Thanks to those who joined us for the rousing online conversation at our free Hearts & Minds webinar the other night. Jeff Crosby was a delightful and inspirational conversation partner as we talked about his book World of Wonders: Towards a Spirituality of Reading. We have this great new read at 20% off.

If you missed the World of Wonders program, you can watch this recording of it right HERE. A number of folks have exclaimed how much they enjoyed it. Thanks to Paraclete Press for putting all that together.

THIS COMING MONDAY (10-27) at 8:00 Eastern Time A FREE HEARTS & MINDS ONLINE CONVERSATION WITH KATHLEEN NORRIS

This coming Monday (October 27, 2025 at 8:00 PM, Eastern Time) we have another free webinar scheduled with none other than the great spiritual writer and memoirist, Kathleen Norris. You can register for that HERE. Once registered, they will send you the free link to join our conversation Monday evening.

The other day I mentioned that we were hosting an online conversation with her to a customer (himself an author) and he happily exclaimed “Oh my!” Those in the know realize what a big deal this is. Thanks to InterVarsity Press for setting it up.

I hope you’ve heard of her best-selling books; maybe you own some of them, such as Dakota: A Geography of Faith, The Cloister Walk, Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith, The Virgin of Bennington, Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer’s Life, and, of course, her small classic, The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and Women’s Work. She has also been a published poet for decades and we commend her collection Journey: New and Selected Poems (published by Pittsburgh University Press; $25.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $20.00.) Just a year ago she released a co-authored book with the great Irish film buff, Gareth Higgins called A Whole Life in Twelve Movies: A Cinematic Journey to a Deeper Spirituality (published by Brazos; $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99.) Let’s just say that as a small town bookseller we couldn’t be more thrilled than to get to host a writer of this professional prominence at our little webinar. Join us, won’t you?

The new book means a lot to Kathleen and, actually, means a lot to Beth and me, too. Rebecca Sue: A Sister’s Reflections on Disability, Faith, and Love (IVP; $25.99 // OUR 20% OFF SALE PRICE = $20.79) is her most intimate and person memoir so far and it is both a memoir of Kathleen’s life with a disabled sister but also a biography of Rebecca, a good glimpse of her hard, colorful, and fascinating life.

In our BookNotes column last week announcing the recent webinar with Jeff Crosby and this forthcoming chat with Kathleen Norris, I lamented a bit about how demoralizing it can be to try to make a living as a thoughtfully Christian bookstore these days and that these sorts of author events recharge our own batteries, as they say. But I continued:

When authors like Jeff Crosby and Kathleen Norris offer their considerable talents to show up for folks, they serve you — their readers — and this is really what it is all about. We get to midwife a magic moment or two when you get to meet (and even type questions to) real authors with beautiful books. So we hope this inspires you, gentle reader (and Hearts & Minds friend.) This is for you.

I suspect if you listen deeply to your own internal dialogue these days, given your hectic pace and longing for a bit of sanity in these crazy days, you know this will be good for you, a fun hour or so to be inspired by folks with good stuff to say. We can’t wait to introduce you to our new friend Kathleen Norris, we talk books and faith and writing and reading. Beth and I hope you can schedule it now and register soon.  It’s going to be a blast and we all will be better for it, I’m sure.

+++

During this coming Monday’s “Evening with Kathleen Norris” she will discuss her new, most personal memoir, yet, Rebecca Sue: A Sister’s Reflections on Disability, Faith, and Love.

Norris became a New York Times bestselling author decades ago when, as a poet in the early 1990s she wrote her tender memoir about moving to Lemmon, North Dakota, entitled Dakota: A Spiritual Geography. A sublime reflection on the rugged Great Plains and her neighbors (in a “town so small the poets and ministers had to hang out together”) its fame didn’t deter her from her rural life. In fact, when she, as a Protestant, was drawn to Benedictine spirituality she wrote a truly remarkable, even stunning book called The Cloister Walk which remains, in my view at least, a modern spiritual classic. She followed with a wonderful alphabetical book about the faith, a fascinating look at her college years (The Virgin of Bennington) and then the memoir Acedia and Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer’s Life.

Maybe her most beloved book is the pocket sized The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and Women’s Work, an eloquent look at the spirituality of the mundane, an ordinary sort of down-to-Earth embodied faith where there are “sanctifying possibilities” every day. It was a lecture delivered at a Catholic women’s college in 1997 and is good for anyone, anytime.

In all of these books she speaks of historic Christian faith in profound and yet approachable ways, being a pray-er, yes, who often sits in silence, but always a curious learner and creative poet (and film aficionado.) She has been likened to a rather contemplative Frederick Buechner (even before she wrote the fabulous alphabetical Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith; they both know their English literature, both were Presbyterian, both applauded as thoughtful people of faith by the mainstream, secular press. In any case, she is impressive and it is an honor to get to tell us about her sister and her remarkable emotional growth.

We get to talk with her for an hour or so at 8:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time) on the last Monday of the month, October 27th. Please pre-register so you can join us online and bring your questions!

Again, you can register  HERE.

Rebecca Sue: A Sister’s Reflections on Disability, Faith, and Love about which we’ll be talking, is compelling and fascinating. Rebecca Sue was such an incredible person and Kathleen is an upbeat conversation partner as she chats with us about her sister.

I noted that this book really does mean a lot to us. Beth and I met in the mid-1970s while working at Camp Harmony Hall (in central Pennsylvania), a camp run by the Easter Seal Society for kids in wheelchairs. (If you saw the award-winning documentary, Crip Camp, that came close to our experience there.) I was a Special Education major in college and Beth used to direct a group home for the intellectually challenged and severally disabled. Oh my, how we were captured by this riveting story.

Rebecca Sue is not as notably luminous as some of Norris’s other poetic writing but what it may lack in descriptive creative nonfiction tone it more than pays off in poignancies, tenderness, and really important insight. It is a no-nonsense, intelligent recollection of living with a mentally handicapped (and, we eventually learn, narcissistic and bi-polar) younger sister. Becky, as Kathleen calls her, knew she had experienced brain injury at birth and was unable to live on her own. She was colorful and creative and feisty; she was self-centered and giving, artful and smart, wise and intellectually what they used to call “slow.”  She was jealous about Kathleen’s literary fame and religious stature. More than once she said “you should write a book about me and that way I could be famous, too.”

This book, Rebecca Sue, is Kathleen making good on that promise made so many decades ago. It is a book she obviously had been writing most of her life.

(As we will surely discuss, though, a lot of serious research and reckoning goes into a project like this. She interviewed former caregivers, requested medical records, saw the notes written in the hands of doctors and psychiatrists. There were police records, too. She has the long lists of drugs — some things never change —as Rebecca was dosed and dosed. She dug up old journals and boxes of letters. Some of it caused her to break down and sob.)

Kathleen and her siblings moved around a bit when the kids were young (her father was in the Navy band and there is some lovely stuff about him in the story, and certainly her mother as well.) They finally settled in Honolulu, although Kathleen soon left, famously attending Bennington College in 1965. She got the writing bug, became a published poet, and worked (naturally) in New York City.

In those years Rebecca Sue and Kathleen were nearly daily pen-pals, corresponding regularly and talking on the phone — we called it “long distance” back then — quite often. We learn about Rebecca’s rather immature boy-crazy style, and, more deeply, her longing to be fully loved (beyond the extraordinary love and support offered by her family.) There are awkward episodes of romance, obsession, gratuitous sexuality, too much drinking, gross abuse. (It isn’t vividly portrayed, but gut-wrenching to remember that some guys would literally take advantage of an obviously mentally challenged young woman.) The obstacles of independent living for dear Becky were almost everywhere. That this emotionally volatile woman would soon take a liking to Kathleen’s husband, himself a poet, was a great blessing and a blessed example of a common grace in their lives.

We learn much in Rebecca Sue and, as in any good memoir, we are taken in by the narrative of the author’s life just like in a novel. This is a collection of stories, impressions, remembrances, and the plot deepens as Becky navigates romances and schools, group homes, sheltered workshops, poor-paying jobs, and a ever-growing avalanche of medical issues, hospitalizations, social service agencies, and the complex arena where physical, mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual challenges collide. Of course she worried as her own parents aged. I’d say Kathleen had a front row seat to all the drama, but she was not an observer but a participant.

The lovely text we are given, Rebecca Sue is about Becky, born in 1954 in Bethesda MD with perinatal hypoxia, raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She lived quite a life in her 60 years and you will be glad Kathleen introduces you to her.

But it is also about Kathleen herself and what she learned — sometimes the hard way — from her disabled, troubled, and often-ill sister. It is her most intimate book, yet. It is about faith and love and forgiveness and grace and grit and family and sorrow and art. I think it is, in a way, about all of us.

Publishers Weekly did a great interview with Kathleen Norris about the new book. She was asked that standard question what she hopes readers will discover in the book:

I hope that readers will encounter my sister as a full person who refused to let her disabilities define her. It strikes me that my sister’s transformation from a self-absorbed person to one who genuinely cared about others is, in a sense, the normal transition we all make from adolescence to adulthood. For my sister, narcissism was a good defense mechanism, a useful and maybe even necessary protection that served her well for years. When she finally began to shed it and take more interest in other people, it was a revelation.

But Becky wore her narcissism so transparently that it was easy to forgive her. When I once tried to tell her about something good that had recently happened to me, she interrupted me with an emphatic, “No! I go first! My story is more important than yours!” I hope readers will be able to laugh at themselves as they hear Becky say out loud what many feel but prefer to keep hidden.

Our online “An Evening with Kathleen Norris” event at 8:00 (EST) on 10-27-25 is going to be a marvelous opportunity for all of us to learn from Kathleen as she tells us about what she understood as a fairly ordinary family learning to love each other well, or at least the best they could. It will be about the writing life, about memory, about God and grace. It is a way for all of us to meet her late sister, Rebecca Sue. And it will, I assume, offer a healthy bit of encouragement to those in the disabled community, or the broader community of loved ones and caregivers and friends of the disabled or mentally ill.

Do you know anyone who might find such a conversation valuable about this online event? Could you please share this and let them know? My hunch is that we all know someone who is caregiving for a handicapped or chronically-ill loved one. We invite them to this conversation, confident that it will be an inspiring time. The book is captivating, and Kathleen is a born storyteller. It’s going to be good.

Please join us for this online webinar, Monday night, October 27,2025, “An Evening with Kathleen Norris.” We’ll start at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. You have to pre-register online; when you sign up you’ll get a link to join in. REGISTER HERE. 

The book, Rebecca Sue, of course, is still 20% off. We look forward to sending book out and serving you well. Thanks for your interest. See you soon!

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BookNotes

SPECIAL
DISCOUNT

20% OFF

You are cordially and energetically invited to join us online at two virtual webinars, on two consecutive Monday evenings, with two exceptional conversation partners who are great authors, each with loads of experience in the publishing world.

I can hardly tell you how privileged Beth and I feel to get to host both of these friends (one a long-time pal, the other a more recent acquaintance who many of us feel we somewhat know due to her many best-selling books.) This is a bookseller’s dream come true, getting to chat with not one, but two great writers, both respected for their lives well lived and their literary craft. Two different events, two consecutive Monday nights (Eastern Time.)

First, we will host Jeff Crosby talking about his new book published by Paraclete Press, World of Wonders: A Spirituality of Reading on MONDAY NIGHT OCTOBER 20th at 8:00 PM – EST. You can sign up and register for free right here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BLur4CX5Qa-2c8aJ_YZpQw#/registration

(Once you register there you will then be sent an emailed link to join in the fun that night.)

Then we will host Kathleen Norris talking about her new book published by InterVarsity Press, Rebecca Sue: A Sister’s Reflections on Disability, Faith, and Love on MONDAY NIGHT OCTOBER 27th at 8:00 PM – EST.  You can sign up for that free event here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7aNJeWmEQhGMZmUx93sJ_w#/registration

(Again, once you enter your name and email there you will then be sent a link to use in order to join in that night for that event.)

Got that? Two different free events, two different links to click, and for each one you will need to pre-register (please, please do.) That will then generate an auto-email to you giving you a link to view the program at the appropriate time in your particular time zone. Makes sense?  Call the shop at 717-246-333 if you want more info.

+++

Here is my more extended pitch as to why these two separate events are going to be so very special for us and why we think you should try hard to join us. And if you really, really can’t, at least send us an order for the books (as some of you already have.)

As Hearts & Minds endures the usual struggles of those in the bookstore biz, we are often discouraged — I don’t have to rehash the obvious about how publishers and authors [especially in the overtly religious subculture] often promote a not-to-be-named big-time and verifiably corrupt super-sized amazonian outfit while those of us with a passion for real books curated by real bookstores are left just eking out a living. It’s demoralizing.

So when truly decent people who are world-class writers come forward, expressing a desire to partner with us to promote their work, it is more than a happy occasion, but a notable vote of confidence and a glorious bit of encouragement. So we’re blessed and delighted and want you to join with us to celebrate our indie bookstore moments with these two fine authors

But more, and more importantly, when authors like Jeff and Kathleen offer their considerable talents to show up for folks, they serve you — their readers — and this is really what it is all about. We get to midwife a magic moment or two when you get to meet (and even type questions to) real authors with beautiful books. So we hope this inspires you, gentle reader (and Hearts & Minds friend.) This is for you.

I suspect if you listen deeply to your own internal dialogue these days, given your hectic pace and longing for a bit of sanity these crazy days, you know this will be good for you, a fun hour or so to be inspired by folks with good stuff to say. We can’t wait to introduce you to our friends, Jeff Crosby and Kathleen Norris, as they talk books and faith and writing and reading. Beth and I hope you can make both events (or at least one of them.) It’s going to be a blast and we all will be better for it, I’m sure.

+++

Jeff Crosby is a guy with a resume a mile long and almost all of it in the book industry. I’ll let him tell his colorful story when we chat on the 20th but he has worked as a clerk in a store and with the largest distribution warehouse for wholesale book buying; he has worked in a very significant way for a significant publisher and now is the Director of ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publisher Association.) We were emailing the other day (about a book he is currently writing for an academic publisher on the spirituality of music) and he had to run as he was involved in an awards ceremony for contemporary Christian fiction. He’s a busy guy who has really been around (and has fabulously wide reading habits, and knows everybody) and we admire him more than anyone in our industry. And, yes, he has visited Hearts & Minds and is a customer (although he is equally supportive of an array of other indie stores, secular and Christian, across the country.)

Which is just one reason why he seemed born to write this most recent work, World of Wonders: A Spirituality of Reading recently released by Paraclete Press ($18.99 // OUR 20% OFF SALE PRICE = $15.19.) As I have said when I highlighted it at BookNotes before, it is an absolute delight, charming and inviting, enthusiastic and interesting, accessible and informative. It isn’t a heavy theology or mystical spirituality, really, but it does show the deeply religious influence that books can have. If you are a book lover you’ll simply adore this great read. If you are less than inspired by the printed page, you’ll find this just the shot in the arm you need to pursue the reading life with greater gusto and joy. He is a guide, a sherpa, a mentor, a wise and experienced friend, reminding you of so much and showing just how it’s done.

World of Wonder has a handful of chapters — on reading Scripture, reading poetry, reading widely from diverse authors, reading fiction, and more. At the end of each chapter he has another wise practitioner chime in, offering their particular take on the topic at hand. That he wanted this book to be a bit collaborative not only speaks to his generous spirit but reminds us that reading is subject and idiosyncratic. Not everybody has the same tastes or needs the same sort of book in their hand at any given time. Offering other voices from other rooms brings the urgency of the task to light in a fresh and fun way. And he has some really good people as part of this project. Hooray.

(If your interested, I chatted a bit about the book in a previous “Three Books from Hearts & Minds” podcast a month ago. Check that out at Spotify or Apple Podcasts or watch on YouTube.)

Join us on Monday October 20th at 8:00 Eastern Standard Time (that would be 7:00 pm Central Time, etc.) for “An Evening with Jeff Crosby.” Just register at the link above and you’ll get a reply with a link to join us live. Don’t worry, your own picture will not be seen, so you can come over dinner or while in your jammies. You’ll be able to send us questions or comments and depending on time, we’ll try to let Jeff reply. No doubt, I’ll chime in as well.

Jeff Crosby is also the author of the wonderful book The Language of the Soul: Meeting God in the Longings of Our Hearts (Broadleaf Books; $26.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $21.59.) It is the sort of book about spiritual formation that is at once contemplative and quotidian. That is, he really does help folks understand their deepest desires and longings and how God shows up in the middle of these real-life hopes and dreams in our ordinary, daily lives. It is gentle, full of stories, delightfully written and, without seeming heavy-handed or overly dense, truly profound. We raved about it at BookNotes when it first came out and named it a favorite book of 2023.

Please help us spread the word about this upcoming Monday night conversation about the role of books in our lives and the value — for anyone, of course, but particularly for those who are followers of Jesus — of reading widely.  We are grateful for this opportunity to serve you, our friends and customers, by putting this little online gig together. Join us, please.

And order World of Wonders now at 20% off. The order link to our secure order form is at the very bottom of this column.

Again, click on the link shown above (or HERE ) to join this online Hearts & Minds event, an Evening with Jeff Crosby, author of World of Wonders: A Spirituality of Reading. Monday, October 20, 2025 at 8:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time.)

+++

One week after our conversation with publishing hero and passionate reader and author of the new World of Wonders we have, as noted above, the well-known and highly regarded memoirist and writer and poet, Kathleen Norris. During our “Evening with Kathleen Norris” she will discuss (among other things) her new, most personal memoir, yet, Rebecca Sue: A Sister’s Reflections on Disability, Faith, and Love (IVP; $25.99 // OUR 20% OFF SALE PRICE = $20.79.)

I mentioned that we were hosting an online conversation with her to a customer (himself an author) the other day and he happily exclaimed “Oh my!” Those in the know realize what a big deal this is.

Norris became a New York Times bestselling author decades ago when, as a poet in the early 1990s she wrote a tender memoir about moving to Lemmon, North Dakota, entitled Dakota: A Spiritual Geography. A sublime reflection on the rugged Great Plains and her neighbors (in a “town so small the poets and ministers had to hang out together”) its fame didn’t deter her from her rural life. In fact, when she, as a Protestant, was drawn to Benedictine spirituality she wrote a truly remarkable, even stunning book called The Cloister Walk which remains, in my view at least, a modern spiritual classic. She followed with a fascinating look at her college years and then the serious work — her hardest, she told me — Acedia and Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer’s Life.

Maybe her most beloved book is the pocket sized The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and Women’s Work, an eloquent look at the spirituality of the mundane, an ordinary sort of down-to-Earth embodied faith where there are “sanctifying possibilities” every day. It was a lecture delivered at a Catholic women’s college in 1997 and is good for anyone, anytime.

In all of these books she speaks of historic Christian faith in profound and yet approachable ways, being a pray-er, yes, who often sits in silence, but always a curious learner and creative poet (and film aficionado.) She has been likened to a rather contemplative Frederick Buechner (even before she wrote the fabulous alphabetical Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith; they both know their English literature, both were Presbyterian, both applauded as thoughtful people of faith by the mainstream, secular press.)

We get to talk with her for an hour or so at 8:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time) on the last Monday of the month, October 27th. Please pre-register so you can join us online and bring your questions!

The recent book is compelling and truly fascinating, published in hardback by InterVarsity Press. Again, it is called Rebecca Sue: A Sister’s Reflections on Disability, Faith, and Love.

I simply could not put down this riveting book. It is not as notably luminous as some of her other poetic writing but what it may lack in descriptive creative nonfiction tone it more than pays off in poignancies, tenderness, and really important insight. It is a no-nonsense, intelligent recollection of living with a mentally handicapped (and, we eventually learn, narcissistic and bi-polar) younger sister. Becky, as Kathleen calls her, knew she had experienced brain injury at birth and was unable to live on her own. She was colorful and creative and feisty; she was self-centered and giving, artful and smart, wise and intellectually what they used to call “slow.”  She was jealous about Kathleen’s literary fame and religious stature. More than once she said “you should write a book about me and that way I could be famous, too.”

This book, Rebecca Sue, is Kathleen making good on that promise made so many decades ago. It is a book she obviously had been writing most of her life.

(As we will surely discuss, though, a lot of serious research and reckoning goes into a project like this. She interviewed former caregivers, requested medical records, saw the notes written in the hands of doctors and psychiatrists. There were police records, too. She has the long lists of drugs — some things never change —as Rebecca was dosed and dosed. She dug up old journals and boxes of letters. Some of it caused her to break down and sob.)

Kathleen and her siblings moved around a bit when the kids were young (her father was in the Navy band and there is some lovely stuff about him in the story, and certainly her mother as well.) They finally settled in Honolulu, although Kathleen soon left, famously attending Bennington College in 1965 (about which she wrote in The Virgin at Bennington.) She got the writing bug, became a published poet, and worked (naturally) in New York City.

In those years Rebecca Sue and Kathleen were nearly daily pen-pals, corresponding regularly and talking on the phone — we called it “long distance” back then — quite often. We learn about Rebecca’s rather immature boy-crazy style, and, more deeply, her longing to be fully loved (beyond the extraordinary love and support offered by her family.) There are awkward episodes of romance, obsession, gratuitous sexuality, too much drinking, gross abuse. (It isn’t vividly portrayed, but gut-wrenching to remember that some guys would literally take advantage of an obviously mentally challenged young woman.) The obstacles of independent living for dear Becky were almost everywhere. That this emotionally volatile woman would soon take a liking to Kathleen’s husband, himself a poet, was a great blessing and a blessed example of a common grace in their lives.

We learn much in Rebecca Sue and, as in any good memoir, we are taken in by the narrative of the author’s life just like in a novel. This is a collection of stories, impressions, remembrances, and the plot deepens as Becky navigates romances and schools, group homes, sheltered workshops, poor-paying jobs, and a ever-growing avalanche of medical issues, hospitalizations, social service agencies, and the complex arena where physical, mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual challenges collide. Of course she worried as her own parents aged.  I’d say Kathleen had a front row seat to all the drama, but she was not an observer but a participant.

The lovely text we are given, Rebecca Sue is about Becky, born in 1954 in Bethesda MD with perinatal hypoxia, raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She lived quite a life in her 60 years.

But it is also about Kathleen herself and what she learned — sometimes the hard way — from her disabled, troubled, and often-ill sister. It is her most intimate book, yet. It is about faith and love and forgiveness and grace and grit and family and sorrow and art. I think it is, in a way, about all of us.

Publishers Weekly did a great interview with Kathleen Norris about the new book. She was asked that standard question what she hopes readers will discover in the book:

I hope that readers will encounter my sister as a full person who refused to let her disabilities define her. It strikes me that my sister’s transformation from a self-absorbed person to one who genuinely cared about others is, in a sense, the normal transition we all make from adolescence to adulthood. For my sister, narcissism was a good defense mechanism, a useful and maybe even necessary protection that served her well for years. When she finally began to shed it and take more interest in other people, it was a revelation.

But Becky wore her narcissism so transparently that it was easy to forgive her. When I once tried to tell her about something good that had recently happened to me, she interrupted me with an emphatic, “No! I go first! My story is more important than yours!” I hope readers will be able to laugh at themselves as they hear Becky say out loud what many feel but prefer to keep hidden.

Our online “An Evening with Kathleen Norris” event on 10-27-25 is going to be a marvelous opportunity for all of us to learn from Kathleen as she tells us about what she deems a fairly ordinary family learning to love each other well, or at least the best they can. It will be about the writing life, about memory, about God and grace. It is a way for all of us to meet her late sister, Rebecca Sue.  And it will, I assume, offer a healthy bit of encouragement to those in the disabled community, or the broader community of loved ones and caregivers and friends of the disabled or mentally ill.

Could you please tell anyone you know who might find such a conversation valuable about this online event? My hunch is that we all know someone who is caregiving for a handicapped or chronically ill loved one. (Some of them might even be thinking of writing a book!) In any case, we invite them to this conversation, confident that it will be an inspiring time. The book is captivating, and Kathleen is a born storyteller. It’s going to be good.

Again, please join us for this online webinar, Monday night, October 27,2025, “An Evening with Kathleen Norris.” We’ll start at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. You have to pre-register online; when you sign up you’ll get a link to join in. REGISTER HERE. 

BookNotes

SPECIAL
DISCOUNT

20% OFF

Thanks to those who enjoyed that last BookNotes — including pre-ordering everything from the (now just released) new Wendell Berry novel or the latest Jan Karon “Mitford” book to the eagerly awaited Art Is by Mako Fujimura (coming from Yale University Press in a week or so) to the very popular, forthcoming set of reflections by Diana Butler Bass. A Beautiful Year. Lots more to consider — if you missed that good one, please click HERE.

an ANNOUNCEMENT:

I’ll tell you more soon but please mark on your calendars two upcoming dates when Beth and I would like you to join us for two free webinars, opportunities to join me live as I host two conversations with two extraordinary authors, each telling about their amazing new books. October 20th and October 27th

On Monday evening October 20th at 8:00 PM EST I will host an evening with Jeff Crosby, talking about his brand new, must-read World of Wonders: A Spirituality of Reading.  Jeff has long been a hero to us, and a friend, (and our bookstore is even mentioned in the book) — we know you’re going to want to join us for this dialogue. We are grateful for Paraclete Publishers for setting that up for us. Watch the next BookNotes for a bit more, but please save the date (and help us spread the word.)

Then, one week later, on Monday October 27th (at a time we’ll announce soon) I have the exceedingly great privilege of chatting with the world-class poet and best-selling author of several spiritual memoirs, Kathleen Norris, as we explore her recent book, Rebecca Sue: A Sister’s Reflections on Disability, Faith, and Love, nicely published by InterVarsity Press.

Next week we’ll give you the free links to these two online gatherings and we hope you’ll be able to, as they say, log on. Both events will be really interesting, I promise, not so much because of me, but because these generous authors have a lot to discuss about their recent books. I’m a little nervous and hope you’ll be able to sign on and join in.  Stay tuned for more info.

So, speaking of authors and those who care about words and paragraphs and publishing, a prominent book editor recently sent me this amazing review of and conversation about the recent, exquisite, deep, memoir Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together by the brilliant Jewish author and book-loving mom, Ilana Kushan (St. Martin’s Press; $28.00.)

That reminded me a bit of another brainy collection I’ve recently been taken with, Readers for Life: How Reading and Listening in Childhood Shapes Us, edited by Sander L. Gilman & Heta Pyrhönen (Reaktion Books; $26.00.)

Perhaps you recall our little rave review of the marvelous recent memoir Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me by Glory Edim, founder of the “Well-Read Black Girl” project (Ballentine; $28.00.) There are so many great ones in this genre. I would be you have some thoughts about your memory with books and what you loved when you were a child. Or, if a parent, what you’ve read to your own children.

I know a few customers were very excited to learn about the release of The Redeemed Reader: Cultivating a Child’s Discernment and Imagination Through Truth and Story a companion book to the website, put together by Janie Cheaney, Betsy Farquhar, Hayley Morell & Megan Sabin (Moody Publishers; $17.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.39.) What a joy this is; we’re eager to sell this to those who might need reminding that — as it says on the back cover:  “God loves stories. We understand the world and ourselves in light of His great story.”

They are very discerning and wise about all sorts of books for all sorts of ages. It sits alongside others in this genre, including our all time favorite, the essential Wild Things and Castles in the Sky: A Guide to Choosing the Best Books for Children, edited by Leslie Bustard, Cary Bustard, and Théa Rosenburg (Square Halo Books; $29.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $23.99.)

“A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into an expanding universe.” — Madeleine L’Engle

Let’s start the habit of finding beauty and story and truth and goodness in books by reading picture books to our little ones. Let’s make sure they have them around to see and select. Church community rooms, office waiting rooms, local libraries, of course the coffee tables in living rooms and little bookshelves in the children’s rooms should have plenty of these kinds of books.

Here are thirteen (mostly) recent ones that seem useful, helping you shape your children or grandchildren in healthy ways.

 ALL ARE 20% OFF. Order by tapping the link at the very end.

