As religious tensions flare up around the world, books that attempt to bridge the gap between ways of thinking or offer new takes on seminal religious events have become increasingly popular. This year is also the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, occasioning the release of a slew of books that consider the watershed event from interesting new angles.
Religion & Spirituality Top 10
An Amish Home
Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller, and Ruth Reid. Thomas Nelson, Feb. 7
Over the past few years, Thomas Nelson has released annual collections of four novellas from leading Amish writers. This year’s edition will surely please the many avid fans of Wiseman, Clipston, Fuller, and Reid.
Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile Has Taught Me About God and Life
Sanya Richards-Ross. Zondervan, June 6
Richards-Ross lets readers in on her life and her decorated track career, which includes five Olympic medals.
The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America
Frances FitzGerald. Simon & Schuster, Apr. 4
Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist FitzGerald constructs a narrative history of “the white evangelical movements necessary to understand the Christian right and its evangelical opponents.”
The Face of Water: A Translator on Beauty and Meaning in the Bible
Sarah Ruden. Pantheon, Mar. 28
Interlacing deep scholarship with personal anecdotes and asides, Ruden, acclaimed translator of classical literature, shifts from secular works to the Hebrew and Greek language of the Bible for a close analysis and retranslation of key biblical passages.
The First Love Story: Adam, Eve, and Us
Bruce Feiler. Penguin Press, Mar. 21
Taking the oldest story of romance and giving it a new gloss, Feiler addresses the impact that the first couple, and their complex experiences in and out of Eden, have had on Western society.
Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy
Anne Lamott. Riverhead, Apr. 4
Casting a fresh eye on well-known biblical stories, Lamott attests to the subversive and sustaining power of simple acts of kindness in the face of life’s inevitable devastations.
Lies We Believe About God
Wm. Paul Young. Atria, Mar. 7
From the author of bestselling novel The Shack, this book of Christian theology considers 28 misinterpretations and misunderstandings of God’s word.
Life After
Katie Ganshert. WaterBrook, Apr. 18
Already struggling with her faith, the only survivor of a train bombing in Chicago must find a way forward in this inspiring novel.
Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet
Lyndal Roper. Random House, Mar. 14
Timed to coincide with the anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting of the Ninety-Five Theses, Roper’s biography concentrates on Luther’s early life and his intellectual work over the course of his contentious career.
Protestants: The Faith That Made the Modern World
Alec Ryrie. Viking, Apr. 4
Breaking his history into three phases—reformation, transformation, and globalization—Ryrie, professor of the history of Christianity at Durham University, U.K., tracks Protestantism’s long influence over the evolution of Western society.
Fiction
Abingdon
A Fragile Hope by Cynthia Ruchti (Apr. 4, trade paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-4267-9150-5). Josiah Chamberlain’s life’s work revolves around repairing other people’s marriages. When his own is threatened by his wife’s unexplained distance, he must look deep within himself to find a resolution.
B&H
The Pilgrim's Progress: Read and Reflect with the Classics by John Bunyan (Mar. 1, hardcover, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-4336-4993-6). A Pilgrim’s Progress, written by John Bunyan in 1678, is an allegory on the Christian life. This edition adds thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter.
Barbour
Journey Toward Home by Carol Cox (May 1, trade paper, $9.99, ISBN 978-1-68322-182-1). In this Old West romance, Judith Alder finds herself abandoned on the Santa Fe Trail and in want of a place to call home. Can she trust a motley crew of cowboys from the Double B Ranch?
Bethany House
The Ebb Tide by Beverly Lewis (Apr. 4, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-0-7642-1250-5). When a young Amish woman takes a summer job as a nanny in beautiful Cape May, N.J., she starts to question her future—and her entire way of life.
Invitation by Frank Peretti, Bill Myers, Angela Hunt, and Alton Gansky (Apr. 4, trade paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-7642-1974-0). In this collection of supernatural suspense tales, four strangers discover they have extraordinary gifts and are brought together to fight a growing darkness.
FaithWords
Fatal Mistake by Susan Sleeman (May 9, trade paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-4555-9646-1). An FBI agent must find and protect the sole survivor of an attack by the Lone Wolf Bomber, the only woman who can identify the terrorist bomber, in this romantic suspense novel. 20,000-copy announced first printing.
Kensington/Zebra
Annie’s Recipe by Lisa Jones Baker (Feb. 28, mass market, $7.99, ISBN 978-1-4201-4154-2). A young Amish woman and her childhood friend, whose family was cast out by the church, meet again as adults and fall in love. Can they find a way to be together now that they belong to separate worlds?
Kregel
The Elusive Miss Ellison by Carolyn Miller (Feb. 28, trade paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4450-0). Two lonely hearts in Regency England—a bluestocking minister’s daughter and a handsome earl burdened by guilt—may each have something the other needs, but with society’s opposition, ancestral obligations, and a shocking family secret, there may be too many obstacles in their way.
A Trail of Crumbs by Susie Finkbeiner (Mar. 27, trade paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4446-3). Pearl’s family is fleeing their home in the Oklahoma wasteland after the Dust Bowl, and she isn’t sure she’ll ever see home or happiness again.
Lion Fiction
Alabaster by Chris Aslan (Mar. 27, trade paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-78264-228-2). In this first-century Middle Eastern village, a priceless jar of perfume given to Maryam’s family by a dying leper was meant to bring them freedom but has only brought destruction.
Revell
A Matter of Trust by Susan May Warren (July 4, trade paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8007-2745-1). When a U.S. Senator’s brother goes missing, Gage Watson is tasked with saving him—but the bossy and beautiful young senator wants to come with him.
