September will see the release of Templeton Prize winner Jonathan Sacks’ latest book, Deepak Chopra and Kim Snyder’s study of health and spirituality, and a faith-filled cookbook/memoir by the wife of NBA star Stephen Curry, among many more books in the religion and spirituality category.
Nonfiction
Sept. 1
Theologian of Resistance: The Life and Thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Christiane Tietz, trans. by Victoria J. Barnett (Fortress, $23.99, ISBN 978-1-506408-44-6). This biography follows anti-Nazi dissident Bonhoeffer’s life and thoughts, from childhood to imprisonment in a concentration camp and subsequent execution.
The Science of Enlightenment: How Meditation Works by Shinzen Young (Sounds True, $21.95, ISBN 978-1-591794-60-8). Young argues that readers can use mindfulness meditation to enhance cognitive capacities and compassion, and experience happiness no matter the conditions around them.
Rosicrucian Trilogy: Modern Translations of the Three Founding Documents, trans. by Joscelyn Godwin, Christopher McIntosh, and Donate Pahnke McIntosh (Red Wheel/Weiser, $22.95 paper, ISBN 978-1-578636-03-7). These new translations of Fama Fraternitatis (1614), Confessio Fraternitatis (1615), and The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreuz (1616) explain the historical context of the Rosicrucian Order and its origins.
Sept. 6
Everything Is Possible by Jen Bricker, with Sheryl Berk (Baker, $, ISBN 978-0-8010-1930-) Bricker, a world-glass aerial gymnast who was born without legs, tells her story of determination and faith.
God vs. Religion: 10 Reasons to Break Free from the Bondage of Religious Tradition by Creflo Dollar (FaithWords, $14.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-4555-7732-3). This book attempts to redirect readers back to the church, making a case for the meaningful relationship with God that can be found there.
Chase the Lion: If Your Dream Doesn’t Scare You, It’s Too Small by Mark Batterson (Multnomah, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-601428-85-1). Batterson challenges readers to go after their dreams in order to become a betterperson and make the world a better place.
Dropping the Struggle: Seven Ways to Love the Life You Have by Roger Housden (New World Library, $19.95, ISBN 978-1-608684-06-9) addresses the anxiety and stress that comes from judgement, comparison, and discontentment.
God Is in the House: Congressional Testimonies of Faith by Virginia Foxx (Shadow Mountain, $17.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-62972-237-5) features essays written by members of both congressional parties on how faith is used in leadership, voting, and responding to our nation’s crises.
Sept. 8
For the Love of the Gods: The History and Modern Practice of Theurgy by Brandy Williams (Llewellyn, $21.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-738744-69-8) includes imagined dialogues between Western philosophers and their students, and hands-on instructions for theurgic practices.
Sept. 12
The Market as God by Harvey Cox (Harvard Univ., $26.95, ISBN 978-0-674659-68-1). Cox argues that the world economy can be understood as a religion complete with its own doctrines, prophets, and evangelical zeal.
Sept. 13
The Miracle Myth: Why Belief in the Resurrection and the Supernatural Is Unjustified by Lawrence Shapiro (Columbia Univ., $27.95, ISBN 978-0-231178-40-2). Shapiro breaks down mythmaking strategies to show how attempts to justify belief in the supernatural fall short.
Getting Religion by Kenneth L. Woodward (Convergent Books, $40; ISBN 978-1-101-90739-9). Part memoir and part historical analysis, Woodward looks at how religion became a point of contention in 21st century public life. 75,000 copies.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson (HarperOne, $24.99; ISBN 978-0-06-245771-4) argues that finding happiness depends not on positive thinking, but on facing fears, faults, and uncertainties. 60,000 copies.
The Awakening of H.K. Derryberry by Jim Bradford with Andy Hardin (W Publishing Group, $24.99; ISBN 978-0-7180-7999-4) tells the story of a disabled child with a rare ability, Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM), which allows him to remember everything that has ever happened to him from the age of three.
Sept. 15
Essays on Ethics by Jonathan Sacks (Koren, $24.95, ISBN 978-1-59264-449-0). Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the 2016 Templeton Prize recipient, makes a case for why the Hebrew Bible holds clues for what morality should look like in the Western world.