Bud Finds Her Gift Robin Wall Kimmerer; illustrated by Naoko Stoop (Allida) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

Kimmerer might be one of the most famous indigenous writers in North America these days, a biologist and storyteller and ecologist, author of the famous Braiding Sweetgrass and the recent The Serviceberry. Lovely, thoughtful, wise, informative, charming, even if profound. We are glad many of our best customers are fans.

This is a children’s picture book which reminds us that “everyone, from the day of their birth, was given a gift to share with the Earth.”  Bud is an eager young girl who wants to be included in the bustle of important activities but a wise grandmother shows her “a different way to find belonging, one that relies on stillness and observing the natural world.” It’s a handsome, gentle book, as you might imagine from Kimmerer and Stoop.

Abigail and the Waterfall: Loving God’s Earth Sandra L. Richter; illustrated by Michael Corsini (IVP Kids) $18.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.40

I could fill up a page telling why I think this author — known as a professional and sophisticated Old Testament scholar — is important for us all to know about. She has published a huge and readable introduction to the Old Testament and has a great video series on the Psalms. Her teaching about the Bible is second to none. And, she has a particular, Biblically-influenced passion about creation care; she even wrote an excellent book published by IVP with Bible and science and ecology themes, a perfect primer on the topic, called Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says about the Environment and Why It Matters.

Now her avocation as Christian ecologist and naturalist has found its way into this fantastic kids book. I can’t say enough about it, except there is a painting of a beautiful salamander on the back cover, with this invitation: “This Saturday we are going on my favorite hike to our special place!”

To whom is this offered? What is this special place? What will kids find as they travel along with this family going on a rigorous outdoor hike? One of the nice touches is at least one critter that is named in each spread, with a bit of extra info (a lot, actually) in the back. Perfect for ages 4 to 8 or 9, I’d say. The dreamy, colorful illustrator is from Pennsylvania, too.

We Sing! Teaching Kids to Praise God with Heart and Voice Kristyn Getty; illustrated by Laura K. Sayers (Crossway) $17.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.39

Maybe as young as three or so we can start to read this book to show children why singing at church (or other places) is part of what Christians do to express our devotion and adoration to God. As churches shift their worship styles and singing together seems less vibrant in some circles, the insights of the famous contemporary hymn writer Kristyn Getty, is as important as ever. What does Ephesians 5: 18-19 mean for us?

This really is about singing throughout the day, and advises having Biblical truths in our songs. The contemporary design of the pages, a bit minimalist but surely engaging (done with expert paper art) is very, very cool, and the smooth rhyming is good. (Some children’s books insist on sing-song rhymes that are just too forced, even cheesy, sometimes.) I’m not sure I’d say this is sophisticated, but it is loaded with wisdom and insight and the art is creative to warrant repeated viewings. Hallelujah!

Sound!!! Discovering the Vibrations We Hear Olga Fadeeva (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers) $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19

This may be the most lush, wild, informative, weird, and amazing book on the list (and, therefore, is maybe for older kids 8 to even to 14, maybe. Booklist gave it a coveted starred review, calling it “dynamic.” It is European (and many European children’s books are especially imaginative and eccentric, even.) This one is remarkable, stunning, even, as it invites readers (despite the art some might find a tad busy, if not bizarre) into the big question of what sound is. How does it work, where does it come from? The phenomenon of sound is fascinating — there are sounds we humans can’t hear, of course. It isn’t theological, as such, but I bet you could bring spiritual insights into this engaging book about mystery and science and music and the joy of being alive.

From animal sounds to the technology of recording music, Fadeeva (as one writer put it) “explores sound’s vital role on our planet with this playful, wide-ranging tour through science and history

Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a Writer Quartez Harris; illustrated by Gordon C. James (Little Brown) $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19

When I heard the lush oil painter and Caldecott Award honoree Gordon James had done art to illustrate a children’s book on James Baldwin, we jumped on it, and we’ve been happy to have this on our shelves since it came out a few months ago.  We admire James for his vivid art that just seems to carry movement and motion. Quartez Harris is a teacher and award-winning poet (he was the Ohio Poet of the Year) and this energetic book is so great. Here’s just a line or two, which are so wonderfully enhanced by the art…

“Jimmy took out his pencil and scribbled words into his notebook. They flew off the pages and drifted across the Harlem sky as he felt his anger fade away. He realized that writing words could heal. After that, he scribbled stories everywhere.”

 

“The first time Jimmy read a book the words stuck to him like glitter.”

This really is a celebration of the power of reading and writing, of language and story, of a boy falling in love with books. Highly recommended.

Kaylee Prays for the Children of the World Helen Lee; illustrated by Shin Maeng (IVP Kids) $18.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.40

We have highlighted this before when it first came out a few months ago and we want to honor it again and recommend it strongly. Helen Lee is a super smart editor in the publishing world and a very fine non-fiction writer. Years ago she gave voice to the unique concerns of Asian American young adults, wrote a great book called The Missional Mom, and recently has offered good insight to evangelical readers (and others) about being a racially-aware parent.

This wonderful picture book — replete with vivid images done by Shin Maeng — both reminds children (and their adult caregivers) that they can pray, and pray about important things, and it shows a variety of cultures and contexts of children around the globe. As Kaylee leads the way praying for the world-wide body of Christ, readers learn a bit about other places, about immigration and refugees and family genealogies, cross-cultural stuff and a Kingdom that includes folks (young and old) from all over the world. What a great resource!

Every Nation: Seeing God Around the World Sarah Nunnally (David C. Cook) $16.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $13.59

Sarah Nunnally serves as a missionary in Southeast Asia and has started a book series called “God Everywhere” and this is just a beautiful, creative, contemporary exploration of that. As the publisher puts it, “Through beautiful landscapes and words, join us on a journey to countries near and far to experience God’s presence in every nation and know His love for every child.”

Something most adults might need to be reminded of, too, eh?

The very cool, contemporary designs of the illustration matches the upbeat majestic themes, where on each page spread there is a statement about some attribute or characteristic of God, which is, in a way, linked to something seen on Earth — mountains, say, or a river that seems endless, or the many grains of sand in the desert.  I love this simple way of reminding kids about God and just a few of the world’s many nations, from Norway to Thailand, Costa Rica to Chad, from the USA to Nepal and more. Very handsomely done.

All Will Be Well: Learning to Trust God’s Love Lacy Finn Borgo; illustrated by Rebecca Evans (IVP Kids) $18.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.40

If there is anybody writing today about the faith formation of children and a spirituality of childhood that we really trust it is Lacy Borgo (author of, among others, Spiritual Conversations with Children.) As one who works with kids (including at a respite home for unhoused families) Borgo knows her stuff. And as you can tell from the title of this, she knows her medieval mystics, too. Who doesn’t want a children’s book with a line from Julian of Norwich in the title! And, yes, the famous hazelnut figures into the story.

This really is about the hope that God’s love prevails, that God works out things in ways that can be finally hopeful and healing. A elderly and ill grandmother tells young Julian who was angry and despondent about her grandmother’s health, about the famous saint and her trust in God. It shows the girl, Mimi, going back to school with a bit less anger and carrying the hazelnut.

There is a wise note to parents and adult readers in the back about processing loss and grief with children. It’s short, but very, very useful.

Every Breath, Every Blessing: Finding Hope on Tough Days Dorena Williamson; illustrated by Paran Kim (Zonderkidz) $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19

Speaking of kids coping with complicated matters, finding hope in hard times, the themes of All Shall Be Well are expressed similarly here in these colorful, exuberant scenes. What a fun and yet tender book this is, advising troubled littles to

• Breath In — Your life is a blessing
• Breath Out — You are more valuable than even the creatures in the sky
• Together, we are going to live one day at a time.

Whether a young child is worried about storms or news about natural disasters or social unrest or just  feels the feels of passionate emotions in ordinary life, this can help. “No matter what happens, you are loved and never alone.” This is a soothing message for every precious child so this moment together reading these words can be perfect for bonding time or addressing worries. Dorena Williamson is an esteemed children’s picture book writer who we love — we have her ColorFull and Crowned with Glory.

Keep Us This Day: A Morning Prayer for All of God’s Children / Keep Us This Night: An Evening Prayer for All of God’s Children  Todd R. Hains; illustrated by Natasha Kennedy (Lexham Press) $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19

This is one of these great flip books that can be read first one way, and then you turn it over and upside down and the second half is read, also front to back. A delight, no matter which end you start with!

This is one of the handful of FatCat books that we regularly promote and we’re glad for this gently liturgical resource, offering the rhythms of morning prayer and evening prayer for the child, her energetic family, siblings and, of course, the hidden cat on every page spread.

One need not be Lutheran to appreciate this, but the twin prayers in this book are drawn from his Small Catechism, published in 1529. The simple phrases are drawn from Psalm 31:5, Psalm 91:11 and Psalm 121.  Hooray.

Another neat part of this book is that the family is Korean, so there is some Korean language print besides the English type, and you will notice it in the home-life scenes. A fabulous book in so many ways, mature, if simple! Kudos.

Love Your Neighbor Chris Singleton; illustrated by Jayri Gómez (Bushel & Peck Books) $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19

We love this inspirational (but not overtly Christian) book by the award winning author Chris Singleton. Yep, the former professional baseball player. It simply encourages kids and adults to love (!) everyone. Every one.

Those we know well and those we’ve not met. Those who see the world through different eyes. Even those who are far, far away. Everyone means everyone. So get loving — and watch how the tiniest actions can change your community forever.

I guess this is somewhat about diversity and acceptance of everybody, and it does a fun, playful job of showing various sorts of people to love. It’s simple, but not simplistic. And there is a scene of a bookstore. Hooray.

⊗ Bushel & Peck Books give free books to those in need as part of their literacy mission among those who are not fortunate to have books. On the book you can nominate a school or organization to receive free books!

God, Right Here Kara Lawler; illustrated by Jennie Poh (IVP Kids) $18.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.40

This is a charming book, with great cadence and vocabulary, provocative for younger ones and sweet even for those you might not think would settle in with such a poetic read. On the back it says, “God, right here. God, right there. God’s handiwork is everywhere.” (In a little afterword the author tells about her own love for nature and appreciation for God’s creation — citing Job 12, no less — as a child. Nice.)

The book is arranged by the seasons, so there is a lovely bit about apples and crisp weather and fall, and another has a picture of a Christmas tree (even though this is not a holiday book, as such.) I love the depiction of the changing of the seasons as a part of the Divine plan… really profound and lovely.

The art is a unique, edgy style, maybe a bit too Tim Burton for some at points, but it really works.

Sparking Peace Teresa Kim Pecinovsky and Hannah Rose Martin, illustrated by Gabhor Utomo (Herald Press) $17.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.39

You know that children you care about have heard about recent shootings, even school shootings.

Most know that some adults think we must do something about this, while others seem to think there is not much to be done. I hate to say it, but this book is needed now more than ever. We highlighted it when it came out this past Spring and here is what I wrote — I want to share it again. I hope you’ll consider who might need it in your circle of acquaintances.

Ooooh, I could say more about this brand new poetic tale which shows how weapons are turned into tools of peace. People can come together, the back cover promises, “to create lasting friendships and positive change.” What an interesting inspiring book.

Sparking Peace is a very redemptive story of a boy who helps his older neighbor clean up her yard and start a new garden. Later, the boy goes with his father to a community event that doesn’t only commemorate the sadness of gun violence but turns weapons into gardening tools just like the Bible predicts. The art is so vivid and moving — and at times exciting as community members (who are bearing grief, it seems) each take a moving swing at the forge under the supervision of their peacemaking blacksmith. You’ll love the ending, and the conversation starters at the end are really helpful. What a beautiful, beautiful book.

Check out RAWtools.org which inspired the story. 

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BookNotes

SPECIAL
DISCOUNT

20% OFF

Thanks to those who told us that they found the last Hearts & Minds BookNotes helpful, reviews scattered across style and theme and perspective and price range as it was. It was a fabulous hodgepodge of titles that I said were some of our most anticipated releases of the early Fall. Apparently, some of you had been eager to see them, too. Aren’t you glad for fellow book-lovers who cherish the printed page as some sort of bread and ballast for this complicated journey? Anyway, that was a list of great reads, and I am glad they are all in stock. Visit our archived lists of our previous BookNotes at our website so you don’t miss any.

(As most of you know, we’re closed for in-store shopping, but you can pick them up here at the shop anytime; of course, we are mostly doing mail-order from this online setting. Thank you all for keeping us afloat in these trying days for indie booksellers.)

In this BookNotes we’re listing a baker’s dozen that are not here yet. Some will arrive in the next few days or so, others are a bit farther out, forthcoming, as we say.

You can PRE-ORDER them here, now. All are 20% off.

Remember: you can pre-order anything from us anytime and we are always grateful if you send us a note about whatever you want and whatever you are anticipating. These 13 are just a few that are coming in this season, a handful of the very best that we thought you’d want to consider.

Helpful hack: if you are pre-ordering more than one, or pre-ordering one that is forthcoming along with one that is already released, please tell us if you want us to send them as we are aable, one by one as they trickle in OR if we should hold them together, consolidating them. One is more expedient if you just can’t wait; the other more stewardly, I suppose, saving on shipping costs by bunching them together. They get our discount either way. We’re at your service — just tell us how we can help you best.

I’ll list the official release date of the title. We will get some of them early, I am sure.

Marce Catlett: The Force of a Story – A Port Williams Novel Wendell Berry (Counterpoint) $26.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $20.80

RELEASE DATE October 7, 2025

Wendell Berry hasn’t done a new novel in years and years. He has continued to write award-winning essays, had a collected edition of Sabbath poems released not too long ago, and, of course, did more than one volume of short stories. Many think he is a master of that genre, and adored his most recent, How It Went which was thirteen stories of the Port Williams membership, as he calls those who are part of that small, fictional town. They are members, he famously noted, whether they know it or not.

(In our next “Three Books from Hearts & Minds” podcast I describe three excellent books about the work of Wendell Berry which I think will be fascinating for anyone who reads his work. Look for it at YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.)

Small town life, rural farming, woodsmanship, ecology, family, faith, duty, and fidelity are all themes in his gentle writing about home and exile and land and aging. His lyricism is famously beautiful as he develops a sense of place. I hope you know his beloved novels, at least Jayber Crow and Hannah Coulter. We can’t wait to get a few more pre-orders for this next novel, a story about an elder in the Andy Catlett family.

Marce has already appeared in a few of the books all set in the Port Williams locale. He’s the father of Wheeler Catlett and the grandfather of Andy (who has a short book about his travels one Christmas to visit his grandparents.)  The new Marce story includes a lot about Andy as he and his brother start the Burley Coulter Tobacco Growers Cooperative to fight the buyer’s greed and abuse.

The publisher has told us this much:

Andy Catlett tells the story of his grandfather and father’s lives and how their stories, recalled by Andy to his own children and grandchildren, become “A Story Unending.” Marce Catlett rises in the dark to go from his farm, by horseback and train, to Louisville for the sale of his tobacco crop at the auction house there. The price paid for each year’s crop is being determined and destroyed by the power of a single buyer, James B. Duke. This year is especially grim since the price offered each grower is less than the expense of bringing the crop to market, and a year’s worth of labor is lost. He returns to his family defeated and determined to discover some way to proceed. Many of his fellow farmers lack the resiliency and resourcefulness to continue, and the end for them is clearly visible. But with the help of other neighbors and growers, a way is discovered to protect the farmers and keep their rural families vital and in place.

It has been called both wistful and granular. Sounds about right. It will be one of the great novels of the year.

Marce Catlett: The Force of a Story releases October 7th in hardcover; 176 pages.

My Beloved: A Mitford Novel Jan Karon (Putnam) $32.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $25.60

RELEASE DATE October 7, 2025

Releasing the same day as the long-awaited Wendell Berry novel is this, the also very long awaited novel about faith and small town life, upbeat and charming in a way Berry’s perhaps is not, exactly, but still beloved by readers of all sorts. The Mitford saga continues — Karon hasn’t done a new novel since 2017 (To Be Where You Are) — and we are sure it will be heartwarming and delightful.  In My Beloved, a very personal letter Father Tim writes somehow goes missing and then goes public and it has a far-reaching (and, apparantly, sometimes quite poignant) effect. Just ask Hope, the town bookseller about that. Can a brush with death be a portal to a happy marriage? This is going to be good for those with a broken heart or longing for deeper hope, I’m sure. And they say it is a storied delight.

Fannie Flagg (author of Fried Green Tomatoes) says “Jan Karon is a national treasure. Prepare to laugh, cry and fall in love all over again…”

My Beloved releases October 7th in hardcover; 432 pages.

Christianity and Intellectual Inquiry: Thinking as Pilgrimage Douglas & Rhonda Hustedt Jacobson (Oxford University Press) $29.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $23.99

RELEASE DATE October 10, 2025

The husband and wife duo here are retired, I think, from Messiah University where they have not only had a long and important teaching career, but has spearheaded conversations about how their unique orientation — Messiah in rooted in a pietistic and Anabaptist heritage, although many profs are not exactly in the same evangelical tradition (Jacobson’s are UCC, I believe) — offers a particular sort of vision for what those in Christian higher education have discussed as “the integration of faith and learning.” In the past decades there were many scholarly books and a handful of accessible ones for undergrads or thoughtful others about the Christian mind, the vocation of Christian scholarship, the nature of relating one’s deepest orienting principles to one’s academic research. Many in the largely evangelical movement of distinctively Christian colleges and universities were nearing some sort of a consensus that faculty must profess not only their faith and their professional expertise, but must show somehow how the former influences the latter. And maybe vice-versa.

Artists, scientists, businesspeople, historians, journalists, nurses, engineers, teachers and all the rest of us day-to-day workers are called to have the renewed mind (see Romans 12: 1-2) so we can think well about living faithfully in but not of the world around us, even in our jobs and professional associations.

Messiah profs — decades ago — put out two major works (both Oxford University Press) showing how their unique theological tradition put a certain spin on this project and we still stock both of those, who want a only slightly Anabaptist take on this vocation of Christian scholarship.  But now — wow! — the Jacobson’s are back, doing yet another grand volume less specifically, I gather, for faculty serving in Christian higher education but for any and all of us. What does it mean to be a person of faith and be engaged in authentic intellectual inquiry? How do we know what we think we know and how might we be formed in conversations with others? How might the metaphor of pilgrimage help us in this big project that they’ve tackled here?  They go deep into these sorts of queries.

There are shorter trade paperbacks that address all of this (just see our latest “Three Books from Hearts & Minds” podcast highlighting three really nice books about reading widely and the love of learning) but this major academic work will be a must for those grappling seriously about all of this.

Christianity and Intellectual Inquiry releases October 10th 2025 in hardback; 232 pages.

Everyday Apocalypse: Art, Empire and the End of the World David Dark (Vanderbilt University Press) $24.95 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.96

RELEASE DATE October 15, 2025

I have not seen this forthcoming edition yet, but I will tell you that I admire David as much as any writer working today and enjoy his friendship and often allusive calls to justice and building a better world. I hope you know his extraordinary book I’ve loved since the first edition (where both Eugene Peterson and I had endorsing blurbs), The Sacredness of Asking Questioning Everything. That one naturally gave rise to the even more extraordinary Life’s Too Short to Pretend You Aren’t Religious which he considerably updated a few years back. And then the most robust, creative, remarkable bit of clever and profound social criticism I think I’ve ever read, We Become What We Normalize: What We Owe Each Other in Worlds That Demand Our Silence which should be read more than once and shared with others. I think he read the audio himself, if you like that approach.

This forthcoming one is a considerably re-written, major revision of his much-used and much-loved early work Everyday Apocalypse which was (and is) about pop culture. We have a huge section of such books — dozens of titles exploring faith and philosophy and meaning and hope and danger and goodness within rock and roll, films, video games, advertisements, country music, rap, TV and more. Everyday Apocalypse struck most readers as a perfect blend of edgy Christian insight, honest appreciation for everything from Radiohead to the Simpsons, and a lot of insight about how God’s alternative Kingdom might be better realized if we took seriously the social criticism embedded within many artifacts of popular entertainment. It was and is one of the best in show

Alas, David wants to repent of some things (and I take his use of the word seriously.) He thinks he not only needed to do a contemporary update, but, truly, a rethink. Like with his Life’s Too Short, he has learned some things, changed his mind about some stuff, and added some new intellectual shticks to his repertoire. He’s still fun and even funny, with a wit to match his passion and lament about a world gone wrong. I loved the first version of this book and cannot wait for this alternate version.

And it will have a forward by Ohioan Hanif Abdurraqib, author of There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension and They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us — wow.

I think of one of the most provocative and interesting books of Bible commentary I’ve ever encountered, by David’s friends Brian Walsh & Sylvia Keesmaat, is Romans Disarmed: Doing Justice/Resisting Empire. I wonder if David’s book might be “popular culture disarmed” as we “do justice and resist empire.”  In any case he will celebrate the goodness of the gifts of various cultural artifacts and carry a bit of punchy subversion.

Again, this new edition isn’t a rehash of the older one but, he says, an entirely new book. His Tennessee colleagues at Vanderbilt know him well and he is proud to be published by this storied academic publishing house. We can’t wait to get it in and see what the new edition has to offer. It will, I hope, cause us all to repent a bit. And have fun doing it.

Here’s the new table of contents:

• Foreword by Hanif Abdurraqib
• Chapter 1: Fight The Real Enemy: Apocalyptic & Earthseed & the Lyricism of Protest
• Chapter 2: You Think You Been Redeemed: Flannery O’Connor’s Exploding Junk Pile of Despair
• Chapter 3: Damn Everything But The Circus: Loving The Simpsons
• Chapter 4 Bearing Witness: The Tired Gladness of Radiohead
• Chapter 5: Living in Fiction: The Matrix, The Truman Show, And How to Free Your Mind
• Chapter 6: We’re All Part of the Total Scene: Digging in with Beck
• Chapter 7: Daylight is a Dream If You’ve Lived with Your Eyes Closed: The Cinematic Epiphanies of Joel and Ethan Coen
• Chapter 8: True Garbage: An Exercise in Self-Exhortation

Everyday Apocalypse releases October 10, 2025; 222 pages.

All Things Together: How Apprenticeship to Jesus Is the Way to Flourishing in a Fragmented World Heath Hardesty (Multnomah) $18.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.40

RELEASE DATE October 14, 2025

There are so many good, and even great, contemporary books, written in breezy prose, and offering good insight about deepening one’s discipleship. Few say much truly new (who needs to, after all?) and many are very fresh to read, even as they draw on ancient truths. I’m so happy about the accesible, yet mature writing, that it is hard to suggest just one or two of the many books about basic Christian living and growing faith in these crazy days.  To be honest, I figured this was another fine and dandy one, and we’d order a few, hoping somebody out there would have heard of it and send us an order. I was happy to do so, but not that excited.

Until I got an advanced copy and in skimming it sensed that this was accessible and fun, and really a cut above most. And then I heard from a literary friend I very much respect who assured me that Hardesty is the really, real deal and his book is a contemporary gem.

So I’ve started it and I fully agree. This is a quiet torrent of good writing and splendid insight, maybe a contemporary sort of Eugene Peterson, even. Not as dense as Dallas Willard but not quite as simple as the (great) John Mark Comer. Jon Tyson from NYC wrote a fabulous foreword predicting that this book about living an integrated life —Tyson says it is “not a quick fix but a way home” — will surely gather a good reputation. I loved his down-to-Earth line about getting bruises from “plumbing and pastoring.”  We don’t need more spiffy big screen televangelists, but I will listen to a pastor who is bruised. From plumbing, no less.

In a fast-paced and even fragmented world we need a “long obedience in the same direction” as we live out of our union with Christ and practice disciplines of formation in apprenticeship to the Lord Jesus. This book is going to be remembered as the debut of an author who will be respected for years to come.

All Things Together releases October 14, 2005; 260 pages.

The Myth of Good Christian Parenting: How False Promises Betrayed a Generation of Evangelical Families Marissa Franks Burt & Kelsey Kramer McGinnis (Brazos Press) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

RELEASE DATE October 14, 2025

I read this in one long, aggravated sitting, one long Sunday, and it was, as I expected, both common sense concerns about extremist parenting stuff that passes for “Christian” and an expose of the harm done by exceptionally strict and cult-like leaders like the Ezzos and Bill Gothard. These are names and teachings we never appreciated, and Burt & McGinnis are expert sociological critics offering sane Christian criticism of those fundamentalist dangers.

But the book does more than critique the far-out fringes of conservative Protestant parenting advice that was popular over the last four or five decades, the “QuiverFull” cult and those who wrote large, detailed manifestos about punishing sinful children. (Including some really weird statements by Doug Wilson.) No, it looks at the more mainstream sort of stuff sold in typical Christian bookstores — including ours! — largely on the coattails of Focus on the Family. Their insights about how evangelical entrepreneurialism and radio and TV firepower and the huge (now decimated) network of Christian bookstores created a real movement (making millions for many) of conservative, patriarchal, self-help, evangelical parenting.

The Myth of Good Christian Parenting documents tragic stuff in those circles and insists that even the less egregiously strict authors and teachings left a mark that wounded many. It is something we know a little something about.

The book is important as it is one slice of what some are calling the trend towards deconstruction (that is, giving up some or all of the teachings and attitudes of an evangelical past.) If you care about those who have been hurt by toxic sorts of faith — perhaps as children, perhaps as parents, perhaps as church leaders — this book is a must.

Their theological meditations and storytelling and exposé and historical study is all very persuasive. I must say — maybe I’ll write about it more, later — that some of it was convicting as I recall selling some of the books and authors they discuss who at the time seemed relatively benign.

I know we had and still do have diverse titles in our huge parenting and family section; we had Episcopalian contemplative approaches and books like Parenting for Peace and Justice and mainline Protestant studies alongside selected Focus products. I can remember vivid conversations with other young parents (we were parenting kids ourselves) as we walked through our family section, reminding customers to take every thing written or advised with a grain of salt, not to overdo any one “school of thought” and to temper it all with some standard-fare secular wisdom as well. We sold Veggie Tales and enjoyed Mr. Rogers. We pushed the mostly secular Read-Aloud Handbook alongside wise Christian resources like Honey for a Child’s Heart. Our side-by-side blend of titles from Reformed and secular and Methodist and progressive and Mennonite authors seems to have mitigated, or so I hope, some of the harshness that these authors more strict authors that were in many Christian bookstores or church libraries.

Apparently, as you can imagine, not all Christian booksellers promoted egalitarian authors and feminist critiques of harsh patriarchal vibes. Still, I found it troubling to think we sold and maybe continue to stock resources that could inspire parents to do harm to little ones. This book is important, and has got me thinking more about all this, and I commend it.

I especially commend it to any booksellers or Christian educators tasked with helping with the formation of wholesome Christian families. Their citation of dozens of popular evangelical titles and their comparison charts are exceptionally helpful to illustrate what authors and books tend to be more or less harmful or troubling.  This includes older best-sellers in this genre and other family-oriented ministries which many of us know by name. Agree or not, fully, with their keen assessments, there is no book on the market like this and anybody who uses resources of this sort simply has to have it in their toolkit so they can lead well in this arena.

Burt and McGinnis are good writers and they care deeply about human flourishing, as God intended, without toxic sorts of faith hurting families with shame and patriarchy. I think this is a significant book.

The Myth of Good Christian Parenting releases October 14th, 2025; 225 pages

Art Is: A Journey into the Light Makoto Fujimura (Yale University Press) $30.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $24.00

RELEASE DATE October 21, 2025

I gave an early shout-out about this previously and we have a few pre-orders, but I know many of our favorite customers (and maybe some future favorite friends) will surely want to know about this. I can’t say much, yet, since I have not seen it, but Mako is a friend and a very, very esteemed writer. It is an honor to know him.

