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Riot Recommendation

Riot Recommendation: Renegades of Religious Groups

Amanda Nelson

Staff Writer

Amanda Nelson is an Executive Director of Book Riot. She lives in Richmond, VA.

This Riot Recommendation is sponsored by If Nuns Ruled the World: Ten Sisters On A Mission by Jo Piazza.

if nuns ruled the worldVeteran reporter Jo Piazza profiles ten extraordinary nuns and the causes to which they have dedicated their lives—from an eighty-three-year-old Ironman champion to a brave sister who rescues victims of human trafficking.

Meet Sister Simone Campbell, who traversed the United States challenging a Republican budget that threatened to severely undermine the well-being of poor Americans; Sister Megan Rice, who is willing to spend the rest of her life in prison if it helps eliminate nuclear weapons; and the inimitable Sister Jeannine Gramick, who is fighting for acceptance of gays and lesbians in the Catholic Church.

During a time when American nuns are under attack from the very institution to which they pledge, these sisters offer inspiring, provocative counterstories that are sure to spark debate.

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We do love stereotype-busting folks who defy the expectations of whatever groups they’ve joined (or been born into). Whether it’s a nun risking prison for politics, a preacher challenging the established church, or a believer losing her religion, we’re interested in characters (of fiction or non-fiction) who ask the big questions. So tell us: what are your favorite books about the renegades of religious groups? Let us know in the comments, and check back next week for a reading list!