Sandpiper Cove by Irene Hannon (Apr. 4, trade paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-8007-2768-0). Hope Harbor police chief Lexie Graham has zero time for romance—but the handsome ex-con she enlists to help her with a wayward teen may convince her to make time for love.
S&S/Howard
A Lady in Disguise by Sandra Byrd (Mar. 21, trade paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-1-4767-1793-7). After the mysterious death of her father, Miss Gillian Young takes a new job as the principal costume designer at the renowned Theatre Royal as she seeks the truth about her father’s life and death.
Shiloh Run
Stars in the Grass by Ann Marie Stewart (Feb. 1, trade paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-63409-950-9). In 1970, the idyllic world of nine-year-old Abby McAndrews is transformed when a tragedy tears her family apart.
Thomas Nelson
An Amish Home by Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kathleen Fuller, and Ruth Reid (Feb. 7, trade paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-529-11869-1) is a beautiful collection of four novellas that spread the warmth of Amish life with every page.
The Illusionist’s Apprentice by Kristy Cambron (Mar. 7, trade paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-7180-4150-2) follows Houdini’s one-time assistant, Wren Lockhart, as she races to prove the innocence of one of her teacher’s greatest critics.
Tyndale
Bread of Angels by Tessa Afshar (June 6, trade paper, $22.99, ISBN 978-1-4964-2310-8). After a tragic betrayal, Lydia establishes herself as an eminent merchant. The apostle Paul brings hope to her life, and she becomes his first European convert. But Lydia can’t outrun her secrets forever.
WaterBrook
Grace and the Preacher by Kim Vogel Sawyer (Mar. 21, trade paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-307-73141-8). Mistaken identity leads to romance, laughter, and second chances in this inspirational historical romance.
Life After by Katie Ganshert (Apr. 18, trade paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-60142-902-5) is an intense novel of loss, betrayal, and rising from the ashes. Autumn Manning is the sole survivor of a terrible tragedy on the el tracks in Chicago, but while the nation calls her “a miracle,” the life she knows has ended.
Zondervan
If I’m Found by Terri Blackstock (Mar. 21, hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-0-310-33249-7) continues the heart-pounding story of wrongly accused murder suspect Casey Cox as she races to elude capture and bring the true killer to justice.
An Uncommon Protector by Shelley Shepard Gray (Feb. 7, trade paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-310-34542-8). Overwhelmed by the responsibilities of running a ranch on her own, Laurel Tracey decides to hire an ex-convict—a man who’s just scary enough to take care of squatters and just desperate enough to agree to a one-year post.
Nonfiction
Abingdon
Motherprayer: Lessons in Loving by Barbara Mahany (Apr. 4, hardcover, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-5018-2727-3). Chicago journalist Mahany generously shares thoughts on the mysteries and gifts of mothering, how to love and how to love well, interspersed with family recipes and gentle essays.
Ave Maria
Getting Past Perfect: How to Find Joy and Grace in the Messiness of Motherhood by Kate Wicker (Mar. 3, trade paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-1-59471-716-1). With honesty, humor, and practical wisdom, Wicker, creator of CatholicMom.com, offers a realistic and reassuring portrait of Catholic womanhood to help moms overcome Pinterest-inspired perfectionism.
B&H
Never Unfriended: The Secret to Finding & Keeping Lasting Friendships by Lisa-Jo Baker (Apr. 4, trade paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-4336-4306-4) is a step-by-step guide from the popular blogger to friendships you can trust, answering the questions that lurk under the surface of every friendship.
This Is Our Time: Everyday Myths in Light of the Gospel by Trevin Wax (Mar. 1, trade paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-4336-4847-2). By analyzing common beliefs and practices (smartphone habits, entertainment intake, and our views of shopping, sex, marriage, politics, and life’s purpose), Trevin, the Washington Post and Christianity Today contributor, aims to help readers see through the myths of society to the hope of the gospel.
Baker
Grace is Greater: God’s Plan to Overcome Your Past, Redeem Your Pain, and Rewrite Your Story by Kyle Idleman (Feb. 28, trade paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-8010-1941-8). In this powerful and engaging page-turner, pastor Idleman uses moving stories and his trademark conversational writing style to argue that grace is best understood when it is experienced rather than defined.
Barbour
You Are His: Daily Encouragement for Women by Darlene Sala (Apr. 1, trade paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-68322-144-9). Sala, cofounder of Guidelines International Ministries, offers a gentle mixture of encouragement and challenge for today’s busy woman. The readings in this devotional address topics such as loneliness, money, aging, purpose, perseverance, and beauty.
Beacon
How to Be a Muslim: An American Story by Haroon Moghul (June 6, trade paper, $17, ISBN 978-0-8070-2074-6) is the story of a young man coping with the crushing pressure of a society that shuns and fears Muslims, struggling with his faith and searching for intellectual forebears, and suffering the onset of bipolar disorder.
Brazos
Israel Matters by Gerald R. McDermott (June 6, trade paper, $17.99, ISBN 978-1-58743-395-5) addresses the perennially important issue of the relationship between Christianity and the people and land of Israel. McDermott, Anglican Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Ala., presents a “third way” between typical approaches and correcting common misunderstandings along the way.
Center Street
The Political Pope: How Pope Francis Is Delighting the Liberal Left and Abandoning Conservatives by George Neumayr (May. 2, hardcover, $27, ISBN 978-1-4555-7016-4). Neumayr, a contributing editor to The American Spectator, expresses disapproval of the liberal Pope Francis’s positions, which, he argues, are alienating to many Catholics and diluting the church’s teachings.
