The Religious category has 126 audiobooks on Listento.it, with an average listener rating of 4.6★ across 263 ratings. The most-rated is Love Without Borders.
Love Without Borders
Summary
From the founder of This Gathered Nest YouTube channel, an uplifting story of Angela Braniff’s unusual path to becoming the mother to seven children through various methods of adoption and biological approaches, encouraging women and mothers to embrace the unique purpose that God has put in their lives. Angela’s love for life and her family radiates through everything she does. The Braniff household includes their two biological daughters, Kennedy, 12, and Shelby 10; Rosie, seven, who was adopted from China with Down syndrome; Noah, seven, adopted from Congo; Jonah, five, adopted domestically; and finally, Ivy and Amelia, their one-year-old twins who were adopted as embryos and implanted in Angela, who gave birth to them. In fact, after the audiobook was finished, they joyfully welcomed a new baby into their home, Benjamin, through adoption, making them now a family of 10! Love Without Borders shares Angela's relatable, humorous, and honest view of motherhood. Angela chronicles her journey to discover God’s purpose for her life. For years she walked the safe, expected path, until one day she could feel God calling her to boldly step out and follow him into new places, which led her to raise a large, nontraditional family that looked different than she ever imagined. It was a winding path to motherhood, complete with heartbreak from failed adoptions, challenging pregnancies, and secondary infertility, but through it all Angela found the unique adventure God had for her. She has shared her family’s stories on her popular YouTube channel, This Gathered Nest, and now invites us in to go deeper and listen to where God might be calling us to go and who we’ve been tasked with loving, no matter how unusual (or just plain crazy) it may sound! The beauty of God’s plan is he uses imperfect people to bring about perfectly beautiful stories.
©2020 Angela Braniff (P)2020 HarperAudio
Being Ram Dass
Summary
Ram Dass tells here, for the first time, the full arc of his remarkable life. Perhaps no other teacher has sparked the fires of as many spiritual seekers in the West as Ram Dass. If you've ever embraced the phrase “be here now”, practiced meditation or yoga, tried psychedelics, or supported anyone in a hospice, prison, or homeless center - then the story of Ram Dass is also part of your story. From his birth in 1931 to his luminous later years, Ram Dass saw his life as just one incarnation of many. This memoir puts us in the passenger seat with the one-time Harvard psychologist and lifelong risk-taker Richard Alpert, who loved to take friends on wild rides on his Harley and test nearly every boundary - inner or outer - that came his way. Here, Ram Dass shares his life’s odyssey in intimate detail: how he struggled with issues of self-identity and sexuality in his youth, pioneered psychedelic research, and opened the doorways to Eastern spiritual practices. In 1967 he trekked to India and met his guru, Neem Karoli Baba. He returned with a perspective on spirituality and psychology that changed millions. Populated by a cast of luminaries ranging from Timothy Leary to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Allen Ginsberg to Sharon Salzberg, Aldous Huxley to Alan Watts - this intimate memoir chronicles the cultural and spiritual transformations Ram Dass experienced that resonate with us to this day, a journey from the mind to the heart, from the ego to the soul. Before, after, and along these waypoints, listeners will encounter many other adventures and revelations - each ringing with the potential to awaken the universal, loving divine that links us to this beloved teacher and all of us to each other.
©2021 Ram Dass and Rameshwar Das (P)2021 Sounds True
Hitch-22
Summary
In this long-awaited and candid memoir, Hitchens re-traces the footsteps of his life to date, from his childhood in Portsmouth, with his adoring, tragic mother and reserved Naval officer father; to his life in Washington DC, the base from which from he would launch fierce attacks on tyranny of all kinds. Along the way, he recalls the girls, boys and booze; the friendships and the feuds; the grand struggles and lost causes; and the mistakes and misgivings that have characterised his life. Hitch-22 is, by turns, moving and funny, charming and infuriating, enraging and inspiring. It is an indispensable companion to the life and thought of our pre-eminent political writer. Narrated by Christopher Hitchens himself shortly before his untimely death, this is a poignant listening experience.