As you may know, he is a faithful, profoundly devout Christian with a big worldview that  leans into the goodness of creation, even as it is broken and vandalized. His hope for Christ’s generous redemption, pointed at even in the glories of beauty and the hints of divinity found in common grace, is palatable. He is a serious thinker, an excellent writer, a bold person of faith who is generous to all. And, he is a world-class, highly regarded abstract artist using a rather rare and ancient style of Japanese painting.

Mr. Fujimura has written a handful of excellent books that we have loved and anytime we set up books off site we almost always include a few of his. His reflections are mature and wise and we regularly recommend his Refractions or Culture Care or his fine chapter in the bigger collection It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God. In 2021, Yale University Press released what felt like a magnum opus, a major, serious work, Art and Faith: A Theology of Making. There was a forward by one of the great Biblical writers of our time, N. T. Wright. As important as that was, I have often wondered what in the world he would do next?

Art Is…is going to be nothing short of awesome, I am sure, and I’m told some of his art will be reproduced. It has been called “luminous” and another early reviewer, Christopher Rothko, calls it a “beautifully heartfelt text.”  It is said to be somewhat like an “intimate study tour” and shows us something of his process. Joyce Yu-Jean Lee of New York’s famous Pratt Institute says it “invites creative souls into Mako’s painting process–fusing the alchemy of light with his theology of making.”

Yale University Press writes:

When Makoto Fujimura painted as a child, he felt a mysterious electrical charge pass through him. Over decades of art making, writing, and reflecting in his studio, he has come to understand this charge as his Creator — a source he connects with most profoundly when making art. To be human is to be creative, Fujimura believes, and art making is a discipline of awareness, prayer, and praise by which we journey back to our original light.

Art Is… was listed by Publishes Weekly as one of the most significant titles of Fall 2025. We agree. It releases in hardcover October 21, 2025; 232 pages.

For the Love of Women: Uprooting and Healing Misogyny in America Dorothy Little Greco (Zondervan Reflective) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.99

RELEASE DATE October 28, 2025

Dorothy is a very fine writer – she has two excellent books about marriage (one about the beauty in marriage and the other a fabulous resource for middle-aged couples.) We respect her and are grateful for her good thinking and well-crafted prose.

This book is important, very important. From the debates about toxic masculinity (and some clearly is toxic) to the way women still get paid less than men, to the push back in recent years about women’s role in church and family, the complicated word misogyny carries an important message. Certain views about men being in charge hurts half the human race. And, I think Dorothy would say, hurts men as well.

We have learned (or most of us have) to think about the ways racist attitudes pervade our deepest assumptions and certainly how white supremacy has been encoded in certain systems in the land. From politics to the economy, family studies and urban affairs, racism is part of the informed conversation and most decent folks want to be anti-racist, personally and in terms of the architecture of society. Right?

And so, we must be anti-misogyny. Anti-sexism. Pro-justice for all of God’s children.

Dorothy Greco’s book is not a woke screed mimicking new wave feminists, although I’d be glad even if it was only that. But it is more: For the Love of Women is a theological and substantive bit of exploration, a study and expose, a call for us to realize and act against disdain for women that is more prevalent than we may realize.

As Greco points out in this lively book, “misogyny persists in American culture — often in ways subtler and more insidious than the outright sexism of the past. (Although, in recent months some so-called Christian leaders, more popular than they ought to be, have floated the idea that women shouldn’t be allowed to vote! Maybe it isn’t so subtle after all!)

As the back cover so properly says, “If we hope to disrupt and heal from misogyny, we must first be able to identify and understand it.” For the Love of Women has tons of research made understandable, lots of interviews (some rather painful, actually) and solid Biblical guidance. She shows how this anti-women tone corrupts six spheres of culture.

For the Love of Women looks at healthcare, the workplace, the government, media and entertainment, religious institutions and our intimate and family relationships. It’s important and particularly that she covers these domains — from the personal to the public, from church practices to government policy, from workplace habits to media trends. There is no other Christian book like it.

Can we turn this thing around, create relationships and cultures and structures that promote mutuality, care, and justice?

Violence against women is too prevalent and people (of both major political parties) in high places have been too often given a pass for their actions. This should light a fire for all of us to study and resolve to be agents of God’s ways in this central aspect of our lives together. I am glad for books like the must-read Safe Church: How to Guard Against Sexism and Abuse in Christian Communities by Dr. Andrew J. Bauman (Baker Books; $18.99) or Diane Langberg’s solid When the Church Harms God’s People: Becoming Faith Communities That Resist Abuse, Purse Truth, and Care for the Wounded (Brazos Press; $19.99) or the nearly seminal The #MeToo Reckoning: Facing the Church’s Complicity in Sexual Abuse and Misconduct by Ruth Everhart (IVP; $19.99.)

But we really need a broader, Christian assessment of misogyny in culture and society. Dorothy Littell Greco’s well-researched volume is a God-send. Read it and weep. And then read it again, and vow to take steps to become more intentionally vocal about expressing God’s good and gracious love for women.

For the Love of Women releases October 28, 2025 in paperback; 256 pages.

The Body Teaches the Soul: Ten Essential Habits to Form a Healthy and Holy Life Justine Whitmel Earley (Zondervan) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

RELEASE DATE October 28, 2025

I adore the fine, hip, honest writing style of the upbeat and practical lawyer, Justin Earley. We sold a lot of his first one and it remains one we show off everywhere — The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction. (A gig shout-out goes to IVP for putting this handsome book into the world and getting this author known.) The family-oriented version of that came next, called Habits of the Household.There is now even a youth / teen edition of The Common Rule, with its cool graphics and references to research, Earley’s practical guidance or setting boundaries on screens and affirming things to do rather than getting lost in the digital sphere. Since his guidance on making your own Common Rule included fostering friendships and accountability partners and seeking community rather than solo, on-line stuff, it was natural that his next book, Made for People. Overlapping with concerns documented in books like The Anxious Generation Early focus on the loneliness epidemic and insisted that God made us for relationships. Friendship matters.

And yet, there is more. In this forthcoming one he will explore the embodied context of all of this. Our shift from an almost exclusively online, digital life to a lively, relational, principled one, will take not just rules and friends, but an attention on the body. He wants us to live wholistic, integrated, embodied spirituality.

I do not think that the soon to be released The Body Teaches… will be mostly a book about exercise or physical strength building, but, rather, it will explore the interface of our bodily reality and the breath /spirit that makes us alive. Following several recent titles about creaturely embodiment and the value of our bodies (think, just for instance of Embracing the Body: Finding God in Our Flesh and Bones by Tara Owens or Faith Embodied: Glorifying God with out Physical and Spiritual health by Stephen Ko) this soon-to-be-released one is going to be an amazing, vital contribution. Especially with some recent research about everything from insomnia to anxiety, which he himself experienced. And I’m betting on a really handsome look, too, making it really interesting.

I’m looking forward to it.

Listen well to our friend and one of the most wise and eloquent writers today, Dr. Curt Thompson (author of, among others, The Soul of Desire and The Deepest Place.) Curt says:

We need to be regularly, repetitively reminded of what is good and beautiful in the world, not least of how we are to live. And with The Body Teaches the Soul, Justin Whitmel Earley reminds us what the ancient biblical writers informed us of so long ago: that our bodies together with our breath make us human, and we ignore or idolize the body to our peril. I invite you to read this book with hope and confidence that the God who made us, bodies and souls, is in the business of honoring and redeeming all of who we are for joy and glory.

The Body Teaches the Soul releases October 28, 2025. It is paperback; 272 pages.

Insane for the Light: A Spirituality for Our Wisdom Years Ronald Rolheiser (Image) $27.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $21.60

RELEASE DATE October 28, 2025

I hope you know Ronald Rolheiser, a Catholic priest (Oblates of Mary Immaculate), former college president, and spiritual writer who has given us some of the finest ruminations on the inner life that I have read in recent decades. He is to be found alongside those who appreciate Richard Foster and Ruth Haley Barton, Basil Pennington and Richard Rohr, Henri Nouwen and Howard Thurman, Martin Laird and Evelyn Underhill. You get the drift; this guy is up there.

Many loved his Shattered Lantern: Rediscovering a Felt Presence of God. I think his most notable work is The Holy Longing: The Search for Christian Spirituality and many really liked his Sacred Fire: A Vision for a Deeper Human and Christian Maturity. This, however, is more specific, applying his holistic and humane Catholic spirituality to those who are approaching their elder years. In a way it seems to be the final part of a trilogy, starting with Holy Longing and Sacred Fire.

The title, by the way, comes from a line from a poem by Goethe (and, not surprisingly, translated from the German by Robert Bly.) The poem is called “The Holy Longing” and the line about the light is what Rolheiser applies to those maturing into wise ones, older sages. I think this is more theologically meaty than Rohr’s popular Falling Upward and more deeply Christian than Parker Palmer’s altogether lovely On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old, both of which I’ve enjoyed and heartily recommend. I haven’t gotten very far into it yet, but I see it coming: Rolheiser moves us through some stages of our evolving spirituality and then uses Saint John of the Cross (and some Henri Nouwen) to reflect on “giving away” our own deaths. Hmm.

Father Rolheiser has not written a major book in a while. He has done exquiste small ones, almost booklets, on sexual chastity, on coping with suicide, on praying at home, and more. This forthcoming one is a long-awaited collection of major chapters — with fabulous citations and great footnotes! — and for those of us in our “wisdom years” I think we really need it. Thanks be to God.

Insane for the Light comes out October 28, 2025; 224 pages.

Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around: How the Black Church’s Public Witness Leads Us Out of the Culture War Justin Giboney (IVP) $25.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $20.79

RELEASE DATE November 4, 2025 Just arrived!

I know we’ll get this early and I’m thrilled to soon read it. The historic Black church has been a fascinating topic for me and those who study the Civil Rights movement know how the church served as an empowered space for activists. Not all Black congregations have the same public theology or social ethos, of course, and this has been an area of some scholarly study — The Divided Mind of the Black Church: Theology, Piety, and Public Witness by Ralph Warnock is an important work. I wonder if Giboney will cite it?

Another book that ought to be in conversation with this forthcoming must-read is Making It Plain: Why We Need Anabaptism and the Black Church by central Pennsylvania activist and professor, Dr. Drew Hart. In that great paperback, Hart invites us to receive the witness of the Anabaptist tradition, realizing that the two marginalized voices in Christianity — the black church and the Anabaptists — have major contributions to make. Again, I wonder if Giboney will cite it?

Justin Giboney’s big project, then, is immensely important and I am sure this book is going to become a go-to, vital vision for those seeking a way out of the conventional left vs right culture wars. As important as the two books I just mentioned may be, I am quite sure that this is going to be extraordinarily vital. Drawing on the rich spiritual insights of this particular minority faith community might be one of the most instructive practices for many of us, and most of us have a lot of learning to do to get up to speed. Giboney has already given us great words and insight in his co-authored book with Michael Wear called Compassion [&] Conviction (about the “and” campaign.) Rejecting the false dichotomies between word and deed, between evangelism and social engagement, between conservatives and liberals is a great start to thinking about how to engage the cultural ethos and point to a better way. The tag line on the back of this well-researched work will be “choose witness over war.”

Esau McCaulley wrote the forword to Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around and Tish Harrison Warren has an endorsement saying it is “required reading.” Sportscaster (and founder of the K.I.N.G. movement) Chris Broussard calls it “A masterpiece — a Christian, historical, political masterpiece.”

Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around officially releases in November but it just arrived and we are permitted to sell it early. It’s  212 pages in hardcover. Hooray.

Liturgies for Resisting Empire: Seeking Community, Belonging, and Peace in a Dehumanizing World Kat Armas (Brazos Press) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

RELEASE DATE November 4, 2025

We have enjoyed having the two previous books by Kat Armas, a Cuban-American writer of great depth. Her fantastic book on marginalized women in the Bible and in her own life, Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us about Wisdom, Persistence, and Strength remains a staple here. Next she did a 40-day devotional, a collection of provocative readings called Sacred Belonging: A 40-Day Devotional on the Liberating Heart of Scripture. Those paying attention to young-ish rising authors with excellent insights and good writing chops will keep an eye on her. Rave endorsements support her work, with blurbs from Randy Woodley and Karen Gonzalez and Marlena Graves and Emily Freeman. Danté Stewart talks about how her words “dance and sing” made him rethink “what it means to dance and sing and write as a theologian.”  Along with them, I can’t wait to see Liturgies for Resisting Empire. I suspect we’ll have it early, too.

I do not know what the actual format of this will be. I have a hunch it will be more than poetic prayers, maybe some reflections or ruminations. (These days different people have different uses of the word “liturgies.”) I do know that there is a call-and-response sort of cadence, with chapters like this:

• A Liturgy for Resisting Empire
• 1. Rejecting Empire, Embracing Joy
• 2. Rejecting Lies, Embracing Reality
• 3. Rejecting Ideology, Embracing Wisdom
• 4. Rejecting Hierarchy, Embracing Kinship
• 5. Rejecting Dualism, Embracing Paradox
• 6. Rejecting Hustle, Embracing Rest
• 7. Rejecting Sameness, Embracing Wholeness
• 8. Rejecting Dominance, Embracing Connection
• 9. Resisting Violence, Embracing Peace
• A Benediction of Belonging

A Liturgy for Rejecting Empire releases November 4, 2025; 225 pages

A Beautiful Year: 52 Meditations on Faith, Wisdom, and Perseverance Diana Butler Bass (St. Martin’s Essentials) $28.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $22.40

RELEASE DATE November 4, 2025

I’ve arranged these books to pre-order by release date but I’m happy to say, with no disrespect to the other awesome authors named above, that we’ve saved the best for last. Okay, that’s a little schmaltzy, but Beth and I love Diana. We have known her casually for decades and have worked with her husband perhaps just as long when he was in the publishing industry. I have read all her books. We have celebrated and tried to sell these great titles — even if I might say things a bit differently from time to time (imagine that!) We have commended them to folks across the church spectrum and from various theological traditions.

Diana’s last book, Freeing Jesus, was a memoir of sorts, reflecting on how she came to understand the person of Jesus and his and work and teaching at various stages in her life. Like a beautiful unfolding drama or a complex mosaic, she tells personal stories and offers both Biblical and theological insight at various places in or stages of her ever-growing relationship with Jesus (and His church.) As a devout believer, as an ecumenical church person, as a professional historian, as one who has studied the sociology of churches, and, as one (living near DC) who has been particularly attentive to the dangers of recent shifts in the American political and religious landscape, she is an ideal writer to reflect on all of this. Have her own changes and shifts and growth in faith and understanding mirrored those that others have felt? Certainly, yes. I loved Freeing Jesus and found myself in its wondrous pages time and again.

Anyway, Diana has used her training as an historian and scholar of American religious experience to guide her into doing several important books of congregational life, offering hope for churches in a changing religious context. We’ve reviewed her books here and celebrated them all. I especially loved her one called Grounded: Finding God in the World (which she calls “a spiritual revolution”) and her wonderful work, surprisingly captivating for me, called Gratitude: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks. We follow her online writing and commend it to you, even as she explores the dangers of the resurgence these days of white supremacy and idolatrous Christian nationalism.

And yet, here’s the thing: she has studied under and been friends with some of the finest mainline denominational leaders of our era and she is a heck of a preacher. She is well-rooted in her ecumenical understanding, including her previous seasons in evangelicalism, Reformed and otherwise. Now she is a fairly standard, if exceptionally thoughtful, Epsiopalian, with a generous and wide network. She knows everybody from Rowan Williams to Mariann Edgar Budde, from Brian McLaren to Canon Kelly Brown Douglas to the non-Episcopalian, Anne Lamott. One of my favorite photos of dear Diana showed her in her middle-class business suit (with pearls!) next to her pal, the sleeveless, tatted up Nadia Bolz-Weber.

Which leads me just to say this: A Beautiful Year is a great way to encounter her charm and brilliance. She starts with some rumination on our view of time, the flow of the seasons. Christians, of course, have historically arranged their lives to be somewhat shaped by the story of the gospel expressed in the liturgical calendar. You know we’ve featured many books on this (and hosted our friend Paul Metzger once on a webinar inspired by his good collection of meditations around the church year.) Here, Diana is doing something similar, inviting us to think through the big themes of the church year as a way to get our bearings in these disorienting, dangerous times. Yep, this forthcoming volume offers 52 weekly, Biblical essays, thoughtful devotionals, if you will. The very meaning of the title as I’ve pondered it — a beautiful year — has left me gobsmacked.

I do not for a minute think Diana is backing away from her prophetic call to resist the powers that be, to speak out against the madness of indiscriminate ICE detentions and troops illegally dispatched to cities, of gross wars against civilian populations in Gaza and a President who dabbles in QAnon chaos. But as those who follow her lectionary sermons online well know, she wants to be grounded in a story that is not merely a reaction to our times. She wants to be rooted in a classic understanding of the Good News of the restoring reign of God, springing to new creation life in our midst. She wants to share Bible truths, rich and generative and creative and lovely, not to pummel those who do not see what she sees or insist that her interpretation is the only way, but to invite us all into a year-long conversation. What does faith mean in these times, knowing what we know? What does it mean to be rooted in ancient wisdom? How do we carry on when religionists cite violence against those not like them?

I think her call to perseverance through beauty is really something. The title is lovely, the cover has flowers on it. There are a few pencil drawings of fruit and seashells and pumpkins and such, a nice, homespun touch. She may be an academic but her father was a florist and she has this decorative touch. And that’s an indication that she’s a darn good storyteller, too. She relates her own often tender stories to the epic stories of the Bible, creatively considered, sometimes with daring interpretation. You are going to cherish this book. Pre-order a few today.

A Beautiful Year releases November 4, 2025; 336 pages.

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BookNotes

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I hope you saw (on YouTube) or heard (on Apple or Spotify) our latest “Three Books from Hearts & Minds.” (I usuallly post the links every other week at our Hearts & Minds facebook page, too.) It’s almost like a live audio BookNotes, three books described in about a half an hour. This past one was three books — of the over 60 that we have — about C.S. Lewis. You’ll get a kick out of watching or listening to that. The next one  (coming out soon — see our store’s Facebook page) will be three books about reading and learning; I’m fond of it and hope you enjoy it.  The next will be books by or about Wendell Berry although we haven’t recorded that one yet. We have (I think) every book of his that is in print right here in Dallastown and he’s got that forthcoming novel coming. I hope you enjoy me chatting about books.

Before we get rolling this time, I want to tip my hat to the good folks who got three very special books to us a bit before their release date, books that we have already announced and are now here. We’ve got (and have sent out the pre-orders for) World of Wonders: A Spirituality of Reading by Jeff Crosby (Paraclete Press; $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19) and The Soulwork of Justice: Four Movements for Contemplative Action by Wesley Granberg-Michaelson (Orbis Books; $26.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $20.80) and Rebecca Sue: A Sister’s Reflections on Disability,Faith, and Love by Kathleen Norris (IVP; $25.99 // 20.79.) All three are excellent reads, each highly recommended.

We have a free live-stream program set with Jeff Crosby to discuss the reading life and his lovely new book on October 20th and hope to have virtual gigs lined up for Wes Granberg-Michaelson and Kathleen Norris before long as well. Great, right? Stay tuned for more details.

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This has been a hefty couple of weeks for all sorts of new titles and a few forthcoming ones are already here in the shop. So this week’s BookNotes was, when I envisioned it weeks ago, going to be called something like “My Most Anticipated Books of the Early Fall.” Each of these are actually in stock, here and now. As always, if you order from us (just click the order link at the bottom of this column), they are all 20% off. Thanks for your support. We appreciate you, dear reader.

Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership,The Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit Brené Brown (Random House) $32.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $25.60

Speaking of books that are highly anticipated, this, I suppose, will be one of the biggest selling books nationwide this fall. I don’t know if most faith-based bookstores carry “secular” stuff but we’re happy to feature this, glad for her brave reminders about vulnerability and “daring leadership.” Lots of our customers have appreciated her other work and we’re excited about this brand new one. It is about being, as she puts it, grounded.

Brown starts off with a slightly humorous story of an injury she faced (playing pickle-ball.) And off she goes, a fine writer, a great storyteller, a contemporary social scientist offering insight about, in this case, paradox. I only read a few pages so far, and a quick glance shows several chapters featuring the work of various leaders in this field (Adam Grant, for instance) and a beautiful poem by David Whyte.  It is going to be much-discussed, I’m sure. A handsomely made, solid hardback, over 430 pages.

Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters Carmen Joy Imes (IVP) $22.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $18.39

Beth and I are so appreciative of how Carmen mentioned us in her weekly videos this summer listing books that are “must-reads” in various Biblical topics. Her love of learning and her pastoral care for the people of God by offering good resources on Biblical study is infectious. Hooray for that.

I have commented on this before so I’ll make this brief: it is one of the best books I know of to show how the theme of the peoplehood of God is an essential part of the entire Biblical narrative. The “church” didn’t just show up in the book of Acts, but the community of God is formed and forged within the unfolding drama of the Scriptural story. This is written like her lively and informative Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters (with a forward by Christopher Wright) and Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters (with a forward by J. Richard Middleton) so you know Becoming God’s Family (with a great forward by Esau McCauley) is going to be a great read, a great book to use for an adult class or home Bible study group. Don’t miss it — now more than ever there needs to be robust teaching about and consideration of what the local church even is. This book gets it really right!

The Gospel After Christendom: An Introduction to Cultural Apologetics edited by Collin Hansen, Skyler Flowers, and Ivan Mesa (Zondervan Reflective) $26.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $21.59

I don’t know if you’ve been anticipating this one but some sure have. It is, I believe, the first book written with some connection to the recently formed Timothy Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics (and it is sincerely dedicated to him.) Cultural apologetic, which they explain in the first chapter, illustrates a shift among many to think about defending the faith (apologetics) in a way that is more culturally savvy, aware of the ways in which cultural stories and symbols and habits are formed by presuppositions and convictions and how our own faith is often formed by “the air we breath.” It uses beauty and imagination alongside argument and reason, to present a compelling and inviting vision of the good life.

More than a dozen contributors offer what look to be fascinating and I’m sure helpful chapters. In The Gospel After Christendom you’ve got Rebecca McLaughlin and Alan Noble and Trevin Wax and Rachel Gibson. I like that Gaven Ortlund is here and the brilliant Daniel Strange.  If you follow the Gospel Coalition at all you might know some of these contributors and if you don’t, this collection looks like a fine introduction of one side of evangelical faith that doesn’t get enough publicity. These are good folks seeking the peace of the city, working in balanced and wise ways to offer a critique of secularization not to win some culture war but to show in winsome ways why the gospel message embodied in the local church is a signpost to what folks really are looking for.

From Kuyperian scholar James Eglinton on why we need front porches to Sam Chan looking at the “cultural texts of everyday life” to our friend Alan Noble on the posture of “neither accommodating nor condemning”, this is going to be fascinating and beneficial. I’m eager to read the missiological vision behind all this (especially in Daniel Strange’s “Subversively Fulfilling the Social Imagination.” Joshua Chatraw — whose books on this are themselves indefensible for this conversation — even suggests this is a “framework for retrieval.” This has Hearts & Minds reader names all over it, I bet. We have it now!

Twelve Churches: An Unlikely History of the Buildings That Made Christianity Fergus Butler-Gallie (Avid Reader Press) $30.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $24.00

Hey, you heard it here first. This book just may be the sleeper of the fall, one that isn’t much anticipated or known but that once some reviews start appearing may become a much-loved, often recommended title. It’s a big, thick, history book, and the format is nothing short of genius. The subtitle says it all.

To cut to the chase, here are the chapter titles and the names of the church buildings Butler-Gallie tells us about, twelve places that are emblematic of much we need to know about church history and the life of God’s people all over the Earth. Wow. (Fergus Butler-Gallie, by the way, is an author, journalist, and an ordained Anglican priest who was educated at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and has served in London and Liverpool.) Naming them is fascinating enough, right? And all that he teaches about not just the architecture but the social and theological history of these places is going to be amazing.

1. Birth & Death – The Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, West Bank of Palestine
2. Beauty – St. Peter’s, Rome, Italy
3. Power – Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
4. Violence – Canterbury Cathedral ,England
5. Sex – Mount Athos, Greece
6. Nation – Bete Golgotha, Lalibela, Ethiopia
7. Expansion – Templo de las Américas, Dominican Republic
8. Faith – Kirishitan Hokora, Kasuga, Japan
9. Purity – Site of the First Meeting House, Salem, Massachusetts
10. Profit – Christ Church, Zanzibar,Tanzania
11. Justice – 16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama
12.  Hope – Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria

Slow Theology: Eight Practices for Resilient Faith in a Turbulent World A. J. Swoboda & Nijay K. Gupta (Brazos Press) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

I came to realize a while ago that this isn’t exactly theology, as such, or at least not academic systematic theology. It is a book for all of us by two great, thoughtful theology guys.  It is a guide to nurturing habits and practices that yield to deeper, more thoughtful and sustainable faith. It is, on one hand, about how to hear God in a fast-paced world.

It’s not just that I like slower, less efficient things these days, it’s that I like poking a bit at the idol of efficiency and reductionistic, transactional encounters. Who doesn’t want more humane relationships, more care, more enchantment, more charm? From Richard Foster’s old critique of superficiality to John Mark Comer’s The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry to Ellul’s big picture analysis of the technological society, we need to reduce some of the speedy stuff that is stealing our quality of life before the Lord. It’s why I loved — years ago (and brought in one of the authors to speak to us here about it )— the great book, Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus by C. Christopher Smith & John Pattison. From recent fascinations with sabbath-keeping and the yearning for better rest, I am sure this is part of the reason why we need a book like this. It is responding, too, in a way, to the old J. I. Packer line exhorting us to live more slowly so we have time “to be able to think deeply about God.”

So, again, this isn’t a standard book of theological topics; not even a gentle, restful, play, one. Rather it looks at eight everyday practices for slowing down that can help”fortify our faith and discern God’s voice.” It really is, as political theologian Kaitlyn Schiess says, “a breath of fresh air.” It is not just fresh, it is calm and, I’d say, beautiful.

Here are the chapters:

1. Take Your Time: Learn to Linger with God
2.  Embrace the Theological Journey: Take the Long View of Faith
3. Think Slowly: Applying Sabbath to Our Theology
4.  Ponder the Mysteries: Answers Aren’t Always the Answer
5. Go to the Problems: Challenge Yourself to Not Run from the Difficulties
6.  Let Pain Be the Altar: Talking to God Through Our Difficulties
7.  Believe Together: One Faith, One Body, and Communal Theology
8. Don’t Ever Give Up: Those Who Make It to the End Will Win

A Teachable Spirit: The Virtue of Learning from Strangers, Enemies, and Absolutely Anyone A. J. Swoboda (Zondervan) $26.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $21.59

I love this book! Love it.

On the “virtue of learning.” Yes!

The new Swoboda book is a fresh take on a topic where we used to have a good handful of standards, namely, the development of the Christian mind. We have a whole shelf on thinking well as Christians. Yes, this book is about being learners, about the obligation for disciples of Jesus to be life-long students, apprentices, always growing. Curiously, though, it offers more than the call to have “the mind of Christ” and “think Christianly” but shows — through sparkling stories and great prose — ways to do just that. This is why we need to be curious and teachable, and, then, in a way I’ve not seen before, he lays out a variety of ways to learn, or venues for learning.

He says we can learn from experts, from strangers, from the dead, from enemies, from parents, from children, from secular culture (and has a chapter on each.)  I discussed my appreciation of this in our last podcast. It’s a real winner. Carmen Imes says that “our collective future depends on it.” A Teachable Spirit really is a fantastic book, enjoyable and solid. I highly recommend it. (And yes, the same dude has two new books out this month. Wow.)

Ask of Old Paths: Medieval Virtues and Vices for a Whole and Holy Life Grace Hamman (Zondervan) $29.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $23.99

We’ve been waiting for this author (an independent scholar and writer living in Denver) to do another book on medieval studies since we loved her last one. We raved here at BookNotes about her 2023 release, Through Medieval Eyes: Beholding Christ with the Artists, Mystics, and Theologians of the Middle Ages. If you liked this — and many did! — you’ll like this one, no doubt.

