New books
Grab a latte and curl up with one of these new books.
What Women Want: Pentecostal Women Ministers Speak for Themselves
by Kimberly Ervin Alexander and James P. Bowers
Seymour Press
Although giving voice to Pentecostal pastors, this book is relevant to women in any denomination or position who have felt marginalized by male leadership. It takes on specific myths about women in ministry—such as the belief that full equality is “a liberal view and a result of worldliness encroaching upon the church”—and debunks them one by one, clearly, without rancor. This is a great book for any woman struggling to be heard, whether in the church, community, or at home.
Evangelical Peacemakers: Gospel Engagement in a War-Torn World
edited by David P. Gushee
Cascade Books
A collection of 15 essays originally presented at a conference on evangelical Christianity, Evangelical Peacemakers features diverse perspectives on peacemaking and conflict as it relates to US global engagement. A good primer for any Jesus-follower interested in the subject.
A Wall in Jerusalem: Hope, Healing, and the Struggle for Justice in Israel and Palestine
by Mark Braverman
Jericho Books
A deeply personal account of the author’s journey towards advocacy on behalf of all Holy Land inhabitants and a renewed call for the church to take seriously the gospel’s call to peacemaking and justice.
Theatre of Witness: Finding the Medicine in Stories of Suffering, Transformation, and Peace
by Teya Sepinuck
Jessica Kingley Publishers
The founder and director of Theatre of Witness writes of her decades of work mining the stories of marginalize people for the gold that lies with them. From at-risk teen girls in Poland to male lifers in American prisons to Catholic and Protestant combatants of the “Troubles” of Northern Ireland, Sepinuck recounts the gifts that emerge when trauma, vulnerability, trust, and redemption converge on the stage. Powerful stuff.
He Walks Among Us: Encounters with God in a Broken World
by Richard and Renee Stearns
Thomas Nelson
If you are ready to invite suffering into your devotional hour, listen to courageous people in seemingly insurmountable circumstances, and embrace what they have to teach us about the beauty, joy, and depth of a faith lived in God’s presence, this book is a the place to start. Full of gorgeous photographs of God’s children around the world, it brings a whole new perspective to quiet time with Jesus.
by Maura Poston Zagrans
Image
This book tells the deeply moving story of a powerful-lawyer-turned-priest who has found new purpose and a beautiful community of brothers behind the bars of a maximum-security prison. This is a road map for neighbor-loving, life-losing, and soul-finding.
The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good
by Peter Greer
Bethany House
Ready to surrender all to Jesus and live a sacrificial life of service among “the least, the last, and the lost”? Greer uncovers the spiritual pitfalls that so easily trip up the noblest of intentions. Written from his own experience as CEO of Hope International, a global microfinance nonprofit, the book offers valuable insight to all who serve.
Without Apology: Sermons for Christ’s Church
by Stanley Hauerwas
Seabury Books
With titles like “Facing Nothingness—Facing God,” “Crowd Control,” and “Sexing the Ministry,” this little collection of 21 sermons is as refreshingly shoot-from-the-hip as you’d expect from the fresh, adventurous, outspoken pastor-professor.
by Eugene H. Peterson
Eerdmans
In this small volume of single-page poems Peterson turns his gaze to the small sacred details of life. It includes three small collections: Holy Luck, based on the Beatitudes; The Rustling Grass, about finding God’s kingdom in the ordinary things of life; and Smooth Stones, about the tiny but significant discoveries revealed while following Jesus.
Consider the Birds: A Provocative Guide to Birds of the Bible
by Debbie Blue
Abingdon Press
Birds, like God’s grace, are everywhere once you start looking for them. The aim of this delightful book, which highlights 10 birds found throughout the Scriptures, is to get readers to pay attention to those things that flit by us, too often unseen but nonetheless important, beautiful, and life-giving.
The Dave Test: A Raw Look at Real Faith in Hard Times
by Frederick W. Schmidt
Abingdon Press
A quick read, this book invites us to live an honest life, where suffering isn’t hidden behind well-meaning but deceitful Christianese and where it’s okay to grieve, show your dirty laundry, and admit when things are tough. Schmidt encourages us to trade in superstition for real faith and “stained-glass language” for truth. This is something even the rawest and realest of us need to be reminded of from time to time.
Living Biblically: Ten Guides for Fulfillment and Happiness
by Kalman J. Kaplan
Wipf & Stock
This fascinating little book written by a pioneer in the emerging filed of biblical psychology outlines 10 crucial modes of relating (to the environment, an authority, a peer, the opposite sex, a son/daughter, misfortune, etc.). Each chapter contrasts Greek and biblical narratives, highlighting the fatalism and pessimism of the former with hope that the Scriptures offer and applying it to a contemporary context. Ignore the tacky subtitle and check this one out.