Chalice
Better: Waking Up to Who We Could Be by Melvin Bray (Feb. 14, trade paper, $21.99, ISBN 978-0-8272-0308-2). Emmy Award–winning storyteller, writer, educator, and social entrepreneur Bray puts forth his own daring yet faithful reimaginings of classic faith stories to inspire more beautiful, more just, more virtue-filled ways of being in the world.
Church
Wisdom Walking: Pilgrimage as a Way of Life by Gil Stafford (Apr. 4, trade paper, $20, ISBN 978-0-8192-3349-3). Reflections and stories from four walking pilgrimages in Ireland by the canon theologian for the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona.
Columbia Univ.
China’s Green Religion: Daoism and the Quest for a Sustainable Future by James Miller (June 13, hardcover, $60, ISBN 978-0-231-17586-9). Through a groundbreaking reconstruction of Daoist philosophy and religion, Miller, professor of Chinese studies at Queen’s University in Canada, shows how Daoism orients individuals toward a holistic understanding of religion and nature.
Concordia
Hallmarks of Lutheran Identity by Alvin Schmidt (Feb. 24, trade paper, $9.99, ISBN 978-0-7586-5557-8). Schmidt sets forth more than 20 practices, doctrines, and beliefs that distinguish Lutheranism from other Christian denominations.
Convergent
Misfit Faith: Confessions of a Drunk Ex-pastor by Jason J. Stellman (Mar. 7, hardcover, $24, ISBN 978-0-8041-4062-1). Former Protestant pastor Stellman mixes memoir with theological insights in this unvarnished account of what it means to be a mixed-up Christian outsider in the 21st century.
Radical Spirit: 12 Ways to Live a Free and Authentic Life by Joan Chittister (Apr. 25, hardcover, $22, 978-0-451-49517-4). Nun and social activist Chittister sets forth 12 rules for healthy spiritual living to help readers take control of their emotional lives and their spirital destinies.
David C. Cook
The Good Book: 40 Chapters That Reveal the Bible’s Biggest Ideas by Daren Spoo (Apr. 1, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-0-7814-1441-8) offers a user-friendly guide to the Bible’s biggest ideas. Each chapter of the book focuses on one chapter of the Bible, which helps readers understand the context and content of the Scripture passages.
Counterpoint
Complete Poison Blossoms from a Thicket of Thorn: The Zen Records of Hakuin Hekaku by Hakuin Zenji, edited and trans. from the Japanese by Norman Waddell (July 11, hardcover, $50, ISBN 978-1-61902-931-6). Renowned translator Waddell augments these foundational texts of the Japanese Rinzai Zen tradition with clarifying introductions and background context.
Crossway
Finding God in My Loneliness by Lydia Brownback (Feb. 28, trade paper, $12.99, ISBN 978-1-4335-5393-6). Brownback, senior editor at Crossway, offers biblical encouragement for anyone feeling lonely, making the case that perhaps these often-avoided feelings point to something greater: the need for union with Jesus.
Eerdmans
Holy Spokes: The Search for Urban Spirituality on Two Wheels by Laura Everett (Apr. 22, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-0-8028-7373-6). Everett, a dedicated urbanist, pastor in the United Church of Christ, and four-season bicycle commuter in her adopted city of Boston, invites readers to embrace the spiritual and communal benefits of cycling in the city.
FaithWords
A Stroke of Faith: A Stroke Survivor’s Story of a Second Chance at Living a Life of Significance by Mark Moore (Apr. 25, hardcover, $24, ISBN 978-1-4555-7111-6). A successful executive recounts how he survived two nearly fatal strokes with God’s help and learned to live a life of significance.
Fig Tree
My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew by Abigail Pogrebin (Mar. 14, hardcover, $22.95, ISBN 978-1-941493-20-5). Bestselling author Pogrebin delievers a spirited chronicle of her deep dive into the heart of Judaism. 10,000-copy announced first printing.
Findhorn
Fighting Buddha: A Story of Martial Arts, Buddhism, Kicking Ass and Saving It by Jeff Eisenberg (May 16, trade paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-84409-722-7). Eisenberg’s memoir details a 40-year journey in martial arts and meditation training, and 25 years of Buddhist practice.
Flatiron
Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection by Sharon Salzberg (June 6, hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-250-07650-2). Bestselling author and meditation teacher Salzberg gives lessons in redefining and opening up limited definitions of love to experience it in a more essential way.
Fortress
Fugitive Saints: Catholicism and the Politics of Slavery by Katie Walker Grimes (Apr. 1, trade paper, $29, ISBN 978-1-5064-1672-4). Grimes, religious studies professor at Villanova University, proposes that, rather than searching its racially problematic history for racial heroes to canonize, the church should learn to celebrate black fugitives who sought refuge outside it.
Franciscan
Wendell Berry and the Given Life by Ragan Sutterfield (Mar. 24, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-1-63253-122-3). Naturalist Sutterfield presents Wendell Berry’s vision for the creaturely life and the Christian understandings of humility and creation that underpin it.
Hampton Roads
Psychics, Healers, & Mediums: A Journalist, a Road Trip, and Voices from the Other Side by Jenniffer Weigel (Apr. 1, trade paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-1-57174-776-1). For 20 years, Emmy Award–winning journalist Weigel has been interviewing and investigating mediums, psychics, and healers. In this book Weigel puts these psychically gifted people to the test—and the results are startling and profound.
HarperElixir
Big Miracles: The 11 Spiritual Rules for Ultimate Success by Joanna Garzilli (Feb. 14, hardcover, $26.99, ISBN 978-0-06-245698-4). Intuitive life coach Garzilli invites readers to experience her 11-step system for manifesting miracles that lead to big breakthroughs. 50,000-copy announced first printing.