It is, maybe, a bit more heavy, just a little more demanding since there isn’t as much art and captivating stuff about Jesus. But, don’t worry — it is so well written and so engaging that readers will be captivated. Our own views of the human person, of self-fulfillment, of virtue and vice have changed much over the centuries and yet maybe those people of faith in the so-called ‘dark ages’ might have much to offer us. Jessica Hooten Wilson wrote the enchanting forward and five of my favorite contemporary writers rave on the back.

Brian Zahnd calls it a “wonderfully written gem of a book” and Kaitlyn Schiess notes how robust is her theology of a whole and holy life. Rev. Claude Atcho — I quoted from his Reading Black Books in a presentation I did today — says (among other things) that readers will be “relieved.” (Fascinating!) Sarah Clarkson says Ask of Old Paths “grips the imagination and stares the heart.”  No bad, eh? Wilt thou be made whole?

Bad Indians Book Club: Reading at the Edge of a Thousand Worlds Patty Krawec (Broadleaf Books) $27.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $22.39

This is a book you might think is right up our alley, as they say, in our wheelhouse. We are interested in reading widely, we love books about books and the reading life, and we are sure that many of our (mostly) white audience is interested in expanding the sorts of voices they follow, the books they read, both in terms of topic and genre, and in terms of the social location, gender and race of the authors. We need diverse books.

Well this is that and more. It’s a tad academic with an astute, maybe even abstract tone, at times, with scholarly lingo and references to lots of Native authors and literary critics, activists and anti-colonialist philosophers. Deep as it was, it was a rich and valuable learning experience for me, following this remarkable project of hosting a book club and then a podcast by indigenous writers. (You learn about the important painting which is shown on the book cover.)  Indeed, there is much here to ponder and enjoy as Krawec guides us through a variety of essays and articles and insights by people of color and other writers, rooted in stories and episodes from her experiences. He telling of a unfulfilling visit to a interactive museum near where the Pilgrim’s landed is honest and wise.

As theoretical physics and author of The Disordered Cosmos, Dr. Chandra Prescod-Weinstein wrote of it, “thinking deeply alongside other books, Bad Indians Book Club is a needed guide at a moment when books are under attack.”  Indeed, there is much here to ponder and enjoy as Krawec guides us through a variety of essays and articles and insights by people of color and other writers, rooted in stories and episodes from her experiences. Her telling of an unfulfilling visit to an interactive museum near where the Pilgrims landed is sharply candid.

Or, as Kaitlin Curtice notes, it is “full of good medicine.”

I hope you know Kaitlin; we’ve reviewed her Native and Living Resistance and her forthcoming one, Everything Is a Story looks great. She continues, “Please buy this book, and celebrate the power of story in a weary yet flourishing world.” I was going to send it to a friend of mine, a white guy, who travelled to the uprising at Standing Rock (in Sioux territory in North Dakota) a few years ago but he passed away the other day before I got the package mailed. Maybe you know somebody who cares about indigenous cultures and the power of reading.

Awake: A Memoir Jen Hatmaker (Avid Reader Press) $30.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $24.00

You know I love memoirs. I have made a case often why they are not only often as enjoyable and captivating as good fiction but are able to build empathy and care for others seeing how they tell the story of their lives, such as they are. In this case, Hatmaker was (in case you don’t know) a major Southern Baptist hot item, an author, speaker, podcaster, etc. An influencer, we might say today. Cute and just a little sassy; I didn’t really care, much, although I really appreciated an amazing little book she did telling about seven areas of life we can simplify, spending less on ourselves, freeing up money for the poor and global missions. What? Was this upbeat evangelical reading Ron Sider? Good for her.

As her fame increased so did the tensions in her marriage. Her hubby was a cool church planting dude and she woke up one night to find him texting his secret lover. Her life became undone as you would expect, especially as the theology bros and other hotshots presumed the break-up was her fault. She was shifting to a more inclusive and justice-seeking posture and they blamed her. Obviously it threw her into a tailspin. I think it is unfair to say their attacks didn’t drive her fro church (and it certainly didn’t drive her from Jesus) but I’m eager to read this story to see how all of that influenced where she sees herself now.

I’ve read two substantive interviews with her in two major mainstream journals and she is articulate, strong, still hurting but coping, and disinterested in returning to her previous religious rock star status. She feels called to be a writer and this is (as it says on the back) “for women who are asking themselves how they got here, and if there i any where to go. Awake is a reminder that there is always a next chapter. And you can write it yourself.”

I don’t recommend it here for whatever theology she now has or doesn’t have, and, with any memoir, we’re not necessarily looking to the author for guidance. Just her story. Her writing, what insight she gleaned as she artfully pieced together her life.

It has been called “explosive” and it has been called “an act of reclamation, a powerful howl of honesty.” Kate Bowler calls it “a gorgeous, raw, and deeply convincing memoir.”  This is a big release, on a mainstream, general-market press, which is to say most Christian bookstores most likely won’t be carrying it. We’ve got it at 20% off for those who appreciate memoir.

The Father You Get And the Ones You Make, Believe in, and Become Patton Dodd (Broadleaf) $26.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $21.59

This is a page-turner, a heart-break, and a real inspiration, all at once. Dodd is a clever, good writer, and while this is a memoir about his alcoholic and distant father, it is also about father figures (“father-figuring” is a verb he uses) and guy friendships. His hunger to be heard, his desire for a dad lead him to almost compulsive father-figuring and his telling of those episodes are poignant and sometimes funny. And of course (as the title hints) this all shapes his own fathering.

As a dad who had a good dad (but wasn’t nearly as good of a dad as he was, I am afraid) this book meant a lot to me. I think every guy should read it. Thank you, Patton Dodd.

In fact, nearly every woman should, too. This slow burn of a good story about “the long shadow of a painful past” (as Ian Morgan Cron puts it) is for anyone who has struggled with self doubt, with religious complexity and doubt, with self-awareness and relationships. It is, as Jonathan Merritt writes, “A brave book and a riveting exploration of the nature of the relationships between parent and child…”

Nancy French is right when she says “it will stay with you long after you turn the page.”

I reviewed years ago Dodd’s first memoir, My Faith So Far (and I liked his interesting take on prayer in a book called The Prayer Wheel.) As a reader I care about this guy. I like him (and his sassy, wise wife and smart kids and wait til you get to a chapter mostly about his praying mother.) As you’ll learn fairly early in The Father You Get he was, for a long while, a ghost-writer and editor and helper for a world-renowned evangelical superstar (who ended up disgraced; yes, Dodd has father-figured him, and that megachurch pastor’s reply to Dodd’s letter upon his own resignation almost moved me to tears.) It’s a story worth reading, a book that works its writerly magic.

Anyway, Dodd now has a PhD in religion and literature from Boston University. He works for Know Your Name, a program that uses storytelling to build bridges across San Antonio’s economic divides (funded, by the way, by Howard Butt Foundation, who also runs the legendary Laity Lodge.) He is doing good work and seems mostly happy. But he has some stories, haunted as he is, and this memoir is a testimony of the struggle, to tell his story and (as another author put it) “treat his past with kindness.” It is a fabulous read.

Full of Myself: Black Womanhood and the Journey to Self-Possession Austin Channing Brown (Convergent) $27.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $21.60

Speaking of powerful, well-written, cleverly-told stories that are both page-turning and passionate and informative, Full of Myself is not only one that we anticipated (for months!) but is one we are sure will generate lots of generative conversations. Or it should! This is a sequel of sorts, the follow up on the memoirist essays I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by the great author, Austin Channing Brown.

One does not have to read I’m Still Here first, although it wouldn’t hurt. When Full of Myself begins we learn that she has been fired from her work as a DEI leader in a large (mostly white) megachurch. How she was hired to talk about race but was consistently monitored and rebuked by white leadership was painful and she tells it all fiercely. She soon loses a consulting job when some fancy leaders wanted her to please the client (a business with a largely Hispanic or Latino workforce and all white management) but doing things in a way that appeased the white professionals while disregarding the needs of the workers. Anyway, she’s mad about some stuff, and reader’s will be engaged, maybe mad right along with her.

She finds a job in student affairs at a Christian college that was eager to have her speak freely, to make major contributions. She had had it, placating others, denying her own instincts and voice, and committed to telling it like she saw it, fearlessly, even. She was delighted when this conservative, very white, college freed her to do her work in the way she thought best. Whew — good.

The stories continue, the plot unfolds. Jobs, marriage, illness, betrayals. She learns to love herself and this is the theme of the book — the mod font and purple cover is fun, but I don’t think it captures the gravity of her tales of hard-won self-awareness: her becoming “full of herself” is a virtue, not a joke.

The reading is enjoyable, though, and punchy stories are in chapters like “I love myself when I am connected” and “I love myself when I am embodied” and “I love myself when I am laughing.”  She celebrates her own awkwardness, her paid, her needs, and the sense of being erased, to often. These are important chapters designed for Black women — it is dedicated to “every Black Woman holding herself together with both hands” — but I am sure white folks will learn a lot. A lot. Don’t miss it.

Serving God Under Siege: How War Transformed a Ukrainian Community Valentyn Syniy (Eerdmans) $24.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.99

This just arrived and when I say it is one of the most anticipated books of the fall, I guess I should qualify that. My fear is that few know about it, and it is an under-the-radar sort of book translated from the original Ukrainian. Pastor Syniy is a Baptist with several advanced degrees (including a Master’s in history and a PhD in theology) who also is President a Protestant seminary in the southern part of Ukraine. The original edition was entitled The Man Whose Home Was Stolen: The Fight for Freedom but Syniy readily agreed that the translated edition should have a different title. The endorsements are from some who know him and others who esteem him from afar, all who rave about the importance of this humble work — Craig Keener from Asbury, Michael Bird from Ridley College in Australia, Paul Copan from Palm Beach Atlantic. Elijah Brown of the Baptist World Alliance says it is “filled with harrowing stories and an even more powerful God.”

Personal war stories are often gripping, for obvious reasons. That he tells of how the Russian bombings effect the entire community of the Tavriski Christian Institute is illuminating, a picture one doesn’t usually get in the standard secular news reports.  Paul Copan (whose father is Ukrainian, so he has relatives in the war-torn land) noted that exhibits “courageous Christian leadership and Spirit-filled community in the face of loss, anger, confusion and moral struggle.”

One reviewer noted that it was “fast-paced, gripping, and hard to put down.” (Indeed, one guy said he couldn’t remember the last time he read a book straight through in one sitting!) Synod’s  displacement was devastating, but his faith endured, calling us all to, in Christ, point towards hope.

A Pilgrimage Into Letting Go: Helping Parents and Pastors Embrace the Uncontrollable Andrew Root and Kara Root (Brazos Press) $21.99  // OUR SALE PRICE = $17.59

I started my advanced copy of this and continued late into the night for three reasons, I realized. First, I really wanted to know what these two leaders I admire had to say — Andrew Root for his sheer brilliance in thinking theologically about culture and church and his wife, Presbyterian pastor Kara Root who is not as prolific in book publishing but a real wordsmith with her fabulous church-based memoir, The Deepest Belonging: A Story About Discovering Where God Meets Us and the meaty, devotional followup Receiving This Life: Practicing the Deepest Belonging.) Together I knew they’d be a powerful writing team.

Secondly, the book is about parenting. My kids are grown and while Beth and I read a lot during the years our kids were in the house, and there are lots of good faith-infused parenting books these days, I was very hungry for this allusive, creative, grace-filled, theologically-substantive parenting book. I was eager to see if their sociological insights would translate to real parenting advice.

Thirdly, I was anticipating this, with many others, I am sure. Because it is a memoir. It is a quest story, centered around a family adventure and relational spirituality nurtured on a less than perfect hike through a famous pilgrimage trail starting in England and crossing into Scotland, the sixty-three mile way of St. Cuthbert.

I have never traveled to Europe, and while our couple of family vacations were memorable — camping, mostly, visiting a few national parks — I couldn’t imagine going on a family pilgrimage. It makes for a good story, even if it isn’t quite Clark Griswold with Ellen and Rusty.

The opening essay is brilliant and ideal for fans of Andrew’s previous work; he explains they are using the philosophy of Hartmut Rosa as their main conversation partner on this journey. When the Root’s have anxiety about their ministry, calling, and parenting they read Rosa’s The Uncontrollability of the World and ponder his notions of acceleration and alienation. True to fashion for the philosopher Rosa and at least Andrew Root’s work, he shows, in this opening chapter, why “slowing down” won’t really help.

There are exercises to help ponder and experience a deeper sort of resonance with all of this. This is a memoir, a hiking journal, a parenting guidebook, and a guide to trusting God for philosopher nerds and other deep thinkers. What a book!. John Swinton, a theologian at the University of Aberdeen, who has written deeply about mental health issues, calls it a “gift.”

In the Low: Honest Prayers for Dark Seasons Justin McRoberts & Scott Erickson (Baker Books) $22.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $18.39

This handsome hardback is a delight to look at, provocative, inspiring, and — for those who have followed this dynamic duo — not unlike their other prose + visual arts approach shown so vividly in Prayer: Forty Days of Practice and May It Be So: Forty Days with the Lords Prayer.

This new one is very much like that, but with a bit more writing — that is, not just allusive prayers and sayings, but some longer reflections — and there is color in the art. The black and white [and blue] graphic art pieces are in the Erickson style; edgy cool poster art with grit and humor and hip, odd illustrations would stand alone as an amazing bit of contemporary graphic art. Justin’s fine ruminations would stand on their own as honest, raw, deeply prayerful prose. Together they are hilarious, poignant, provocative, dare I say dynamite.

Not only is this even better than the previous two (both of which we raved about at BookNotes as unique and cool and helpful) with heavier stock paper and color and content, it has a somewhat provocative theme: “in the low” is to be down, sad, lamenting, maybe, depressed. And here’s what they say about that: “We spend time in the Low because we’re human, not because we’re broken.”

“We spend time in the Low because we’re human, not because we’re broken.”

Yep, In the Low is a collection of thoughtful words and illustrations for times of depression. “It is a book “designed to meet you where you are and sit with you there the way God does: intentionally and without judgement.”

I really appreciate this a lot, the poems and prayers and images, and trust their unique take on sitting with God in the midst of our challenging seasons. Some folks may find it a bit too allusive or obtuse — and a couple of the drawings are artfully weird — and others will go wild and buy a bunch to give away.  As hospital chaplain and author J.S. Park writes, “Any and every page of this work is a lifeline for the depth of depression and a direct line to the divine.” I like that K.J. Ramsey created a line that I myself have used about the other two — “it’s not your mothers prayer book.” Ho!

Listen to the artful rock artists, David Gungor:

This book is not a cure, nor a map to a brighter shore, but a quiet companion for the journey. In a world heavy with worry and shadowed by the ache of futility, it speaks not to fix but to witness.”

The Justice of Jesus: Reimagining Your Church’s Life Together to Purse Liberation and Wholeness Joash P. Thomas (Brazos Press) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

I was hoping to list this as one of the most anticipated books this fall, but, I will be honest: I’ve got a hundred books on the Biblical basis for social justice. (I did a BookNotes post a month ago listing a bunch and despite a few crackpots who called me rude names, it was well received.)  So was I itching to read another?

And then I started reading the early endorsements from acquaintances — Shane Claiborne, of course, Kristin Du Mez who talked about how very beautiful it was. That he is theologically conservative (with a degree from Dallas, no less) and grew up in a family which was from India, makes me want to listen. We need voices from the global South.

And he ran a political consultancy biz and lobbied the government around human rights issues. Wow.

And then this caught my eye: Sarah Bessey said “Joash’s deep love for the church shines from every page.”

The Justice of Jesus, as Biblically rooted and clearly devout as it is, still may be, as one reviewer suggested, “pastorally disruptive.” Maybe it could change how you prioritize justice work in your church, in our pulpits and budgets. It seems to be full of stories, and is said to be both passionate and practical, providing “practical steps for pursuing liberation and wholeness” in the context of renewed congregations. Wow, I couldn’t wait for it, and we are glad that it is now here. Hooray.

TWO GREAT YA NOVELS THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT (no matter your age)

The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story Daniel Nayeri (Levine Querido) $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19

You know the great author Daniel Nayeri, best known for (among many others) Everything Sad Is Untrue (A True Story), a tremendously well-rendered, creative YA novel that as many adults have read as youth. His 2023 The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams (which has the great silver Newbery Award on it, now) is out in paperback. This new one is set in his home-country of Iran, a historical fiction story of a unique sort of heroism in World War II. Beth opened it and started reading the minute she spied it, and if you appreciate Nayeri as we do, you will, too.

Here is what the publisher says:

1941. The German armies are storming across Europe. Iran is a neutral country occupied by British forces on one side, Soviet forces on another. Soldiers fill the teahouses of Isfahan. Nazi spies roam the alleyways. Babak and his little sister have just lost their father. Now orphans, fearing they will be separated, the two devise a plan. Babak will take up his father’s old job as a teacher to the nomads. With a chalkboard strapped to Babak’s back, and a satchel full of textbooks, the siblings set off to find the nomad tribes as they make their yearly trek across the mountains. On the treacherous journey they meet a Jewish boy, hiding from a Nazi spy. And suddenly, they are all in a race for survival. Against the backdrop of World War II comes an epic adventure in the faraway places. Through the cacophony of soldiers, tanks, and planes, can young hearts of different creeds and nations learn to find a common language? Master storyteller Daniel Nayeri keeps you on the edge of your seat, uncertain to the very end.

A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez María Dolores Águila (Roaring Brook Press) $17.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.39

I’ll admit this wasn’t on our most early anticipated list this season until a customer asked if we could order it for him. Kudos to Paul, which just goes to show that we really are a community learners, here — I can’t tell you how many times we learn of a novel or a commentary or a kids book (or a cookbook or a Bible study) from an enthralled friend and customer. But soon as our pal described it, I knew it was one we’d want to celebrate.

In this lovely cover, in one of the lemons, you can see the phrase “When injustice grows, resistance blooms.” Thanks be to God.

William Alexander, the National Book Award-winning author of Goblin Secrets, notes that thesis “a beautiful and essential lesson in courage.” It has been called poignant and heartfelt.

The story is historical fiction based on a real “Lemon Grove” episode in San Diego, 1931. It is written in verse and explores the story of twelve year old Roberto and how the School Board (field by anti-immigration hostility and anti-Mexican propaganda) was eventually sued for equal justice for Mexican immigrant kids (some facing threats of deportation.) This is a story of courage, of grace, of legal battle in the courts. Many of us know the story of racial integration for Blacks in the 1950s and 1960s but few know about this remarkable lawsuit.

It has been called a story of determination, a heart-wringing novel, a story “full of heartache and hope.”

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I was asked to do a Zoom adult ed forum at a fascinating church in Durham, NC last week. I’ve been with them virtually before, talking about books and the reading life, but this time I was asked to speak for an hour offering a big picture view of the dangers of Christian Nationalism. Or White Christian Nationalism, as it often is described. I’ve read more than fifteen books on the topic and skimmed another dozen and felt like I could give my take on the idolatry of nationalist ideology, the ways well-intended people can go very, very wrong and the danger of that when a far-right extremist vision that is prone to violent language gets wrapped in evangelical zeal and Pentecostal power.

We know from the photographic evidence how much Jesus stuff was amidst — and even more at the periphery — the rioters as they attacked the police and ransacked our beautiful Capitol building on January 6, 2021.

From the prayers of Paula White and Cindy Jacobs to the shofars that were often used to the teeming religious tee-shirts and Bible-quoting tweets, we know that people of Christian faith were very deeply involved in riots and the effort to stop the certification of the election. From odd evangelicals like Eric Metaxas and Michael Lindell the Pillow Guy to the even more bizarre, like Pennsylvania Gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano who visited the cultic Rod of Iron Ministry — known as the “gun church” (which literally uses AR-15’s in its liturgy) to the infamously, nutty, January 6th QAnon shaman (who respectively removed his bull-horned helmet to offer a prayer once he had overtaken the police and taken the Senate floor), the twenty-first century movement of self-proclaimed apostles and prophets make the conversations about faith and public life exceptional fraught. Who are these people?

This kind of mayhem and the right-wing patriotic spirituality that blesses it is something different than the civil religion noted by the likes of Robert Bellah years ago or even what became known as the Christian right (Jerry Falwell founded the Moral Majority in 1979), bellicose as it often was.

This latest iteration of God and Country patriotic faith is weirder and at times sounding more extreme than even Falwell shilling for Botha’s apartheid regime or Ollie North lying about his deadly involvement in the contra slaughter of peasants in Nicaragua. As ugly as Falwell defaming Christian leaders like Alan Boesak or Desmond Tutu was or as awful as the religious support for American-financed death squads in Central America was, or as grossly anti-ecological the rapture-ready James Watt was and as lamentable as the complexities (and deadliness) of our God-bless-America campaigns of Shock and Awe in Iraq were, this recent manifestation of passionate, prophesying faith making an idol out of MAGA ideals is really something yet again. New Christian Nationalism is not just traditional and patriotic Christians working for conservative policies. It really is a strange worship of theocratic tendencies and orthodox Christians simply must contend with it.

Whether one goes back to the fifteenth century papal bull of Pope Nicholas V (“The Doctrine of Discovery”) or ponders the ways the pilgrims and puritans saw themselves as ancient Israel, mimicking her conquests of land and people or how the Founders drew on some Christian influences giving the impression (to some) that America was therefore a Christian nation, or even the ways in which faith was used for evil —think of chattel slavery or of the KKK, say, or how many Christians (fundamentalists, mainline, and Catholic) protested against the civil rights movement (see Randall Balmer’s short Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right (Eerdmans; $16.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $13.59) for one look at the ugliness of fundamentalism in those years) —  knowing even a little about all this history, it is clear that the current Pentecostal / Seven Mountains Mandate stuff has a big back story and their large movement promoting a confluence of some sorts of faith with mostly bad politics didn’t happen out of nowhere.

There are dots to be connected, I think, from the Glorious Revolution in 1688 which removed the Catholic monarchy in England, offering Protestants their own special privileges and rights, to the American Revolution — some of those revolutionaries saw themselves as the heirs of those previous British Protestants fighting for their rights — on up to the religiously motivated anti-communist zealots like Carl McIntyre and Phyllis Schlafly and the current idolatry within some strains of American exceptionalism.

These built on each other, adding anger and resentment at each stage (blame Rush Limbaugh and the vitriol of the birther movements for some that) to now, when we have religious leaders praying for a strongman “Christian prince” who can do whatever it takes to reinsert a certain sort of Christian culture through domination of the political sphere. Journalist and religion scholar Matthew Taylor notes that one of the most cited verses on right-wing social media on January 6th was “The violent take it by force” — surely a mis-appropriation of Jesus’s meaning when he learned that Herod killed his cousin John the Baptist. In any case, Matthew 11:12 was used, and often mis-quoted, saying “The violent take it back by force.”

As was famously once said, “Houston, we have a problem.”

Or, as Jeremiah suggested more than once, “Don’t say there is peace, peace where there is no peace.”

Things are not okay.

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I started my little presentation on Christian Nationalism by noting that, in my view, we ought not disparage brothers and sisters for trying to relate faith and public life. That we need a Biblically-informed, theological robust, intentionally Christian approach to politics is an axiom for me, so it isn’t that the New Apostolic Reformation or the latest Pentecostal leaders of Christian Nationalism are wrong to bring faith to their citizenship or the issues of the day. Rather, it is that they are doing it in such a wrong-headed way. I have a whole list of books about faith and politics HERE (arranged by their depth and level of sophistication) and commend that as the bigger question of how to do politics more faithfully once we understand how Christian Nationalism gets it wrong.

Of that big list, I will just list three, quickly, here, to frame this discussion of (White) Christian Nationalism; one is very easy to read, one I might call just a bit more in-depth, and the third maybe more challenging and thorough (but not scholarly or academic as such.)

How to Be a Patriotic Christian: Love of Country as Love of Neighbor Richard J. Mouw (IVP) $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19

Balanced, delightful, humble, How to Be a Patriotic Christian is a fabulous read by one who has explored civic faithfulness for decades. If the Christian Nationalists make an idol out of their dis-ordered love of country and their particular take on what Christian politics should be, this is a lovely, reasonable call to love things like your own nation and place well, in the right (limited and provisional) way. I think Rich Mouw is a must-read about nearly anything and this is an inspiring little work that really ought not to be missed.

The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of Our Neighbor Kaitlyn Schiess (IVP) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

This young writer has a real gift and it becomes evident in this brilliantly powerful exploration of the false idols in our Christian communities as it invites us to ask how we are formed to think as we do about politics and citizenship. What most influences your political opinions? She shows how we in the church should be more intentional about have our civic convictions shaped by the first things of our faith, nurturing a gospel-centered, Kingdom vision of political service. It’s so rich and thought and righteous. By the way, her historical overview of how the Bible has been used and misused in American political history is also quite excellent. See her The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go From Here Brazos Press; $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99.)

Faithful Politics: Ten Approaches to Christian Citizenship and Why It Matters Miranda Zapor Cruz (IVP Academic) $24.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.99

I love this book — a very comprehensive overview of various models and options for Christian political engagement. She shows the strengths and weaknesses of various ways to integrate faith and politics and how Christian citizens should (or shouldn’t) support current regimes and policies. There’s so much to learn from so many interesting angles and styles. She is generous and insightful about them all. The final two chapters explore two models that are not faithful: “Invading the Country to Establish the Kingdom” is how she describes the Dominionist approach and “Eroding the Distinction Between Kingdom and Country” shows the problem with the Christian Nationalist approach. This is one of the best recent books on true Kingdom citizenship and political life. Congrats, Dr. Cruz.

WHITE CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM

Here Are Your Gods: Faithful Discipleship in Idolatrous Times Christopher J. H. Wright (IVP) $23.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.19

I’ll start with this one even though it is not about contemporary American politics or Christian nationalism as such. It is more general, a study of themes of idolatry in the Old Testament and what it means to be faithful amidst political idolatry. It’s a good start by an excellent, world-renowned Biblical, missional scholar for any conversations about these turbulent times.

Strange Worship: Six Steps for Challenging Christian Nationalism Drew J. Strait (Cascade) $24.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.20

I list this one up front, here, because, as the title suggests, white nationalism is idolatry, leading to very strange worship. Although, as the subtitle shows, this has good ideas for congregations wanting to work towards beloved community. So good. with lots of first-steps and more radical ones. Well worth reading. The author is a Mennonite Bible prof and a nonviolent activist.

American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church Andrew L. Whitehead (Brazos Press) $24.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.99

Whitehead co-authored a seminal book on this stuff published by Oxford University Press but this one is more accessible, more crisply written, and overtly evangelical. Whitehead is fabulous as he offers a wise, Godly critique of the idolatry that pervades Christian nationalism. Kristin Kobes Du Mex calls American Idolatry “an essential primer.” Good stuff on moving forward, too. I want to say it is very highly recommended.

American Christian Nationalism: Neither American Nor Christian Michael W. Austin (Eerdmans) $17.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.39

Austin is a widely read and respected ethics prof who has written wonderful books on everything from humility to the American conversations about guns to a faithful response to the chaos from QAnon. Here he shows “how nationalism is contrary to American values and Christian virtues” and offers a better form of civic engagement. This one is short and matter-of-fact. Joel Looper of Baylor notes that “he avoids any hint of a polemic tone” so this one is perhaps a good starting resource for those who wonder what the fuss is about. It is almost too polite.

Another Gospel: Christian Nationalism and the Crisis of Evangelical Identity Joel Looper (Eerdmans) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

I appreciate this as he offers fellow evangelicals (and others) what the back cover calls “a theological rationale for resisting Christian nationalism.” I am glad that he brings home a central truth that the sort of religion and worldview of the Christian nationalists is, frankly, what the Apostle Paul would say is “another gospel.” How have we so lost our way as to not see this? For those who care about the clarity of the message of the gospel, this book should break your heart. I hope some folks buy several and study it with others, especially for those who many not care much about the social and political issues in our country these days. Looper (who teaches at Baylor) University has written well on Bonhoeffer and brings insight about how the MAGA ideology has a secularizing influence on the church message and is eroding the claims of the gospel.

