The religion and spirituality category is no stranger to books about guilt and shame, but this season it’s an especially hot topic, with three new titles on the subject hitting bookstores between May and June—and they’re each titled Unashamed.
Unashamed
Using her experience as a biblical counselor, Nelson reveals what the Bible says about guilt and shame in order to redirect readers’ attention to God. She refers to the research of author Brené Brown, whose TED talk on shame has racked up over 6 million views, throughout the book while also sharing personal stories and accounts from other Christians, encouraging readers to find hope and healing through church communities. “The church is a place where we find joy in our rescue and hope in the love poured out in our hearts… Therefore it is a place where shame cannot thrive,” she writes. Unashamed comes with discussion questions as well as appendixes with a self-evaluation tool for disordered eating and other symptoms of shame.
Unashamed: Drop the Baggage, Pick Up Your Freedom, Fulfill Your Destiny
Caine, a popular Australian author, shares her story of abandonment, adoption, abuse, and feelings of worthlessness. The book also describes other women’s struggles with shame, from Biblical times to the present, and details how each person found healing in the teachings of Jesus Christ. “Breaking free from the shackles of shame is not an overnight experience or a quick-fix,” Caine writes. “It is, however, a grand, ongoing adventure of discovering the depths of God’s love.” Unashamed, which is aimed squarely at women, debuted at #6 on PW’s Hardcover Nonfiction list and has sold just shy of 12,000 print copies since its release, according to Nielsen BookScan.
Unashamed
Two-time Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist Lecrae Moore provides a detailed account of the redemptive qualities faith has in the face of shame. Unashamed also covers Moore’s troubled past, his route to faith, and the challenges of being both a Christian and a hip-hop star. “If you live for people’s acceptance, you’ll die from their rejection,” Moore writes. “This belief has made it possible to keep doing what I do and keep being who I am, unashamed.” The book debuted at #4 on PW’s Hardcover Nonfiction list and has sold 18k print copies according to Nielsen BookScan.
