The Bible and the pope. What else is there to write about in religion? A few things...
Memoir, for one. Kate Braestrup, whose 2007 memoir, Here If You Need Me, established her voice, looks again at turning points in life in Anchor and Flares: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hope, and Service, which chronicles her emotional battle between faith and fear after her eldest son joined the Marines.
Also, spiritual advice and consolation—especially when given by acclaimed writer and Benedictine nun Joan Chittister. Her Between the Dark and the Daylight: Embracing the Contradictions of Life is filled with “beautifully crafted short reflections,” according to PW’s starred review.
Cosmology and theology embrace in A God That Could Be Real: Spirituality, Science, and the Future of Our Planet, by Nancy Ellen Abrams, who argues for an emergent God.
On a more mundane plane, God’s Bankers: A History of Money and Power at the Vatican, by Gerald Posner, is a gimlet-eyed historical investigation into the centrality of money in the Catholic Church. A journalistic lens is turned on a world hot spot in Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution, by Egyptian-American journalist Mona Eltahawy. And women’s issues are the subject of The Mother and Child Project: Raising Our Voices for Health and Hope, a collection of essays by activists working to improve the lot of women and children in places where women die in childbirth and children die young.
There are many hundreds of books out there on How to Read the Bible, but only one is by Harvey Cox, whose life and long career in public religion have made him a deeply learned guide. Cox’s interpretive work here is “a great gift,” according to PW’s starred review.
Informed commentary on the Bible is found in Strong as Death Is Love: Song of Songs, Ruth, Esther, Jonah, and Daniel—a Translation with Commentary, by Robert Alter, who continues his work of masterful translation. And Bewilderments: Reflections on the Book of Numbers, by Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, goes back to the biblical Book of Numbers, as the author continues to plumb the spiritual and psychological depths of sacred text.
Pope Francis gets in a word or three—on Easter, of course—in Walking with Jesus: A Way Forward for the Church. Believers can always use a good trail buddy.
PW's Top 10: Spiritual & Religion
Anchor and Flares: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hope, and Service. Kate Braestrup. Little, Brown, July 14
Between the Dark and the Daylight: Embracing the Contradictions of Life. Joan Chittister. Image, Mar. 31
Bewilderments: Reflections on the Book of Numbers. Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg. Schocken, Feb. 24
God’s Bankers: A History of Money and Power at the Vatican. Gerald Posner. Simon & Schuster, Feb. 3
A God That Could Be Real: Spirituality, Science, and the Future of Our Planet. Nancy Abrams. Beacon, Mar. 10
Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution. Mona Eltahawy. FSG/Faber and Faber, Apr. 21
How to Read the Bible. Harvey Cox. HarperOne, Apr. 14
The Mother and Child Project: Raising Our Voices for Health and Hope. Preface by Melinda Gates, foreword by Kay Warren. Zondervan, Mar. 31.
Strong as Death is Love: Song of Songs, Ruth, Esther, Jonah, and Daniel: A Translation with Commentary. Robert Alter. Norton, Mar.
Walking with Jesus: A Way Forward for the Church. Pope Francis. Loyola, Apr. 5
Spiritual & Religion Listings: Fiction
Abingdon
As Waters Gone By by Cynthia Ruchti (May 5, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-4267-8727-0). Emmalyn and Max Ross may have to endure the fight of their lives to mend their marriage. His actions put him in prison, giving their relationship a court-mandated five-year time-out. On Madeline Island in Lake Superior, Emmalyn has just a few months left to figure out if and how they can ever be a couple again.
Fatal Trauma by Richard L. Mabry (May 19, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-63088-116-0). When Dr. Mark Baker and Nurse Kelly Atkinson are held at the mercy of a gunman, the lives of emergency room patients are at stake. The standoff is ended, but the killing is not, because revenge is not far behind.
Barbour
8 Weddings and a Miracle Romance Collection: 9 Contemporary Romances Need a Little Divine Intervention by Tracie Peterson, Janet Lee Barton, Lena Nelson Dooley, Nancy J. Farrier, Pamela Griffin, Diann Hunt, Loree Lough, Sandra Petit, and Gail Sattler (Mar. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-61626-546-5). A collection of nine romances introduces modern couples who hope to make it to the altar—someday.
Barbour/Shiloh Run
The Decision by Wanda E. Brunstetter (Mar. 1, paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-1-61626-088-0). Moving from Pennsylvania to find rewarding work and leave heartbreak behind is the best decision Jonah Miller ever made. But is he ready to consider love again when he meets Elaine Schrock?
Bethany House
A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer (June, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-7642-1280-2). Stone Hammond is the best tracker in Texas at the turn of the last century, and when a wealthy railroad investor hires him to find his abducted granddaughter, he eagerly accepts. Charlotte Atherton, former headmistress of Sullivan’s Academy for Exceptional Youths, will do anything to keep her charges safe, especially the little girl entrusted to her care. When the teacher Stone is after shows she’s the little girl’s legal guardian, Stone must re-evaluate everything he’s been led to believe.
Hearts Made Whole by Jody Hedlund (June, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-7642-1238-3) Caroline Taylor has grown confident running the Windmill Point Lighthouse, but in 1865 Michigan, women aren’t supposed to have such roles. Ryan Chambers is a Civil War veteran given the post of lighthouse keeper, and the isolation where he can drown in drink and hide from his past is appealing. Both quickly realize he’s in no shape to run the lighthouse, but can they look past their losses to a future filled with hope... and possibly love?
Desert/Ensign Peak
Maximus by Richard L. Black (Mar. 3, hardcover, $25.99, ISBN 978-1-60907-985-7). Word has reached Rome of a man named Jesus who is causing a stir in faraway Judea. Roman general Maximus and Androcles are sent to ascertain the truth of the situation. Disguised as a Jew, Maximus slowly begins to understand the true teachings of Jesus. 40,000-copy announced first printing.
FaithWords
Daughter of the Regiment by Stephanie Grace Whitson (Mar. 24, paper, $15, ISBN 978-1-4555-2903-2). Two women who are Missouri neighbors are drawn into the heart of the Civil War from opposite sides.
Howard
Chasing Sunsets by Karen Kingsbury (Apr. 7, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-1-4516-8750-7). The second novel in a series about divine intervention and the trials and triumphs of life tells of a woman desperate to find deeper meaning in her life.
Tiffany Girl by DeeAnne Gist (May 5, paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-1-4516-9244-0) is a historical novel about a progressive “New Woman”—the girl behind Tiffany’s chapel—and the love that threatens everything.
Kensington/Zebra
An Amish Man of Ice Mountain by Kelly Long (Apr. 28, mass market, $7.99, ISBN 978-1-4201-3546-6). Amish Joseph King has good reasons to work an oil rig far from his beloved Ice Mountain, but no honorable man would let Priscilla Allen and her four-year-old daughter remain homeless. When his guilt and her secrets threaten the trust growing between them, they need miracles to put the past to rest.
