In her first book, Christianity Today’s managing editor Katelyn Beaty calls women to work in A Woman’s Place. Also among the big religion and spirituality books publishing in July is the movie tie-in to the remake of Ben-Hur, written by Lew Wallace’s great-great-granddaughter.
Nonfiction
July 1
A Ceremony Called Life by Tehya Sky (Sounds True, $16.95 paper; ISBN 978-1-6220-3713-1) encourages readers to being a greater sense of purpose and connection to ordinary moments.
Bipolar Faith: A Black Woman's Journey with Depression and Faith by Monica A. Coleman (Fortress, $26.99; ISBN 978-1-5064-0859-0) is part spiritual biography and part memoir on the struggles of living with bipolar disorder.
How Would Buddha Think? by Barbara Kipfer (New Harbinger, $16.95 paper; ISBN 978-1-6262-5315-5) is a modern guide to the Buddhist teaching of Right Intention—the belief that our intentions drive our actions.
The Wired Soul: Finding Spiritual Balance in a Hyperconnected Age by Tricia Rhodes (NavPress, $14.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-6314-6512-3) combats the digital distractions of today by reintroducing classic practices for growing in faith, including reading the Bible, meditating, and praying.
July 12
Walking with Plato by Gary Hayden (OneWorld, $19.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-780746-56-2). Recalling Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s reverie, Bertrand Russell’s misery, Epicurus’s joy in simplicity, and Henry David Thoreau’s love of the wilderness, Hayden offers a breath of fresh, country air for anyone craving an escape from everyday life.
Relig-ish: Soulful Living in a Spiritual-But-Not-Religious World by Rachelle Mee-Chapman (Chalice, $14.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-8272-0302-0). Geared toward the spiritual-but-not-religious reader, this book is a guide to choosing a religion outside of ordained ministries.
The Four Questions by Katie Byron (TarcherPerigee, $16, ISBN 978-0-3991-7424-7) is written for children and adults alike and features a modern retelling of the classic folk tale Chicken Little.
July 13
Four Testaments by Brian Brown (Rowman & Littlefield, $55; ISBN 978-1-4422-6577-6) is an introduction to four foundational texts from world religions—the Tao Te Ching, Dhammapada, Analects of Confucius, and Bhagavad Gita— that helps readers explore possible points of connection and divergence, and to better understand people who practice these traditions.
July 19
Mormonism for Beginners by Stephen Carter, illus. by Jett Atwood (For Beginners, $15.95 paper, ISBN 978-1-939994-52-3). An introduction to the history, tenets, practices, traditions, debates, and controversies of Mormonism.
Ben Hur Collector’s Edition: A Tale of the Christ by Carol Wallace (Tyndale, $25.99; ISBN 978-1-4964-1107-5). This new take on Lew Wallace’s classic was written by his great-great-granddaughter, and it serves as the book tie-in to the film Ben-Hur, in theaters in August.
A Woman's Place by Katelyn Beaty (Howard, $22.99; ISBN 978-1-4767-9409-9) analyzes Christian women’s views of work, in and outside the home, and calls churches and peers to offer more support to working women.
You Are Not Alone: Hope for Hurting Parents of Troubled Kids by Dena Yohe (WaterBrook, $15.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-6014-2837-0) offers words of encouragement, advice, prayers, and exercises for parents of children dealing with mental illness, depression, bullying, and more.
July 26
Mary in Early Christian Faith and Devotion by Stephen J. Shoemaker (Yale Univ., $38, ISBN 978-0-300217-21-6). Through extensive research, Shoemaker provides background on the appeal of Mary and a study that challenges many conventional beliefs surrounding the subject of the mother of God.
Fiction
July 1
Sarah’s Surrender by Vickie McDonough (Barbour/Shiloh Run, $14.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-628369-53-3). When Sarah Worley rejects Luke McNeil’s proposal to pursue property in the 1901 Oklahoma Territory land lottery, the ranch hand pulls up stakes and goes to get her.
The Promise of Jesse Woods by Chris Fabry (Tyndale, $14.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-4143-8777-2). A childhood promise leads to a dangerous secret that severs the bond between Matt, a pastor’s kid, and Jesse, a tough-as-nails girl.
July 5
The Second Half by Lauraine Snelling (Faithwords, $14.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-4555-8617-2) follows a couple who put their plans for retirement on hold to assume guardianship of their young grandchildren. 50,000-copy announced first printing.
July 12
The Loyal Heart (A Lone Star Hero's Love Story) by Shelley Shepard Gray (Zondervan, $15.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-3103-4539-8). Robert came to Galveston, Texas, to fulfill his promise to a dying man and look after his widow, but finds love instead.
July 19
In America by Nina Romano (Turner Publishing, $17.95 paper; ISBN 978-1-6302-6911-1). Marcella Scimenti comes of age in 1920s Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, amid new friendships, promising suitors, a looming economic depression, and a family secret.
The Witnesses by Robert Whitlow (Thomas Nelson, $15.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-4016-8890-5). Young lawyer Parker House is on the rise—until his grandfather’s mysterious past puts both of their lives in danger.
