Nonfiction
May 1
When God Says No: Facing Disappointment and Denial Without Losing Heart, Your Hope, or Your Head (Barbour, $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64352-361-3). Elizabeth Laing Thompson tackles the difficulties that stymie faith, stifle prayers, and stunt relationships with God, who may say “No” to a few things, but “Yes” to more.
Islamic Law: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford Univ., $11.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-19-966559-4). Mashood A. Baderin offers concise, inspiring perspectives on the evolution and nature of Islamic law, one of the world’s major legal systems.
Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy (Univ. Notre Dame, $40, ISBN 978-0-268-20060-2). Co-authors David M. Elcott, C. Colt Anderson, Tobias Cremer, and Volker Haarmann present a pragmatic and modernist exploration of how religion engages in the public square.
May 4
Anxious to Talk about It: Helping White People Talk Faithfully about Racism (Chalice, $17.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-8272-0099-9). Carolyn B. Helsel updates and expands her 2018 title for a new season of civil unrest and activism around racism and the push for racial justice.
No Longer Strangers: Transforming Evangelism with Immigrant Communities (Eerdmans, $19.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-8028-7865-6). Eugene Cho and Samira Izadi Page edited a collection of essays by immigrants, refugees, pastors, and theologians to guide institutions and individuals in navigating the power dynamics embedded in differences of culture, race, and language.
Karl Barth: A Life in Conflict (Oxford Unv., $35, ISBN 978-0-19-885246-9). Christiane Tietz (with translator Victoria J Barnett) explores the interactions between Barth’s personal and political biography and his influence on 20th century Christian theology.
Hope Always: How You and Your Church Can Be a Force for Life in a Culture of Suicide (Tyndale Momentum, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-4964-5001-2). Physician Matthew Sleeth confronts depression and suicide and advises individuals and the church on how to question, seek help, advocate for life.
He Saw That It Was Good: Reimagining Your Creative Life to Repair a Broken World (WaterBrook, $22, ISBN 978-0-593-19304-4). Hip-hop artist Sho Baraka analyzes the Black artistic experience and invites readers to see life’s challenges as a spur to profound insights about God’s creativity and their own.
May 11
Heartwood: The Art of Living with the End in Mind (Flatiron, $25.99, ISBN 978-1-250-09598-5) Barbara Becker, an interfaith minister, mom and perpetual seeker, recounts stories where life and death intersect in unexpected ways, with an eye on what makes life worth living.
Climate, Catastrophe, and Faith: How Changes in Climate Drive Religious Upheaval (Oxford Univ., $29.95, ISBN 978-0-19-750621-9). Philip Jenkins, a leading scholar of religious trends, details the complex history of religious responses to climate shocks, natural and man-made.
Kriya Yoga for Self-Discovery: Practices for Deep States of Meditation (Inner Traditions, $19.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64411-218-2). Keith G Lowenstein provides an accessible, detailed guide to the breath-focused meditation practice of Kriya yoga for spiritual growth, inner stillness, and self-realization.
Joseph Smith for President: The Prophet, the Assassins, and the Fight for American Religious Freedom (Oxford Univ. Press, $29.95, ISBN 978-0-19-090941-3). Spencer W. McBride traces the presidential campaign and 1844 assassination of Joseph Smith, the controversial founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and details how his calls for religious freedom through constitutional reform live on in the American political system.
The Cost of My Faith: How a Decision in My Cake Shop Took Me to the Supreme Court (Salem, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-68451-080-1). Bakery owner Jack Phillips gives his firsthand account of the religious freedom case that stemmed from his refusal, based on Christian faith, to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple.
May 18
You Can Talk to God Like That: The Surprising Power of Lament to Save Your Faith (Broadleaf, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5064-6906-5). Abby Norman writes that lament—an ancient practice of expressing anger and pain to God—can create a rich connection with God.
Finding Your Yes: Living a Life That’s Open to God’s Invitations (IVP, $16 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-8308-4786-0). Christine Wagoner encourages readers to be open and to engage the opportunities God gives to use their talents in a meaningful way.
When We Stand (IVP, $16 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-8308-3178-4). Activist Terence Lester encourages people to discover paths of service to others, which can drastically change how they follow Christ and see God moving in the world.
Creatures of Habit: Breaking the Habits Holding You Back from God’s Best by Steve Poe (Thomas Nelson, $18.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-4002-2342-8). Pastor Steve Poe helps Christians identify and break free from the destructive patterns that are keeping them from the joy-filled, flourishing life Jesus promised.
The Miracle Moment: How Tough Conversations Can Actually Transform Your Most Important Relationships (Tyndale Momentum, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-4964-4855-2). Nicole Unice instructs on ways to better communicate in any relationship whether at home, work, school or church.
Pure Land: History, Tradition, and Practice (Shambhala, May 18, $16.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-61180-890-2). Charles B. Jones introduces the beliefs and key concepts of Pure Land Buddhism, the most widely practiced form of Buddhism in East Asia and within immigrant Buddhist communities in America.
When You Greet Me I Bow: Notes and Reflections from a Life in Zen (Shambhala, $17.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-61180-821-6). Zen teacher, priest, and poet Norman Fischer’s essays look at Zen practice, Buddhist philosophy, social engagement, and spiritual creativity.
May 21
Thomas Merton: An Introduction to His Life, Teachings, and Practices (St. Martin’s Essentials, $14.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-250-25048-3). Jon M. Sweeney offers an exploration of Merton, a Trappist monk and one of the most influential spiritual figures of the 20th century through is writings on contemplation, monastic life, poetry, and social issues.
May 25
Make a Move: How to Stop Wavering and Make Decisions in a Disorienting World (Broadleaf, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-5064-6592-0). Pastor and coach Stephanie Williams O’Brien offers practical advice and action steps to narrow down the choices and allow time to discern God’s leadership.
Checking in: How Getting Real about Depression Saved My Life—-And Can Save Yours (Thomas Nelson, $26.99, ISBN 978-1-4002-2333-6). Singer Michelle Williams shares how, despite fame and success, she battled depression and learned the value of her faith, family, and friends.
Out of the Cave: Stepping Into the Light When Depression Darkens What You See (Thomas Nelson, $18.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-4002-2125-7). Bestselling author and pastor Chris Hodges uses the Prophet Elijah’s life to show us that everyone is susceptible to depression and that God will meet them in the darkness.
Dwell on These Things: A thirty-One-Day Challenge to Talk to Yourself Like God Talks to You (WaterBrook, $16 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-19329-7). John Stange teaches how readers can change the messages lurking in their mind to the messages God wants them to hear.
Fiction
May 1
At Lighthouse Point (Revell, $15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-8007-3500-5). Suzanne Woods Fisher’s heroine returns home from culinary school to find changes that prompt her to wonder if her plans should go beyond just her own desires.
In a Far-Off Land (Tyndale House, $25.99, ISBN 978-1-4964-5042-5). Stephanie Landsem’s farm girl character runs off to Hollywood and winds up on the run for murder until the prodigal daughter finds a path home.
May 11
Windward Shore (Enclave, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-62184-167-8). Sharon Hinck concludes her critically-acclaimed fantasy trilogy set in the island world of Meriel.
May 25
The Preacher’s Daughter (Zebra, $8.99 mass-market, ISBN 978-1-4201-5237-1). In Patricia Johns' tale of love and redemption, a Pennsylvania Amish family finds its faith tested.