MennoMedia
Joseph’s Dilemma by Ervin R. Stutzman (June, paper, $15, ISBN 978-0-8361-9909-3). The second book of the Return to Northkill series chronicles the experiences of Amish teenager Joseph Hochstetler, who was taken captive by Native Americans during the French and Indian War.
Nav press/Th1nk
Beneath the Forsaken City by C.E. Laureano (Feb. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-61291-631-6). In book two of the Song of Seare fantasy series, Conor and Aine have barely escaped Seare with their lives. Surrounded by despair and thrown into as much danger as they left behind, Conor and Aine must cling to Comdiu’s plans for them. But at what cost?
Revell
The Crimson Cord by Jill Eileen Smith (Feb., paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8007-2034-6). When Israelite spies enter Jericho and come to lodge at her house, Rahab, forced into prostitution to cover her husband’s debt, sees a glimmer of hope and the opportunity of a lifetime.
Buried Secrets by Irene Hannon (Apr., paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8007-2126-8). Smalltown police chief Lisa Grant needs the assistance of detective Mac McGregor, an ex-Navy SEAL, when a human skeleton is unearthed in her town. As they work to solve the mystery behind the unmarked grave, danger begins to shadow them.
River North
Spy of Richmond by Jocelyn Green (Mar. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8024-0579-1). In Richmond, Va., 1863, Union loyalist Sophie Kent risks everything to help end the war. Former slave Bella Jamison sacrifices her freedom to come to Richmond, where her Union soldier husband is imprisoned, and her twin sister still lives in bondage in Sophie’s home. Harrison Caldwell, a Northern freelance journalist who escorts Bella to Richmond, infiltrates the Confederate War Department as a clerk, but is conscripted to defend the city’s fortifications. The Civil War is reimagined from these perspectives.
Summer’s List by Anita Higman (June 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8024-1232-4). After breaking her engagement with a rising politician, Summer Snow is adrift in life and love. Again. She discovers that her dearest childhood companion, Martin Langtree, who made the ideal friend when they were growing up, could now make the ideal husband.
Thomas Nelson
Center of Gravity by Laura McNeill (July 14, paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-7180-3090-2). Ava’s life in the coastal South appears nearly perfect after her recent marriage to the powerful and handsome Mitchell Carson. Outwardly, Mitchell appears to be a caring husband and doting father, but as Ava soon discovers, there is a dark side to her husband that she never imagined.
The Curiosity Keeper by Sarah E. Ladd (July 7, paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-7180-1178-9). Born into two different classes, James and Camille shouldn’t even know each other, in this historical. But when the pursuit of a missing ruby brings them together, much more than a mere acquaintance is ignited.
Tyndale
By Your Side by Candace Calvert (Mar. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-4143-9032-1). ER nurse Macy Wynn learned essential, gritty lessons in the California foster care system: land on your feet and trust no one. Deputy Fletcher Holt believes in a higher plan, a fair outcome, and his ability to handle that by himself if necessary. When everything goes wrong, where do they put their trust?
Chance of Loving You by Terri Blackstock, Susan May Warren, and Candace Calvert (May 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-4964-0537-1) is an anthology by three bestselling romance authors. Three different main characters are given a chance to change their lives, but will love be the real prize?
WaterBrook
When Grace Sings by Kim Vogel Sawyer (Mar. 17, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-307-73133-3). In a contemporary Old Order Mennonite story of family secrets and the rocky road to romance, two women are on the cusp of finding out what is real—and uncovering an elaborate scheme to hide the truth.
The Wood’s Edge by Lori Benton (Apr. 21, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-60142-732-8). Two families, one haunted by a twin’s absence, the other now an ocean away, are caught in a web of lies in the 18th century.
Zondervan
Love Arrives in Pieces by Betsy St. Amant (June 9, paper, $12.99, ISBN 978-0-310-33847-5). Former pageant queen Stella Varland doesn’t trust beauty since her divorce. Contractor Chase Taylor is determined to live a life of no regrets after losing his fiancée in a car crash. When he returns home to Bayou Bend to renovate the town’s old theater, he is shocked to learn former flame Stella is the designer for the project. Forced to work together, Chase and Stella battle their chemistry and their pasts.
Murder Freshly Baked by Vannetta Chapman (June 8, paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-310-32217-7). The Amish Artisan Village is the setting for a Race for a Cure. When runner Ryan Duvall crosses the finish line of the race and falls down dead, police hunt the murderer. Amber Bowman, who manages the artisan village, looks to her young Amish friend Hannah Troyer to help her find the killer and to determine if it’s the “Poison Poet,” a mysterious individual leaving cryptic poems and warning of poisoned pies.
Nonfiction
Abingdon
The Call: The Life and Message of the Apostle Paul by Adam Hamilton (May 5, hardcover, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-63088-262-4) weaves together history, scripture, and archeology to explore the life and message of Paul—and a deeper understanding of an individual’s own call.
GreenFaith: Mobilizing God’s People to Save the Earth by Fletcher Harper (Mar. 17, paper, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-4267-8175-9). The executive director of GreenFaith—an interfaith environmental coalition—gives concrete examples and tips to help people of faith and worshiping communities engage in care for the planet in bold, life-giving ways.
Andrews McMeel
The Unorthodox Haggadah: A Dogma-free Passover for Jews and Other Chosen People by Nathan Phillips (Feb. 3, paper, $9.99, ISBN 978-1-4494-6031-0) offers Passover ritual with a hilarious, irreverent twist and skips the boring parts.
Ashgate
A Sociology of Prayer, edited by Giuseppe Giordan and Linda Woodhead (June, paper, $39.95, ISBN 978-1-4094-5585-1), draws from religion, sociology of religion, anthropology, and historical perspectives to examine prayer as a social as well as a personal matter in complex late modern societies.
Arcade
Becoming a Mountain: Himalayan Journeys in Search of the Sacred and the Sublime by Stephen Alter (Mar. 3, hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-62872-510-0). After Alter and his wife were attacked in their home in the foothills of the Himalayas, he set out on a series of treks to prove that he had healed mentally as well as physically and to re-knit his connection to his homeland.
Atria/Beyond Words
Faith: Essays from Believers, Agnostics, and Atheists, edited by Victoria Zackheim (Feb. 24, paper, $16, ISBN 978-1-58270-502-6). Twenty-four essays provide varied perspectives on what faith means (or doesn’t mean), inviting readers to ask themselves, “What do I believe?”
Baker
The Day I Met Jesus: The Revealing Diaries of Five Women from the Gospels by Frank Viola and Mary DeMuth (Feb., paper, $13.99, ISBN 978-0-8010-1685-1) combines narrative retelling of scripture with guidance for daily life.
