Beads of Faith: Pathways to Meditation and Spirituality Using Rosaries, Prayer Beads, and Sacred Words

The practice of the rosary in various faiths is thoroughly covered in this stunning book and its accompanying DVD. For background, the commentary explains that the word "bead" has an interfaith origin: it comes from both the Sanskrit "Buddh," which refers to self-realization (the Buddha is the "Enlightened One"); and it also derives from the Saxon verb "bidden," meaning to pray. The rosaries pictured are made from such materials as rose petals, chunks of Tibetan amber, exquisitely carved Italian coral, and silken Turkish tassels. One simple mantra or prayer for each faith is also presented, as is a prize-winning DVD that takes the viewer into various world cultures where the recitation and method can be heard and seen.

Gray Henry is a lecturer in world religions, directs two academic publishing houses—Fons Vitae and Quinta Essentia—and is the cofounder and trustee of the Islamic Texts Society in Cambridge, UK. She is the author of Understanding Islam and the Muslims. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky. Susannah Marriott is the author of The Good Karma Guide. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.