How to End Christian Nationalism Amanda Tyler (Broadleaf Books) $27.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $22.39

In a way this is the essential guidebook for anyone alarmed by the force of Christian nationalism and who wonders how to resist it. Jemar Tisby says it is “a potent tool for taking action” and William Barber (co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign) says “Amanda Tyler is a powerful sister.” Kristin Du Mex says it is “clear, concise, and compelling”… the perfect book for anyone confused about Christian nationalism and wondering what they can do about it.”

We met Amanda Tyler earlier this year and it was an honor to meet her and a real encouragement to hear her insight, based on lots of experience. She is a lawyer, a Texas Baptist, and a super-smart organizer against this high-powered stuff. She’s the real deal. Congressperson Jamie Raskin notes that How to End… is a “labor of love for Tyler’s country and her faith and it is a gift to America in dangerous times.”

American Heresy: The Roots and Reach of White Christian Nationalism John Fanestil (Fortress Press) $24.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.20

I found this indispensable to get at the colonial origins of white Christian nationalism. Randall Balmer notes that the author “expertly demonstrates in American Heresy, the idea that the United States occupies a special plane in the divine economy extends back to the contain era and the nations founders.” I was reminded here that the Founders “drew on English Protestant notions of divine protection and providence.” This leads, he shows, to “violence, nostalgia, racism, propaganda, conspiratorial thinking and nationalism.” It’s complicated, of course, but this is an excellent contribution. This is one piece of the big backstory, but it is an essential piece, since one of the prominent tenets of all Christian nationalisms is that America was founded as a Christian country with God’s special blessings. Don’t miss this.

For what it is worth, as an aside, we recommend even in the best of times (and now, especially) the very fine and award-winning historical work by our friend Dr. John Fea called Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? (WJK; $40.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $32.00.)

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in Age of Extremism Tim Alberta (Harper) $21.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $17.59

Although not an academic study of the roots of Christian nationalism precisely, this study of conservative evangelicals and their foibles on the way towards right-wing nationalist fervor is a remarkable, important book. And a compelling, captivating read. This may be my favorite one on the list. Alberta is the son of a Gordon-Conwell-graduated pastor in the mid-West who, famously, was savaged at his fathers funeral for a critique of Trump he had written in 2019 (American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump.) That his spiritual siblings in his home church could be so aggressive against him in front of his father’s casket shocked him into doing another book, written with his own faith more centered, exploring how the evangelical movement got caught into political and cultural warrioring in ways that seem so distance from the earnest faith in Jesus he learned in his childhood.

This is a major work of investigative, up to date journalism, a page-turning report that the New York Times called “brave and absorbing.” Tim Alberta is honest, insightful, and a gripping storyteller. The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory  is a must-read, now in paperback.

Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism  Brian Taylor & Beau Underwood (Chalice Press) $21.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $17.59

Okay, while we are trying to discern the theological and philosophical roots of this drift into nationalism, we can’t just point the finger at the fundamentalist Christian right and the extremist Pentecostals. These authors make a case that mainline Protestants with their patriotic hymns and civil religion haven’t helped discern a Jesus-oriented, Kingdom sort of political ethic, either, and are more complicit in ways that we maybe haven’t considered. There is some deep historical research (and what Randall Balmer called “trenchant analysis here — a jeremiad that must be heard.

Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism — and What Comes Next Bradley Onishi (Broadleaf Books) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

I couldn’t put down this lively read, considered “a riveting history of the white Christian nationalism that led to the January 6 insurrection.” The prestigious Kirkus Review gave it a coveted “starred review” saying it is “a clear-eyed, compelling study of the road to January 6 and the possible future of the politics-versus-religion battle in the U.S.” It is rigorous and sincere, an insider’s story of what is “fueling the extremism from the religious right.”  His section “what does white have to do with nationalism” is very helpful.

Maybe pair it with the even more intense and extensive The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War by the riveting and artful Jeff Sharlet (Norton; $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19.)

The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People Are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Divide Pamela Cooper-White (Fortress Press) $24.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.20

I have written about this before and think it is a very valuable piece for any of us wanting to stay in relationship with those who are deeply enmeshed in this extremist worldview (or even understand it.) Cornel West — who delightfully has good friends on the political right that are very different from himself — says it is “brilliant and courageous”and “the best treatment we have of the complex psychological dynamics of the dangerous Christian nationalist movement in America.”

West continues, “Without losing sight of the humanity of even the most racist and sexist of our fellow citizens, Pamela Cooper-White has given us a powerful and needed text on just how close we are to losing our democratic experiment.”

Star-Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding a True Faith April Ajoy (Worthy) $28.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $22.40

I think the book listed above is solid and caring but it is written by a scholar who is, as a Lutheran, pretty much an outsider to the movement. Ajoy was an insider, for sure. She was raised in the evangelical subculture, a conservative foot-soldier in the Lord’s army, a youth for Christ who bought into all the cultural ethos and political issues until she didn’t. This is wise and insightful and written with a lot of spunk and not a little snark. The sparkly cover is a hoot, the prose is lively, the book a great read.

Jemar Tisby says “Star-Spangled Jesus is the Rosetta Stone for understanding white Christian nationalism.”  Shane Claiborne says it is written with “defiant joy.” Yup.

Money, Lies and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy Katherine Stewart (Bloomsbury) $29.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $23.99

Katherine Stewart wrote the excellent 2019 expose The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism. The Washington Post called it “gripping… required reading for anyone who wants to map the continuing erosion of our already fragile wall between church and state.” It was a seminal volume to help us (in the words of Rev. William Barber) to “challenge the false moral narrative of religious nationalism.”

This more recent one is some of the best journalistic reporting I’ve seen on the topic, a deep dive into what she calls the Funders, Thinkers, Sergeants, Infantry, and Key Players that make up the inner workings roiling American cultured politics. Who knew some of this? Reporting often from first hand accounts on location, this is — even for one who knows a bit about this extremism and ugliness — shocking.

Join this vivid writer as she exposes the extremist churches, conspiracy mongers, backroom strategy gatherings, and others attacking democracy at its foundations.  Wow. Just wow.

Christian American and the Kingdom of God: White Christian Nationalism from the Puritans through January 6, 2021 Richard T. Hughes & Christian Littlefield (University of Illinois Press) $24.95 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.96

Hughes has been a hero of ours in many ways, writing very good books about the myths that drive the American worldview.(He also has a fine little book on the task of the Christian scholar.) He used to teach near us at Messiah College and is an Emeritus professor at Pepperdine where Littlefield also teaches. Both are strong advocates for understanding the ways which the Biblical Kingdom of God should shape our discipleship in following Jesus and how this has been perverted to mis-shape the citizenship of many Christian people. It is complex and nuanced and is an ideal text for those studying religion, politics, or current events. This is an expanded edition of an acclaimed earlier version. Rave reviews on the back from John Fea and David Gushee. Including the notes it is 388 pages.

The Religion of American Greatness: What’s Wrong with Christian Nationalism Paul D. Miller (IVP Academic) $29.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $23.99

For some readers, this book by a conservative Christian political theorist and solid scholar (and former White House staffer under both Bush and Obama) will be an excellent choice. He offers what Amy Black (of Wheaton) calls “a refreshingly different approach” which is exceptionally charitable in interpreting those whose views he is concerned about.

Endorsements for this rigorous title are from the likes of Samuel Perry, John Inazu, Peter Wehner, Karen Swallow Prior, and it has a good forward by David French. As it says on the back, “Christian nationalism is at odds with the genius of the American experiment and could prove devastating to both church and state. Christians must relearn how to love our country without idolizing it and seek a healthier Christian political witness.”

Miller spent a decade in public service as director for Afghanistan and Pakistan on the National Security Council staff, as an intelligence analyst for the CIA, and was a military intelligence officer in the US Army. He is now a professor at Georgetown and has also written on just war theories (see his Just War and Ordered Liberty.)

Defending Democracy for Its Christian Enemies David P. Gushee (Eerdmans) $21.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $17.59

Dave Gushee is an important author, a former evangelical with deep experiences within classic, conservative Protestantism; he’s well-versed in and and thought hard (for years) about different views of faith and politics. He now teaches at Mercer University in Mississippi and is a prolific writer on theological ethics, following Jesus, and many social issues. This is an amazingly succinct and yet wide-ranging survey of how authoritarianism is creeping all over the world. He asks “if American democracy is in danger, how do we protect it from reactionary Christianity?”

“David Gushee has written that rare book that combines reader-friendliness, moral clarity and political detail… Read it and then give it to everyone you know.” — Marcia Pally, author, White Evangelicals and Right-Wing Populism: How Did We Get Here?

The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy Matthew D. Taylor (Broadleaf Books) $32.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $25.60

This book was a real page-turner for me, even though it, frankly, was less a jeremiad against Christian nationalism and, rather, a careful, detailed, even empathic study of the nuances and networks (and key players) in what is called the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR.) He connects the dots with these Pentecostal leaders who — if you don’t travel in those circles at all — you may not have heard of, but have millions of followers all over the world. Those of us who know a bit about charismatic renewal and the “third wave” of the Spirit and the language apostles and prophets of this new manifestation will be fascinated how the Latter Rain revival is described as so influential. And, believe me, despite wondering when and how it will happen, man, do the dots get connected. Cindy Jacobs was at the Capitol on January 6th. So was Ché Ahn. Paula White’s White House office was used for a regular prayer call for the President and that Rolodex and Zoom call lists were used to bring the tongue-speaking prophets to the protests on January 5th and 6th 2021. This is the best study of the political implications of NAR and is a vital, reasonable, wise, look at this growing part of the worldwide body of Christ.

There are fabulously interesting chapters on Paula White, Peter Wagner, Cindy Jacobs, Ché Ahn, the whole Seven Mountains Mandate thing, and how worship is seen as a weapon against demonic powers which hold regions, cities, and institutions captive. This is really urgent and I can’t say enough about this broad-ranging survey of charismatic and Pentecostal movement in the US and how so many networks — from John Wimber and Peter Wagner to the Toronto Blessing and the Kansas City Prophets — turned into a huge force helping Trump spread his conspiracy theories about stolen elections.  Don’t miss it. Wow.

Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor Caleb E Campbell (IVP) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

This little volume is like no other and it has been our biggest selling title in this whole genre of books about faith, politics, Christian nationalism and the dangers of the extremist right. Whether you have loved ones giving the wink to neo-Nazis or approving Trump’s weirdly eccentric antics — did you see his tweet the other day with a grotesque picture of himself with QAnon symbols in his hand? — whether they are hard-core Nationalist or just MAGA-ish, this is the book will help you navigate your relationships and bear witness to the true gospel of Jesus.

Here’s the short version of what I’ve said in several longer reviews: Disarming Leviathan takes the conventional strategies of missionaries entering a foreign land and applies those to doing healthy, contextualized ministry with those who have drifted into nearly cult-like loyalty to dangerously corrupt ideologies. We must carefully learn the symbols and myths, the stories and values, the language and logic behind what is essentially (to use Joel Looper’s phrase, above) a false gospel. We have to have heart-to-heart, deep conversations with Christian nationalists the way we might with others who have gotten way off the path of conventional Christian teaching or who have not be truly converted to His Kingdom. We must, in relevant and winsome ways, invite people to become followers of Jesus.

Campbell is a megachurch pastor in Phoenix and has learned the hard way that civil conversation (as virtuous as that always is) is not adequate when talking with those who need not just reasonable chats and civil listening, but gospel-centered, evangelistic conversations. Can you truly minister to those God loves as a missionary to Christian nationalists?

“What I love about Caleb Campbell’s approach is that he recognizes Christian nationalists as neighbors who need discipleship in the way of Jesus.” — Carmen Joy Imes, Bearing God’s Name, Being God’s Image and Becoming God’s Family

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BookNotes

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How’s everybody doing out there?

I mean after your church service this Labor Day weekend.

I’ve given up trying to get my church to talk about a Christian view of the work-world and have stopped for the most part moaning about being a businessperson excluded from the prayers, even on Labor Day. I hope you servants of God making a difference in your vocations and callings, job-sites and work zones, got a least a mention at church this week. Because what you do matters, to God and for the common good.

We even sang a song I hate. The morbid “Come Labor On” ought not even be in the Presbyterian hymnbook, if you ask me. If you know it you know it has ugly lines like saying we ought not ever rest (a bit of Pelagianism, perhaps?) and one which minimizes our personal pain. Worst, it presumes that the “work” from which we dare not rest is evangelism and mission — you know, “the Lord’s work.”  I think even conventional missionaries might think it is a bit much, but for those if us who don’t do that kind of work, it is insulting.

(For an excellent and detailed study of relating work to worship, by the way, and the need for liturgy and worship design to related to our various vocations, we recommend — in words much better than mine! — the outstanding Work and Worship: Reconnecting Our Labor and Liturgy by Matthew Kaemingk & Corry Wilson (Baker Academic; $32.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $25.60.)

So if you are among the many who want to take Labor Day with some sort of theological rigor and thank God for our jobs, and for those workers who serve the common good, I offer this handful of recent titles and the reminder that here at BookNotes we have shared bunches of columns naming titles to show how God loves our work. (Last years Labor Day BookNotes column was a fun one, including a bunch of work-themed memoirs.There were a lot of links to previous lists, too.)  There are a handful of classics I mention often and I do hope you search through our BookNotes archives to see the reviews I’ve done to help move the needle on this important conversation.

Before a couple of shout-outs for a handful of new books about this theme, I’ll invite you to listen to the latest Labor Day “Three Books from Hearts & Minds” podcast — you can watch it at Youtube here or listen in podcast style at Apple or Spotify. I name three very different books on work — one pretty easy to read but a foundational one, Work That Makes a Difference by Dan Doriani; another is deeper and reflective on blue-collar work and the trades (Shop Class as Soulcraft), and thirdly, one about the spirituality of virtue and vice in the workplace by Paul Stevens, Taking Your Soul to Work. And THEN I list three more, fun memoirs about people and their jobs. So I cheated a little, talking about six titles. Thanks to my CCO pal Sam Levy for hosting me and setting up that discussion.

And while I’m sharing Happy Labor Day links, here’s a lively 45-minute video of a presentation I gave a few years back at the Colorado Christian Business Alliance out in Denver — it’s pretty good, I think. I hope you like it, or at least don’t cringe. I get pretty fiery at times, surprise, surprise.

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I remember in the late 1970s hearing Jackson Browne sing “The Load Out,” at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, his song about the roadies who help the rock star and his band, lugging gear, setting up and tearing down, behind the scenes, night after night, as they were recording the Running on Empty album, released later that year. It’s a long story but I hung out with some of those very roadies after the show, watching them work and exercise their own craft with precision.

Even then I wondered why church music — either contemporary Christian pop songs or the old hymns — so rarely mentioned the ordinary work-a-day world.

Check out the wonderful collective of artful indie-folk musicians under the name The Porter’s Gate and their worship album called Work Songs for a  good step in the right direction. This link is to the album at the streaming BandCamp site but they have very well-produced videos for most of the songs, too — for instance, here’s You’re Labor Is Not in Vain and Wood and Nails (featuring Audrey Aussad and Josh Garrells.) None are too direct about work, really, but with titles like “Establish the Works of Our Hands” and “We Labor Unto Glory” you get the drift. (“Father Let Your Kingdom Come” by Urban Doxology and Liz Vice is a blast and “Every Father, Every Mother” with Madison Cunningham might make you cry.)

Remember that line from Luther, about how the men making the beer barrels and the women milking the cows are as important to the Kingdom of God as are the priests and nuns?  He and the other 16th century Reformers were busy focusing on the most urgent need of the day — recovering the gospel of grace through faith alone — that they didn’t work out all the societal implications of their doctrine of the “priesthood of all believers” and their redemptive vision of the restoration of all things. But the sweeping claims of the Reformation certainly unleashed a dynamic into Western history that, to this day, we’ve yet to fully work out, and that is exploring a Christian view of work.

Again, we here at the bookstore stock books on faithful Christian thinking and creative, redemptive practices, in engineering, health care, journalism, policing, education, law, the arts, counseling, urban planning, medicine, the performance arts, banking, various sorts of sciences, sports, the culinary careers, special education, political life, creative writing, social work, and, of course the trades. (And yes, pastoring and Christian ministry jobs, too; we have plenty of books about those callings, as well.) Not to mention unpaid jobs, the obvious work of parenting and homemaking, caregiving of the sick and the vocation of retirement. With the popularity of great new books like the lovely You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful by Karen Swallow Prior (Brazos Press; $21.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $17.59) maybe people will be inspired to think again about their various callings and particularly their jobs.  I hope some of these will be of use.

So give that “Three Books from Hearts & Minds” podcast a listen and share it with your friends. I love telling about these kinds of books and we hope others will find it helpful, informal as it is. We really would appreciate it. Thanks for caring.

HERE ARE SOME (MOSTLY) RECENT BOOKS ABOUT THESE THEMES. ALL ARE 20% OFF.

Ordinary Saints: Living Everyday Life to the Glory of God edited by Ned Bustard (Square Halo Books) $24.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.99

I’ll start here even though it is not that new. As I’ve often said, it is a delightful idea for a book and very well executed — there are chapters on work and play, hobbies and delights, coping with hard, hard stuff. From raising chickens to grieving well, from coping with wayward children to going to movies, from doing home repairs to grand parenting, this collection of mostly short pieces is fabulously interesting and exceptionally edifying. In a fun way.

I mention it also for other reasons. First, our late friend Calvin Seerveld has a deep, intriguing essay on knowing. As only a philosopher and art-lover would, Cal shares how to know well. He described ordinary knowing and a more complicated kind. He talks about the relationship of knowing God and knowing oneself. Any curious thinking about anything — this week about work and labor and marketplace ministry — should be informed by this kind of Godly awareness.

Second, if I may toot my own horn just a tiny bit, I have a chapter in here on working in retail. I’m not so much talking about the joy of talking about great books and hearing the rewarding replies of those who enjoyed a good read, but, rather, the nitty-gritty of sales, paperwork, ordering inventory, managing staff, and all that other behind the scenes stuff. It was an honor to write it and I hope it helps anyone who enters a retail shop to imagine what’s really going on as we try to offer good customer service. Anyway, it’s my little piece about working Coram Deo in a small family retail business. Thought you’d want to know.

Faith & Work: Galvanizing Your Church for Everyday Impact Missy Wallace & Lauren Gill (Redeemer City to City) $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19

Maybe your church isn’t having these conversations at all. This would kickstart some stuff, for sure. Or, more likely, your church isn’t averse to blessing congregants by commissioning them into full-time Christian service right in the jobs they’ve got — most pastors and leaders have some intuition that most of us spend most of our time at workplaces that are not the church building. So if your leadership is (a) unaware of this movement to talk about church members serving God in their careers and jobs or (b) is interested but not sure how to go about developing such a mindset and becoming a center for “galvanizing” folks, then this book is the one you’ve got to read.

Missy and Lauren have been active for a long time in several sorts of teaching and learning communities, exploring the theological foundation for the faith and work movement. But here they offer strategies to overcome the common obstacles to an integrated vision and offer practical guides for “understanding and addressing brokennes in individuals and systems. They offer “a roadmap for implementing the principles of faith and work within your church and city.” The tools and resources in Wallace & Gill’s Faith & Work are very helpful and we couldn’t be happier to have a book like this to recommend.

This book should be required reading for every church leader who believes the people of God are called to live out their faith in every sphere of life — including their work.

 

— Dr. Michaela O’Donnell, director the Max De Pree Center for Leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary, and author of Make Work Matter: Your Guide to meaningful Work in a Changing World

Five Mere Christians: Binge-Worthy Biographies That Show You How to Glorify God in Your Work Jordan Raynor (Harvest House) $24.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.99

I know we have promoted Jordan Raynor’s other good books, especially his excellent 2024 release, The Sacredness of Secular Work: 4 Ways Your Job Matters for Eternity (Even When You’re Not Sharing the Gospel) and his great picture book for kids, The Creator in You. He gets this full-orbed vision of imaging God in all we do, including our vocations and callings, our employment and our jobs.

This new book is fabulous, fun, frisky, even. He, with some help from a co-author named Kaleigh Cox, offers upbeat biographies of five “mere Christians” (nod to Lewis) and especially unpacks in these stories how that person saw their vocations as holy callings, how they related faith and their field, how they understood their work as Kingdom service.

The five people explored are Mr. Fred Rogers, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ole Kirk Christiansen, Hannah More and C.S. Lewis. These dynamic and fascinating people were called to the work of children’s television, civil rights and labor activism, becoming the founder of LEGO; there are great chapters on the playwright, poet, and educator involved in the British abolition movement, and, of course, the Oxford don and writer of the Chronicles of Narnia.

Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work Elaine Howard Ecklund & Denise Daniels (IVP) $24.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.99

I’ve been a fan of Denise Daniels in the faith and work movement for years. She is a Professor of Entrepreneurship at Wheaton College and wrote the very impressive Working in the Presence of God which was about spiritual practices for everyday work. Elaine Howard Ecklund is amazing, too — she is a professor of sociology at Rice University — where she has done research on a number of relevant topics. (She is perhaps most known for her studies of how scientists think about religion and about how people of Christian faith think about science. Her major scholarly publications are on Oxford University Press but some of the implications of all that is in the fabulous Brazos Press title, Science and Faith Need Each Other: Eight Shared Values That Move Us Beyond Fear.) Anyway, both of these women are sharp scholars, respected leaders, and great communicators. This ends up being a really, really great book, at once serious and enjoyable, breaking some new ground and very insightful. I really hope you check it out.

Working for Better is research based; they have conducted a “first-of-its-kind” set of research projects to form a data-driven approach to the challenges of foster faith at work.” As the publisher informs us, this book “presents results from the most comprehensive set of studies to date on religion in the workplace.” In a way, it is ground-breaking.

They look at how the Christian faith can be influential in the workplace and identify. Five key tensions arising from changing demographics in American culture, and suggest practical applications, no matter who you are or where you work.

This is what Curtis Chang (author of The Anxiety Opportunity) calls,

“a fresh vision of how to integrate faith with work, one that expands beyond tired categories of evangelism, ethics, and excellence. Working for Better points the way forward with a thoughtful combination of theology, data, and narrative.”

When Work Hurts: Building Resilience When You’re Beat Up or Burnt Out Meryl Herr (IVP) $18.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.40

You know the old adage of not judging a book by its cover. I don’t know, but I’m guessing this publisher’s designer was going for a cheery, self-help look, not wanting the topic to seem too dour. The author is upbeat and hopeful and she is writing about faith-filled resilience, so I get it. (But, please — designers: skip this goofy italics font, especially if you’re using it so consistently in the interior. It looks like a mess.)

Maybe that’s the point: our workplaces are often hot messes, scrambled and busy and not tidy. This topic has plenty of heaviness, and When Work Hurts has adequate gravitas, honestly describing the discouragement many of us face.

As it says on the back,

We might get discouraged, disillusioned, or devastated by our work. We may experience trauma or harassment on the job, or we might have experienced work loss by getting fired. If you’ve been beat up, burnt out, or brokenhearted by work, you’re not alone.

Have you been there? I have. And it’s awful. When one knows the presence of God with you and Christ for you in these situations, it is, on one hand, a lighter load, since the Triune God is there. But yet, it seems to me, that when one has convictions about the significance of work in the Christian scheme of things, when you believe your job matters, it is even more painful with it goes bad. It is emotional and complicated and that this book names “vocational pain” is really something. I highly recommend Herr’s approach  — thinking about the biblical story of the ancient Israelites in their journey through file, return, and rebuilding, “as a framework for navigating work loss.” Well done!

One reviewer says “this book is a simple and profound gem for the many moments when our lives are not.” Yes!

Amy Sherman has written two outstanding, detailed, meaty works that should be part of any core library on these things — Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good and  Agents of Flourishing: Pursuing Shalom in Every Corner of Society. She notes:

“No one who’s dealing with disappointments, oppression, confusion, or toxicity at work will feel alone again after reading this book.”

There are some helpful suggestions to process the information at the end of each chapter. Thoughtful and wise and theological astute as it is  it is brimming with positive ideas and helpful tools to use. There is nothing like this in print. Thanks be to God.

Why Your Work Matters: How God Uses Our Everyday Vocations to Transform Us, Our Neighbors, and the World Tom Nelson (Brazos Press) $21.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $17.59

If you’ve read any of our older, archived BookNotes about faith and work, the first edition of this book comes up as often as any. It was called Your Work Matters and it told, among other things, the story of a good pastor in a healthy church that came to realize he was failing to equip his congregants to serve God in their work in the world. Tom called it “professional malpractice” by preaching and teaching and leading his church as it the Kingdom of God was all about the church. Once we saw the talents and passions of his parishioners and encouraged them to think faithfully about their callings in the world, things really shifted. Anyway, that book is classic and vital and this is a considerable updating (enough to warrant a new publisher and new title.) As much as we liked that first one, we are very happy to celebrate and promote this new one. It offers a grand theological story and “exploring recent developments in how we work, how God shapes our lives through work, and why our work matters for eternity.”

There are prayers and discussion questions, too, making this an incredibly useful books to go over with friends in a small group or class. Hooray.

The Conversation on Work edited by Ian O. Williamson (Johns Hopkins University Press) $17.95 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.36

This is part of the “Critical Conversations” series b Johns Hopkins University Press, a set of paperbacks which are drawn from a website where scholars present papers, journalists revise them for the general public, and all sorts of good conversations ensue. This is a top-flight conversation, collecting all kind of good articles from around the globe. It includes big picture stuff about the changing face of work in these days, it includes details about who runs what and why, it has lots of focus on choosing a career – I suppose this is used in college career centers and the like. There is a whole bunch of pieces about the role of technology (robotics and AI)  in work, these days. The Conversation on Work has a lot about how work is changing and many contributors speculate about the jobs of the future.

Editor Ian Williamson is the dean of the University of California School of Business and he is to be commended for this well organized set of essays on the intricacies of the workplace.

Go Forth: God’s Purpose for Your Work: An Eight Week Bible Study (Redeemer City to City) $13.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $11.19

Very handsomely designed, expertly done, inviting conversation on key Biblical texts that point us to a robust vision of the all-of-life-redeemed worldview that would undergird any call to social engagement, cultural reformation, and certainly the call to work in meaningful ways. Yes we are called tow work and yes, the places we work and the entities we work for are broken, distorted by sin and ideology, damaged by idols and foibles galore. But God equips us and sends us to be agents of goodness. Do these 8 lessons on your own, with a group at church, or, better, with some interested folks in our workplace. Fabulously interesting and well designed. Kudos, especially, to Lauren Gill and Charlie Meo.

The Missional Disciple: Pursuing Mercy & Justice at Work: A Six Session Course (Redeemer City to City) $14.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $11.99

I love what it says on the back cover: “As disciples of Jesus, our workplaces are often our primary places of mission. Yet we sometimes fail to recognize two key dimensions of our work — mercy and justice.”

This study course is designed around short videos presented by leading practitioners and theologians of the faith-in-the-work-world movement. It has case studies and lots of stories and great examples, even as it is honest about how hard it is to think well and serve creatively in many job sites. There are case studies from the commercial arts, education, filming, finance, and the hospitality industries. If you want to consider the work-world aspects of the vocation of being missional or ponder new ways to serve the hurting, this study is sure to help. We are so thrilled to stock it.

The Missional Disciple is an immensely helpful resource for the church.I encourage you to read this book with a small group of friends and expect to be transformed!  — Tish Harrison Warren, author, Liturgy of the Ordinary and Payer in the Night

If very Christian considered how the can better love their neighbors on the margins, steward their power, and be a restorative presence in their workplace, it would be nothing less than transformational. This course show us how to do just that.  — Timothy Keller, founder, Redeemer City-to-City, author of Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work

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BUY ANY BOOK FROM THIS LIST AND WE’LL SEND ALONG A FREE COPY of The Problem of Poverty by Abraham Kuyper (as edited by James W. Skillen // Center for Public Justice.)