We Need to Talk: How to Successfully Navigate Conflict by Linda Mintle (Mar., paper, $13.99, ISBN 978-0-8010-1676-9) helps readers identify their conflict style and shares proven strategies to build and maintain healthy relationships.
Baker Academic
Leisure and Spirituality: Biblical, Historical, and Contemporary Perspectives by Paul Heintzman (Mar. 17, paper, $24.99, ISBN 978-0-8010-4872-2) explores the link between leisure and spirituality, offering a Christian perspective on leisure concepts and issues in contemporary society.
Barbour
More Precious Than Diamonds: Biblical Meditations on a Woman’s Worth in God’s Eyes by Darlene Sala (Feb. 1, paper, $10.99, ISBN 978-1-62836-654-9) includes long-form devotions for women that affirm their value in God’s sight.
Barbour/Shiloh Run
21 Great Leaders: Learn Their Lessons, Improve Your Influence by Pat Williams and Jim Denney
(Feb. 1, hardcover, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-63058-690-4) examines the lives of 21 great leaders, from George Washington to Steve Jobs, using Williams’s “Seven Sides of Leadership” principles.
Basic
Bad Faith: When Religious Belief Undermines Modern Medicine by Paul Offit (Mar. 10, hardcover, $27.99, ISBN 978-0-465-08296-4) chronicles stories of families in which religion trumps medicine. Pediatrician Offit makes a strenuous case that denying medicine to children in the name of religion is a rejection of the very best aspects of what belief itself has to offer. 30,000-copy announced first printing.
Beacon
A God That Could Be Real: Spirituality, Science, and the Future of Our Planet by Nancy Abrams (Mar. 10, hardcover, $25.95, ISBN 978-0-8070-7339-1) explores the radical new possibility of a God that is real, but does not break any of the known rules of physics and does not require a suspension of disbelief or of reason.
Bethany House
Facing the Blitz: Three Strategies for Turning Your Trials into Triumphs by Jeff Kemp (Apr. 1, paper, $17.99, ISBN 978-0-7642-1402-8). The former NFL quarterback argues that trials in life are like blitzes in football—both are opportunities you can turn to your advantage.
How to Love Your Neighbor Without Being Weird by Amy Lively (May 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-7642-1700-5) offers encouragement and hands-on ideas for how to reach out to neighbors, use one’s gifts, and share faith.
B&H
Will: Nine Traits of the Outwardly Focused Christian by Thom S. Rainer (July, hardcover, $12.99, ISBN 978-1-4336-8729-7) offers qualities that all church members can develop to focus on the needs of those around them.
Bloomsbury
Coming Out Christian in the Roman World: How the Followers of Jesus Made a Place in Caesar’s Empire by Douglas Ryan Boin (Mar. 3, hardcover, $28, ISBN 978-1-62040-317-4) argues that life in Rome never came to a dramatic stop, but instead a small minority movement rose to transform society politically, religiously, and culturally.
Brazos
Divine Sex: A Compelling Vision for Christian Relationships in a Hypersexualized Age by Jonathan Grant (July 21, paper, $17.99, ISBN 978-1-58743-369-6) helps Christian leaders understand the cultural forces that make the church’s teaching on sex and relationships ineffective in the lives of today’s young adults, and offers pastoral strategies for addressing those forces.
Chalice
Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome: A Memoir of Humor and Healing in 30 Religions by Reba Riley (Apr. 1, paper, $17.99, ISBN 978-0-8272-3120-7). An untreatable chronic illness prompted the author to visit 30 religions before her 30th birthday in a quest to heal what she felt life had broken.
Chosen
Christ in You: Why God Trusts You More Than You Trust Yourself by Eric Johnson (Apr. 7, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8007-9570-2) shows how to move beyond self-imposed limitations and live with passion, power, and purpose.
Columbia Univ.
Realizing Awakened Consciousness: Interviews with Buddhist Teachers and a New Perspective on the Mind by Richard P. Boyle (June 9, paper, $30, ISBN 978-0-231-17075-8). A student of cognitive social science and a Zen practitioner for more than 40 years brings his perspective to developing a theoretical model for both ordinary and awakened consciousness.
Convergent
Flipped: The Provocative Truth That Changes Everything We Know About God by Doug Pagitt (Feb. 17, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-60142-637-6) uses the words and thinking of St. Paul, Jesus, and other major biblical figures to help readers live more intentionally and faithfully.
Cornell Univ.
Our Lady of the Rock: Vision and Pilgrimage in the Mojave Desert by Lisa Bitel, photos by Matt Gainer (Feb. 3, paper, $24.95, ISBN 978-0-8014-5662-6), explores in text and pictures the monthly religious visions of Maria Paula Acuña at Our Lady of the Rock in California.
Counterpoint
The Faith to Doubt: Glimpses of Buddhist Uncertainty by Stephen Batchelor (Apr. 14, paper, $15.95, ISBN 978-1-61902-535-6). In this spiritual memoir, a contemporary Buddhist teacher describes his own training, first as a Tibetan Buddhist and then as a Zen practitioner, and his own direct struggles along his spiritual path.
Crossway
Why We Pray by William Philip (Feb. 28, paper, $11.99, ISBN 978-1-4335-4286-2) explores four reasons to approach God in joyful prayer.
David C. Cook
Finding Truth: 5 Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes by Nancy Pearcey (Mar. 1, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-0-7814-1308-4) simplifies the defense of Christianity by following the apostle Paul’s strategy used in the book of Romans for engaging a pluralistic society.
Deseret/Ensign Peak
Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter: Seven Traditions to Lead Us Closer to Jesus Christ by Emily Belle Freeman (Feb. 3, paper, $10.99, ISBN 978-1-60907-977-2). One of the few titles for adults for the Easter holiday, this gift book tells the story of Jesus from Crucifixion to Resurrection in short chapters, illustrated with line art, told in the first-person narrative of seven disciples. 30,000-copy announced first printing.
Destiny Image
Prevail by Cindy Trimm (July, hardcover, $21.99, ISBN 9780768406733) offers strategies for overcoming struggles, setbacks, and disappointments by using the strength of personal character, worth, and value.
Dutton
Preaching: Communicating Faith in a Skeptical Age by Timothy Keller (June 9, hardcover, $19.95, ISBN 978-0-525-95303-6) helps readers learn to present the Christian message of grace in a more engaging, passionate, and compassionate way.
Eerdmans
A Faithful Farewell: Living Your Last Chapter with Love by Marilyn Chandler McEntyre (Apr. 21, paper, $15, ISBN 978-0-8028-7260-9) offers 52 short, poignant meditations on the issues faced by people who are dying.
Knowledge and Christian Belief by Alvin Plantinga (Mar. 4, paper, $16, ISBN 978-0-8028-7204-3) presents the ideas in Plantinga’s widely praised book Warranted Christian Belief (2000) in a shorter, more accessible form.