©2011 Christopher Hitchens (P)2011 Audible Ltd
With My Eyes Wide Open
Summary
He left KoRn to help himself. He went back to help others. And along the way, he nearly lost everything. A life-changing spiritual awakening freed Brian "Head" Welch from a stranglehold of drugs and alcohol and prompted him to leave the highly successful nu-metal band KoRn in 2005. What followed was a decade-long trial by fire, from the perils of fathering a teen lost in depression and self-mutilation to the harsh realities of playing solo and surviving the shattering betrayal of a trusted friend. In this intensely inspiring redemption saga, perhaps most inspiring is Brian's radical decision to rejoin KoRn and reconcile with the tribe of people he once considered family in the metal music scene. Brian returned to his musical roots with a clear head and a devoted heart. Though his story is wild, hilarious, and deeply poignant, the message is simple: God will love you into the freedom of being yourself as long as you keep the relationship going and never, ever quit.
©2016 Brian Welch (P)2016 Thomas Nelson Publishers
Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master
Summary
The author Sri "M" is an extraordinary individual. His uniqueness lies not only in the fact that at the young age of 19 and a half, he travelled to snow-clad Himalayas from Kerala, and there he met and lived for several years with a "real-time" yogi, Babaji, but also that he should undertake such an unusual and adventurous exploration, given his non-Hindu birth and antecedents. The metamorphosis of Mumtaz Ali Khan into Sri "M", a yogi with profound knowledge of the Upanishads and deep personal insights, born of first-hand experiences with higher levels of consciousness is indeed a fascinating story. The bonus for those interested in the secrets of yoga, meditation, and sankhyan metaphysics is that Sri "M" is still living and easily reachable. He leads a normal life, married with two children, wears no special robes and conducts himself without pomp or paraphernalia. Someone who met him recently said, "I expected a flashy godman and instead I saw a jean clad gentleman with a smile on his face, ready to discuss my problems. In five minutes flat, I said to myself, this is no ordinary man. The peace and tranquility that enters your system is tangible."
©2010 Sri M. (P)2019 Audible, Inc.
Mama's Boy
Summary
This heartfelt, deeply personal memoir explores how one a celebrated filmmaker and activist and his conservative Mormon mother built bridges across today’s great divides - and how our stories hold the power to heal. Dustin Lance Black wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for Milk and helped overturn California’s anti-gay marriage Proposition 8, but as an LGBTQ activist he has unlikely origins - a conservative Mormon household outside San Antonio, Texas. His mother, Anne, was raised in rural Louisiana and contracted polio when she was two years old. She endured brutal surgeries, as well as braces and crutches for life, and was told that she would never have children or a family. Willfully defying expectations, she found salvation in an unlikely faith, raised three rough-and-rowdy boys, and escaped the abuse and violence of two questionably devised Mormon marriages before finding love and an improbable career in the US civil service. By the time Lance came out to his mother at age 21, he was a blue-state young man studying the arts instead of going on his Mormon mission. She derided his sexuality as a sinful choice and was terrified for his future. It may seem like theirs was a house destined to be divided, and at times it was. This story shines light on what it took to remain a family despite such division - a journey that stretched from the steps of the US Supreme Court to the woodsheds of East Texas. In the end, the rifts that have split a nation couldn’t end this relationship that defined and inspired their remarkable lives. Mama’s Boy is their story. It’s a story of the noble quest for a plane higher than politics - a story of family, foundations, turmoil, tragedy, elation, and love. It is a story needed now more than ever.