Sept. 20
The Seasoned Life: Food, Family, Faith, and the Joy of Eating Well by Ayesha Curry (Little, Brown, $27; ISBN 978-0-316-31633-0). The wife of NBA star Stephen Curry shares 100 of her favorite recipes as well as suggestions for bringing the whole family to the table. 100,000 copies.
Radical Beauty by Deepak Chopra, M.D., and Kimberly Snyder (Harmony, $26.99; ISBN 978-1-101-90601-9) features six pillars of healthy living that focus on internal and external nourishment, sleep, living naturally, avoiding excessive stress, and better understanding the relationship between emotions and inflammatory foods. 100,000 copies.
Making Sense of God by Timothy Keller (Viking, $27, ISBN 978-0-5259-5415-6). Keller, a pastor, addresses the place of Christianity within an increasingly secularized world, arguing that Jesus’s teachings are still essential for finding meaning, satisfaction, freedom, identity, justice, and hope.
Great Catholic Parishes: A Living Mosaic by William E. Simon Jr. (Ave Maria, $18.95 paper, ISBN 978-1-59471-417-7) looks at insights gained from a study of 244 parishes to show what makes them successful.
Caring for Creation: The Evangelical’s Guide to Climate Change and a Healthy Environment by Mitch Hescox and Paul Douglas (Bethany House, $14.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-7642-1865-1). A meteorologist and a pastor explore the climate debate and share ways evangelicals can take the lead in stewarding God’s creation.
Tired of Apologizing for a Church I Don’t Belong To: Spirituality Without Stereotypes, Religion Without Ranting by Lillian Daniel (FaithWords, $22, ISBN 978-1-4555-9589-1). Daniel makes observations about how Christianity is talked about today while making a case for why the church must adapt to present-day changes.
Sept. 27
Very Married: Field Notes on Love and Fidelity by Katherine Pershey (Herald, $15.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-513800-17-2) explores modern marriage, looking beyond simply being faithful as a means to living happily ever after.
He Knows Your Name: How One Abandoned Baby Inspired Me to Say Yes to God by Linda Znachko (Kregel, $14.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-8254-4404-3) tells the story of an encounter with a nameless dead baby that led to a ministry for children.
American Prophets: Seven Religious Radicals and Their Struggle for Social and Political Justice by Albert J. Raboteau (Princeton Univ., $29.95, ISBN 978-0-691-16430-4) looks at seven Americans, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., and the roots of their prophetic social activism.
Sept. 28
Catholic Women Confront Their Church by Celia Viggo Wexler (Rowman & Littlefield, $, ISBN 978-1-4422-5413-8) Journalist Wexler offers nine profiles of women who have struggled with their Catholic faith in light of the church’s approach to women.
Sept. 30
Parenting: The 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul David Tripp (Crossway, $22.99, ISBN 978-1-4335-5193-2). Tripp sets forth 14 gospel-centered principles that aim to change how parents view their role.
Fiction
Sept. 1
The Hawaiian Quilt by Wanda E. and Jean Brunstetter (Shiloh Run, $14.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-634092-24-1) follows the adventures of Mandy Frey and her friends who leave Amish country for a trip of a lifetime in Hawaii only to wind up stranded on Kauai after missing their ship.
Sept. 6
A Love Transformed by Tracie Peterson (Bethany House, $14.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-764213-26-7). Grief-stricken and broke, a mother of two returns to her uncle’s ranch in Montana to find happiness again.
This Road We Traveled by Jane Kirkpatrick (Revell, $14.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-800722-33-3). Tabitha Brown’s son makes the fateful decision to strike out for Oregon from Missouri in the mid-19th century, and, despite his concerns, Tabitha hires her own wagon and joins him. Based on true events.
The Wish by Beverly Lewis (Bethany House Publishers, $15.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-7642-1249-9) follows the enduring friendship between Leona Speicher and Gloria Gingerich, who leaves the Plain community. 114,000 copies.
Sept. 27
Christmas at Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard (Kensington/Zebra, $7.99, ISBN 978-1-420139-43-3). Three Amish sisters get a fresh start on the new colony of Promise Lodge.
