The claim that “America has a godly Christian heritage and should return to it in public spaces” is rooted in blatant historical falsehoods, contends psychologist Throckmorton (Getting Jefferson Right) in this robust treatise. He argues that evangelicals have often framed the United States as a Christian nation because it privileges them, and he seeks to dismantle this narrative by debunking historical myths. Those include the notion that the founders believed America was bestowed to them by God, which Throckmorton suggests was bolstered mostly by early Christian historians who sought to justify settlers’ right to the land while erasing Indigenous histories. He also discredits claims that America’s founders were orthodox Christians whose faith shaped their construction of the government, contending that they ascribed more closely to a rationalistic faith that eschewed Christian beliefs that contradicted “the laws of nature.” He also debunks arguments that Christianity has been a core part of public school education since the country’s founding by clarifying that schools used the Bible and prayer in ways that varied dramatically by region and were a constant source of debate. Throckmorton effectively marshals historical evidence to support his claims, though he sometimes veers into personal diatribes against figures like David Barton, founder of Wallbuilders, an organization that frames American history through an evangelical lens. Still, this persuades. (May)

Reviewed on 02/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

Noble (On Getting Out of Bed), an English professor at Oklahoma Baptist University, stumbles with this uneven look at how seven core virtues—prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, faith, hope, and love—can help believers live more faithfully. Drawing on scholarship from such thinkers as Thomas Aquinas scholar Josef Pieper, the author frames prudence as “the mother of all... virtue” that allows believers to make godly choices, and temperance as the use of self-discipline to avoid selfishness and “preserve yourself for the glory of God... and the good of your neighbor.” Unfortunately, Noble’s theological analyses are overshadowed by his clumsy attempts to frame the virtues as antidotes to the “ills” of the modern world; he implies, for example, that simply attempting to exercise temperance and keep God in mind can help believers reduce social media use or stop overeating. (Other suggested applications of the virtues are more problematic, as when he suggests queer Christians exercise the virtue of “chastity” by staying single or marrying someone of the opposite sex.) Despite some stray theological insights, this fails to meaningfully explore how Christian theology can inform believers’ lives. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/06/2026 | Details & Permalink

The unflinching debut from blogger Lage lays bare her struggles with mental illness, beginning with panic disorder and leading to postpartum psychosis. After she gave birth to her daughter in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, Lage alternately elated and despaired over what she believed were God’s messages to her. She stopped trusting her family and entered the hospital, where she filled notebooks with grandiose “prophecies” that her daughter was “the second coming of God,” that hospital staff were running medical experiments on her, and that she was “God’s favorite.” Lage holds nothing back as she chronicles her long path to recovery, including the self-doubt and paranoia that crept in (“If I felt too excited, used too many exclamation points, or had a day filled with mood swings, did that mean it was happening again?”), and her fears that her second pregnancy would result in the same experience. Particularly vivid is the sense of violation the author felt over losing trust in her memory, her mind, and—for a time—in a faith that had failed to save her (“I dutifully take my antianxiety pills every night but sometimes imagine an alternate universe where God made my problems disappear”). This brave memoir does valuable work in dismantling the stigma of an often overlooked mental illness. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 02/06/2026 | Details & Permalink

This diligent if somewhat impractical study from Gupta (Strange Religion), a theology professor at Northern Seminary, mines Paul’s letters for insight into how Christians can faithfully conduct their everyday lives. The first part criticizes the notion that the proper Christian response to the world’s “corruption” is retreat, “thumb-twiddling” anticipation of eternal glory, or pursuit of an otherworldly spirituality. According to Gupta, Paul rejected such ideas, insisting believers work to ensure that “God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.” The second part explores what this means, practically speaking. Gupta is most convincing when considering matters like friendship (which he contends is “serious gospel business” and a key anchor for Christian life) and psychological “wellness” (Paul’s commands to rejoice, hope, and be at peace aim to bring a “deeper awareness of what we hold dear and where our lives are heading”). Less successful are Gupta’s attempts to draw lessons on larger issues like socioeconomic justice; he rarely finds in Paul’s letters guidance more concrete than to avoid greed or recognize that “the secret to happiness is hidden in simplicity and generosity.” While Gupta helpfully contextualizes Paul’s teachings and how they diverged from dominant Greco-Roman values and beliefs, the counsel on offer leaves much to be desired. It’s a mixed bag. (May)

Reviewed on 02/06/2026 | Details & Permalink

Rodriguez, cofounder of Church Clarity, an organization that helps queer people find gay-affirming congregations, debuts with a moving memoir about his struggles to “keep my faith without losing my soul” as a queer Christian. The author grew up feeling like a perennial misfit in Peoria, Ill., and found a sense of belonging with a Christian youth group as a teen, though his faith began to crack when he saw a youth leader “rejected” by the church after coming out. After high school he followed another group leader to Washington State to help him build a church youth group, but the mentor found gay porn on Rodriguez’s laptop, outed him, and framed him as a “dangerous predator.” Still committed to the church, Rodriguez signed up for conversion therapy that promised to help him overcome his “sexual brokenness” with a bizarre mix of “disciplined effort, behavior modification, and divine intervention” that involved, among other things, growing a beard and joining a gym. After eight years of conversion therapy, the author found a support group that sought to build “bridges between the church and the LGBTQ+ community.” Rodriguez’s brutal honesty is affecting, and he powerfully draws out how the evangelical church weaponizes Christian doctrine to “other” gay people and convince believers salvation is conditional on rigid adherence to conservative values. The result is an unflinching account of finding a faith that fits. (May)

Correction: An earlier version of this review contained inaccuracies about when the author moved to Washington State and how long he was in conversion therapy.