The Dutch Statesman and theologian gave this remarkable presentation more than 130 years ago and it was first published in English in 1950 as Christianity and the Class Struggle. We’ll send you a free copy of this edited edition of this historic volume with any purchase from this BookNotes. It is relevant today, maybe now more than ever. 

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The other day on a social media page a guy belittled me ferociously, saying I shouldn’t call myself an orthodox Christian. He reads my book reviews, he said, and knows I’m woke.

Like that’s a bad thing, caring about racism and structural injustices built in the very architecture of our society. (Here’s a solid Christian reflection from the Christian Scholars Review on the history of the W-word and how odd it is that being anti-woke has become a thing.)

I tried to shrug it off, thinking it’s just the goofy worldview of a mean-spirited guy.

But he is right.

We here at Hearts & Minds have always tried to get people reading about social injustices. We’ve been harassed by the KKK. I believe what the Bible teaches about welcoming immigrants. I’m trying to understand what it means to be responsibly white in this culture in these days. I can think of worse things to be called.

As a young person trying to be serious about following Jesus I heard bits and pieces of a socially engaged faith. I read some moving meditations by Malcolm Boyd that struck me; somehow my parents came to hear of Koinonia Farms and we had record album recordings of sermons of the “Cottonpatch” preacher, Clarence Jordan. As an older teen I started reading Martin Luther King. I followed the Berrigan brothers and other anti-war Christians. I eventually had my evangelical faith deepened by hearing powerhouse Black communicators like Tom Skinner and eventually met John Perkins (who even contributed a chapter to my own little book, Serious Dreams so many years later.)  We white people didn’t call it “woke” back then (it was a term used in Black circles) but Anabaptists like Ron Sider and black leaders from various traditions partially shaped my young adult years. (That is one reason why I celebrated here at BookNotes the brand new book Making It Plain: Why We Need Anabaptism and the Black Church by Drew G. I. Hart. As Latasha Morrison, author of the great books on racial reconciliation Be the Bridge and Brown Faces, Whites Spaces, put it, Hart “equips us to live the gospel with courage and clarity.”

Of course there is more to the Christian faith than standing up for social righteousness and public justice and working out a coherent cultural theology. Obviously.

Just a few days ago I preached at my own church about the renewal of the Christian mind, savoring a quote from Greg Jao’s little booklet Your Mind Matters which every college student should have. [You can watch a video of my preaching at my own Facebook page if you want.]

As you have noticed we often review here books about our interior lives, recommending books about prayer, spiritual disciplines and how to practice the presence of God. We’ve done book lists on creativity and the arts, on coping with loss and facing hard times, on enjoying sports and reading poetry. We enjoy thinking about our various vocations and callings and we often try to encourage reading in these areas. Healthy Christian living before God includes all areas of life and we can serve God in all we do, from recreation to work. From our immediate family life to caring for our siblings at church.

But, certainly, there are overarching themes in the Bible and care for the hurting, the needy, the poor and oppressed, is central. You can’t not see it if you look in almost any book of the Bible. Jesus makes it part of his core teaching and the early church, up against a perverse and brutal empire, took stands about human dignity that literally changed the world. Before it was used as a term of derision, I’d say they were woke.

(There are so many sub-themes related to public justice and social concern about which we should learn — think of immigrants or the elderly, the prisoners, the unborn; think of refugees and the victims of war, how gay and trans people are harassed and sometimes brutalized, the enslaved and trafficked; think of creation-care or racial reconciliation or local food insecurity or the budget cuts which will harm the sick and those in special education — all topics the Bible addresses. We’ve got books on all of this, and more, of course.)

For now, though, this starter list of more than 15 books is broad and mostly general. And urgent. Reading some of this will not only inform you, it will remind you of some of what you need to do in these serious times. Please pick up a few now — maybe convince a friend to join you. Even if they call you woke.

BUT FIRST, THIS. HMMM.

Below are a good handful of books about social justice, about fighting poverty, about serving the poor, and about the Biblical basis of public action for the common good. But first, I’m excited to tell you about a provocative new read, a brand new collection of essays on faith and socialist economics and blue-collar values as a down-to-earth, frank alternative to the Christian right. I’m not sure what I think, but we’ll start with this one. I like this author and I enjoyed this book, even if I’m not sure he’s fully correct.

Why Christians Should Be Leftists Phil Christman (Eerdmans) $23.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.19

Okay, here is an announcement about a brand new title that is provocative and fabulous (if maddening at times.) I have long said that Christians, as followers of Jesus informed by the Bible, will look rather conservative on some issues and rather liberal on others. I’ve also said, as a matter of principle, that we ought not overly identify with any worldly ideology. You know the line from Colossians 2:8 where St. Paul says we dare not be taken captive by ideologies that are not of Christ. Romans 12:2 states clearly that we dare not be conformed to the ways of the world. (I preached about that last Sunday in our worship service at church — it’s on my Facebook page if anybody wants to hear me on that.)

So I’m squeamish about any book that would say we should be loyalists to any regime (which is not how Christman puts it, clearly.) David Koyzis has wisely gone to great length to expose the captive Christian mind when we think the faith is to be shaped by ideologies of the right or left; his Political Visions & Illusions: A Survey & Christian Critique of Contemporary Ideologies is a bit heady but a book we really ought to work through this exact matter. Ron Sider’s Just Politics: A Guide for Christian Engagement is impeccable on this score as well.

And then comes this punchy, down-to-Earth, mid-Westerner with blue-collar / union sensibilities and is unashamedly saying that Christians should take up the politics of the far left. Or at least some of the left.  In some pretty compelling Bible reflections he tells of how following the Judean, peasant Rabbi Jesus and His strong teaching about materialism and helping the poor, necessarily leads to a strong critique of capitalism. And militarism. He doesn’t do heavy Biblical scholarship (like, say, Romans Disarmed: Doing Justice / Resisting Empire by Brian Walsh & Sylvia Keesmaat) but he is clearly guided by the gospel. Anybody honestly reading the Bible with half an eye open would certainly understand why a simple reading of the sacred text could lead us to renounce Mammon and Mars. It seems that Christman is less loyal to an orthodox Marxian view of society than he is to a fundamentally Christian opposition to social machinery that hurts the little guy. Greedy big business and hawkish militarists, for instance. Frankly, it’s hard to argue with that.

Christman was raised in a Bible-believing Christian home and went to a very solid Christian college. He is known in literary circles and is renowned for his two collections of pocket sized essays, Midwest Futures and How to Be Normal, both published by Belt Press. His thoughtful charm as a writer is widely regarded. He knows his way around blue-collar, common-person culture in the rust belted mid-West and he (like a certain Lord he loves) hangs around with what some might consider the unsavory. (He teaches in prison and edited the Michigan Review of Prisoner Creative Writing.) You may have seen him in the lovely pages of Plough, the handsome journal put out by the Bruderhof. As a University of Michigan writing prof, he knows how to turn a phrase and, more, knows how to craft an argument.

Is he right in this argument? (Or should I say, is he correct? He certainly isn’t Right. Ha.) Is the Sermon on the Mount really a “rousing call to political solidarity”? The book is witty and sharp, he is intelligent and very well-informed, citing obscure social critics and historic events. Why Christians Should Be Leftists is a great pleasure to read (unless it drives your blood pressure up too high.) If you can at least entertain his remarks, you will find a fine writer offering lines that are a pleasure to behold and often persuasive, mind-boggling critiques of the status quo, pointing at least to the contours of what we might call a biblically-shaped politics. As preacher and writer Debbie Blue notes, Christman writes “sometimes with great gentleness and reason, sometimes with passion and irascible wit.” There is no doubt that he is on to something.

He does know a bit about the far left in America — anybody who has sit through arcane planning meetings with endless arguments between various streams of Marxists or Trotskyites as I have will recognize his pokes and jokes (often in must-read footnotes.) And he knows his Bible. And he knows what has happened as we’ve failed to imagine a Christ-like political program, wrapping torture and gross pollution and corporate privelege in religious lingo. At times he makes Bernie sound quaint.

I think many of our BookNotes readers will be charmed by his storytelling and eloquent observations. He doesn’t strike me as overly certain or ideological (indeed, as a good Marxist he spends some time analyzing ideology as such.) He’s no Ivy League elite, but hails, again, from the mid-West. A few will think he’s off his rocker but a fair read should help you realize how we need a radical alternative to tweedle-dee and tweedle dum on the public stage. (One chapter is called “Why the Democrats Are Not Enough” and he was not a particular fan of Obama.) He believes we live in a moral universe and that power is dangerous. He believes that Jesus might show up and shape us in profound ways, but who knows? Can we do this?

I’ll leave it to you, gentle reader, to determine if he has been hard enough on the awful injustices of the Lenins and Stalins of the world; he obviously doesn’t hold them up as admirable or virtuous. Is he cavalier about the real (or imagined) damage some far leftists have done? You can decide. Understanding the current conversations on the serious left will be insightful for all of us and maybe some of his generative prose will strike home. I really liked this, despite a few misgivings, and loved reading almost every page. I’d love to get a beer with him

MORE BOOKS ON SOCIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PUBLIC JUSTICE — ALL 20% OFF. Click the order tab at the bottom of BookNotes. Thanks.

AND A REMINDER TO PRE-ORDER The Soulwork of Justice by Wes Granberg-Michaelson, coming in late September.  See below.

What If Jesus Was Serious About Justice:  A Visual Guide to the Good News of God’s Judgment and Mercy Skye Jethani (Baker) $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19

Like the others in this series about which we’ve raved, this has color cartoons, succinct text, great insights, and is rather informed by the Kingdom vision in his previous one What If Jesus Was Serious About Heaven in which he popularizes the creation-regained worldview of N.T. Wright, insisting that God is restoring all areas of life into a (re)new(ed) creation. Anyway, this is a great little book to revive our care about justice. It is short and creatively illustrated enough that you could give it to a teen and it is meaty and thoughtful enough that any adult reader will be stimulated afresh with solid Biblical teaching. I really do recommend it, one of the very best for a short introduction.

What Does Justice Look Like and Why Does God Care About It? Judith & Colin McCartney (Herald Press) $12.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $10.39

This may be the best small book to start off a study on this topic. It is almost too brief, although that may be its strength. It is part of a wonderful, robust, thoughtful little batch off books called “The Jesus Way: Small Books of Racial Faith” and we commend them all. This really does look at justice through the lens of Scripture and the life of Jesus. Both authors are good writers with years of urban ministry work under their belts. Very nicely done.

What Does Justice Look Like and Why Does God Care about It? was hard to stop reading. This work of life and biblical reflection provides a wonderful introduction to the way of Jesus in a broken world. May it be read by many who are seeking God’s shalom! — Mark R. Gornik, director of City Seminary of New York, author of Sharing the Crust: A Communion of Saints in a Baltimore Neighborhood

Reconciling All Things: A Christian Vision for Justice, Peace and Healing Emmanuel Katongole & Chris Rice (IVP) $21.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $17.59

It is hard to pick one central book that offers a profound and deep foundation for Biblically-shaped concerns about peace and justice. This is one of the very best. It is not too hard but is solid and full of insight. It is provocative without being wild or weird. It is written by a black African Catholic scholar and a white evangelical who had been transformed at John Perkins’s Voice of Calvary in Mississippi. It was the first book in a wonderful series commissioned by Duke Divinity School’s Center for Reconciliation. In each of a handful of books they invited a scholar and a practitioner, so to speak, to write together and this one just sings, a delightful, powerful read, an excellent introduction to notions of reconciliation and how that is the broader vision that fires our work for justice.

Practical Justice: Living Off-Center in a Self-Centered World Kevin Blue (IVP) $15.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $12.00

We only have a few of these great, little books left, but it has been a favorite over the years. One of the stand-out titles in what was once called the “likewise” line of IVP (You know, “go and do likewise”) That series helped ordinary people deepen their awareness of the lives of the poor, grow in empathy and develop skills to respond in Christlike ways as Good Samaritans. Sure, many of us have good intentions, but this book says we “get stuck in the rut of everyday or overwhelmed by the hopelessness of the problems we see around us.” We may be confused, even, about how to serve others without being patronizing. This book promises to be a guide to living out our convictions.

One reviewer says it is written “from the vantage points of the streets, from toughs (and the vulnerable) hanging with each other, and from the poverty and powerlessness of the homeless.” This is true — Blue has spent years in the heart of Los Angeles and was a leader of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural church. Here, he invites us to see life from the underside, and to learn what to do. What can you do? This book will inspire you. While supplies last.

The Scandal of Redemption: When God Liberates the Poor, Saves Sinners, and Heals Nations Oscar Romero (Plough Publishing) $12.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $9.60

I hope you have heard of the gentle but powerful prophetic voice from El Salvador, gunned down by a death square shooter trained by the US in the notorious School for the Americas at Fort Benning, GA. Romero was a spiritual man, a friend of Henri Nouwen’s and as a quiet priest did not want to get involved in the controversies in his Catholic diocese even as a civil war raged around him. Yet, as peasants were tortured for wanting free speech, as parishioners were murdered by US back death squads, as the surreal violence plagued his own people, he agreed to serve as Archbishop in San Salvador and increasingly denounced the forces of repression and the US-backed military dictatorship. He was martyred and then canonized. This is my favorite little collection of powerful talks, sermons, speeches, selections from his diaries, and more.

This is part of a series of “backpack classics” edited and beautifully designed by friends at Plough Publishing. See also The Inconvenient Gospel: A Southern Prophet Tackles War, Wealth, Race, and Religion by Clarence Jordan or The Reckless Way of Love: Notes on Following Jesus by Dorothy Day or Thunder in the Soul: To Be Known by God by Abraham Joshua Heschel. Others include collections by Simone Weil, Amy Carmichael, Stanley Hauerwas, and Eberhard Arnold. We’ve got them all.

Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times Soong-Chan Rah (IVP) $22.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $18.39

I so admire this powerful speaker and sharp scholar, a prof at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. He has written wisely about race and ethnicity issues and is a wise voice for a relevant, engaging faith for these times.

This 2015 book is excellent for a couple of reasons. First, it recovers (as many newer books have in recent years) the Biblical practice of lament. Whether it is your own pain and hurt or your heart breaking of social injustice and church complicity with cultural corruption, lament is a faithful way to cry out. “The American church avoids lament. But,” he continues, “lament is a (missing) essential component of Christian faith.” So it is good to get a handle on lament, including lament as a public protest.

Secondly, the reason the book is so useful is that it is a lively, relevant, engaging study of the book of Lamentations. I won’t say more, but the book is rooted in a serious reflection on the tragedies of that heavy part of Scripture.

Thirdly, I would say that a strength of this book is how Rah relates the theology of lament taken from the Biblical text and relates it or applies it to today. This is a great asset for us, a Biblical scholar who cares deeply about the world we live in, and who wants to join us in solidarity with our own pains and anguishes.

Repentance and shame, not triumphalism; compassion and justice, not consumerism; hope in a sovereign and faithful God, not despair — these are what that ancient text and Prophetic Lament calls us to embrace. — M. Daniel Carroll, R. Professor of Biblical Studies, Wheaton College. The Bible and Borders

Join the Resistance: Step Into the Good Work of Kingdom Justice Michelle Ferrigno Warren (IVP) $18.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.40

What a book. I mean, what a book! This is the next level up, maybe, but not lengthy or heady. I sort of wish it didn’t use the “resistance” lingo in the title and on the cover since that is seen by many as specifically being against the policies of the current President, and this book, rather, is about resisting the principalities and powers and the systemic harm that is prevalent in this fallen world. Not a partisan screed by any means, it is about an awakening that has been happening across our society to learn about and act against forces that erode dignity and enshrine injustice. This we must resist and she affirms church folks getting into the streets deepening faith-inspired activism.

Michelle Ferrigno Warren is the president and CEO of Virago Strategies, a consulting group the “provider strategy direction and project management of civic engagement campaigns alongside communities affected by racial and economic injustice.” She has worked with the homeless and has helped many non-fits and social service ministries. Her earlier book is fantastic, called The Power of Proximity.

This book is both theologically rich and uplifting and it is chock-full of really good insights, ideas, next steps, and a guide for taking up God’s work of justice in the world. It’s got great stories and very inspiring stuff. It has been promoted by the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) and Missio Alliance. Don’t miss it.

A Christian Justice for the Common Good Tex Sample (Abingdon Press) $17.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.39

Tex Sample has been known by many in mainline denominational circles for decades — he is a blue collar scholar (by which I mean he comes from blue-collar, rural Texas roots himself and is a scholar of oral cultures, old-school country music ways, and rural church life.) His wit and grit is well known and here he offers “a distinctively Christian understanding of justice” which “brings the world of the gospel to bear on everyday struggles for the common good.”

Granted famous progressive United Methodist thinkers endorse his little book — Southern, womanist scholar Emilie Towns, William McClain (Emeritus professor of preaching at Wesleyan Theological Seminary in DC) and Biblical scholar Douglas Meeks of Vanderbilt, for instance) — he remains an down-home storyteller and honest, challenging voice for all Christians.

God has placed on the heart of Tex Sample a lively, passionate commitment of justice for hard-working, blue-collar poor people. This book is the fruit of Tex’s many years of community and church organizing for justice for the common good. Tex helps us think like Christians about what God expects of us… — Will Willimon, Duke Divinity School, The Church We Carry

The Myth of the American Dream: Reflections on Affluence, Autonomy, Safety, and Power D. L. Mayfield (IVP) $22.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $17.60

First, this woman is a powerful writer. She has done a lot of public pieces in both mainstream and Christian periodicals and she wrote a fabulous, honest, raw, memoir (Assimilate or Go Home: Notes of a Failed Missionary.) This book isn’t recent, and she has done a more recent volume, a pithy, fabulous biography of Dorothy Day called Unruly Saint. You can tell something about an author who discovers Dorothy.

This incredible book is now out of print and we only have a few left. I can guess why it went out of print — booksellers and book buyers didn’t quite know what to make of it. It isn’t a manual on justice activism and it isn’t a personal memoir about her journeys in social action, even though there are so many keen insights and so many powerful stories, it’s a good, enjoyable read. It is, in a sense, a reflection on American exceptionalism, the myths we grew up believing, the question about our own sense of safety and control. Her ruminations of affluence are so compelling and convicting. Her pieces on autonomy are very important and need to be considered.

As World Relief leader Jenny Yang (who co-wrote Welcoming the Stranger)  put it,

This book doesn’t just startle us out of our misaligned pursuit of the American dream but also points us to a better way of how we can love God and love our neighbors in tangible ways.

The late Ron Sider, who I admired greatly, insisted that we needed to understand the fundamental critique this book offers and seriously called us to repent, saying the book was a “must-read.” Indigenous Christian author and leader Randy Woodley says he wished that every American would read this (“no matter how much they believe themselves to be separated themselves from the national religion of Americanism”) and then said, “This may be the most important book you read for some time.”

Working for justice in American culture, especially now, means being discerning about the basic “doctrines” (if you will) of the ideology of Americanism. Contrasting this American dream with visions of the upside-down Kingdom of Jesus should set your heart ablaze. We have a few left.

The Justice Calling: Where Passion Meets Perseverance Bethany Hanks Hong & Kristen Deede Johnson (Brazos Press) $20.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $16.00

Those that follow us know that we have said that this is one of the great books in this field, offering a balanced wisdom, an astute set of insights about the human condition, and that it offers not only a Biblically-informed view of public life and the call to justice, but pretty amazing clues to how to endure in this up-hill-battle sort of work. Sure, we need passion, but, as the subtitle so excellently puts it, we need to explore “where passion meets perseverance.”

These two women have PhDs and are experienced in teaching and motivating others to dig in for the long haul (and both have served on staff or on the board of CPJ (the Center for Public Justice) which might remind you that this is no leftist screed but a well developed argument. As Andy Crouch puts it, “This is a deep, wide, wise contribution to a truly comprehensive Christian understanding of justice.”

Rave reviews are from the globally engaged Lynne Hybels, BFW director Eugene Cho, the remarkably black theologian and Bible scholar Brian Bantum, and IJM’s Gary Haugen. (He hasn’t gotten the Nobel Peace Prize yet? What are they waiting for?)

Haugen says:

There is so much joy to be found as we follow God into the work of justice, so much strength to be gained in the Scriptures given to us. The Justice Calling takes us deep into all these gifts. As we face the giants of injustice in the season ahead, this is a book I’d urge every follower of Jesus to dig into and carry close at hand.

Just Discipleship: Biblical Justice in an Unjust World Michael Rhodes (IVP Academic) $32.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $25.60

There is no doubt — and we must keep saying this even if hotheads call us “woke” — that sensitivity to the oppression of the poor and the marginalization of the outcasts is a core Christian virtue. Empathy and compassion and zeal for justice and all manner of public righteousness are beautiful signs of Godly maturity (at least if one is following the God of the Bible, incarnate in the Person of Jesus, who said the greatest commandment of loving God has a direct corollary in loving others.) You know all this, and once we see the willingness to seek justice as deeply related to our Christ-likeness, we will realize our discipleship in spiritual formation must have a justice-seeking side. It is not a calling for a few nor incidental. It is important for all those who are called by the God of the Bible and are followers of Jesus the Christ.

This book explores all that better than anything we know of, linking the remarkable and complex teaching about justice within the arc of the Biblical story to the deepening of our capacity to imagine ourselves within that story. That is, it is a Biblically-based study of justice applied to our real discipleship, insisting that church folks take up this aspect of our Christian growth with as much energy and detail as we do when we teach people, say, how to pray or worship. These are all my words, ways I’d describe why this book is so vital, and I think I’m saying it fairly.

Michael Rhodes is no left-wing firebrand; he lectures on the Old Testament at Carey Baptist College (and helped Brian Fikkert & Robby Holt do a very practical book on work and money, making and saving and giving, called Practicing the King’s Economy.)

Blurbs on the back of this magisterial work include raves from the Pauline scholar John Barclay, Malcolm Foley, pastor of Mosaic Waco (and director of Black Church studies at Truett Seminary), M. Daniel Carroll R., the Latino Old Testament prof at Wheaton, and the wonderfully brilliant Dr. Carmen Imes. She notes that Rhodes “illuminates passages across the Old and New Testaments to show how the call to justice is central to God’s vision for the community of faith.”

When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor… and Yourself Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert (Moody Press) $16.99 //OUR SALE PRICE = $13.59

I am mostly glad to report that I believe this is one of the best selling books on this topic in the last decade or so. Maybe it’s not as influential the classic Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger by Ron Sider (who had heartily endorsed this book, by the way) but this great volume has inspired many to be sure they are being wise and thoughtful and, well, truly helpful when serving the poor in their food banks or church pantries (or in their donations to well-intended relief agencies.) With a forward by John Perkins and the globally-aware David Platt, this fine handbook covers a lot of ground, theologically and culturally and in terms of what kinds of economic assistance really helps alleviate poverty. It wisely warns us about doing development right right and avoiding what some called “toxic charity.”

I am glad that two scholars with third world development expertise from Calvin University, Tracy Kuperus & Roland Hoksbergen, published a small book called When Helping Heals which offers a bit of a corrective to the fears of “doing it wrong” or building dependency. They show the better news of ways in which assistance really can help.

A team of good folks from the Chalmers Center (at Covenant College) did a brilliant follow-up to When Helping Hurts, by the way, insisting that church-based charitable programs and job-training sites and such dare not suggest to needy clients that we just want them to make more money and become a better consumer in the American way of life. Becoming Whole: Why the Opposite of Poverty Isn’t the American Dream by Brian Fikkert and the great Kelly Kapic is a one-of-a-kind worldview book that is written for those doing anti-poverty ministry so we don’t implicitly imply the wrong values and visions for what a truly flourishing life is about. Becoming Whole is about inviting people, even as we help them through the injustices they face, into the Kingdom of God. Right on!

But don’t miss When Helping Hurts.

The End of Hunger: Renewed Hope for Feeding the World edited by Jenny Eaton Dyer & Kathleen Falsani (IVP) $17.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $13.60

We raved about this when it first came out and, not surprisingly, we didn’t sell many. I know our good customers care about the horror of world hunger but I know that studying up on it is often more than many of us can bear. Or we give to some global agency and feel like we don’t have to know much more than what their often very informative PR pieces tell us. I get that we don’t all have to read a lot in this fascinating and complex field of global development.

Still, with the Republican move to cut off nearly all US foreign aid and the disastrous effect that has had over the last half a year, we simply have to bone up on the facts. Stuff about the problem and stuff about possible solutions. Stories of what works and how seemingly intractable problems are being solved.

I’ve read a lot on global poverty, third world development, international trade and aid and the like. (Not to mention splendid books on the wholistic, integral nature of Christian mission — like the fabulous work by Al Tizon called Whole and Reconciled: Gospel, Church, and Mission in a Fractured World, just for instance.) If I were to pick one or two books on this topic of fighting hunger, I think The End of Hunger would be one of them.

This inspiring book covers a lot of ground, is rooted in Biblical compassion and justice, and shows what works. It is written by activists, politicians, scientists, pastors, theologians, artists, and others with particular passion and expertise. It really is a great read and I highly recommend it. Published in 2019, it isn’t weighing in on the evils of the Trump budget cuts. But it will give you fabulous insights about why that policy of ruining USAID (etc.) is so terrible, and it will offer wisdom about what to promote and how to talk about it as we try to restore the agencies doing good work. Now more than ever. Lives are literally at stake.

Faith and the Fragility of Justice: Responses to Gender-Based Violence in South Africa Meredith Whitnah (Rutgers University Press) $34.95 // OUR SALE PRICE = $27.96

This is a recent, extraordinary work by a scholar whose family we have known for decades. Ms Whitnah’s father and brother are Episcopal priests and her mother was a deal comrade-in-arms when we were campus evangelists in the 1970s. What a solid and interesting family, serving God in many ways and places. Dr. Whitnah was until recently a professor of sociology at Westbound College in California.

This academic book is a careful study of gender-based violence in South Africa, yes, and for the ugly facts on the ground, this sort of glimpse is riveting and important. (I think of other important, popular-level books such as the upbeat Half the Church: Recapturing God’s Global Vision for Women by Carolyn Custis James and the sobering Scars Across Humanity: Understanding and Overcoming Violence Against Women by our UK friend Elaine Storkey.) We must be aware of all of this and a good book or two will be informative and even transformative.

It is also important to look at the role of faith-based organizations and how they did (or didn’t) work against injustices against women. South Africa, as you may know, is especially known for gender-violence and there have been various sorts of responses, even within religious organizations (even within justice-seeking religious organizations.) Whitnah studies them all, some who reinvent themselves as needs and social situations change, some who do not.

As one reviewer notes, “theologies are not equal in their capacity to address injustice” and notes that “Whitnah’s sharply analytical book reveals how theological frameworks that focus on racial justice vary in their convictions of gender justice.”

Wow. The writing is good, here, the insights perceptive, the story nuanced and important for all of us who wonder how faith can shape the common good.

We are glad that many organizations in South Africa so many decades ago struggled against great odds to resist apartheid. But in what way did they reinforce other systems  of oppression?  Can theologies that know how to resist racism also have the capacity to resist gender violence? A detailed, local study with nearly universal application. Congratulations to Meredith Whitnah and this one-of-a-kind resource.

Being Christian After the Desolation of Gaza edited by Bruce N. Fish & J. Ross Wagner (Cascade Books) $39.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $31.20

I know there are some who will despise this book, or some of it, but, yet, it is my strong conviction that everyone should read this kind of work. Close to the ground, deeply engaged, vitally theological with an assumption wanting to hear the voices of the most poor and most oppressed, it is a strong look at those still alive after the near genocide of the peoples of the Gaza Strip. It reflects on why the American church (particularly, but not only, evangelicals) are so disinterested in the plight of the Palestinians. This brand new release is in league with other recent Palestinian theologies of liberation — see, for instance, the recent Eerdmans title by Munther Isaac, Christ in the Rubble: Faith, the Bible, and the Genocide in Gaza. Rev. Isaac is well known as a Palestinian theologian and pastor (of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem as well as the Lutheran Church in Beit Sahour.) We have talked about this disturbing, new, prophetic book before, noting that it has important endorsements from Mae Elise Canon (executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace) and Nicholas Wolterstorff and Gary Burge and Preston Sprinkle and more.