FaithWords
Get Your Hopes Up! Expect Something Good to Happen to You Every Day by Joyce Meyer (Apr. 7, hardcover, $22, ISBN 978-1-4555-1731-2) teaches readers how to transform their lives by tapping into the power of hope. 200,000-copy announced first printing.
Wisdom from Women in the Bible: Giants of the Faith Speak into Our Lives by John C. Maxwell (Apr. 7, hardcover, $16, ISBN 978-1-4555-5708-0) sets out lessons on self improvement and leadership drawn from the examples set by women of the Bible. 100,000-copy announced first printing.
For Beginners
Buddha for Beginners by Stephen T. Asma (May 19, paper, $15.95, ISBN 978-1-939994-33-2) introduces the reader to Gautama, a real person who challenged the religious leaders of his day, and to the ideas that made him change his life and the philosophical debates that engaged him and formed the core of Buddhism.
Fortress
Journey to the Empty Tomb by Paula Gooder (Mar. 1, paper, $19, ISBN 978-1-4514-9804-2) focuses on the events leading up to the first Easter, examining the world of the New Testament, its language, and culture, to offer fresh insights into familiar stories.
Franciscan Media
The Spirit of Saint Francis: Inspiring Words from Pope Francis by Pope Francis (Feb. 6, hardcover, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-61636-859-3). Published in cooperation with the Vatican, this original collection looks at the life and legacy of St. Francis of Assisi through the pope’s uplifting and challenging words.
Spiritual Resilience: 30 Days to Refresh Your Soul by Robert J. Wicks (Feb. 17, paper, $12.99, ISBN 978-1-61636-886-9). Drawn from a variety of spiritual traditions, these 30 reflections are intended to help the reader rediscover spiritual resilience and psychological strength.
FSG/Faber and Faber
Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution by Mona Eltahawy (Apr. 21, hardcover, $23, ISBN 978-0-86547-803-9) is a passionate manifesto decrying misogyny in the Arab world, by an Egyptian American journalist, commentator, and activist.
Georgetown Univ.
Religion and the Struggle for European Union: Confessional Culture and the Limits of Integration by Brent F. Nelsen and James L. Guth (June 18, paper, $34.95, ISBN 978-1-62616-070-5) delves into the powerful role of religion in shaping European attitudes on politics, political integration, and the national and continental identities of its leaders and citizens, comparing and contrasting Catholic and Protestant views.
Graywolf
All Who Go Do Not Return: A Memoir by Shulem Deen (Mar. 24, paper, $16, ISBN 978-1-55597-705-4) is a debut memoir about faith and exile, depicting life inside one of the strictest and most insular ultra-Orthodox U.S. sects and Deen’s eventual estrangement from it and his wife and five children.
Group Publishing
Church Refugees by Josh Packard and Ashleigh Hope (Apr., paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-4707-2592-1). In a major new study, two sociologists offer insights gleaned from hundreds of in-depth interviews with people who are done with church.
HarperOne
How to Read the Bible by Harvey Cox (Apr. 14, hardcover, $26.99, ISBN 978-0-06-234315-4) explains the three primary ways people read the Bible, why each is important, and how to integrate these approaches for a richer understanding and appreciation of key biblical texts.
How to Read the Bible and Still Be a Christian: Struggling with Divine Violence from Genesis Through Revelation by John Dominic Crossan (Mar. 3, hardcover, $26.99, ISBN 978-0-06-220359-5) grapples with Scripture’s two conflicting visions of Jesus and God—a loving God and a vengeful God—and explains how Christians can better understand these passages.
Wearing God: Clothing, Laughter, Fire, and Other Overlooked Ways of Meeting God by Lauren Winner (Mar. 31, hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-0-06-176812-5). Duke Divinity School professor and writer Winner explores some of the Bible’s more obscure metaphors for God. Reflection and scholarship are combined to demonstrate that figurative language can help deepen an understanding of God.
Harvard Univ.
The Ransom of the Soul: Afterlife and Wealth in Early Western Christianity by Peter Brown (Apr. 14, hardcover, $24.95, ISBN 978-0-674-96758-8) explores a shift in thinking about the fate of the soul between 250 and 650 C.E., showing how personal wealth in the pursuit of redemption led church doctrine concerning the afterlife. This new relationship to money set the stage for the church’s domination of medieval society.
Harvest House
The Praying Woman’s Devotional by Stormie Omartian (Feb., paper, $12.99, ISBN 978-0-7369-6341-1) shows how God designed prayer so people can better communicate and walk with Jesus daily.
Hay House
Heart of Miracles: My Journey Back to Life After a Near-Death Experience by Karen Henson Jones (Feb. 26, hardcover, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-4019-4217-5). After a near-death experience at age 30, the author takes a ride through India, Italy, Bhutan, and Israel, exploring the mysterious power of Kundalini yoga, the transforming doctrines of reincarnation, and the teachings of Jesus.
Hendrickson
The Accidental Executive by Albert M. Erisman (May, stamped case with jacket, $24.95, ISBN 978-1619706217) connects Joseph’s life in Genesis with lessons the author learned in business, government, and education.
Hodder & Stoughton
Judas: The Most Hated Name in History by Peter Stanford (June 1, hardcover, $29.95, ISBN 978-1-4447-5472-8) explores 2,000 years of cultural and theological history to investigate how the very name Judas came to be synonymous with betrayal and human evil.
Howard
If You Find This Letter by Hannah Brencher (Mar. 10, hardcover, $23, ISBN 978-1-4767-7360-5) is a memoir of love and faith from Brencher, founder of the World Needs More Love Letters.
Life Is Short by Jennifer Arnold (May 26, hardcover, $25, ISBN 978-1-4767-9470-9). The stars of TLC’s The Little Couple offer a behind-the-scenes account of how they met, fell in love, and overcame obstacles to become successful professionals and parents.
Ignatius
Finding True Happiness—Satisfying Our Restless Hearts by Robert Spitzer (Mar., paper, $18.95, ISBN 978-1-58617-956-4) uses philosophy and psychology to identify the meaning of happiness, and shows how to attain it.
Image
Between the Dark and the Daylight: Embracing the Contradictions of Life by Joan Chittister (Mar. 31, hardcover, $20, ISBN 978-0-8041-4094-2). The popular Benedictine nun pens a new inspirational guide for those trekking the uneven terrain between joy and the dark nights of the soul.
Encountering Truth: Meeting God in the Every Day, edited by Antonio Spadaro (June 16, hardcover, $25, ISBN 978-1-101-90301-8), is a collection of highlights from Pope Francis’ morning homilies from March 2013 to May 2014.
InterVarsity
Fool’s Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion by Os Guinness (July 1, hardcover, $23, ISBN 978-0-8308-3699-4). The prolific Christian apologist offers a comprehensive presentation of the art and power of creative persuasion.
Redeeming Sex: Naked Conversations About Sexuality and Spirituality by Debra Hirsch (May 1, paper, $16, ISBN 978-0-8308-3639-0) sketches a holistic, biblical vision of sex and gender that honors God and offers good news to the world.