Reviewed on 02/06/2026 | Details & Permalink

By challenging “our ordinary ways of understanding the world and our place in it,” suffering provides Christians with an opportunity to reevaluate and strengthen their faith, according to this meditative guide. Kapic (You’re Only Human), a theology professor at Covenant College, teams up with Hall and McMartin, psychology and theology professors, respectively, at Biola University, to argue that crises destroy one’s “assumptions” about the world, freeing up the mind to discard “unhelpful or untrue beliefs” and formulate a “better way of understanding the world and our place in it.” Drawing from research and personal experience—including Hall’s struggle with breast cancer—the authors explain how suffering brings people closer to God as they bump up against their own fallibility, reevaluate priorities, and build empathy toward others. They also detail how readers can grow during such periods by praying regularly and working to forgive oneself and others for past transgressions. The authors differentiate their advice from similar religious guides with their methodical approach and robust research, which includes interviews with nearly 100 Christian cancer survivors. It adds up to an insightful testament to the unexpected ways faith can be born from struggle. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 02/06/2026 | Details & Permalink

The Awkward Mom blogger Breitenstein (Permanent Markers) provides pragmatic, faith-infused guidance on how moms can better regulate their anger. Dismissing notions of a “godly femininity” that means sublimating one’s feelings in order to serve others, she reassures readers that their emotions are legitimate, acknowledged by God, and should be tackled from the root up, as anger can be a secondary emotion sparked by fear or rejection. She offers strategies for handling anger in the moment and in the long term, including by working through past family traumas that have shaped one’s parenting approach. She also wisely clarifies that anger isn’t in itself a negative emotion and touts the benefits of bringing one’s difficult emotions to God. While the author’s stress-reduction tips aren’t new, she does valuable work in highlighting the insidious ways in which women often suppress their emotions, in dismantling reductive stereotypes about Christian femininity, and in reassuring readers that experiencing a full spectrum of emotions is part of being alive. The result is a compassionate resource for mothers seeking peace of mind. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 01/30/2026 | Details & Permalink

In her penetrating debut, physician Lee uses the Japanese art of kintsugi, the practice of mending broken pottery with gold lacquer, to illustrate how she repaired a faith fractured by a childhood steeped in Western theology. Lee grew up in an immigrant church in Iowa that practiced Chinese customs but hewed to white, patriarchal religious tradition—she imagined Jesus as white well into adulthood—and remained captive to a “very rigid form of Christianity” until her faith began to break down in college. In 2015 she came across blog posts from Glennon Doyle, spurring a quest for a more “legitimate, authentic faith.” Seeking out the works of feminist and BIPOC theologians, she learned to dismantle the strictures of Western Christianity and bring her culturally specific experiences as a Chinese American to reading scripture and connecting with God. Lee draws out with particular care how she’s used challenging parts of the Asian American experience to deepen her faith, contending that marginality can foster a closeness to Jesus, allowing believers to uniquely empathize with other groups that American Christianity “has silenced and negated.” Combining vivid personal experience with broad-ranging theology, it’s a smart, searching look at the need for more inclusive forms of Christianity in the U.S. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 01/23/2026 | Details & Permalink

Addiction recovery advocate Beidler (Downstairs Church) provides a down-to-earth guide for readers with loved ones in addiction recovery. She frames recovery as a process that rests on four core pillars: hope (research shows that “when family members believe in and have hope for their loved ones, they are more likely to maintain recovery”); physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness (a strong faith identity promotes resilience and a solid sense of self); community; and giving back to others. Using that framework, addicts can construct an individual path to recovery that fosters fulfillment and renders addiction less necessary as a coping mechanism. Along the way, the author wisely reminds readers that recovery isn’t “one size fits all,” and provides valuable clarification on how to support a loved one with addiction without “enabling” their harmful habits. (Small acts, like providing a hot meal, “assure our family member or other loved one that no matter what happens, we know there is a pathway of change waiting for them once they are ready to take action.”) This compassionate, gently faith-infused guide will inform and empower friends and family of those suffering from addiction. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 01/23/2026 | Details & Permalink

The right to freely practice one’s religion is among the strongest predictors of societal peace and success, according to this lucid study from political scientist Hertzke (Religion and Politics in America). He marshals evidence that countries with fewer religious restrictions experience the most substantial economic growth, enjoy greater social cohesion, and experience lower incidences of violence and terrorism. In Hertzke’s view, this is because religious freedom taps into the core of “human personhood and experience: the right to be who we are, to act on our ultimate commitment, and to be treated with equal worth and dignity.” He also contends that freedom of religion promotes agency and social value, empowers marginalized communities, attracts the immigration of skilled workers, and promotes social cooperation, among other benefits. (Societies that privilege majority faiths, on the other hand, incite repression as governments distort religious principles to secure power.) Hertzke calls for the adoption of a “covenantal pluralism” that trades passive religious tolerance for respectful relationships between faith groups who actively recognize one another’s faith differences. Hertzke’s zeal for his thesis is energizing, and his analysis of religious freedom as a core element of democracy is illuminating. Readers will be persuaded. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 01/23/2026 | Details & Permalink