HarperOne
Days of Awe and Wonder: How to Be a Christian in the Twenty-first Century by Marcus J. Borg (Mar. 14, hardcover, $25.99, ISBN 978-0-06-245733-2) gives a concise introduction to the writings of Marcus J. Borg, the late theologian of progressive Christianity; the selections explore the Christian faith and what it means to be a Christian in the 21st century. 20,000-copy announced first printing.
Harvard Univ.
City on a Hilltop: American Jews and the Israeli Settler Movement by Sara Yael Hirschhorn (May 22, hardcover, $39.95, ISBN 978-0-674-97505-7). On the 50th anniversary of the 1967 war, Hirschhorn unsettles stereotypes and illuminates the changing face of the settlements at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Harvest House
From Superficial to Significant: What It Means to Become Great in God’s Eyes by David Chadwick (May 1, trade paper, $13.99, ISBN 978-0-7369-6731-0). Pastor Chadwick defines the remarkable Christian life and explores the first steps toward finding it.
Hay House
Calm Cure: Heal the Hidden Conflicts Causing Health Conditions and Persistent Life Problems by Sandy C. Newbigging (May 2, trade paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-1-4019-5335-5). Bestselling author Newbigging argues that problems are caused by unconscious conflict and shares a technique that readers can use to clarify and clear their minds.
Herald
When Did Everybody Else Get So Old? Indignities, Compromises, and the Unexpected Grace of Midlife by Jennifer Grant (May 2, trade paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-5138-0131-5). Veteran columnist Grant offers an unflinching and spirited look at the physical, spiritual, and emotional transitions of midlife.
Holt
Strangers in a Strange Land: Living the Catholic Faith in a Post-Christian World by Charles J. Chaput (Feb. 21, hardcover, $26, ISBN 978-1-62779-674-3). Chaput critiques American life today and provides a guide to Catholics for living their faith in a post-Christian public square.
Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
Origins of the Sphinx: Celestial Guardian of Pre-Pharaonic Civilization by Robert M. Schoch and Robert Bauval (Mar. 27, trade paper, $24.95, ISBN 978-1-62055-525-5). Outsider Egyptologists Schoch and Bauval examine the evidence (seismic studies, archeoastrological alignments, and more) and argue that the Great Sphinx of Giza is thousands of years older than believed, indicating the existence of an early high civilization before the end of the last ice age.
InterVarsity
Keeping Place: Reflections on the Meaning of Home by Jen Pollock Michel (May. 7, trade paper, $16, ISBN 978-0-8308-4490-6). Michel explores the longing for home and the common experience of homesickness, offering a vision of what it means to live today with our longings for eternal home.
Jewish Publication Society
Saving One’s Own: Jewish Rescuers During the Holocaust by Mordecai Paldiel (Apr. 1, hardcover, $70, ISBN 978-0-8276-1261-7). A remarkable, untold account of Jewish activists who saved fellow Jews from the Nazis, creating rescue networks, escape routes, safe havens, and partisan fighting groups.
Judson
Managing Projects in Ministry by Vincent Howell (May 15, trade paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-8170-1780-4). This accessible resource from Methodist Reverend Howell, part of the Foundations for Ministry series, aims to introduce the basic tenets of project management to urban Christian workers, ministers, and pastors.
Jessica Kingsley
God-Curious: Exploring Eternal Questions by Stephen Cherry (Feb. 21, trade paper, $13.95, ISBN 978-1-78592-199-5). In a social moment in which the two most common responses to religion are to cling to the certainties of one’s faith without question, or to sneer at religion altogether, psychologist Cherry offers an alternative for religious believer, agnostic, and atheist alike—to engage with the study of theology. He suggests that genuine theology is the antidote to fundamentalism.
Koren/Maggid
Books of the People: Revisiting Classic Works of Jewish Thought, edited by Stuart Halpern (Mar. 1, hardcover, $29.95, ISBN 978-1-59264-470-4) presents ten foundational books written between the 10th and the 20th centuries that have dramatically influenced the development of Jewish thought, examined by contemporary scholars of Jewish studies.
Liguori
Understanding Scrupulosity: Questions and Encouragement by Thomas M. Santa (Apr. 11, hardcover, $29.99, ISBN 978-0-7648-2527-9). In this revised third edition of his guide for sufferers of scrupulosity and those who counsel them, Santa, who has answered questions in the Scrupulous Anonymous newsletter for decades, adds new information on recent medical advances in treating this religious anxiety condition.
Lion Hudson
Let There Be Science: Why God Loves Science, and Science Needs God by David Hutchings and Tom McLeish (Apr. 1, trade paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-0-7459-6863-6). Physics teachers McLeish and Hutchings examine the scientists whose Christianity has had an important role in their work, and the biblical curiosity about natural phenomena that make Christianity and science compatible, even inextricable.
Liturgical Press
Daniel Rudd: Calling a Church to Justice by Gary B. Agee (Mar. 15, $14.95, ISBN 978-0-8146-4525-3). Agee, teacher at the School of Theology and Christian Ministry at Anderson University, presents a compelling look at the life and work of the black journalist and activist, born a slave, who found inspiration in his Catholic faith to fight for the principles of liberty and justice.
Llewellyn
Sefer ha-Bahir: Selections from the Book of Brilliance, The Classic Text of Early Kabbalah by Geoffrey W. Dennis (Mar. 8, hardcover, $29.99, ISBN 978-0-7387-4921-1). This collection of 51 teachings from Sefer ha-Bahir, an anonymous mystical work attributed to a 1st-century rabbinic sage, features facing-page commentary by Dennis for easy understanding and readability.