Jericho
Damaged Goods: New Perspectives on Christian Purity by Dianna E. Anderson (Feb. 10, hardcover, $24, ISBN 978-1-4555-7739-2). A young theologian offers a new look at Christian sexual purity, engaging with bestselling contemporaries Joshua Harris, Don Raunikar, and others.
Jewish Lights
Increasing Wholeness: Jewish Wisdom and Guided Meditations to Strengthen & Calm Body, Heart, Mind & Spirit by Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz (Apr., paper, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-58023-823-6) combines Jewish tradition, contemporary sciences, and world spiritual writings for Jews and non-Jews, for experienced meditators and novices.
Jewish Spiritual Parenting: Wisdom, Activities, Rituals and Prayers for Raising Children with Spiritual Balance and Emotional Wholeness by Rabbi Paul Kipnes (May, paper, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-58023-821-2) enables parents and grandparents to raise spiritually attuned people connected to their tradition and heritage.
Jewish Publication Society
The Heart of the Matter: Studies in Jewish Mysticism and Theology by Rabbi Arthur Green (Apr. 1, hardcover, $45, ISBN 978-0-8276-1213-6) is a collection of Green’s scholarly writings, incorporating the history of early Hasidism and his highly personal approach to a rebirth of Jewish spirituality today.
Koren/Maggid
Covenant and Conversation Leviticus: The Book of Holiness by Jonathan Sacks (Mar. 1, hardcover, $24.95, ISBN 978-1-59264-022-5) features essays on the Torah portions that fuse Jewish tradition, Western philosophy and literature.
Koren/Toby
Open Up the Iron Door: Memoirs of a Soviet Jewry Activist by Rabbi Avi Weiss (Mar. 15, hardcover, $24.95, ISBN 978-1-59264-385-1). Spurred by a philosophy of spiritual activism, the author chronicles the grassroots struggle to liberate the Prisoners of Zion—refuseniks from the Soviet Union.
Kregel
Letters from My Father’s Murderer: A Journey of Forgiveness by Laurie Coombs (June 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4229-2) is the true story of how newfound faith called the author to forgive her father’s murderer.
Take My Hand Again: A Faith-Based Guide for Helping Aging Parents by Nancy Brummett (Apr. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4371-8) provides information and scripture for adult children caring for or finding care options for parents.
Library of America
Reinhold Niebuhr: Major Works on Religion and Politics by Reinhold Niebuhr, edited by Elisabeth Sifton (Apr. 9, hardcover, $40, ISBN 978-1-59853-375-0), is a definitive collection of writings by the theologian and public intellectual who was the conscience of the American Century.
Ligouri
The Catholic Drinkie’s Guide to Home-Brewed Evangelism by Sarah Vabulas (June, paper, $19.99, ISBN 978-0-7648-2579-8) is a faith-filled discourse on the eclectic history of alcohol and the church that includes recipes from the blogger-author.
Vices and Virtues: Knowing, Accepting, and Understanding Yourself by Alejandro Ortega Trillo (Mar., paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-7648-2608-5) is a self-help guide to conquering vices and controlling virtues from an authority in moral behavior.
Lion
Sacred in the City: Seeing the Spiritual in the Everyday by Margaret Silf (Apr. 1, paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-0-7459-5698-5) takes the reader through seven cityscapes, showing how to encounter the spiritual anywhere.
Little, Brown
Anchor and Flares: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hope, and Service by Kate Braestrup (July 14, hardcover, $26, ISBN 978-0-316-37378-4). Memoirist Braestrup examines the twinned emotions of faith and fear, inspired by the families she meets as a chaplain and by her son’s journey toward purpose and familyhood. 35,000-copy announced first printing.
Loyola
Walking with Jesus: A Way Forward for the Church by Pope Francis (Apr., hardcover, $22.95, ISBN 978-0-8294-4248-9; paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-0-8294-4254-0) urges people to make Jesus central in their individual lives and in the life of the church, ultimately walking with him at all times and in all places. 50,000 first printing.
MennoMedia
Called to Be Amish by Marlene Miller (Feb., paper, $13, ISBN 978-0-8361-9911-6). Fewer than 100 people have joined the Old Order Amish—and stayed—since 1950, and this memoir tells one woman’s story of joining the Amish some 46 years ago.
Moody
He Will Be the Preacher: The Story of God’s Providence in My Life by Erwin W. Lutzer (May 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8024-1306-2). From farm boy in Canada to senior pastor of one of the most influential pulpits in America, Moody Church pastor Lutzer relates his faith journey in this memoir.
Morehouse
Letters from the Farm: A Simple Path for a Deeper Spiritual Life by Becca Stevens (June, paper, $18, ISBN 978-0-8192-3175-8). The founder of Thistle Farms passes along a tradition of a priesthood that is grounded in the idea that love heals and healing is the central sacrament of the church.
My Church Is Not Dying: Episcopalians in the 21st Century by Greg Garrett (Apr., paper, $14, ISBN 978-0-8192-2934-2) reminds Episcopalians of the many gifts that the tradition can offer a doubting and hurting world.
Multnomah
It’s Good to Be Queen: Becoming as Bold, Gracious, and Wise as the Queen of Sheba by Liz Curtis Higgs (July 21, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-4000-7003-9) offers biblical wisdom for modern women who aspire to please the king of kings through examining the life of the queen of Sheba.
Possible: A Blueprint for Changing How We Change the World by Stephan Bauman (Feb. 17, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-1-60142-582-9) teaches how individuals and churches can take a wiser and more creative approach to bringing about lasting change on issues of poverty, injustice, and oppression.
NavPress
Speak, Lord: Hearing Psalms in the First Person by Vic Black (July 1, paper, $12.99, ISBN 978-1-63146-370-9) provides psalms rewritten in the first person, words of reflection, writing prompts, and devotional thoughts to encourage engagement in the biblical Psalms.
NavPress/Th1nk
Unashamed: Overcoming the Sins No Girl Wants to Talk About by Jessie Minassian (June 1, paper, $13.99, ISBN 978-1-61291-628-6). With daring and a touch of humor, the author breaks the silence about secret practices girls often hide, including cutting, drinking, and anorexia.
Norton
Strong as Death Is Love: Song of Songs, Ruth, Esther, Jonah, and Daniel: A Translation with Commentary by Robert Alter (Mar., hardcover, $29.95, ISBN 978-0-393-24304-8) continues Alter’s ambitious translation project.
The Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling by Carole Satyamurti (Mar., hardcover, $39.95, ISBN 978-0-393-08175-6). A modern retelling of the famous Sanskrit poem evokes world myth, passion, and warfare, while exploring eternal questions of duty, love, and spiritual freedom.
