Addicted to Hurry: Spiritual Strategies for Slowing Down (Book)
Kirk Byron Jones, Author. Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 2003.

Does life have to be fast paced to fun and fulfilling? In Addicted to Hurry Jones debunks the "need for speed" mentality that is embraced by so many clergy and congregational leaders. He goes beyond social and psychological analysis to include spiritual perspectives on the dangers of letting hurry become a chronic condition. Specific strategies and exercises are provided for the readers to apply in their lives.

African American Women: An Ecological Perspective (Book)
Norma J. Burgess and Eurnestine Brown, Editors. New York, NY: Falmer Press, 2000.

Burgess and Brown call together the voices of African American women from the academy and the church to investigate the power of African American women. Particularly the chapters on "The Role of the Black Church," "Stress Coping and the Mental Health Care of African American Women," and "Health Care Delivery for African American Women" may prove interesting.

African American Women Tapping Power and Spiritual Wellness (Book)
Stephanie Y. Mitchem, Author. Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press, 2005.

Mitchem explores African American women's religious practices and spirituality from the perspective of healing. She asserts that embedded health practices and functions can indicate black women's value and meaning. Such understanding becomes a rich ground for womanist theologians. While offering a bird's eye view into the historical issues pertaining to African American women's health, Mitchem also connects these issues to spirituality and the wider American structure. She strengthens her work by including the voices of the women she has interviewed.

Breaking the Fine Rain of Death: African American Health Issues and a Womanist Ethic of Care (Book)
Emile M. Townes, Author. New York, NY: Continuum Books, 1998.

Breaking the Fine Rain of Death reviews, from a womanist perspective, the sad state of health care for African Americans. It offers models of care that have worked and could be used on a broader scale.

Caring for Your Family's Health: A Guide for African Americans (Video)
Leawood, KS: American Academy of Family Physicians, 2005.

This resource is a joint project of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Institute of Church Administration. In an effort to address health disparities within the African American community, this 28-minute video and its accompanying guidebook focus on health concerns particularly important to African Americans. This resource also encourages individuals to take charge of their health.

Counseling in African-American Communities: Biblical Perspectives on Tough Issues (Book)
Lee N. June and Sabrina D. Black, Editors. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.

Many of the challenges that face the African American community are covered in this edited volume. Moreover, they are presented by well known and respected psychotherapists of color. Issues such as substance abuse, sexual addiction, divorce, and depression are presented from a biblical perspective.

Health and Healing for African Americans: Straight Talk and Tips from More than 150 Black Doctors on Our Top Health Concerns (Book)
Sheree Crute, Editor. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1997.

Though eight years old, this collection of tips is a helpful addition to any church library. Topics covered include asthma, breast cancer, diabetes, heart disease, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, prostate problems, sickle cell anemia, vitiligo, weight control, and more.

Managing Stress (Book)
Steve Shores, Author. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1999.

Stress is a growing problem today. This guide, part of the Pilgrimage Series, will educate study group members about what the Bible says about stress and how it can help them respond to its reality, thereby learning to deal with potentially stressful events before they happen. The eight lessons run 60 to 90 minutes each, with no preparation time required.

Minority Populations and Health: An Introduction to Health Disparities in the United States (Book)
Thomas A. LaVeist, Author. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2005.

The statistics are clear and alarming; health disparities in the United States threaten the lives of African Americans. In this document race is compared with health care availability, mental health status, epidemiological profiles, and demography. Also covered are U.S. health and social policy, ethnicity in health research, social factors contributing to mortality, and use of health services.

Praeger Handbook of Black American Health: Policies and Issues Behind Disparities in Health (Book)
Ivor Lensworth Livingston, Editor. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2004.

While the statistics provided by this document on the health of African Americans are compelling, policy discussions and action must follow if the contemporary circumstances are to change. This collection of essays suggests many of the policy implications and strategies that must be considered as the African American community moves toward health and wholeness.

Religion in the Lives of African Americans: Social, Psychological, and Health Perspectives (Book)
Robert Joseph Taylor, Linda Marie Chatters, and Jeff Levin, Authors. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2004.

A social worker, psychologist, and physician join forces to investigate the relationship between and the role of religion and health in the lives of African Americans. Insight is provided into the relationship between mind and body, spirit and soul, and the every day conditions in which many African Americans live.

Rest in the Storm: Self-Care Strategies for Clergy and Other Caregivers (Book)
Kirk Byron Jones, Author. Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 2001.

Theologian and pastor Kirk Byron Jones writes with clarity and heart about the tendency of caregivers to serve so fully that they deny themselves the rest that God requires. Based on personal experience and his study of scriptural texts, Jones offers an expanded understanding of the importance of rest and the frequent need for a "back of the boat" experience.

Rock My Soul: Black People and Self-Esteem (Book)
Bell Hooks, Author. New York, NY: Atria Books, 2003.

Noted philosopher Bell Hooks speaks about the vicissitudes of life that plague the soul of the African American community. She encourages her readers to move away from the victim status through a healing process that addresses deep wounds, abuse, abandonment, shame, and self hatred. She further invites African Americans to think about the recovery of community through the adoption of a new set of values and the restoration of the soul.

Somebody's Knocking at Your Door: AIDS and the African American Church (Book)
Ronald Jeffrey Weatherford and Carole Boston Weatherford, Authors. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 1999.

This book discusses obstacles to the religious community’s involvement in AIDS ministry and urges churches to mount prevention and intervention efforts. Somebody’s Knocking at Your Door offers perspectives from leading clergy and highlights model AIDS ministries in the United States and Africa. The author stresses that battling AIDS is a matter of life and death and that African American churches must join the fight.