Loyola
Busy Lives and Restless Souls: How Prayer Can Help You Find the Missing Peace in Your Life by Becky Eldredge (Feb. 1, trade paper, $14, ISBN 978-0-8294-4495-7). For all who sense that there is something meaningful and essential missing from their lives, Elredge, an Ignatian-trained retreat director, offers a guide to developing a prayerful relationship with God. 15,000-copy first printing.
Monarch
Transformed: Challenging Myths About the Power-Filled Life by Christy Wimbe (Apr. 1, trade paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-85721-812-4). Pastor and church planter Wimbe encourages readers to embrace trust, vulnerability, and surrender to God as cornerstones of lasting transformation.
Moody
Adorned: Living Out the Beauty of the Gospel Together by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth (Feb. 7, hardcover, $19.99, ISBN 978-0-8024-1259-1). Radio host and True Woman movement founder Wolgemuth sets forth a vision of deep, long-term disciple relationships between older and younger women.
Morgan James
Alongside: A Practical Guide for Loving Your Neighbor in Their Time of Trial by Sarah Beckman (Feb. 14, trade paper, $17, ISBN 978-1-63047-983-1). In this comprehensive resource for those who want to help loved ones through crisis, Beckman, founder of Salt and Clay Ministries, provides practical tools, personal experience, and insights from those who’ve faced hardship.
Multnomah
Seven-Mile Miracle: Journey into the Presence of God Through the Last Words of Jesus by Steven Furtick (Feb. 28, hardcover, $17.99, ISBN 978-1-63047-983-1) Pastor and TV personality Furtick considers the last words of Christ as a pattern for followers’ spiritual journeys.
NavPress
Long Days of Small Things: Motherhood as a Spiritual Discipline by Catherine McNiel (Mar. 7, trade paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-63146-643-4). This debut author and mother of three offers rich, soul-inspiring practices for moms who have neither quiet nor time.
New Page
A Call From Heaven: Personal Accounts of Deathbed Visits, Angelic Visions, and Crossings to the Other Side by Josie Varga (Mar. 20, trade paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-1-63265-081-8). discusses anecdotes and research concerning deathbed spiritual phenomena, concluding that we do not die alone and that we all will be guided to the other side.
New World Library
Woman Most Wild: Three Keys to Liberating the Witch Within by Danielle Dulsky (May 16, trade paper, $15.95, ISBN 978-1-60868-466-3). Dulsky, multimedia artist, energy worker, and founder of Living Mandala Yoga, debunks antiquated myths about witches and witchcraft, an ancient spiritual path that rejects religious dogma in favor of female empowerment and reverence for the earth.
New York Univ.
Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Theology by M. Cooper Harriss (May 2, hardcover, $30, ISBN 978-1-4798-2301-7). Harriss, professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University, examines the religious dimensions of Ralph Ellison’s concept of race.
Orbis
James Martin: Essential Writings by James Martin (Mar. 16, hardcover, $22, ISBN 978-1-62698-213-0). Gathered here together for the first time are selections from the writings of James Martin, one of America’s most well-known Catholic priests and spiritual writers.
Oxford Univ.
Living with the Living Dead: The Wisdom of the Zombie Apocalypse by Greg Garrett (June 1, hardcover, $24.95, ISBN 978-0-19-026045-3). Garrett, professor of English at Baylor University, explores life after death as portrayed in popular movies, television shows, comics, graphic novels, fiction, and games.
Martin Luther: Rebel in an Age of Upheaval by Heinz Schilling, trans. from the German by Rona Johnston Gordon (June 1, hardcover, $39.95, ISBN 978-0-19-872281-6). Former professor of early modern history at Humboldt University Berlin’s comprehensive and balanced biography of Martin Luther depicts him as a difficult, contradictory individual who changed history.
Pantheon
The Face of Water: A Translator on Beauty and Meaning in the Bible by Sarah Ruden (Mar. 28, hardcover, $26.95, ISBN 978-0-307-90856-8). A reconsideration of the language and translation of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, from acclaimed scholar and translator of classical literature Ruden.
Paraclete
Reimagining Exodus: A Story of Freedom by David Zaslow (Mar. 1, trade paper, $17.99, ISBN 978-1-61261-780-0). This groundbreaking interfaith book explores the Exodus as a foundational story linking Judaism and Christianity together, and looks at ways that each of us can free ourselves from the “Egypts” and “pharaohs” in our own lives.
Penguin
The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: How to Be Calm and Mindful in a Fast-Paced World by Haemin Sunim (Feb. 7, hardcover, $18, ISBN 978-0-14-313077-2). With more than two million copies sold in Korea, this book from renowned Buddhist monk and teacher Sunim offers guideposts to happiness in eight areas.
Penguin Press
The First Love Story: Adam, Eve, and Us by Bruce Feiler (Mar. 21, hardcover, $28, ISBN 978-1-59420-681-8). Feiler, “This Life” columnist for the New York Times, travels across four continents and 4,000 years, exploring how Adam and Eve can be role models for unity, forgiveness, and love.
Penguin/Sentinel
The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation by Rod Dreher (Mar. 14, hardcover, $25, ISBN 978-0-7352-1329-6). Conservative columnist Dreher calls on American Christians to prepare for the coming Dark Age by embracing an ancient Christian way of life originating from St. Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century. 40,000-copy first printing.
Plough
The Reckless Way of Love: Notes on Following Jesus by Dorothy Day (Mar. 1, trade paper, $8, ISBN 978-0-87486-792-3). Compiled in this slim guidebook by Catholic convert and social activist Day are lessons gained through decades of seeking to know Jesus, and to follow his example and teachings in her own life.
