SkyLight Paths Publishing has launched Christian Journeys, a new imprint for books “for the progressive Christian audience.” Emily Wichland, v-p of editorial and production for SkyLight Paths, will head the imprint, overseeing acquisitions and content development. In a statement, Wichland said, “Christian Journeys gives a clear and distinctive identity to the growing body of decidedly Christian books we’re publishing. It creates a strong place from which we reach out to the liberal Christian audience.” Among its authors will be Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church; The Rev. Canon C.K. Robertson, canon to the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church; Rev. Susan Sparks, senior pastor of the historic Madison Avenue Baptist Church in New York City; and Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, former executive director of the United States office of the World Council of Churches. The imprint will formally debut at the Episcopal Church General Convention July-10-12 in Indianapolis and at the Religious Booksellers Trade Exhibit May 29-31 in St. Charles, Ill.
Bethany House Publishers has released the first faith-based e-book about Jeremy Lin. Jeremy Lin: Faith, Joy, and Basketball, by author and sports writer Ted Kluck, looks at Lin’s family, Asian heritage, Harvard education, and faith to illuminate his unique success as basketball’s unexpected hero. Kluck is the author of eight books; the most recent is Dallas and the Spitfire: An Old Car, an Ex-Con, and an Unlikely Friendship (with Dallas Jahnke; Bethany House, April); his articles have appeared in ESPN the Magazine, Christianity Today, and other publications.
The Swedenborg Foundation has announced three first-place winners of the second annual Bridge Book Award: Erica Goldblatt Hyatt, A Primer in Swedenborgian Psychology; Karl J. Boericke, Probing the Deep; and Matthew Connolly, Swedenborg's Republic: Spiritual Emancipation and Democracy in the United States. Each winner received a cash prize and the opportunity to be considered for possible publication by the Swedenborg Foundation Press editorial board. For more information on the awards and how to submit entries, go to http://blog.swedenborg.com/?p=217
Nominations are open for the Web Marketing Association’s WebAward for Best Faith-Based Website of 2012. This is the 16th annual international WebAward competition for Web site development. Past winners in the category include PARTNERS+simons for Portsmouth Abbey Monastery (2011); Joel Osteen Ministries and Lakewood Church for Lakewood Church (2010); Guideposts for Guideposts.com (2009); Mediapulse for Park West Church (2008); Bayshore Solutions for Wycliffe Bible Translators (2007); Dallas Theological Seminary for Dallas Theological Seminary (2006); Biola University for Talbot School of Theology (2005); PhotoMission, Inc. for A Worldwide Community of Christian Photographers (2004). To nominate a faith-based Web site go to http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe2e177374610175711474&ls=fdca15727661017b7115767467&m=ff031571716204&l=fe5c15777d6200747514&s=fe2a10797c65067c771075&jb=ffcf14&t=
Eerdmans Publishing’s What Shall We Say? Evil, Suffering, and the Crisis of Faith by Thomas G. Long has been selected the 2011 Book of the Year by the Academy of Parish Clergy. This is the second year in a row that an Eerdmans title has won the award, which is given to the best book published for parish ministry in the previous year. The award will be presented at the academy’s Annual Conference, May 8-10, 2012, in Dayton, Ohio. The academy also named two other Eerdmans titles in their Top Ten Books of 2011: Not Sure: A Pastor’s Journey from Faith to Doubt by John Suk and Resonant Witness: Conversations between Music and Theology edited by Jeremy S. Begbie and Stephen R. Guthrie.
The Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals at Wheaton College has a produced People of Faith, a DVD series on the history of American Christianity that features a who's who of religion scholars/authors, such as Martin Marty and Jean Bethke Elshtain (University of Chicago); Mark Noll (University of Notre Dame); Thomas Kidd (Baylor University); Darren Dochuck (Purdue University); and John Witvliet (Calvin College). The series was written by religion journalist Steve Rabey (Faith Under Fire). Produced with the support of a grant from the Lilly Endowment, it examines Christianity in America, from the first European Christian settlers to the 21st century. “America became a religious place from the very beginning...because the people who settled this country had a genius for framing questions in religious terms,” said Scott Appleby.
The Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year Awards have been announced by the Christian Small Publishers Association (CSPA). A total of 94 titles were nominated from 63 publishers for the twelve award categories. The winning titles can be viewed at http://www.christianbookaward.com.
Tyndale House Publishers author Matthew Sleeth spoke on Earth Day--this past Sunday, April 22— to representatives from evangelical seminaries at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on the subject of faith-based environmentalism. Following his sermon, “Are Christians Blessing or Cursing the Earth—A Call to Action,” attendees were invited to sign an agreement with the Seminary Stewardship Alliance, agreeing to educate future church leaders on “creation care.” Sleeth is the founder of Blessed Earth, a faith-based, environmental nonprofit organization. Blessed Earth launched the Seminary Stewardship Alliance to encourage environmental awareness in theological education. His wife, Nancy Sleeth, is the co-director of Blessed Earth and the author of Almost Amish (Tyndale House, April), in which she urges a simpler life and one less focused on technology. Matthew Sleeth’s book, 24/6, also from Tyndale House, releases in November. It will focus on “honoring the Sabbath in our technology-crazed, ‘always on’ world,” according to Tyndale House.
B&H Publishing Group has hired marketing strategists Shannon Kozee and Patrick Bonner. Kozee will oversee marketing for B&H Fiction and B&H Kids. She most recently served as senior manager for partnerships and publicity at Big Idea Entertainment. Julie Gwinn, who formerly served as B&H Fiction acquisitions and marketing manager, will now devote all of her time to acquisitions and editorial oversight for the fiction line. Bonner joins B&H from Sony/Provident, where he spent eighteen years working in the Christian music and film industry, most recently helping to promote the Fireproof, Courageous, and October Baby motion pictures. At B&H Bonner will market movie tie-in, Christian living, and leadership books.
Harvest House Publishers v-p of sales and Christian publishing veteran John Constance has announced his retirement on September 1. Constance was hired as Harvest House’s director of sales in 1999 and promoted to v-p of sales in 2002. He brought to Harvest House his experience as owner of Intermountain Christian Bookstores in Salt Lake City and served on several CBA boards and the Zondervan Dealer Advisory Committee. He had also previously worked as a regional sales manager for both Concordia and Zondervan.
