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Best bookstores in Boston for theology and philosophy
By adamg on Sat, 06/28/2014 - 10:57am
A UHub regula who'd rather throw his money towards local businesses instead of online companies named for South American rivers asks where the best places are around here to pick up theology and philosophy books.
Neighborhoods:
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Some answers via Twitter
MIT Bookstore, Raven, Brattle Books Downtown
Raven has a wider offer of radical and Western Enlightenment philosophy. I cannot comment about their theology section, but I did see some Eastern Philosophy there, too.
Brattle Books downtown has philosophy books in their original language, for serious scholarship, translation work, etc. They definitely have a robust offer of divinity books, again emphasis on Western theology, although they have some Qu'urans, and a few volumes of Judaica.
The MIT Bookstore is a go-to for Analytic and Empirical/ Linguistics, History of Philosophy, Business Management
Otherwise, Boston is a desert. Raven technically had a store on Newbury. Don't know if it's in Boston anymore. The better offerings are in Cambridge.
Oh, special mention for the Lucy Parsons Center Bookstore in JP. It tries, it really does, but it mostly has the dregs of all the above. Better periodical offerings, sorta, insofar as many of them have zines, etc., which are rare.
Try...
Harvard Coop. I think on the 2nd or 3rd floor. Ask where they are found. Harvard Books has a smaller section if I remember. Commonwealth down the alley has a decent used section of theology books. Don't remember how well stocked Rodney's is for either category.
Philosophy/Theology
The Daughters of St Paul in Dedham
Seven Stars
Try Seven Stars on Mass Ave in Central Square.
Used theology books (in good condition) at Harvard Bookstore
Harvard Bookstore has a really good selection of theology and religion books downstairs in the used book department. (Also: the bookstore is the home of the Philosophy Café and tends to be good for philosophy.)
Other options -
Also - for new age and spirituality focus - Seven Stars in Central Square. And, less new age-y, Trident on Newbury Street in Boston.
Any college bookstore
Sure, B&N have their hands over a lot of them, but it does support the schools. That said, find out where the likes of Andover Newton, Weston, or Gordon Cromwell send their students for materials and go that way.
That seminary in Hamilton is
Gordon CONWELL. www.gordonconwell.edu
Sorry
To be fair, I did grab that off the top of my head. I was even talking about the merger with someone recently, even though I have no connection to the school, other than knowing its great reputation.
Beacon Press
Beacon Press is based in Seaport... they're mostly online but I think they do in person visits by appointment.
Boston College offers a ton
Boston College offers a ton of religious classes, although the bookstore probably doesn't have anything out right now since it's the summer. I used to peruse the books on sale for other classes haha