©2019 Dustin Lance Black (P)2019 Random House Audio
Hudson Taylor
Summary
"Unless God helps us, there is no hope," Captain Morris yelled over the roar of the storm. Hudson Taylor had to agree. Indeed the Dumfries might sink this very day and he would never live to see the shores of China, a land whose people he was certain God had called him to. Hudson survived his perilous maiden voyage to his beloved China. With his heart set in determined obedience to God, and trusting the provision of the One who had called him, Hudson overcame persecution and almost overwhelming personal losses to bring God's truth to the "ripe harvest fields" of China. Today, Hudson Taylor's story continues to challenge and inspire believers young and old to carry the anchoring gospel message, regardless of personal trial or hardships, to those who are adrift and without hope. (1832-1905)
©2014 YWAM Publishing (P)2014 YWAM Publishing
Born Again
Summary
Born Again is the autobiography of one of the most influential men of our time. It is not only a remarkable story of one man's redemption in Christ, but a fascinating look inside the events of one of America's most riveting sagas. In the 1970s, against the backdrop of the explosive Watergate scandal, Charles Colson revealed the story of his own search for meaning during the tumultuous investigations that led to the collapse of the Nixon administration. A convicted former special counsel to the president, Colson paradoxically found new life - not with success and power, but while in national disgrace and serving a prison sentence.
©2008 Charles Colson (P)2011 Oasis
Joan of Arc
Summary
Very few people know that Mark Twain wrote a major work on Joan of Arc. Still fewer know that he considered it not only his most important, but also his best work. He spent 12 years in research and many months in France doing archival work, and then made several attempts until he felt he finally had the story he wanted to tell. He reached his conclusion about Joan's unique place in history only after studying in detail accounts written by both sides: the French, for whom she raised an army to return the Dauphin to the throne; and the English, who fought the French in the Hundred Year's War and were ultimately Joan's executioners. This is a fascinating and remarkably accurate biography of the life and mission of Joan of Arc told by one of this country's greatest storytellers.
Public Domain (P)1992 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Saint Thomas Aquinas
Summary
This is a top-quality audiobook of G. K. Chesterton's biography of St. Thomas Aquinas. Etienne Gilson, leading scholar of Aquinas, says, "I consider it as being, without possible comparison, the best book ever written on Saint Thomas. The few readers who have spent twenty or thirty years in studying St. Thomas Aquinas, and who, perhaps, have themselves published two or three volumes on the subject, cannot fail to perceive that the so-called 'wit' of Chesterton has put their scholarship to shame."
Public Domain (P)2018 Chesterton Books
More Than the Tattooed Mormon
Summary
Al Fox Carraway has spent the last four years inspiring the world with her story of conversion, redemption, and finding faith. As a blogger, social media personality, and award-winning public speaker, her message has reached millions. This moving biography and up-close account of her life and membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the "LDS" or "Mormon" church) will show you what it means to truly trust in the Lord. "Don't go, Al. You won't fit in." Being baptized and following the Lord has made Al's life harder than it ever was before. She endured criticism from friends and family for becoming a Mormon. She faced harsh judgments from Church members for her appearance. She gave up everything and felt more alone than she ever had in her life. All because she chose God. Now she shares an up-close look at how trusting God has led her to places she never expected. As a blogger, YouTuber, and award-winning public speaker, her message has reached millions. Sharing her love of the Savior, Al goes beyond her own conversion and encourages listeners to choose God above anything else. This uplifting audiobook inspires listeners to build a true relationship with the Lord that will bring them real, lasting happiness.
©2015 Cedar Fort, Inc. (P)2017 Cedar Fort, Inc.