Princeton Univ.
The Story of Hebrew by Lewis Glinert (Feb. 14, hardcover, $27.95, ISBN 978-0-691-15329-2). Glinert, professor of Hebrew studies at Dartmouth College, explores the extraordinary hold that Hebrew has had on Jews and Christians, who have invested it with a symbolic power far beyond that of any other language in history.
The Koran in English: A Biography by Bruce B. Lawrence (June 20, hardcover, $26.95, 978-0-691-15558-6). Lawrence, professor of religion at Duke University, tells the remarkable story of the ongoing struggle to render the Qur’an’s lyrical verses—traditionally only considered sacred in Arabic—into English, and to make English an Islamic language.
Rainbow Ridge
Conversations with God: Book Four: Awaken the Species by Neale Donald Walsch (Mar. 1, hardcover, $23.95, ISBN 978-1-937907-49-5). Picking up where Book 3 left off, this entry continues Walsch’s account of a dialogue with God about Highly Evolved Beings and about how ordinary humans can follow their example.
Random House
Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet by Lyndal Roper (Mar. 14, hardcover, $40, ISBN 978-0-8129-9619-7). This definitive biography from Roper, first woman to hold the prestigious Regius Chair at Oxford University, examines the complicated inner life of the founding father of the Protestant Reformation, whose intellectual assault on Catholicism ushered in a century of upheaval that transformed Christianity and changed the course of world history.
Regnery
Wholly Different: Why I Chose Biblical Values Over Islamic Values by Nonie Darwish (Feb. 21, hardcover, $27.99, ISBN 978-1-62157-578-8). Darwish, an Egyptian-American ex-Muslim human rights activist, tells the story of her personal break with Islam and argues that Islamic values are incompatible with a free society. 20,000-copy announced first printing.
Revell
I Didn’t Sign Up for This: Finding Hope When Everything Is Going Wrong by John F. Westfall (June 6, trade paper, $13.99, ISBN 978-0-8007-2807-6). Through his own story, the stories of others, and wisdom from Scripture, Westfall, founding pastor of Harbor Church in Seattle, Wash., encourages readers to embrace the peace of acceptance, the pleasure of release, and the power of risk.
Riverhead
Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy by Anne Lamott (Apr. 4, hardcover, $20, ISBN 978-0-7352-1358-6). From bestselling author Lamott comes a clear-eyed and passionate exploration of mercy, its limitless (if sometimes hidden) presence, why we ignore it, and how we can embrace it.
Rowman & Littlefield
Americans and the Birth of Israel by Lawerence J. Epstein (Apr. 4, hardcover, $38, ISBN 978-1-4422-7122-7) tells the dramatic story of how Americans of all religions (some well-known, like Golda Meir, and some unknown) worked, often in secret and facing the possibility of arrest, to create a refuge for Jews after the Holocaust.
Everyone Leads: How to Revitalize the Catholic Church by Chris Lowney (Apr. 4, hardcover, $24.95, ISBN 978-1-4422-6208-9). Bestselling author Lowney draws on his leadership experience to argue that everyone—from lay members to bishops—can make a difference in the church.
Servant
The Rosary: Your Weapon for Spiritual Warfare by Johnnette S. Benkovic and Thomas Sullivan (Apr. 14, trade paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-63253-000-4). Benkovic, founder and president of Living His Life Abundantly and co-host of the television show of the same name, teams up with Sullivan, the creator of the Warrior Rosary, to explore why the rosary is the spiritual weapon for our times.
Shadow Mountain
An Unseen Angle by Alissa Parker (Apr. 7, hardcover, $29.99, ISBN 978-1-62972-279-5). When Parker lost her daughter Emilie in the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting, she started a life-changing journey to answer soul-searching questions about faith, hope, and healing.
Shambhala
Boundless Heart: The Buddha’s Path of Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity by Christina Feldman (Mar. 7, trade paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-1-61180-373-0). Feldman, a teacher with the Insight Meditation Society, walks readers through a course in the Buddhist practice of the brahma viharas, or “heavenly abodes.”
Shiloh Run
Uncommon: Pursuing a Life of Passion and Purpose by Carey Scott (July 1, trade paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-68322-275-0). Anchored in the Beatitudes, this book from the renowned biblical life coach Scott provides a blueprint to letting go of ordinary living and living with purpose and passion instead.
Simon & Schuster
The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America by Frances FitzGerald (Apr. 4, hardcover, $35, ISBN 978-1-4391-3133-6). Evangelicals constitute 25% of the American population, but they are no longer monolithic in their politics. FitzGerald’s narrative of this distinctively American movement is a major work of history, piecing together the centuries-long story for the first time.
S&S/Atria
Lies We Believe About God by Wm. Paul Young (Mar. 7, hardcover, $19.99 ISBN 978-1-5011-0139-7). Recounting personal anecdotes and stories about the compassion readers felt from the “Papa” version of God portrayed in The Shack, bestselling novelist Paul encourages readers to think anew about important issues including sin, religion, hell, politics, identity, creation, human rights, and God’s love.
S&S/Howard
Finding the Lost Art of Empathy by Tracy Wilde (May 16, hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-5011-5629-8) addresses the reasons why humans struggle with showing empathy toward others and why some ultimately avoid it—and even avoid contact with others atogether.
The Godwink Effect: The 7 Secrets to Having Your Prayers Answered by SQuire Rushnell and Louise DuArt (July 4, hardcover, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-5011-1957-6). Rushnell and DuArt, a husband-and-wife team, make the case that Godwinks (an alternative word for “answered prayer”) and the practice of prayer are inextricably intertwined. Like a pebble tossed into a pond, prayer causes ripples that touch the lives of others.
