Suggested Bibliography

The Zen of South Park
Finding the Middle Ground in American Religion

Suggested Bibliography

THE BIBLE

My my, what an important recommendation and as such it’s first. Read the Bible. It’s a great book and filled with fascinating stuff. I talk more about how and why in my blog entry for May 31st.

Many people have trouble deciding which version of the Bible to get when they finally decide to take the awesome plunge and so I have some versions to the right that I recommend (mostly New Revised Standard Versions and the Jewish Publication Society’s translations).

E-mail me any questions that you have when reading the Bible and I’ll be happy to answer them: Jay@thezenofsouthpark.com.

THE QURAN

General Bibliography

While I hope that my readers are at least partially satiated in their quest to know more about South Park and religion after reading The Zen of South Park, I would like to provide you with more reading recommendations for various subjects and chapters in The Zen of South Park as well as some general reading on related topics. If you have book recommendations that you would like to see included please let me know. All books in this bibliography can be purchased by clicking on the Amazon image.

Chapter 11: Cults + Tax-Exempt Status = Bona Fide Religion

Cults are a tough subject to learn about well, but I recommend the three books below as a good start. Though Snapping is less scientific than it imagines itself to be, it’s still an interesting read about the cult phenomenon that swept the United States. Salvation and Suicide is an in-depth look at Jonestown, and Cults: Faith, Healing and Coercion treats the subject very seriously and with absolute respect. For a good understanding of cult leaders (which Galanter and I both call charismatic figures) and a great understanding of cults as nascent religions, check out Cults: Faith, Healing and Coercion.

Chapter 15: Eastern Religion, Buddhism and Spirituality: Where Everything is as It Should Be

As fascinating as it can be to learn facts and figures about the various religions of East Asia, I find that the best way to really learn about each of them is to actually read their holy texts or the words of their founders. Other than the academic book, Religions of Asia, I have included texts from many of the eastern religions, including Buddhism, Shinto, Hinduism, Taoism and more.