Dear students,

There are many ways the library can help you prepare for the stress that accompanies the end of every semester. Whether you have a handful of final exams or one large research paper, we know that it can be a lot to handle. But Falvey Library can be an incredible source of academic help and support. The list of excellent and peer-reviewed primary and secondary scholarly sources accessible to all Villanova students grows everyday. Additionally, no matter what your major, there’s a librarian who specializes in instructing you on how to access articles, books, and information you need to succeed. Stop by and meet your subject librarian soon…you’ll be glad you did!

During December, we’re counting down to the holidays by featuring a new Falvey Library acquisition every day…sort of like those fun Advent calendars you enjoyed as a kid! Have fun discovering the latest choices here at your library!

Religion of the Field Negro: On Black Secularism and Black Theology by Vincent W. Lloyd; recommended by Darren Poley, Theology, Classics and Humanities Librarian

Lloyd, a Villanova University professor of theology and religious studies, writes that black theology has lost its direction. Black theology must fully  embrace blackness to reclaim its original power and advance racial justice struggles today.

According to Lloyd, secularism is entangled with the disciplining impulses of modernity, with neoliberal economics, and with Western imperialism – but it also contaminates and castrates black theology.

He probes the various ways religion is excluded and managed in black culture. He references Barack Obama, Huey Newtown, and Steve Biko as case studies.

Religion of the Field Negro ties together a number of scholarly conversations that previously sat at a distance from each other through theology, critical theory, and cultural analysis.

A Theology of the Presence and Absence of God by Anthony Godzieba; recommended by Darren Poley, Theology, Classics and Humanities Librarian

Godzieba, a Villanova University theology and religious studies, asks the question: in a consumer-driven and technology obsessed world, can we still experience the mystery of God?

Focusing on both God’s “presence” and “absence,” Godzieba tracks how God became a problem in Western culture, and its potential solutions.

The book takes a pretty contemporary edge with its insistence that belief is the most authentic way to participate in the mystery of God’s love.

Check the blog tomorrow for another new resource!