SkyLight Paths
The Rule of Benedict: Christian Monastic Wisdom for Daily Living by Jane Tomaine (Feb. 14, trade paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-59473-632-2). Episcopal priest Tomaine looks to the life of the sixth-century monk as a model for finding peace, meaning, and God.
Smithsonian
Objects of Devotion: Religion in Early America by Peter Manseau (May 16, hardcover, $29.95, ISBN 978-1-58834-592-9) tells the story of religion in the United States through the material culture of diverse spiritual pursuits in the nation’s colonial period and the early republic.
Sounds True
How to Be Ultra Spiritual by JP Sears (Mar. 1, trade paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-1-62203-821-3). Comedic sensation and seeker Sears offers a satirical look at the common themes and pitfalls of living a spiritual life in this humorous primer on becoming “Ultra Spiritual.”
St. Martin’s
The Islamic Jesus: How the King of the Jews Became a Prophet of the Muslims by Mustafa Akyol (Feb. 14, hardcover, $26.99, ISBN 978-1-250-08869-7). Akyol, columnist for the New York Times, traces the intriguing connection between Christianity and Islam, through the lost “heresy” of Jewish Christianity.
State Univ. of New York
Seeing Like the Buddha: Enlightenment through Film by Francisca Cho (Mar. 1, hardcover, $80, ISBN 978-1-4384-6439-8). In this important new contribution to Buddhist studies and Buddhist film criticism, Cho, associate professor of Buddhist studies at Georgetown University, argues that films can not only simply convey information about Buddhism but can become a form of Buddhist ritual and contemplative practice.
TarcherPerigee
The Infinite View: A Guidebook for Life on Earth by Ellen Tadd (Mar. 28, hardcover, $26, ISBN 978-0-399-17546-6). Instead of either trusting one’s gut or being completely analytical, clairvoyant counselor Tadd urges readers to consider a new approach that integrates soul, spirit, and personality.
Thomas Nelson
The Dawn of Christianity: How God Used Simple Fishermen, Soldiers, and Prostitutes to Transform the World by Robert J. Hutchinson (Mar. 14, hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-0-7180-7942-0). Drawing upon the most recent discoveries and scholarship in archaeology and the first-century Near East, Hutchinson reconstructs the known accounts of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus in narrative form.
The Gospel According to Paul: Embracing the Good News at the Heart of Paul’s Teachings by John F. MacArthur (Apr. 4, hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-4002-0349-9). From Bible teacher MacArthur, this book is a revelatory exploration of what the apostle Paul actually taught about the good news of Jesus.
Tyndale
Nothing to Fear: Principles and Prayers to Help You Thrive in a Threatening World by Barry C. Black (Feb. 7, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-1-4964-2108-1). Black instructs readers on how to weather today’s turbulence and confusion by following eight principles that Jesus gave his disciples.
Waking Up Slowly: Spiritual Lessons from My Dog, My Kids, Critters, and Other Unexpected Places by Dave Burchett (Mar. 7, hardcover, $17.99, ISBN 978-1-4964-1582-0) challenges readers to recognize, appreciate, and celebrate the ways that God reveals himself daily.
Univ. of North Carolina
Gertrude Weil: Jewish Progressive in the New South by Leonard Rogoff (Apr. 3, hardcover, $35, ISBN 978-1-4696-3079-3). In the first-ever biography of Weil, Rogoff tells the story of a modest southern Jewish woman who, while famously private, fought publicly and passionately for the progressive causes of her age.
Univ. of Notre Dame
Disarming Beauty: Essays on Faith, Truth, and Freedom by Julián Carrón (May 30, hardcover, $25, ISBN 978-0-268-10197-8) is the English translation of an engaging and thought-provoking collection of essays by one of the principal Catholic leaders and intellectuals in the world today.
Univ. of Pennsylvania
The Virgin in Song: Mary and the Poetry of Romanos the Melodist by Thomas Arentzen (Apr. 14, hardcover, $59.95, ISBN 978-0-8122-4907-1). Arentzen explores the characterization of Mary in the sixth-century kontakia (hymns) by Romanos the Melodist and the ways in which the kontakia echoed the cult of the Virgin.
Viking
Protestants: The Faith That Made the Modern World by Alec Ryrie (Apr. 4, hardcover, $35, ISBN 978-0-670-02616-6) .In this dazzling global history timed to the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, Ryrie charts five centuries of innovation and makes the case that Protestants created the modern world.
WaterBrook
As Kingfishers Catch Fire: A Conversation on the Ways of God Formed by the Words of God by Eugene H. Peterson (May 16, hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-60142-967-4). From the translator of The Message (a book of original Greek and Hebrew scriptures) comes a definitive collection of teachings on the Christian life and how Scripture informs one’s relationship with Christ.
Watkins
Soul Story: Evolution and the Purpose of Life by Tim Freke (Apr. 18, trade paper, $18.95, ISBN 978-1-78028-984-7). Pioneering philosopher Freke addresses the “soul crisis” in modern culture that has arisen from lack of meaning. He offers an intelligent spiritual perspective on life and death to help readers make sense of a paradoxical world.
Weiser
The Witching Herbs: 13 Essential Plants and Herbs for Your Magical Garden by Harold Roth (Mar. 1, trade paper, $18.95, ISBN 978-1-57863-599-3) is an in-depth exploration of 13 essential plants and herbs most closely associated with witchcraft—13 because it’s the witching number and reflects the 13 months of the lunar calendar.