Being Christian After the Desolation of Gaza is a collected volume and it includes everything from luminous mediations to heavy theological pieces, from evaluations of the militarism of Israel to a detailed study of the history of Hamas. Wheaton College professor Gary Burge has a chapter called “Bombing in the name of the Gospel” which brings to focus his expertise on dispensational and other Zionist Christians. David Crump has a very important chapter on prisoner abuse. (Just this week a report has been released about the remarkable spike in the number of Palestinian prisoners in Israel jails who have been tortured, killed and starved.) A few of the pieces look very interesting  — there is one about Palestinian citizens of Israel, another about the “political perils of Biblical archaeology in the Holy Land” and another important one on wrong-headed views of ends times scenarios popular among pro-Israel Christians.Hearts & Minds friend Benjamin Norquist has a fascinating chapter analyzing the coverage of Christianity Today. So they cover a lot of ground

There is a Jewish scholar here, Arab voices, Christians of various stripes and communities. (I love seeing a Mennonite and a Calvinist and a Catholic in the same book.) I’m glad to see Ruth Padilla DeBorst here on the Biblical call to do justice. Mercy Aiken is a fine writer and her piece is hopeful, telling about Jewish/Muslim/Christian reconciliation groups.  With almost 375 pages, there is a lot more.

Bruce N. Fisk is Senior Research Fellow with the Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East, and former Professor of New Testament at Westmont College. He has led study programs in Israel/Palestine and is the author of Ascent to Jerusalem: Pilgrimage, Politics and Peacemaking in the Holy Land (2025). J. Ross Wagner is Associate Professor of New Testament at Duke Divinity School with a research focus on Paul’s letters, the Septuagint, and the theological exegesis of Scripture. An Anglican priest, he has taught courses in Israel/Palestine for undergraduates, divinity students, and pastors.

Please read these endorsements:

Palestinian Christians look to the West and cry, ‘Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?’ This collection of eye-opening, heart-rending, meticulously documented essays challenges us to look past our comfortable ideologies about the modern state of Israel and our stereotypes about the Arab ‘other’ and to see the human cost of a modern nation’s quest for security and control, and the suffering that we casually accept as justified. — David A. deSilva, Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Greek, Ashland Theological Seminary, author of Honor, Patronage, Kinship, and Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture 

With great urgency, this book demands that we Christians examine our conscience and raise our voice against the continued carnage and destruction in Gaza. Whether we agree or disagree with the book’s diverse set of contributors, we can surely affirm with them that each life, Jewish or Palestinian, is of equal value, and that condemning the policies and actions of Israel can and should be accompanied by commitment to the wellbeing of the Jewish people. — Miroslav Volf, Professor, Yale Divinity School, author Exclusion and Embrace, Revised and Updated: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation

The Gospel of Peace in a Violent World: Christian Nonviolence for Communal Flourishing edited by Shawn Graves & Marlena Graves (IVP Academic) $40.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $32.00

I have commended this big book before so I will be brief. It is a marvelously thoughtful, provocative, interesting, and wide-ranging anthology showing how not only a firm commitment to public justice but a desire for shalom and an ordered sort of flourishing can shape the imaginations and projects of various Christian activists working for well-being across many different areas, or hotspots. The contributors are of various races and ethnicities, ages and Christian denominations. One cannot dismiss this perspective without grappling with the extraordinary voices and chapters, both the early broad theological pieces and the focused, specific witnesses in the second half.

In other words, The Gospel of Peace asks, what does peacemaking, even nonviolent action, have to do with disability rights or immigration or the dignity of women? Can peacemakers really help with sustainability and creation-care? Does Biblical nonviolence have anything to say to those resisting human trafficking? What about our food systems? What about terrorists? From global conflicts to racial justice issues here, these saints are pouring their lives out in the hope of the gospel, and these essays give meaty documentation of their good trouble and righteous witness.

These pieces are thoughtful and rich, informed by good hope and lots of savvy. And, oh, how I appreciate Marlena Graves her husband who put this together.

Almost the first half of the book offers really good work on Biblical content, various theologies and models of peacemaking, on MLK and other ways to envision nonviolence. Can we learn from others who have worked on this sort of social ethic before us? The second half applies this evangelical, Spirited vision of transforming reconciliation to various issues. I don’t want to call it a handbook as it isn’t that simple; these are not simplistic sermons or a formulaic manual. But it is a thick resource that you will consult for years. Kudos to the editors, the contributors, and the publisher. This energetic work is a modern classic.

PRE-ORDER THIS ONE, COMING LATE SEPTEMBER — JOIN OUR WAITING LIST.

Soulwork of Justice: Four Movements for Contemplative Action Wes Granberg-Michaelson (Orbis Press) $26.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $20.80

TO BE RELEASED SEPTEMBER 24, 2025.

Whether one is in ministry or politics or — more likely for most of us — just ordinary people who want to love God and others, be faithful citizens and have some concerns for the nature of our civic lives, we all surely sense that being super-involved in political action and public protest and community service can be demanding. People can become consumed, get burned out, even grow bitter when they see how the sausage is made. Who hasn’t heard that phrase about when fighting an enemy we don’t want to become like that enemy. Working for a better world and as an agent of justice and peace takes a certain level of deeper spirituality. We need the virtues of a saint to do this work.

(And with brutal, masked ICE agents detaining people without due process, with the President lying about stuff every day, with decades of work creating safety nets at home and abroad being ripped apart by Congress, we have much to work on, and much rage to contain. At least I do, every single day. Heaven help us.)

Wes Granberg-Michaelson knows all about this. Before he was a global denominational worker and ecumenical leader he worked for a US Senator, a rare Republican trying to stop the carnage in VietNam. We then became a co-editor for Sojourners magazine in the 1980s. Even now he occasionally travels the globe connecting with colleagues from two-thirds world churches and hearing various voices on all kinds of issues. He feels deeply the weight of the world (having seen up close some of the horrible things most of us only read about.) How does he stay strong, clear-headed, gracious?

Wes has done some very good books about the changing landscape for conventional churches and his last book, Without Oars, was about spiritual pilgrimage, letting go of certainty and the control we think we have when we focus only on our key doctrines and, instead, practicing ways to actually experience the God we worship. His writing over the years in some ways has led up to this — he has written about creation care, about congregational life, he has written about ecumenical faith and he has written about spirituality. He read Merton –think “contemplation in a world of action” — as a young activist and he knew Henri Nouwen (another contemplative with a great social concern) and has been long-time friends with Franciscan mystic Richard Rohr. His knowledge of a contemplative way of slower living is profound and admirable.

(Currently, Wes and his wife are currently pastoring together a small Lutheran church.)

In Soulwork of Justice he brings us just what the doctor ordered: four movements towards an integrated contemplative lifestyle that finds the quiet force of spirituality harnessed towards serving for the common good. He explores contemplative practices that are not merely interior and concerned with one’s own soul. And activist practices that are rooted in the grace and love of God in Christ. Hooray.

Order a few Soulwork for Justice now. It’s a book you very well may need and we cannot wait to send them out. (If you order now, and safely enter credit card info at our secure website, we won’t run your card until the day we send the books. Naturally, we’ll enclose the cc receipt or the bill, if you’d rather, in the package.)

In a time of mass chaos, deep overwhelm, exhaustion, and burn out, I can’t imagine a more critical book! This is an essential resource for church small groups. — Christy Berghoef, author, Rooted: A Spiritual Memoir of Homecoming

Wes is a contemplative activist. I have seen him keep regular journals about his inner life and outward action for the past 50 years. This book reflects grounded wisdom needed to sustain our witness and work for justice. — Jim Wallis, Chair of Faith and Justice, Georgetown’s School of Public Policy; Inaugural Director, Center on Faith and Justice, Georgetown University, author, Christ in Crisis: Reclaiming Jesus in a Time of Fear, Hate, and Violence

AND REMEMBER:

WE WILL SEND A FREE BOOK (The Problem of Poverty by Abraham Kuyper) WITH AN ORDER OF ANY BOOK ON THIS LIST.

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BookNotes

SPECIAL
DISCOUNT

20% OFF

Hope you enjoyed that last BookNotes — highlighting some books about finding God in the ordinary, celebrating the good gifts we might call a common grace, and enjoying creation. Since we were sharing titles about the goodness of creationI even listed a new cookbook (with stories of resilience) put together by immigrants from all over the world. I hope that was a blessing.

Speaking of creation, I’ve been thinking about Psalm 19 a lot lately, since the death of Calvin Seerveld. (The link, if it works, is an audio of his reading his own translation.) Did you check out our “Three Book From Hearts & Minds” podcast about his books? Hope so; it was pretty special, with a special guest. (You can watch on Youtube or listen at Apple podcasts or Spotify)  

Here are some brand new books that have come in the last week or so. A few are technically not even out yet, but we have them. These are worth celebrating. Read on!

ALL BOOKS MENTIONED ARE 20% OFF.

Scroll to the bottom of BookNotes and use the link to the handy and secure order form.

We appreciate your support. Believe me…

Rebecca Sue: A Sister’s Reflection on Disability, Faith, and Love Kathleen Norris (IVP) $25.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $20.79

Okay, get out the Kleenex as this may trigger some tears. Maybe they will be tears of joy, just sheer exuberance that such a book exists. Or, more to the point, that such people exist, writer Kathleen Norris and her sister Rebecca. This may become a sleeper hit this fall as word gets out. It is very, very new and we hope to figure a way to get Ms Norris on some internet program. (Wouldn’t that be an honor!)

Norris, I hope you know, was a writerly phenomenon and a New York Times best seller and award winner decades ago. Her Dakota remains a classic of spiritual geography, on many a bookshelf next to Annie Dillard or Marilyn Robinson. Cloister Walk introduced many a Protestant (or unchurched altogether) to the life of a silent monastery. (It’s so good!) We loved, and continue to promote her very small book — a lecture at a Catholic women’s college, actually — called The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and Women’s Work. Her memoirs of her earlier live are illuminating, The Virgin of Bennington and Acedia and Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer’s Life. Her girlhood comes up just a bit but this, in a way, is what some of us have been eagerly hoping for.

But who knew? This is (as are her other books() about place, community, spirituality, family, but focuses on an account of life with her sister Becky. As it says on the back cover, “It’s both an exploration of what life is like for one person with a disability as well as the simultaneously trying and rewarding journey for her family as they navigate systems such as healthcare and group homes.

Norris is a bit of a theologian — her book Amazing Grace was a Buechner-esque alphabet of words, sort of a primer on Christian faith — and she is a published poet. It will not surprise readers to be taken in by her lovely prose, her poetic phrases, her allusive sensibilities. This is a lovely memoir that I have only just begun. Trust me.

However, it is mundane. (Quotidian, dare I say?) For anyone who has or knows a family with a disabled member, you will get a glimpse of at least how this family managed — with (as one reviewer put it) “with vulnerability, humor, and a depth of spiritual insight.”

I read one interview with Norris that revealed some of the drama and grace we will find in the book. When asked what she hope readers would find, she said:

I hope that readers will encounter my sister as a full person who refused to let her disabilities define her. It strikes me that my sister’s transformation from a self-absorbed person to one who genuinely cared about others is, in a sense, the normal transition we all make from adolescent to adulthood. For my sister, narcissism was a good defense mechanism, a useful and maybe even necessary protection that served her well for years. When she finally began to shed it and take more interest in other people, it was a revelation.

John Swinton, of the University of Aberdeen (and author of several hefty books about disabilities and mental health in the church) says this:

“A profoundly moving tribute to the resilience of family and the beauty of unguarded love.”

Rooted: A Spiritual Memoir of Homecoming Christy Berghoef (Reformed Journal Books) $22.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $17.60

Speaking of memoirs, I appreciated Berghoef’s story from more than a decade ago of her own spiritual journey (and what some now call deconstruction) called Cracking the Pot. The first edition has as the subtitle “Releasing God from the Theologies That Bind Him” while a second cover design is simply “A Spiritual Memoir of Expansion.” It is vivid and understandably passionate as she moves from a conservative sort of Calvinism (she was both a church planter and a Republican politico in DC) and the new one, Rooted, seems to pick up where that left off.

And what a lovely, wonderful read it is. Shane Claiborne always has a way with words and he explains this memoir like this:

This is a beautiful, salvific book by a wonderful child of God on a journey of healing and homecoming.

This really is a story of literal homecoming as Christy, her husband, and littles pack into vehicles and leave the stressful DC world to live on the 40 acres she grew up on, in a building near parents and grandparents on a flower farm outside of Holland, Michigan. As she makes the trek through Pennsylvania and Ohio back to the shores of Lake Michigan, she wonders if this extremely right-wing county (known for militias and Q-Anon types) will accept them. If her traditionally evangelical subculture will accept their more expansive faith. If her family home will be a place of homecoming.

As a memoir this is beautiful. Her almost rural life, almost homesteading, is rendered wonderfully with bees and chickens and farmer’s markets. She has always appreciated Wendell Berry and this slower, local life seems just right. But with each moment, becoming adjusted to this new pace of life in their new environment, she remembers. So this becomes a retrospective as well. What is nostalgia? What is homesickness?  What really happened back then and how does it influence me now?

You will love her stories of Mr. Pickle at the farmer’s market (and her grandad’s cane.) You will smile when she tells of her getting in trouble by setting a burn barrel on fire without adult permission. You might be shocked at how cold it got in her childhood farmhouse, heated with wood. You will cringe with empathy when she tells of getting her period for the first time and how she felt. As the old stories give way to more recent ones there are the stories of extended family and the death of her father. Any of us who have lost loved ones will be riveted by this bittersweet telling. Berghoef is honest and tender and a very good writer.

In the midst of becoming quite the Earth Mother and localist farm woman and calm mom her husband, a pastor, decides to run for US Congress in this overwhelming Red district. Those few chapters are inspiring — if any of you have worked on the campaign of an underdog you will appreciate it  — but there are pages that are what I want to call unbelievable (even though it tragically is believable these days.) The MAGA extremists begin their trolling and lies about the admittedly liberal Berghoef family, with everything from rape threats to other disgusting, terrorizing comments, including about her children. (She does not go into graphic detail as she cannot bear to write it.) You can imagine (and if you’ve read Nancy French’s memoir, Ghosted, you know.)

The drama and sadness in this book is palpable but her homespun life of rural living and local care is the primary tone. It is lovely and has acquired rave reviews from good writers such as Marilyn McEntyre and Parker Palmer and Bill McKibben and Debra Reinstra. Brian McLaren’s lovely forward explains why it made him feel alive..

There’s a lot to be said for writing that is both sane and savory, he notes, “that will help you survive and catch your breath.” Nice, eh?

As singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer puts it,

“Rooted is a gift in a weary world that so needs the spirit this book offers and the wisdom it contains”

You Can Trust a God With Scars: Faith (and Doubt) for the Searching Soul Jared Ayers (NavPress) $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19

I’m not going to lie: I read a lot of religious books designed for spiritual growth and I’m not a hard-sell. I mean, I like a lot of ‘em. But, to be honest, many are repetitive, nice but not brilliant, fine, helpful, good but not spectacular. I could be talked into getting a bit excited about some but, well…. Most are a bit ho-hum.

And then every now and then a book comes along that takes my breath away. That just seems so right, so useful, so interesting, so helpful, that I want to shout. Or pray a prayer of thanks. I actually feel it in my body. You Can Trust a God with Scars is this kind of book, not only because I liked it a lot — I really did! —  but because, read through the eyes of others, I can imagine it being exactly what will hit the spot. It is smart and kind and fascinating and captivating and solid without being preachy or strict. And it is really well-written without being what we used to call purple. It’s lively without being over-the-top cool. Real seekers and serious readers can spot that sort of contrived enthusiasm a mile away. Ayers is the real deal.

I could and perhaps will write more about this after but let me say four quick things.

First, I knew Jared’s father, Jim Ayers — retired now from being a beloved Dean at Lancaster Bible College — when I was in high school. I owe him some degree of my own faith’s sturdiness as I saw in Jim a strong Christian and great leader in our early 1970s high school. He married a friend of mine and when Jared tells in the book of his mom dying of cancer, I broke down and wept. So this book means a lot to me, even if only for that distant connection and that one paragraph.

Secondly, I want to tip my hat to the very very cool tastes of the nearly middle-aged Rev. Dr. Ayers. He tells of going to a Sufjan Stevens show and cites Vampire Weekend and Sigur Ros, even, and movies like Fleabag right next to Lesslie Newbigin and N.T. Wright and Marilyn Robinson. He knows his way around Augustine and Luther and Calvin and contemporaries from Dorothy Day to Fleming Rutledge to Rowan Williams to Leanne Van Dyk to Miroslav Volf. (Even if none of them know It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia they might get his Julian Barnes or Cormac McCarthy quotes.) Anyway, this is one engaging read by a smart, fascinating guy.

The book is interesting as it is full of conversations with seekers, skeptics, ex-church folks and atheists slowly coming to faith. I gather he was raised in a pretty evangelistic sub-culture but as he found his way to Western Seminary (and the Eugene Peterson Center for the Christian Imagination) and eventually ordination in the PCUSA, he hasn’t lost his desire to see people have real answers to fair questions. This book is unlike any boson apologetics I’ve read as it is so winsome and yet so solid.

Although it is an easy read (and for me a page-turner) it is what some thinkers might call thick, not thin. There is a substantial story behind his stories and his invitation to the Triune God of the Bible and the meaning and purpose one finds in that story, is compelling.

From the title you will not be surprised by what he suggests is most compelling. At the heart of the Christian story is a God who dies, a Savior who suffers. Could you trust a God with scars? Please get this — or a few — and have them read to share with the next thoughtful person you meet who may be drifting from faith, or open to conversations about faith. It is excellent.

Making It Plain: Why We Need Anabaptism and the Black church Drew G. I. Hart (Herald Press) $21.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $17.59

We’ve highlighted this already, inviting pre-orders, but wanted to celebrate it again now that we have it here. Although I have spent plenty of time telling readers and listeners about the broad tradition of culturally engaged neo-Calvinism (starting with Kuyper and on through the likes of Richard Mouw or Vincent Bacote) I have always had an affinity for the Anabaptists. As the historic peace churches, Mennonites and Church of the Brethren folks came alongside me during my conscientious objector stint during the last years of the VietNam War draft (and during some arrests in my anti-militarism and anti-draft protests n the late 1970s.) Once when I was thinking of writing a book somewhat inspired by my reading of Francis Schaeffer, a Reformed publisher said it seemed too Anabaptist. Send it to Herald Press, they said. Ha. I have come to learn that I am not the only Presbyterian pacifist or Reformed reader who enjoys Herman Bavinck and Conrad Grebel, The Reformed Journal and the Bruderhof’s Plough.

In any case, I am sure this is not just my story. Most of us are willing to raise our spiritual eyes to broader horizons, to learn from others, to be informed by those outside our typical church setting. Right?

Anyway, Herald Press, a Mennonite publishing house, have done two previous books by the African-American Brethren in Christ scholar and activist, Drew Hart. The first was directly anti-racist (Trouble I’ve Seen) and the second was a bit more broad about how to inspire churches to be alternative communities to the secular world and the principalities and powers; Who Will Be a Witness is one of the best handbooks we know for churches wanting to be engaged in social action and public witness for peace and justice.

Dr. Hart teaches theology at Messiah University (a BIC institution outside of Harrisburg, PA) and also directs the “Thriving Together: Congregations for Racial Justice” program in central PA. He has co-edited and contributed to a major scholarly work on Lexington Press called Reparations and the Theological Disciplines: Prophetic Voices for Remembrance, Reckoning, and Repair. Of course, we’ve got it.

Professor Hart’s new one, Making It Simple, is a popular-level read but it isn’t exactly simple. It makes perfect sense, though, and is easy to describe, complex as it becomes. Many mainline churches and socially-aware evangelical churches have all been tackling broad social problems and, of course, racial injustices, for some time. It has been my sense that evangelical publishers —  especially InterVarsity Press — have nearly led the way with the most readable and powerful resources for racial justice work and multi-ethnic ministry.  From John Perkins and the CCDA to Ron Sider’s ESA, to urban ministries across the country, we’ve seen some healthy blessings. But even though many of the best books on diversity and multi-cultural work have been written by people of color, there has never been much of a direct voice combining the Anabaptist tradition and African American Black liberationist theology.

Sure, King and those in his wake spoke vividly of nonviolence; Howard Thurman was a Friend, or Quaker and the great Vincent Harding was Mennonite. (Here is a great article about the history of Mennonites and King written by Lancaster anti-racist author Tobin Shearer.) Many white Mennonites and Anabaptists have spoken to racial justice issues but no-one that I know of has so intentionally brought together Anabaptist views of church and Kingdom and culture and the insights and ethos of the historic Black church.

Making It Plain shows why standard church postures have not been adequate to bring about a serious shift in church or society towards the beloved community. (He has an important chapter on the influences of Christendom, another on the impact of colonialism and the Doctrine of Discovery.) While other approaches to social action have their successes, none have been adequate and Hart makes the case that this is the kerygma we need — a combo of influence from two despised groups from the margins of the US religious landscape. The Anabaptists and the Black Church. Call it Anablacktivism.

Drew G. I. Hart indeed makes it plain in his new tour de force contribution to the health of the church. Both a love letter to the church and an indictment of mainstream Western Christianity, Making It Plain lifts the veil on Hart’s own faith journey, sharing what he discovered about the particular and necessary power of a spiritual formation that integrates both the Black Church and Anabaptist traditions, for such a time as this. With historical acumen and theological precision, Hart holds no punches, withholds no treasure, and comes with receipts. — Lisa Sharon Harper, author of The Very Good Gospel and Fortune: How Race Broke My Family and the World–and How to Repair It All

Becoming a Person of Welcome: The Spiritual Practice of Hospitality Laura Baghdassarian Murray (IVP) $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19

This just arrived and I’m very excited. I only know what a quick skim tells me, but I am sure this is more than I expected — better than I expected. What store doesn’t want more books encouraging hospitality, a fundamental (if somewhat old-school) Christian practice. Loving our neighbors, being generous, sharing time and maybe meals and more. Whether it is in our backyard or our churches, we need a welcoming spirit, right?

Here’s the thing about this new title: it doesn’t seem to be about the habits of sharing meals or inviting people over or welcoming newcomers to church. Sure, that’s part of any welcoming attitude, but this book really does explore what is underneath those desires, what sort of heart — character virtues — are needed to be the kind of person who does that kind of stuff? That is, this really does seem to be a book about spiritual formation.

Yes, Christian hospitality is about people seeing a stranger and offering a place of welcome. But my goodness, who does that? And what if one isn’t privileged with a nice, big house?

This story is by a woman  of Armenian cultural background and she tells stories about her own family, her own sense of community, and church leadership experiences. This makes this book a true blessing and offers something new, I’m sure.  And, again, starting with the love of God, this is more about spiritual formation that allows us to embody a practice of welcome, people who are vessels for God’s own generosity. In everyday life — our workplaces and grocery store lines.  This is a spacious, practical book about interior shifts formed by God’s Spirit as we are intentional about key spiritual practice which she outlines.

Grounded in a profound love for God, Becoming a Person of Welcome opens doors for its readers into deeper relationship with the ultimate, divine, first host as well as with the diverse world we get to serve. — Kara Powell, chief of leadership formation at Fuller Seminary

Reviving the Golden Rule: How The Ancient Ethic of Neighbor Love Can Heal the World Andrew DeCort (IVP Academic) $32.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $26.39

If the previously mentioned book about the spirituality of hospitable persons and what sort of interior life of the Spirit is needed to be a welcoming person, this is another part of that grand question — how to serve our neighbors well. This part is the deeper, intellectual, Biblical-theology piece and it would be an excellent book to have on hand as you through the spiritual exercises in Becoming a Person of Welcome. Or, to read prior to the formational book, to get the foundational architecture right. This looks to me to be one of the most important recent works of this kind, a long-needed update to several older texts. This is about the Biblical charge to love our neighbor and “do unto others.” DeCort is a theologian and ethicist so he has been working on this for years.

His previous book, a beautiful little memoir called Flourishing on the Edge of Faith: Seven Practice for a New We, was very nicely done and I admired it much. It wasn’t simple to explain, but it was his own story of doubt and struggle. From getting a PhD at the University of Chicago to founding the Institute for Faith and Flourishing (and the nonviolent Neighbor-Love movement in Ethiopia!) he has been working on this stuff for a long time. I’ve admired DeCort from afar and can’t wait to dive in to this 260 page tome.

He starts with a chapter on the crisis of “othering” and then has a chapter on both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. He has a chapter on Jesus, and then one on the history of neighbor-love, which looks tremendous. His next piece explores five “twentieth century exemplars of neighbor-love” (Bonhoeffer, Simone Weil, King, Romero and Mother Teresa.) He has published on Bonhoeffer before and is quite the scholar, so I’m sure this will be profound.

Anyway, you get the gist. He calls us to “the abolition of othering” and, in what Shane Claiborne calls a book which is “the perfect fusion of simple and profound” he both explores the problems of the lack of love for neighbors and pushes us toward the profound spirituality of care. The tools and resources at the end look tremendous, to move towards application and living out this energetic vision of revolutionary love.

Dave Gushee, who has of late been focusing on the moral teachings of Jesus as a core of and key to Christian ethics, says that this is a rare volume, a truly important book. Listen to this:

This is one of those exceedingly rare “big books” in Christian ethics that traces a crucial concept historically while advancing the normative discussion for today… so impressive.. I highly recommend this book. — David P. Gushee, distinguished professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, co-author of Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context and Moral Teachings of Jesus: Radical Instruction in the Will of God

The Art of Asking Better Questions: Pursuing Stronger Relationships, Healthier Leadership, and Deeper Faith J.R. Briggs (IVP) $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19

I think I have read every book by JR Briggs and have found each and every one to be upbeat, readable, enjoyable, and very, very instructive. He is a pastor of great skill and a wise leader and yet a fun guy, a skilled, generous writer. I like his books a lot. And he’s from the Philadelphia area, too. Yayl

Emily Freeman, a popular evangelical blogger and writer (her most recent book full of common sense and verve is How To Walk Into A Room), says “When it comes to living a whole and healthy life, one of my favorite teachers is J.R. Briggs.” I agree; he just has this capacity to embody a joyfully dedicated, balanced life, pushing forward towards a missional impact in the world around him.

But here’s the thing with this new one, that I have not yet started: it seems lovely enough, but I gather it is made a bit meaty. Leadership guru Tod Bolsinger says this:

“I can’t remember the last time I read a book that caused me to stop mid-sentence and try something new in real time. Through this book I have been inspired to be a more artful questioner”

I hope to revisit this in another BookNotes column, but for now, know that this thesis is rooted in the practice of Jesus of asking questions. It is an art to reframe things, a prophetic ability, a must-have skill-set for pastors or leaders. J.R. shows us how to shift our quest for information to a deeper, more relational process. Maybe I’m saying more that I need to, but it seems this is somewhat based on a Christian insight about what it means to know — true knowledge is about connection, caring, being responsible. Don’t we want deep connection, true knowledge? If so, we have to go deeper and we do that by asking better questions.

There a dozen chapters here broken up into four parts, including some starting sections about why questions are important and what he means by a “question-asking life”

There is a middle section about influence and leadership, how question-asking can be part of a process of formation.  Even though he has a section playfully called “Ridiculously Practical Ways To Ask Better Questions” he ends with reflection on the very questions we ourselves have asked.

In other words, there are questions to ask others, questions to ask those who we serve, there are questions to ask people in power. There are questions to help others, there are questions we ask ourselves. There are questions we ask God.