Kisses from Katie
Summary
My life in the red dirt of Uganda... "Sometimes I want to spend hours talking with my best friends about boys and fashion and school and life. I want to go to the gym; I want my hair to look nice; I want to be allowed to wear jeans. I want to be a normal young woman living in America, sometimes. But I want other things more. All the time. I want to be spiritually and emotionally filled every day. I want to be loved and cuddled by a hundred children and never go a day without laughing. I want to wake up to a rooster’s crow and open my eyes to see lush green trees that seem to pulse with life against a piercing blue sky and the rusty red soil of Uganda. I want to be challenged endlessly. I want to be taught by those I teach, and I want to share God’s love with people who otherwise might not know it. I want to work so hard that I end every day filthy and too tired to move. I want to make some kind of difference, no matter how small, and I want to follow the calling God has placed on my heart. I want to give my life away, to serve the Lord with each breath. At the end of the day, no matter how hard, I want to be right here in Uganda." -Katie Davis
©2011 Katie Davis, Beth Clark (P)2011 Oasis Audio
Devotion
Summary
In her midforties and settled into the responsibilities and routines of adulthood, Dani Shapiro found herself with more questions than answers. Was this all life was - a hodgepodge of errands, dinner dates, e-mails, meetings, to-do lists? What did it all mean? Having grown up in a deeply religious and traditional family, Shapiro had no personal sense of faith, despite repeated attempts to create a connection to something greater. Feeling as if she was plunging headlong into what Carl Jung termed "the afternoon of life," she wrestled with self-doubt and a searing disquietude that would awaken her in the middle of the night. Set adrift by loss - her father's early death; the life-threatening illness of her infant son; her troubled relationship with her mother - she had become edgy and uncertain. At the heart of this anxiety, she realized, was a challenge: What did she believe? Spurred on by the big questions her young son began to raise, Shapiro embarked upon a surprisingly joyful quest to find meaning in a constantly changing world. The result is Devotion: a literary excavation to the core of a life. In this spiritual detective story, Shapiro explores the varieties of experience she has pursued - from the rituals of her black hat Orthodox Jewish relatives to yoga shalas and meditation retreats. A reckoning of the choices she has made and the knowledge she has gained, Devotion is the story of a woman whose search for meaning ultimately leads her home. Her journey is at once poignant and funny, intensely personal - and completely universal.
©2010 Dani Shapiro (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers
Sundar Singh: Footprints over the Mountains
Summary
As Sundar preached the gospel to the crowd, the monastery guard marched forward and arrested him. Sundar was dragged to the edge of town and hurled to the bottom of an abandoned well. The air was putrid. Desperation and loneliness soon washed over him. Left to die, Sundar leaned against the side of the well and began to pray. Searching since boyhood for the way to God, Sundar Singh found truth in Jesus Christ. At 16, the former Sikh became a Christian sadhu, or holy man, and at great risk devoted his life to Christ. With bare feet and few possessions, Sundar crossed the precarious Himalayas between India and Tibet many times, sharing the gospel with Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs - even thieves. As he traveled, Sundar constantly read the Bible, prayed, and meditated, confident that God was always with him, even in the face of death. Preaching in Asia and Europe and as far away as America, this Indian saint impacted thousands with his quiet yet bold words and actions. (1889-1929)
©2016 YWAM (P)2016 YWAM
Quiet Strength
Summary
2008 Retailer's Choice Award winner! Tony Dungy's words and example have intrigued millions of people, particularly following his victory in Super Bowl XLI, the first for an African-American coach. How is it possible for a coach - especially a football coach - to win the respect of his players and lead them to the Super Bowl without the screaming histrionics, the profanities, the demand that the sport come before anything else? How is it possible for anyone to be successful without compromising faith and family? In this inspiring and reflective memoir, Coach Dungy tells the story of a life lived for God and family - and challenges us all to redefine our ideas of what it means to succeed. Includes a foreword by Denzel Washington.
©2007 Tony Dungy (P)2007 Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Jim Elliot
Summary
Jim and Pete turned to see the Auca men, their deadly spears raised, running toward Nate, Ed, and Roger. Jim stood in the river, his hand on his pistol. Should he defend himself? He already knew the answer. Each man had promised the others that he would not save himself by killing those they had sought out in Jesus' name. Jim Elliot and his coworkers surrendered their lives in Ecuador's jungle, trusting that their sacrifice would not be in vain. Decades later, this dramatic event has challenged countless Christians to live with one great purpose: To bring the gospel to those who have never heard. (1927-1956).