Westminster John Knox
Jackie Robinson: A Spiritual Biography; The Faith of a Boundary-Breaking Hero by Michael G. Long and Chris Lamb (Mar. 1, trade paper, $17, ISBN 978-0-664-26203-7). Long and Lamb explore the faith that influenced Jackie Robinson’s baseball career and social justice activism.
Wisdom
Loving-Kindness in Plain English: The Practice of Metta by Henepola Gunaratana (Mar. 14, trade paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-1-61429-249-4). With his signature clarity and warmth, Gunaratana shares with readers how to cultivate loving-kindness and live a life of joyful harmony with others.
The User’s Guide to Spiritual Teachers by Scott Edelstein (Mar. 21, trade paper, $15.95, ISBN 978-0-86171-610-4) addresses concerns that many have on the spiritual path, including how to find a spiritual teacher, how to manage expectations about what they can do, and what to do when in a dangerous relationship with one.
Worthy
In Search of the King: Turning Your Desire for Meaning into the Discovery of God by Thann Bennett (Apr. 4, trade paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-1-61795-858-8) addresses the seeking of meaning in mortals such as celebrities, athletes, and spiritual leaders, arguing that this is a distraction from achieving intimacy with God.
Worthy Inspired
Words on Worship: Devotions of Praise by Charles Billingsley (Mar. 7, hardcover, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-61795-848-9). Billingsley invites readers into private, personal worship with their Lord, guiding them through daily worship and devotions.
Yale Univ.
Biblical Truths: The Meaning of Scripture in the Twenty-First Century by Dale B. Martin (Feb. 21, hardcover, $40, ISBN 978-0-300-22283-8). A leading biblical scholar’s landmark work urges readers to be more creative interpreters of biblical texts, mapping out an alternative way of reading that is not first and foremost about understanding what those texts would have meant for the original authors and readers.
Heretics and Believers: A History of the English Reformation by Peter Marshall (June 27, hardcover, $40, ISBN 978-0-300-17062-7). Marshall, professor of history at the University of Warwick in the U.K., has written a people’s history and major retelling and reinterpretation of the story of the English Reformation.
Zondervan
Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile Has Taught Me about God and Life by Sanya Richards-Ross (June 6, hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-0-310-34940-2). Five-time Olympic medalist Richards-Ross shares triumphant and heartbreaking chapters in her journey to becoming a world-class runner.
Giving It All Away... and Getting It All Back Again by David Green (Apr. 25, hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-0-310-34794-1). Self-made billionaire Green, founder of America’s craft store giant Hobby Lobby, tells the secrets he’s learned through starting humble, staying faithful, giving continually, and leaving a lasting legacy.
Zondervan Academic
Katie Luther, First Lady of the Reformation by Ruth A. Tucker (June 27, trade paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-310-53215-6). Tucker, former mission studies teacher at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, digs deeply into the life of Katharina von Bora, the wife of Martin Luther who had a career of her own as a farmer, brewer, and innkeeper and had an egalitarian partnership with her husband, to unearth insights for today’s women.
Children’s/YA
B&H
Bible Stories for Courageous Boys (Feb. 1, hardcover, $12.99, ISBN 978-1-4336-4834-2). These men from the Bible show what it means to live courageously, overcoming doubt and fear to do what God asked of them. Ages 6–10.
Mix and Match: Fun with God’s Animals (Feb. 1, hardcover, $12.99, ISBN 978-1-4336-4315-6). God made a world full of wonderful creatures—but these animals are all mixed up. This unique mix-and-match book lets kids put together dozens of silly new animals. Up to age 4.
Barbour
3-Minute Devotions for Little Hearts by Jean Fischer (July 1, trade paper, $7.99, ISBN 978-1-68322-221-7) encourages young hearts to develop a habit of daily time with God. Dozens of kid-friendly devotions offer a simple formula for parents and children to spend time together.
Barbour/Shiloh Kidz
Make Your Own Sticker Crafts, Gifts, and More by Kim Mitzo Thompson and Karen Mitzo Hilderbrand (June 1, trade paper, $4.99, ISBN 978-1-68322-198-2) is a book of coloring stickers and inspirational crafts and gifts for friends and family. Includes dozens of stickers and 12 additional pages filled with crafting and gift ideas. Ages 8–12.
Beacon
Man’s Search for Meaning: A Young Adult Edition by Viktor E. Frankl (Apr. 4, trade paper, $10.99, ISBN 978-0-8070-6799-4) is a YA edition of this story of the Holocaust and finding meaning in suffering. Ages 12–up.
DK
A First Bible Story Book and a First Book of Prayers (Feb. 7, hardcover, $15.99, ISBN 978-1-4654-5898-8). Two illustrated books combined in one slipcase. Ages 5–8.
Harvest House
Me, Myself, and Lies for Young Women: What to Say When You Talk to Yourself by Jennifer Rothschild (May 1, trade paper, $12.99, ISBN 978-0-7369-6421-0). Rothschild shows young women how to chill out by letting their souls rest in God, encouraging readers to let him fill their souls with hope and strength.
Kar-Ben
Yaffa and Fatima: Shalom, Shalaam by Fawzia Gilani-Williams, illus. by Chiara Fedele (Apr. 1, hardcover, $17.99, ISBN 978-1-4677-8938-7), retells this folktale about two neighbors—one Jewish, one Muslim—who help each other when they fall on hard times. Ages 4–9.
Sounds True
Zoo Zen, Count to Ten: A Yoga Story for Kids by Kristen Fischer, illus. by Susi Schaefer (July 1, hardcover, $17.95, ISBN 978-1-62203-891-6). In this rhyming and counting story, Lyla learns yoga poses from animals at the zoo. Ages 2–6.