The discussion guide looks great, too. I tihnk it would be a great small group or book club choice.

Hey, what scares you about reading this? How might it help?  See what I did there?

All That Is Made: The Comfort of Contemplative Prayer Keren Dibbens-Wyatt (Herald Press) $19.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.99

As one who knows a bit about the contemplative tradition and the medieval classics of mysticism, and some of the contemporary writers in this movement (from Merton to Nouwen, Foster to Barton, Rohr to Rolheiser, etc.) I was surprised to learn that Keren Dibbens-Wyatt has apparently become somewhat of a respected voice, a spiritual guide, and a scholar, especially of Julian of Norwich.  Apparently people in the know love her.

So, if you haven’t followed her, welcome to the club of becoming a new fan. Her no-nonsense style is honest and clear, her writing to the point without too much flourish. And as I sat with this book in my lap, it was just what I needed.

I loved the introduction — a crash course on the fascinating Mother Julian (who may not have been a nun, actually, as an anchoress, and may not have been named Julian.)  And then Iwas equally captivated by her own story of becoming a modern-day mystic due to her own chronic illness. Given her own experience of heartbreak (two guys dumped her, to put in indiscreetly) and then as her physical pain and debilitation set she found [as it say on the back cover] “parallels to her life as a person housebound by chronic illness but also discovered comfort tea wisdom for Christian faith today.”

Julian wrote that famous lie about a hazelnut and this smallness and fragility of our lives become, for Dibbens-Wyatt, a clue to how we find God’s love. In what have been called “lyrical meditations on contemplation, creation, and learning to accept our smallness” this “hazelnut wisdom” may be just what we need.

I would say even for those who are alarmed about the horrors of the world — war, political injustice, heavy-handed repression on the rise — again, this sort of habit of solitude may be useful in countering our own helplessness and rage.  First, we recall, deeply and profoundly, that we are loved.

Brian McLaren is another author who writes plainly, without overblown flourish, and in his lovely introduction (man, he is good at this writing form) he names three sorts of people who will especially be drawn to All That Is Made. Curiously, he starts with spiritual seekers — those checking out religion, or something deeper than their current superficiality or wanting something that underscores the wonder of being alive in the world. If you are looking for “something more” it could be that the classic Christian contemplative tradition could be what you’re seeking. This book doesn’t try to argue you into Christian belief but it is an on-ramp to an encounter with the love of your Creator.

Secondly he recommends the book to those who are suffering physical or emotional pain. Keren Dibbens-Wyatt has been there, is there even now, and has much to offer.  And it isn’t simplistic self-improvement formulas or easy outs. You will appreciate how she used her anguish as a way to deeper her faith.

Thirdly, the forward nicely explains how this really is a fine primer on what we call contemplative spirituality.  This really could be the book that unlocks a whole new way of living faith, what McLaren calls a “portal.”

I get it, this might be a bit  unfamiliar territory, even odd. But it’s great. Check out this fun recommendation by Dr. Rod Wilson, author most recently of Thank You. I’m Sorry. Tell Me More.: How to Change the World with 3 Sacred Sayings:

Into a contemporary world where so-called influencers are large and loud yet often lacking substance enters a book authored by a little-known Christian mystic living with chronic pain, focusing on an obscure fourteenth-century woman who had visions, with a disarming emphasis on a tiny hazelnut. Careful readers will be invigorated by these compelling juxtapositions and struck by the power of fragility in nurturing genuine spiritual strength.

Downsizing: Letting Go of Evangelicalism’s Nonessentials Michelle Van Loon (Eerdmans) $24.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $19.99

A decade ago we saw a few books— still very, very useful for some of us — by evangelical Christians asking if they still wanted to use that title or name to describe their particular faith tradition. Some said no, it’s too tethered to far right politics and has been smeared in ways that are irrevocable. Others say that despite the unfortunate misunderstandings of what evangelicalism was and can still be, and how it been sullied by extremists, it is a name worth retaining. It ought not be connected with Q-Anon and MAGA brutality and they want to fight for the integrity of the name. (Still Evangelical? Insiders Reconsider Political, Social, and Theological Meaning offers a great collection of essays representing a few different views; Dan Stringer’s Struggling with Evangelicalism: Why I Want to Leave and What It Takes to Stay is a must for anyone wondering about this; Richard Mouw’s admirable Restless Faith: Holding Evangelical Beliefs in a World of Contested Labels will edify anyone.)

For those who chose to walk away there is now the commonly seen phrase, deconstruction. Those who have torn their religious house down, walked away, moved on. Some have renounced Christianity and some have just shifted to less fundamentalistic sorts of faith. Many are in that netherworld of not being sure where they belong.

I say all that to remind you that many feel that, as the back cover of this book says, “Evangelical Christianity has accumulated too many practices, habits, and trends that get in the way of authentic Christian faith.” Michelle Van Loon says it is “time to downsize.”

This is not a book about leaving the evangelical fold and it is not about deconstruction. It is a balanced and careful (if personal) study of this fresh way of getting at this need to distance oneself from some of the less than sustainable (and downright dumb, some might think) cultural practices of the general American evangelical tradition. Whether your just evolving in your own faith a bit or have experience real woundedness, this book could help.

We first discovered Van Loon when she wrote a book about growing up as a secular Jew and eventually learning to celebrate her Jewish heritage upon becoming a Christian. (That was Moments and Days: How Holy Celebrations Shape Our Faith.) I liked her 2022 book called Translating Your Past: Finding Meaning in Family Ancestry, Genetic Clues, and Generational Trauma. Her fine book about being pilgrims and noting her wanderlust was called Born to Wander: Recovering the Value of Our Pilgrim Identity. In any case she has been a respected Christian author for many years and this may be her most significant. She knows her stuff, as they say.

Although it is a wise and theologically aware book, the style is upbeat, sort of spoofing the downsizing motif in households. Want to clean up your clutter, move to a better space? Too much unwanted old stuff? It’s sort of fun. Almost, anyway.

She has chapter titles such as “Assess Your Mess” and “Commit to Purposeful Pruning” reminding us of the goal she calls “Chaos versus Clarity.” There are no shortcuts, she says, and “grief is part of the process” as we “say goodbye to useless things.”  Yup. The important second chapter, by the way, is “Who’s Going with You.” It’s poignant and important.

This is the time and place for Michelle Van Loon’s book. She has a knack for speaking wisdom into our deepest needs. Here, she does the necessary work of deconstructing our distortions of the gospel and reconstructing the ancient, relevant, and Spirit-filled foundations of our faith. This is a book for all of us. The church will emerge stronger for it.” — Leslie Leyland Fields, author of Nearing a Far God: Praying the Psalms with Our Whole Selves

Joining Creation’s Praise: A Theological Ethic of Creatureliness Brian Brock (Baker Academic) $74.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $59.99

This baby is (with the impressive index) 1161 pages.  One thousand, one hundred and sixty-one pages. Okay, let all the jokes commence: I’ll admit it. I’ve seen doorstops smaller than this.

But joking aside, this is one of those rare super academic books that we felt compelled to order and desire to tell you about. It is exceptionally important. While Ragan Sutterfield’s fabulous The Art of Being a Creature: Meditations on Humus and Humility that we’ve touted before (meaning it is also on sale for 20% off) will be plenty for most of us, this one is a must for scholars in the fields of Biblical studies, theology, anthropology, creation-care and more. I have no idea how long brother Brock has been working on this — his How to Do Christian Ethics came out a month ago from the prestigious T&T Clark. A few years ago he released two books on disabilities studies (one more academic called Wondrously Wounded on Baylor University Press and another lovely one in the Brazos Press “Pastoring for Life” series called Disability: Living Into the Diversity of Christ’s Body. But I gather that this major statement — magisterial and monumental puts it mildly, has been in the background for a decade. It is the work of a lifetime thinking hard about what it means that we, and every thing, is a creature. I love that phrase creatureliness and I appreciate a “theological ethic” that such a frame calls forth. Certainly it points us towards being doxological and “at home in this world.”

(He oddly doesn’t cite Miroslav Volf’s The Home of God: A Brief Story of Everything, but I gather it’s in that ballpark. He does have significant conversation with Craig Bartholomew ( a student of Seerveld’s by the way) and Bruce Ashford’s big  Doctrine of Creation: A Constructive Kuyperian Approach which we raved about a few years back.  He also spends time with Peter Leithart’s late 2023 release,Creator: A Theological Interpretation of Genesis 1, which I have not read.)

I spent too long adding through the first 100 pages — the introduction was itself a college education! — and I’m dazzled. I was absorbed for another hour late Saturday night lost in footnotes galore. What a scholar he is, bringing together heady scholars and philosophers old and new. This notion — in philosophy and theology — is considered revolutionary, certainly by the secular West. I want to celebrate this learned book and hope somebody out there needs it.

It has rave reviews from some of the most important public intellectuals and Christian thinkers working today. Edinburgh’s Oliver O’Donovan, Southern Methodist’s D. Stephen Long, Oxford’s Anthony Reddie, Duke’s Jonathan Tran. Of course Norma Wirzba honors it.

Here Brock undertakes nothing less than the conversion of common sense in our industrialized, militarized society. By locating creatureliness at the heart of a biblically grounded Christian ethos, he points to the only genuine possibility for human flourishing into the future. The creativity, breadth, and thoroughness of this study, as well as the gracefulness of its exposition, will reward those who accept his challenge to think deeply and live differently in this God-formed world. — Ellen F. Davis, Duke Divinity School, Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture: An Agrarian Reading of the Bible and Opening Israel’s Scriptures 

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BookNotes

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A few weeks ago at BookNotes I extolled books on rest, a sabbath way of life, evenhighlighting the new book A Theology of Play: Learning to Enjoy Life as God Intended (Kregel Academic), a careful Bible-based affirmation (by a central PA author from Lancaster Bible College!) of what another author, Jaco J. Hamman, calls A Play-Full Life: Slowing Down and Seeking Peace (Pilgrim Press.) If the first is a conservative evangelical scholar and long-time pastor, the second author was a professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at Western Theological Seminary, writing on the UCC-related Pilgrim Press. Like we often say, we’ve got a wide wing-span here at Hearts & Minds and curate titles from across the theological and literary spectrum that we think you’ll find helpful. Anyway, that list invited us to An Unhurried Life as per Alan Fadling and, the day that BookNotes list went out, we received the brand new The Sacred Art of Slowing Down by A.C. Seiple, just published by Tyndale. If you want some “relief from rushed living” (as Seiple puts it) these books will be your allies.

That list was followed, then, by two posts on creativity and the arts, guides to leading an aesthetically rich life. I gave a nod to the late Calvin Seerveld (who I have written about often) and his extraordinary books. If you are a book lover, you have got to own a Seerveld or two. More on that soon — watch for our latest “Three Books from Hearts & Minds” podcast which has a special guest on to talk about Cal’s important work. (You can find our bi-weekly podcast on YouTube (to watch) or to listen to at Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.)

After that last column about enjoying (and benefitting from) the arts and the lovely spiritual call to open up our own creative juices, I thought it seemed right to offer some books at a theme I revisit from time to time — finding God in the ordinary, in the great outdoors, learning to appreciating creation, and, indeed, practicing the presence of God in our own encounters in this sensual, material world. I love that line by C.S Lewis about how God sure must love matter — He made a lot of it!

To wit: this little list of some fun books to help you appreciate creation yet this summer. Read them with your rucksack or with your hiking boots on, or, just as good, read them vicariously. That’s a thing. A very good thing. Read on.

ALL BOOKS MENTIONED ARE 20% OFF.

Click at the “order” link at the end of the column. Tell us what you want, how you want it shipped, how you want to pay (credit card digits entered safely or we can enclose an invoice with the package if you want) and we’ll take it from there.

The Language of Rivers and Stars: How Nature Speaks of The Glories of God Seth Lewis (The Good Book Company) $14.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $11.99

This small book packs a wallop as I sometimes say. It is really interesting, captivating, even, and thoroughly Biblical. For those who like Biblical study (and that should be all of us, I might add) this hues right to the Biblical line. But — and this is part of what makes this so great — not all of us realize just how much nature writing and popular science and ecological stuff is in the Holy Book. Over and over, Lewis brings us into the great outdoors with incredible stories, down-to-Earth, from the fairly ordinary stuff of enjoying our backyards to some mighty powerful wilderness experiences. Lewis is a born storyteller, it seems, and this combo of great Bible eyes to see creation in light of Bible truths and how the Bible itself points to the creation, is fabulously enriched by his good examples.

Many of the reviewers note that he has the heart of a poet. Alistair Begg calls it “a work of poetic theology as beautiful as it is faithful.”

Lewis, we discover, hikes, works, and writes on the south coast of Ireland. His good words will help you slow down and “interpret the gift of God’s world through the gift of God’s word.”

Eyes to See: Recognizing God’s Common Grace in an Unsettled World Tim Muehlhoff (IVP) $17.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $14.39

I wanted to highlight this near the top of our little list because it is foundational. Several years ago I did a big list of books which help us find and celebrate the hand of God in the ordinariness of life. We have a whole section in our store called “the spirituality of the ordinary.” There are so many good ones and while it ought to be a no-brainer that we intuitively find God everywhere, for most of us, it takes some consideration, some spiritual attention, a shift of worldview, even. This book most likely wasn’t on that list (you can find it archived at BookNotes) as I don’t think it had come out yet. In any event, it’s a great one, wonderfully written, full of ideas on how to recognize God’s “common grace in an unsettled world.”

Muehlhoff is a professor of communications at Biola University and has written any number of books about communication, about relationships, about conflict and more. Because he is a specialist in that area I was a little surprised, at first, to see him in this gene, but, man, is it good. So good.

Whether we are in great pain crying out or in great joy (crying out) we wonder where is God in all this? While Eyes to See might be a good book for apologetics, even — trying to give an account of the astonishment and joy and pain and feelings of awe we all experience, it is not just an argument that our human experience points us to the majesty of God. Although Muehlhoff makes it clear that it does. It’s hard to live in this world of wonder and not get some glimpse of transcendence.

But this is more than a case for God’s presence. It is a handbook for encountering God, looking in all the unexpected places, seeing how God works in all manner of ways.

I love this insight — I really do think it will prove helpful for you — that God is around, showing up in ordinary ways (through ordinary jobs, for instance; he has a chapter about science and he has a chapter about art.) It opens up our sense of how we describe God’s presence and action (in other words, not just in answers to prayers or miraculous healings or breathtaking vistas.)

God cares for this troubled world and “give you the eyes to see.” Three cheers for this thoughtful, important book.

As Rich Mouw puts it:

“Muehlhoff not only adds significant insights to common grace theology but he also brings it into new territory, focusing on the reach of God’s healing power into communities of grieving, abused, and oppressed human beings.”

A Tree Full of Angels: Seeing the Holy in the Ordinary Macrina Wiederkehr (HarperOne) $12.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $10.39

Sister Macrina Wiederkehr is a well known author and experienced spiritual director, a member of St. Scholastica Monastery (in Fort Smith, Arkansas.) She has written spiritual classics (like The Song of the Seed) and some lovely resources on the practice of lectio divina. If you are familiar with ecumenical circles of the contemplative movement embracing silence and deep spiritual formation, I bet you know her name. Maybe you’ve seen her books.

This is a simple classic, a modern Catholic title that literally “helps you see the sacred in everyday life” It is poetically rich, written with a grace and depth that is mature and profound.

And it is lovely, the perfect book to remind us all of the act of devotion and the habit of finding God in the seemingly secular. Listen as she writes…

“I see the first rays of sunlight shimmering through a silver maple tree. And then in a twinkling I’m certain. I am standing before a tree full of angels dazzling me with their glorious presence.”

Is this metaphor? Analogy? Poetic hyperbole? Did she really see real angels? You’ll have to read it to learn more, but this is, as one Abbot said,  a book where “she want us to gather up the crumbs, the little things in our lives, and realize they have the makings of a banquet.”

Rooted in Wonder: Nurturing Your Family’s Faith Through God’s Creation Eryn Lynum (Kregel) $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19

Eryn Lynum lives in the Rocky Mountains and has been featured in a number of classic evangelical podcasts, radio shows, having worked with Proverbs 31 Ministries and MOPS International. Yet, here, she seems less attuned to conventional evangelical pieties and is a bit wilder, almost fierce, delighting in the great outdoors. She is a certified naturalist (besides a Bible instructor and mom of four.) She knows her flora and fauna, and she looks at land and sky through the lens of the Bible, showing connections between God and creation. This is awesome!

I like what ecologist Matthew Sleeth says when he notes her “joy and practical know-how.” And she has learned a lot, sharing here how she has surrounded her kids with nature, and in so doing invites us all to a similar journey.

Sy Garte PhD, who was at our Jubilee conference last winter, a United Methodist biologist who tells his story in The Works of His Hands: A Scientist’s Journey from Atheism to Faith and has a brand new book, Beyond Evolution: How New Discoveries in the Science of Life Point to God The Work of His Hands) writes of Rooted in Wonder saying this:

A beautifully written powerful treatment of the natural world as God’s revelation to His people. It weaves theological insights with practical advice on how to instill a love for the natural world in kids of all ages.

Adventuring Together: How to Create Connections and Make Lasting Memories with Your Kids Greta Eskridge (Thomas Nelson) $18.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $15.19

I like these kinds of recent books that combine a robust vision of the great outdoors with the classic parenting genre. The back cover here says “Create. Connect. Imagine. Adventure.” If you are a parent, I hope that excites you.

Okay, maybe you and your family aren’t going to take off for a globe-spanning adventure. Granted. Still, Greta Eskridge and this fun little book help us find ways to compete with the lure of technology and “inspiration for pushing yourself and your kids beyond your comfort zone to serve and enjoy each other well.” Not bad, eh?

Part of her plan is about cultivating relationships, fostering conversation, so that kids feel confident to have what we might call an adventurous spirit. (Which makes me think of the parents of the guys in Switchfoot, Mark and Jan Foreman, and their lively book, Never Say No: Raising Big-Picture Kids, but I digress.) While some kids are dangerously overdoing that bit, I know, most, I’m afraid, are seduced by their video games and smartphones, and need to learn how to play. And be engaged in the real big world.

Eskridge promises, “There will be joy. There will be wonder. There will be campfires, books, and beauty. Come on in!”

The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World Robin Wall Kimmerer (Scribner) $20.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $16.00

This is a trim, small sized hardback, thin and lovely, full of the same sort of wisdom and insight that is jam packed into the dense, wonderful best-seller Braiding Sweetgrass. That book offered a broad vision of great detail, integrating Kimmerer’s indigenous intuition about the Creator’s world with her work as a botanist.

If that amazing volume captivated you as it has millions you will surely want to see this latest installment from Kimmerer and her latest realizations as an indigenous scientist, that the creation is replete with interconnectedness and that that might yield — ought to yield — gratitude and generosity on our part in response. These lessons from the natural world ask us, finally, what we most value. Do we have the eyes to see reciprocity and community? In things like this fascinating little plant?

If Sister Wiederkehr sees angels in the trees, Kimmerer similarly draws angelic lessons from her more focused botany-oriented vision. But they both are led to this great truth of God’s common grace: we are in this together and things are inter-connected. The handsome pen and ink drawings make this little book a treasure and a lovely little gift, too.

Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World: Essays Barry Lopez (Random House) $20.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $16.00

I know I say this a bunch, but this really is one of the best books I’ve read all year. And I have to explain just a thing or two — I hope your still reading! — to be clear about what it is and why it is so very, very interesting.

First, it is not primarily a screed about climate change. It is not about forest fires and, even with the powerful introduction by Rebecca Solnit, it is not about the politics of our burning age. Lopez was a naturalist and travel writer and as a lover of the natural world he obviously cares about our foolhardy views of progress and our disconnect with the deepest sort of ecological stewardship, but it is not mostly about that. It’s about wolves and trips to Antarctica and encounters with beasts in Africa and friendships with the Native peoples (Navajos in Arizona and Yupic tribes in Alaska) and about his boldness in facing the elements, in Australia backcountry or under Northern Lights.

Secondly, calling these essays might dissuade some who feel like that is too intellectual or polemical a style for their tastes. Fear not! These journalistic accounts —- all published in various literary, travel, scientific, or other obscure periodicals or journals — are not dry essays but are loaded with story, with his love of places, with his respect for friends, with the color of plants and sky, the smell of the air, the feel of the land. Whether he is writing a tribute to a great researcher who hung out with Alaskan Natives as he studied wolves, learning from them, or extolling some of the most brave explorers around the Cabo de Hornos —or of the huge albatrosses he saw there —   his stories are more like memoir, his remembrances of that which he loves.

Lopez won the National Book Award years ago for Arctic Dreams. He was known for a groundbreaking work on wolves (in the late 1970s) and many other books of reportage from the front lines of ecological studies, animal science, and adventurous travel.

As booksellers we knew of his important work but I never picked up one of his volumes until Eugene Petersons suggested him. Lopez was mesmerizing, a good, even colorful writer, elegant and intelligent, willing to talk about hard stuff, funny stuff, and, on occasion, even prayer. This collection is superb.

The Traveler’s Path: Finding Spiritual Growth and Inspiration Through Travel Douglas J. Brouwer (Reformed Journal Books) $22.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $17.60

I gave a shout out to this before it came out, inviting folks to pre-order it. It’s on an indie press full of great writers, this book is itself an adventure, telling great tales of this PC(USA) pastor and his world-wide travels.

I don’t know exactly what drives folks to read travel literature but it is a rare bookstore that doesn’t have a travel section. From books about various places to the theology of travel, from taking spiritual pilgrimages to the joys of backcountry adventure, we’ve got plenty. This one is nearly archetypal: each chapter is a warm, lovely, report of a certain place Brouwer has visited. And it’s very nicely crafted; Brouwer is a very fine writer.

But he’s a preacher, remember, so there’s some theologizing and spiritual formation tips and insights about the reason for it all. Surely one of the big takeaways — besides the joy of learning about different places — is to have an open heart. We can, as one travel agent on the back cover put it, “walk in the footsteps of the divine, and see with open hearts wherever we are called.”

(And, by the way, Brouwer’s trips are not all just for leisure. There are dramatic mission trips and moves to new places due to job relocations, yes, even pilgrimages. Not all are the proverbial big vacation.The first time I highlighted this I noted that there is a moving chapter about the incarcerated — those who cannot travel.)

Might we grow a bit by moving out of our comfort zones? No doubt. For those of us too busy or broke to travel much, this book is a chase price of a global ticket abroad. Enjoy!

Every Step Is Home: A Spiritual geography from Appalachia to Alaska Lori Erickson (WJK) $20.00 // OUR SALE PRICE = $16.00

I raved about this writer each time she did a new book — one was about genealogies and another was about tracing practices of death and dying around the world —and this one is equally captivating, enjoyable, inspiring.

The first chapter is about the Marching Bears geographical space in Iowa, her home state. I was hooked.

The chapter titles each start with one word title — dirt, air, stone, caves, trees, etc.

They are about places in the United States that might be considered natural wonders, from mysterious mounds along the Ancient Ohio Trail to the majestic Redwood National and State Parks in California to the Dunbar Cave in Tennessee. I loved the astronomy lesson of the Chaco Canyon in New Mexico  and the incredible Sandhill Crane Migration in Nebraska (made famous by the spectacular Tom Hank’s narrated show The Americas.)

For those of us who haven’t travelled that much in the US this is grand reporting, a nicely spiritual view of traveling this “spiritual geography.”

Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees Beth Norcross & Leah Ramey (Broadleaf Books) $22.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $18.39

There have been a number of beloved books of late about the role of trees in our lives, how they grow and relate. (I trust you know the important work of Peter Wohlleben, such as his justly famous The Hidden Life of Trees.) We have a number of titles like this. This recent one is remarkable; I’m only part way through but it is captivating.

Norcross and Rampy run “The Center for Spirituality in Nature” and one of the big proponents of their work and this book is the great Presbyterian mystic, Belden Lane. (I hope you know his serious Oxford University Press titles, The Solace of Fierce Landscapes or his Backpacking with the Saints, or his curious one focused on his relationship with a tree, The Great Conversation: Nature and the Care of the Soul.) He says this book “speaks the language of trees.”

Maybe you know the lovely Quaker singer-songwriter (and author) Carrie Newcomer. She writes about Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees:

A beautiful meditation on the wisdom found in the natural world and the transformative power of being in relationship with trees. Norcross and Rampy are exceptional teachers and knowledgeable guides, graciously leading the reader down tree-lined wooded paths where they share scientific knowledge, insightful personal experience, compelling metaphors, and spiritual insights. — Carrie Newcomer, Emmy-winning performer, songwriter, and recording artist of the albums A Great Wild Mercy and The Beautiful Not Yet

This Is God’s Table: Finding Church Beyond the Walls Anna Woofenden (Herald Press) $16.99 // OUR SALE PRICE = $13.59

This is one that I raved about when it first came out maybe five years ago, now. It’s a delight to read, a bit provocative, and a great story very well told. And maybe it might be just the right blend of entertaining story and serious missional theology and nature loving wisdom to capture your attention this summer.

Here’s the gist: Anna more or less (it’s frustrating to use overused words) creates a faith community experiencing some sort of fresher experience of the Body of Christ in the middle of an urban garden. With some foodie vibe, the urban passion of Sara Miles (who wrote a great forward) she finds God on the streets, among strangers who become friends, all around this loving endeavor of growing food.

This really is God’s table and if you are feeling like you might want to give up on church, read about this barren lot and see what happens when it is approached with something like sacramental care. See what sort of temptation comes out of this imaginative journey “embracing abundance” As Carol Howard Merritt wrote, it is “a beautiful glimpse into the hard and generous work of growing a church, a garden, and a community.”

By the way, Ann Woofenden, has been a leader in the faith and food movement (and had a podcast called Food and Faith.) Last year she and a former Pittsburgh guy, Derek Weston, worked together to release Just Just Kitchen: Invitations to Sustainability, Cooking, Connection and Celebration. Hooray.

When Anna Woofenden felt God’s prompting to plant a church, she didn’t necessarily expect actual planting to be involved. But down on her knees, with hands in the dirt, she faithfully tended both crops and congregation. This Is God’s Table shares the story not just of the Garden Church, but of a community strengthened together through its hunger. — Kendall Vanderclice, We Will Feast

Kitchens of Hope: Immigrants Share Stories of Resilience and Recipes from Home Linda S. Svitak and Christin Jane Eaton, with Lee Svitak Dean; Photography by Tom Wallace (University of Minnesota Press) $29.95 // OUR SALE PRICE = $23.96

Speaking of foodies and urban gardeners (and enjoying the stuff of Earth) how about a new cookbook to celebrate the goodness of the Earth, the bounty of creation? (And, yes, that it is international in scope reminds us not only of the joyful tastes and textures of God’s diverse world and the real variety of food cultures there are, but also of the sorrows and crisis of the summer of 2025 with the daily inappropriate captures and scary disappearances, right here in America.) So, yes. This one is beautiful but I name it with an undercurrent of sadness.

The spices and leaves and nice pictures on the back cover invite us inside, where there are vivid photos and great stories of food from around the world.

As it says in the colorful inside flyleaf, “Immigrants carry more than hope as they cross oceans and traverse continents to come to the United States. They hold tightly to stories and recipes, remembrances of what they left behind. Kitchen of Hope brings together there memories from contributors who hail from more than thirty countries, offering a glimpse of their kitchen and insight into their lives.

They continue:

This book is a celebration of people and cuisines from around the world, infused with the aromas of epazote and cardamom, the tang of fish sauce, the heat of chile peppers, and the bite of mustard greens.

Some of the immigrants who tell their stories here come to the US fleeing war and violence while others seek education and opportunity. Some have called the US home for years, if not decades.

These recipes and food photos reflect the connections and values of characteristics of the contributors. There are over fifty recipes “from curry, mole, biryani, and borscht, to pita, pho, sabusas, pupas, and so much more.” Welcome to the Kitchens of Hope table.

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