Oneworld
Men in Charge? Rethinking Authority in Muslim Legal Tradition, edited by Ziba Mir-Hosseini, Mulki Al-Sharmani, and Jana Rumminger (Mar. 17, paper, $25, ISBN 978-1-78074-716-3), challenges two central tenets of Islamic religious law that place women under male authority, using feminist research into gender discrimination.
Orbis
Morning Homilies by Pope Francis (Apr., paper, $18, ISBN 978-1-62698-111-9). The pope reflects on the Gospel passages from his daily morning Masses at the Vatican.
Abounding in Kindness: Writings for the People of God by Elizabeth A. Johnson (Mar., paper, $24, ISBN 978-1-62698-113-3). From the eminent Catholic theologian comes an address to the wider People of God, providing an overview of her work in bringing fresh perspectives on the Christian faith.
Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and Justice of God by Kelly Brown Douglas (May, paper, $24, ISBN 978-1-62698-109-6) examines the myths and narratives underlying a “stand-your-ground” culture, reckoning with the social and theological questions raised.
Oxford Univ.
After the Wrath of God: AIDS, Sexuality, and American Religion by Anthony M. Petro (July 1, hardcover, $29.95, ISBN 978-0-19-939128-8) narrates the religious history of AIDS in America, encompassing the range of mainline Protestant, evangelical, and Catholic groups that shaped public discussions of AIDS prevention and care in the U.S.
Virgin Nation: Sexual Purity and American Adolescence by Sara Moslener (July 1, hardcover, $29.95, ISBN 978-0-19-998776-4) offers a history of the sexual purity movement that goes beyond the religious right, demonstrating a link between such rhetoric and fears of national decline that has shaped American ideas about morality since the 19th century.
Paulist Press
Pope Francis’ Revolution of Tenderness and Love: Theological Roots and Pastoral Perspectives by Cardinal Walter Kasper (Mar., hardcover, $16.95, ISBN 978-0-8091-0623-3) outlines the influences that have led Kasper to call Francis a pope leading a radical revolution of tenderness and love.
Family and Life: Pastoral Teachings 1999–2013 by Pope Francis (May, paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-0-8091-4946-9) includes 13 documents dealing with matrimony, family, and life that Pope Francis, as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, used for teaching when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires.
Penguin Classics
The Life of the Buddha by Tenzin Chögyel, trans. and intro. by Kurtis R. Schaeffer (Feb. 24, paper, $15, ISBN 978-0-14-310720-0), offers a blueprint for a life of mindfulness, dedicated to the easing of suffering both for oneself and for others.
Penguin Press
The Religion of Democracy: Seven Liberals and the American Moral Tradition by Amy Kittelstrom (Apr. 21, hardcover, $32.95, ISBN 978-1-59420-485-2) narrates a history of religion’s role in the American liberal tradition through the eyes of seven transformative thinkers.
Polebridge
The Real Paul: Recovering His Radical Challenge by Bernard Brandon Scott (Mar. 19, paper, $27, ISBN 978-1-59815-154-1) attacks the Augustinian-Lutheran reading of Paul and his letters on three key points: Paul was called, his concern was with the nations, and he addresses particular situations, not human universals.
Princeton Univ.
Human Nature & Jewish Thought: Judaism’s Case for Why Persons Matter by Alan L. Mittleman (Apr. 26, hardcover, $27.95, ISBN 978-0-691-14947-9) shows how the Jewish tradition provides rich ways of understanding human nature and personhood in a world of neuroscience, evolutionary biology, biotechnology, and pervasive scientism.
Prometheus Books
Voltaire’s Revolution: Writings from His Campaign to Free Laws from Religion, edited by G.K. Noyer (July 14, paper, $21, ISBN 978-1-63388-038-2). Key writings of Voltaire in defense of free thought, mostly from his pamphleteering campaigns, are compiled in this new edition, many translated into English for the first time.
Red Wheel/Weiser
The Healing I Took Birth For: Practicing the Art of Compassion by Ondrea Levine and Stephen Levine (May 1, paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-1-57863-563-4) details Ondrea Levine’s work with death and the dying in the face of her own medical prognosis.
Regnery
Finding Peter: A True Story of the Hand of Providence and Evidence of Life after Death by William Peter Blatty (Mar. 30, hardcover, $27.99, ISBN 978-1-62157-332-6). The author and Oscar award–winning screenwriter of The Exorcist relates the true story of how he came to believe in life after death. 100,000-copy announced first printing.
Revell
You’re Loved No Matter What: Freeing Your Heart from the Need to Be Perfect by Holley Gerth (Mar., paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8007-2290-6) helps women lay down unrealistic expectations so they can embrace God and God’s purpose for their lives.
It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who You Are: Life Lessons from Winners by Pat Williams (Feb., hardcover, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-8007-2277-7) draws from Williams’s 50 years of brushing shoulders with the greats to offer readers motivation to do their best.
Riverhead
Encounters with Jesus: Unexpected Answers to Life’s Biggest Questions by Timothy Keller (Mar. 3, paper, $15, ISBN 978-1-59463-353-9) shows how the central events and meetings in Jesus’ life can change people’s lives today.
Rowman & Littlefield
Mythologizing Jesus: From Jewish Teacher to Epic Hero by Dennis R. MacDonald (May, hardcover, $34, ISBN 978-0-7425-5891-5) shows how the stories told in the Gospels parallel many in Greek and Roman epics to compel their readers into life-changing decisions to follow Jesus.
Schocken
Bewilderments: Reflections on the Book of Numbers by Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg (Feb. 24, hardcover, $28.95, ISBN 978-0-8052-4304-8) is the third in Zornberg’s award-winning series of commentaries on the Hebrew Bible.
Servant
Created to Relate: God’s Design for Peace and Joy by Kelly M. Wahlquist (Mar. 13, paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-1-61636-876-0) provides practical tips for staying focused in the midst of the distractions and building life-giving connections.
Shambhala
The Heart of Unconditional Love: A Powerful New Approach to Loving-Kindness Meditation by Tulku Thondup (Mar. 31, paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-1-61180-235-1). The Tibetan Buddhist teacher gives detailed guidance for loving-kindness meditation, prayers, and visualization in four simple stages that can be practiced in as little as 30 minutes, a new approach distilled from the author’s lifelong study and practice.
Make Peace Before the Sun Goes Down: The Long Encounter of Thomas Merton and His Abbot, James Fox by Roger Lipsey (May 19, paper, $18.95, ISBN 978-1-61180-225-2). An esteemed Merton scholar offers a fascinating account of Thomas Merton’s conflicted relationship with his abbot, Dom James Fox.
Simon & Schuster
God’s Bankers: A History of Money and Power at the Vatican by Gerald Posner (Feb. 3, hardcover, $32, ISBN 978-1-4165-7657-0) investigates the political intrigue and inner workings of the Catholic Church, examining the church’s accumulation of wealth and its byzantine entanglements with financial markets across the world.
