccupation with such ideas. Guidance and comfort for this challenging task has been scarce in young-adult literature, so this wonderfully illuminating and readable collection of interviews is doubly welcome. People ... More

The teen years are often a time of spiritual crisis, as young people struggle to sort out their own beliefs. Yet most would die of embarrassment if anybody suspected their preoccupation with such ideas. Guidance and comfort for this challenging task has been scarce in young-adult literature, so this wonderfully illuminating and readable collection of interviews is doubly welcome. People from 11 different faiths speak of their own youthful spiritual struggles and the joys and challenges of living out their beliefs. Some of them are leading figures in their religious traditions: John Cardinal O'Connor, the former archbishop of the Catholic Diocese of New York, or Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman, the president of Hebrew Union College. Other exciting perspectives are offered by the cofounder of the International Association of Buddhist Women and the Episcopal Church's maverick Bishop Spong. Some of the interviews add dimension to the major traditional world religions, but we hear from a Shaker eldress, a Wiccan, and the founder of the gay and lesbian Metropolitan Community Churches as well. American proponents of Islam and Hinduism speak, and there are voices from the Society of Friends and the Interfaith Alliance. Each interview begins with a marvelously succinct overview of the religion being discussed and ends with a useful list of sources for teens who want to know more. The questions are hard-hitting and imaginative, and the answers offer direction and inspiration for young spiritual seekers. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

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