It's summer. It's sweltering. Maybe that's why faith readers are chilling with the authors with whom they're most comfortable. That could explain why June's nonfiction bestselling religion and spirituality Top Ten titles are a hit-parade of familiar names.
Sarah Young’s 2004 Jesus Calling: Peace in his Presence (Thomas Nelson) — almost always somewhere on the list—popped up to the number one slot last month. It may be the cumulative impact of the first few new episodes of the third season of Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith, a TV series inspired by Young's devotional. The Sunday evening season on Up TV, hosted by Grammy-winner Chris Tomlin, features sports and entertainment stars sharing their spiritual experiences.
At #2 is the latest from prolific author/pastor T. D. Jakes, Disruptive Thinking: A Daring Strategy to Change How We Live, Lead and Love (Faith Words). It's the highest ranking of only three titles in the Top Ten that were released in 2023. John Bevere nears two dozen titles published with his newest, The Awe of God: The Astounding Way A Healthy Fear of God Transforms Your Life (Thomas Nelson), which is #7. And #8 is Holy Spirit: Experience Permanent Deliverance From Mental, Emotional, and Demonic Strongholds (Destiny Image) by David Diga Hernandez. He's a California-based Pentecostal and Charismatic evangelist who preaches and writes about spiritual warfare.
The other six titles are from well-established writers: Jonathan Cahn is #3 with The Return of the Gods (Frontline); Julia Cameron with #4, The Artist's Way: 30th Anniversary Edition (TarcherPerigee); C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity (HarperOne) at #5; Lysa TerKeurst is at #6 with Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are (Thomas Nelson); Eric Metaxas' Letter to the American Church (Salem) at #9; and the last of the Top Ten is John Mark Comer's The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World (WaterBrook).
In fiction, there's only one debut book — the latest in the Harlequin Books' Inspirational Mountain Rescue collection, Jennifer Brown's Hunted at the Hideaway, which was published in June. Everything else has been a hit for months, if not years. Number 1 is Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (William Morrow) which gets a boost as a Reese's Book Club pick in May. And #10 is William P. Young's The Shack (Windblown Media), which has had a near-permanent post on the list since 2008. For more fiction listings click here.