Skyhorse
The Wisdom of Pope Francis, edited by David Birch (Mar. 3, hardcover, $12.99, ISBN 978-1-63220-351-9), is a collection of wisdom from the Catholic pontiff, gathered from his speeches, homilies, sermons, and more.
SkyLight Paths
Teaching—The Sacred Art: The Joy of Opening Minds & Hearts by Rev. Jane E. Vennard (Apr., paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-59473-585-1) explores many ways to uncover the wonder and joy of teaching and learning in all areas of life.
There’s a Woman in the Pulpit: Christian Clergywomen Share Their Hard Days, Holy Moments & the Healing Power of Humor by Martha Spong (Apr., paper, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-59473-588-2) collects stories and prayers on the work of the church from the unique perspective of Christian clergywomen from the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
Snow Lion
Always Present: The Luminous Wisdom of Jigme Phuntsok, edited by Khenpo Sodargye (Apr. 28, paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-1-55939-450-5), offers personal teachings on the Buddhist path by an influential Tibetan lama of the 20th century.
Sounds True
Make Me One with Everything: Buddhist Meditations to Awaken from the Illusion of Separation by Lama Surya Das (May 1, paper, $17.95, ISBN 978-1-62203-412-3) is based on Tibetan Buddhism’s core insights, offering teachings of shared spirituality that will show both new and experienced meditators a better way to live, not just on the meditation cushion or the yoga mat, but in every moment of life.
St. Martin’s
The Jesus Code: Six Relics That Tell the Remarkable True Story of the Gospels by David Gibson and Michael McKinley (Feb. 24, hardcover, $26.99, ISBN 978-1-250-06910-8) is a companion book to CNN’s six-night, six-hour prime-time television series that takes viewers on a forensic and archeological journey through the Bible.
Thomas Nelson
Be the Best Mom You Can Be: A Practical Guide to Raising Whole Children in a Broken Generation by Marina and Gregory W. Slayton (Apr. 14, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-0-7180-2214-3) uses humor, empathy, common sense, and straight talk to promote mothering.
Life Is _____: God’s Illogical Love Will Change Your Existence by Judah Smith (Mar. 3, paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-4002-0477-9) invites readers to ask the age-old question “What is life?” and points to scripture to find human purpose.
Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church by Rachel Held Evans (Apr. 14, paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-7180-2212-9) takes readers through a liturgical year with stories about baptism, communion, confirmation, confession, marriage, vocation, and death that are funny, heartbreaking, and sharply honest.
Time
The Francis Miracle: Inside the Transformation of the Pope and the Church by John L. Allen (Mar. 3, hardcover, $27, ISBN 978-1-61893-131-3). One of the most respected journalists covering the Catholic Church today describes the inner workings of the Vatican to bare the vast machinery and the man at the helm. 80,000-copy announced first printing.
Tyndale
Counter Culture: A Compassionate Call to Counter Culture in a World of Poverty, Same-Sex Marriage, Racism, Sex Slavery, Immigration, Abortion, Persecution, Orphans and Pornography by David Platt (Feb. 3, hardcover, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-4143-7329-4) challenges Christians to compassionately engage with social issues.
Nobody’s Cuter than You: A Memoir About the Beauty of Friendship by Melanie Shankle (Apr. 8, paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-1-4143-9748-1) looks at the special bond that exists between friends and examines the influence friends have on who we were, are, and will become.
Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me About Life, Loss, and Grace by Dave Burchett (Feb. 24, hardcover, $17.99, ISBN 978-1-4143-9793-1) is a heartwarming tale of a dog who knew how to live... and showed her owner how.
Univ. of North Carolina
What Is a Madrasa? by Ebrahim Moosa (Apr. 10, hardcover, $28, ISBN 978-1-4696-2013-8) goes inside the world of the madrasa—the most common type of school for religious instruction in the Islamic world—to illuminate orthodox Islam and deeply felt needs of traditional Muslims.
Who Is Allah? by Bruce B. Lawrence (Apr. 10, hardcover, $25, ISBN 978-1-4696-2003-9) offers a unique approach to understanding Allah, drawing on history, culture, theology, politics, and the media.
Univ. of Oklahoma
Moroni and the Swastika: Mormons in Nazi Germany by David Conley Nelson (Feb. 1, hardcover, $29.95, ISBN 978-0-8061-4668-3) is the first full account of how Mormons avoided Nazi persecution through skilled collaboration with Hitler’s regime and then eschewed postwar shame by constructing an alternative history of wartime suffering and resistance.
Univ. of Pennsylvania
A Traveling Homeland: The Babylonian Talmud as Diaspora by Daniel Boyarin (June 12, hardcover, $24.95, ISBN 978-0-8122-4724-4) makes the case that the Babylonian Talmud is a diasporist manifesto that produces and defines the practices that constitute Jewish diasporic identity.
Urim
Gender Equality and Prayer in Jewish Law by Rabbi Ethan Tucker and Rabbi Micha’el Rosenberg (May 1, hardcover, $24.95, ISBN 978-965-524-198-3) explores the wealth of Jewish legal material surrounding gender and prayer.
Viking
The Future of the Catholic Church with Pope Francis by Garry Wills (Mar. 10, hardcover, $27.95, ISBN 978-0-525-42696-7) considers a pressing question in modern religion: will Pope Francis embrace change? Historian Wills considers the lessons Pope Francis seems to have learned.
Viva
Earth Blessings: Prayers, Poems and Meditations, edited by June Cotner (Apr. 14, paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-1-63228-023-7), is a collection of poems and prayers for the planet written by modern writers and those from ancient cultures.
Waterbrook
I Tried Until I Almost Died: From Anxiety and Frustration to Rest and Relaxation by Sandra McCollom (Mar. 3, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-60142-577-5). The author presents her transformational journey into grace and shows readers how to experience the freedom that comes in exchanging self-efforts for the power of God.
Westminster John Knox
Change of Heart: Justice, Mercy, and Making Peace with My Sister’s Killer by Jeanne Bishop (Mar., hardcover, $16, ISBN 978-0-664-25997-6). After the murder of her sister, Bishop unexpectedly found herself compelled by her faith to seek reconciliation with the killer.
Permission Granted: Take the Bible into Your Own Hands by Jennifer Grace Bird (Apr., paper, $16, ISBN 978-0-664-26040-8) encourages people of faith to explore sacred texts on their own, freed from long-held myths and misconceptions, in order to appreciate this holy book for what it is.
Whitaker House
Passionate Pursuit by James W. Goll (Feb., paper, $15.99 ISBN 978-1-62911-277-0) shows how to move beyond clichés into knowing God’s heart through intentional, ongoing spiritual disciplines.
Wisdom
A New Buddhist Path: Enlightenment, Evolution, and Ethics in the Modern World by David R. Loy (Feb., paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-1-61429-002-5) addresses the most pressing issues of Buddhist philosophy today and investigates the intersection of Buddhism and secular society.
