Suggestions for novels about characteristic experiences of religion

[altariel]

The friend of a friend is going to be teaching a comparative religion course at a community college, and has asked for suggestions for reading for the students. Can anyone help? Friend writes:

The intention is to teach the course through literature that shows how religious experience is oriented towards dealing with death. Particularly interested in perspectives from Hindu, Islamic, and Christian (especially Catholic) religious experience...

Further discussion has led to the clarification that the novel need not be "about" death in any obvious sense, but it should give a sense of a religion's characteristic influence on how a character approaches his or her situation. Non-proselytizing works are also high on the list. So far, "Siddhartha" (Hesse) and "The Chosen" (Potok) are on the list, if that helps by way of example.

Comments

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you for all these excellent suggestions - I must track down the Rumer Godden myself.

Oddly enough, I just finished Karen Armstrong's memoir the other night; I thought it was very good: the writing was a little artificial here and there, but I thought it was honest and didn't attempt to shock.

I loved The Sparrow; my reading group loathed it.