©2014 YWAM Publishing (P)2014 YWAM Publishing
Shadow of the Almighty
Summary
"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." So wrote Jim Elliot at age 22, sweating over Greek roots and patristics at Wheaton College. "Seven years later," writes his widow Elisabeth, "he and four other young men...sat together on a strip of white sand on the Curaray River, deep in Ecuador's rain forest, waiting for the arrival of a group of men whom they loved, but had never met, savage Stone Age killers, men now known to all the world as Aucas." The circumstances of the death of these men are by now known throughout the world in one of the great missionary adventure stories of modern times. But this is the first account of the whole life of one of them, a life that, though "hid with Christ in God", was in part revealed in some of the most poignant and moving spiritual writings of our time. Shadow of the Almighty is a tremendous biography of an adventurous and inspirational life.
©1958 Elisabeth Elliot (P)1995 Blackstone Audiobooks
The Life of the Buddha
Summary
This unique biography, told in a lively manner through six 'voices', presents the Buddha's revolutionary solution for humanity that lends to the end of ill will, craving and delusion. It goes back to the earliest sources of the Buddha's life and teachings, drawing as it does from the Pali Canon which was said to record the words that the Buddha spoke, the events that happened, and his specific teachings on which the world-wide religion was based. It is an absorbing, edifying and even entertaining collection of reportage, myths, wisdom, kindness, human insight - and decisiveness. For 45 years after his enlightenment he walked around North-Eastern India, encountering and teaching kings, courtesans, matted-hair ascetics, murderers, men and women on spiritual quests - and many ordinary people living ordinary lives in 5th century BCE, but who were grateful for his compassion and advice. Sometimes he teaches through rich metaphors. Sometimes he teaches through scientific analyses of mental states. In one tender moment, he helps his own son, Rahula, to gain enlightenment. The Buddha was not only clear about life, and how, and why, it should be lived, but endeavoured to create a practical framework that monks, nuns and laymen and laywomen could follow to 'disentangle the tangle' and reach enlightenment. Not a god or a divine, but a truly remarkable and fulfilled human being. Bhikkhu Ñanamoli's remarkable work - an innovative biography that has become a classic treasured by Buddhists of all traditions - speaks directly, giving us a flavour of what it was like to be around Siddhattha Gotama, the Buddha. Bhikkhu Ñanamoli (Osbert Moore) was born in England in 1905 and graduated from Exeter College, Oxford. In 1948 he came to Sri Lanka to be ordained as a monk. During his 11 years as a monk, he translated some of the most difficult texts of Theravada Buddhism. In The Life of the Buddha, however, he made the teachings accessible to all.
©1972 Buddhist Publication Society (P)2016 Ukemi Productions Ltd
Mary Slessor
Summary
God would indeed answer the prayer of the fiery, red-haired woman from Scotland. For 39 years, Mary Slessor would labor in love among the unreached, often treacherous, tribes of Africa's Calabar region. Braving sickness, danger, and death on all sides, Mary became the cherished "White Ma" to entire tribes. Her faith, steadfastness, and pioneering spirit brought her beloved adopted people their first brilliant, contrasting example of the life and freedom found in Jesus Christ. Mary Slessor's story in an ageless epic of a woman who would stop at nothing to reach the lost with the life-giving gospel of Christ. (1848-1915).
©2014 YWAM Publishing (P)2014 YWAM Publishing
Miracles from Heaven
Summary
In a remarkable true story of faith and blessings, a mother tells of her sickly young daughter, how she survived a dangerous accident, her visit to heaven, and the inexplicable disappearance of the symptoms of her chronic disease. Annabel Beam spent most of her childhood in and out of hospitals with a rare and incurable digestive disorder that prevented her from ever living a normal, healthy life. One sunny day when she was able to go outside and play with her sisters, she fell three stories headfirst inside an old, hollowed-out tree, a fall that may well have caused death or paralysis. Implausibly, she survived without a scratch. While unconscious inside the tree, with rescue workers struggling to get to her, she visited heaven. After being released from the hospital, she defied science and was inexplicably cured of her chronic ailment. Miracles from Heaven will change how we look at the world around us and reinforce our belief in God and the afterlife.
©2015 Christy Wilson Beam (P)2015 Hachette Audio