The Way of Tenderness: Awakening Through Race, Sexuality and Gender by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel (Feb., paper, $15.95, ISBN 978-1-61429-125-1) brings Buddhist philosophies of emptiness and appearance to bear on race, sexuality, and gender, to reframe understandings of identity and privilege.
World Wisdom
To Have a Center: A New Translation with Selected Letters by Frithjof Schuon (July, paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-1-936597-44-4) offers guidance on modern dilemmas such as genius, intelligence, character, and prayer in 14 retranslated essays.
Yale Univ.
Kabbalah: A Neurocognitive Approach to Mystical Experiences by Shahar Arzy and Moshe Idel (June 30, hardcover, $50, ISBN 978-0-300-15236-4). Idel, an eminent scholar of Jewish mysticism and thought, and cognitive neuroscientist and neurologist Shahar Arzy combine expertise to explore the mysteries of the Kabbalah from an entirely new perspective: that of the human brain.
Spiritual Defiance: Building a Beloved Community of Resistance by Robin Meyers (Apr. 28, hardcover, $26, ISBN 978-0-300-20352-3) casts the nature of faith as a force that stands against everything that engenders death and indignity, and invites to recover the Jesus Movement as a Beloved Community of Resistance.
Zondervan
The Case for Grace: A Journalist Explores the Evidence of Transformed Lives by Lee Strobel (Feb. 24, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-0-310-25917-6) presents true stories of lives that have been revolutionized and renewed by God’s grace, including never-before-told details of Strobel’s own journey of transformation.
The Mother and Child Project: Raising Our Voices for Health and Hope, edited by Melinda Gates with Christine Caine (Mar. 31, paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-310-34161-1), provides a personal yet fact-based narrative exploring the plight of women and children living in extreme poverty, in an effort to educate and inspire the church to speak up in support of maternal and child health issues in the developing world.
Children’s
Barbour
Know Your Bible for Kids: All About Jesus by Donna K. Maltese (Apr. 1, paper, $4.99, ISBN 978-1-63058-852-6). Age-appropriate text explains Jesus’s story. Each chapter includes key verses and a “What Does That Mean?” section for personal application.
Know Your Bible for Kids: Noah’s Ark: My First Bible Reference for 5–8 Year Olds by Ed Strauss (June 1, paper, $4.99, ISBN 978-1-63058-913-4) describes life in Noah’s time, how the ark was built, how the animals rode out the storm, and what happened after the flood.
Candle
My Very First Bible by Juliet David, illus. by Helen Prole (Apr. 27, paper, $4.99, ISBN 978-1-78128-169-7), features text edited for younger ages, illustrations, and scripture references.
Eerdmans
Just for Today by St. John XXIII, illus. by Bimba Landmann (Apr. 27, hardcover, $16, ISBN 978-0-8028-5461-2). The newly canonized saint’s daily decalogue for living provides a reminder of how to make the most of each day.
Hachai
Bracha—Do You Know? A Lift-the- Flap Book by Ariella Stern (Feb., hardcover, $9.95, ISBN 978-1-929628-76-6). Rhyming riddles pose questions about Jewish blessings on food, with answers under the flaps.
If I Went to the Moon by Sara Blau (Mar., hardcover, $12.95, ISBN 978-1-929628-80-3). A boy prepares for an imaginary space journey by packing all the traditional Jewish objects he needs to do mitzvot on the moon.
Holiday House
The Story of Passover by David A. Adler, illus. by Jill Weber (Feb., paper, $6.99, ISBN 978-0-8234-3304-9). The miraculous story of how Moses was saved as an infant and grew up to lead his people out of slavery unfolds in text with acrylic paintings.
KAR-BEN
And Then Another Sheep Turned Up by Laura Gehl, illus. by Amy Adele (Feb. 1, hardcover, $17.95, ISBN 978-1-4677-1188-3). As the sheep family’s Passover seder begins, more and more guests show up.
Jodie’s Shabbat Surprise by Anna Levine, illus. by Ksenia Topaz (May 1, hardcover, $17.95, ISBN 978-1-4677-3465-3). A Shabbat walk leads to a perfect birthday gift for her father in Jodie’s latest adventure.
Joey and the Giant Box by Deborah Lakritz, illus. by Mike Byrne (May 1, hardcover, $17.95, ISBN 978-1-4677-1953-7). One child’s love of collecting becomes an opportunity to do a mitzvah for his whole school.
Kregel
Andrea Carter’s Tales from the Circle C Ranch by Susan K. Marlow (Mar. 1, paper, $7.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4379-4) is a collection of short stories set in northern California during the 1880s.
Lion
Missing Jack by Rebecca Elliott (Apr. 1, hardcover, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-7459-6502-4) addresses the difficult subject of a child’s first experience of a pet’s death.
Saint Francis: The Good Man of Assisi by Mary Joslin and Alison Wisenfeld (Apr. 1, hardcover, $9.99, ISBN 978-0-7459-6492-8) retells the story of St. Francis.
Tommy Nelson
Duck Commander Devotions for Kids by Korie Robertson and Chrys Howard (Feb., hardcover, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-7180-2249-5) collects inspirational messages, scripture passages, prayers, and stories about the Robertson family of Duck Dynasty.
Tyndale
Snuggle Time Devotions That End with a Hug! by Stephen Elkins (Feb. 1, hardcover, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-4143-9948-5) is an interactive illustrated book of 52 devotions to help children to spend time with God and bond with loved ones.
Worthy/Ideals
God Made You Special! by Greg Fritz, illus. by Lisa Reed (Feb. 1, board book, $7.99, ISBN 978-0-8249-1947-4). Veggie Tales figures Bob and Larry and their friends spread the message that God made each of us special.
WorthyKids
Noah’s Ark: A Lesson in Trusting God by Veggietales (Mar. 1, paper, $6.99, ISBN 978-1-61795-550-1). Based on the 2015 VeggieTales video Noah’s Ark, this retelling of the Bible story shares the message of trust in God’s plans and promises; includes a three-song music CD.
Zonderkidz
Bunny’s First Spring by Sally Lloyd-Jones, illus. by David McPhail (Feb. 3, hardcover, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-310-73386-7) celebrates the Easter season and rebirth through the story of one young rabbit’s discovery of life, death, and nature’s miraculous transformation.
Only God Can Make a Kitten by Rhonda Gowler Greene, illus. by Laura J. Bryant (Feb. 3, hardcover, $12.99, ISBN 978-0-310-73170-2), follows a rhyming conversation between a mother and child as the child asks, “Mama, who made...?”
Prayers That Changed History: From Christopher Columbus to Helen Keller, How God Used 25 People to Change the World by Tricia Goyer (July 21, paper, $12.99, ISBN 978-0310-74801-4). This collection highlights 30 historical figures whose lives were changed by the power of prayer.
