We’ve recently returned from the annual meetings of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature, key events for publishers of scholarly religion books, and talk of economic recovery was everywhere. The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association has also just reported a sales increase of almost 5% year-to-date for 2010 over 2009. These signs give reasons for optimism as we approach the new year, and I’m hoping for positive change not only for publishers in the religion category but also for the beleaguered book business and our bruised country as a whole.