Brett McCracken
Biography
Brett McCracken wrote The Wisdom Pyramid, Uncomfortable, and Hipster Christianity.
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Prayer & Spiritual Formation
“Healthy habits are fundamental to our flourishing as Christians. But habits are hard, and developing new habits—or maintaining existing ones—is daunting. This is an accessible, practical, and actionable book—perfect for small groups, families, and friends seeking sustainable growth in a culture of fads and quick fixes.”
Arts & Literature
“Art is surprisingly adept at finding beauty in the paradoxes and tensions of Christian faith, and jazz music is a particularly potent genre in this regard. William Edgar's A Supreme Love is a lovely reflection on the ways jazz and the gospel can converse. Edgar offers a welcome example of sophisticated theological engagement with music, without feeling forced. I learned so much reading this book—and discovered some great music too!”
Church Leadership & Ministry
“It's a grave miscalculation for the church today to think relevance depends on the ability to keep up with the pace, gloss, and hype of our technological world. Our frenetic, fidgety age does not need a frenetic, fidgety church. Our Insta-perfect, polished age does not need a photoshopped, inauthentic church. Our tech-weary world does not need a tech-obsessed church. Jay Kim's Analog Church understands this, presenting a compelling case for the church's most radical act in today's world: not to be a trendy, shape-shifting, chameleonic copycat, but to be a transcendent Christ-centered community whose difference from the world is why it makes a difference.”
Men
“At a time of great cultural confusion around gender, Seth Troutt's Authentic Masculinity presents a refreshingly clear, compelling vision of the virtues and roles that shape healthy manhood. This is a book men of every generation should read and discuss together. It's a biblically grounded, brilliantly structured, galvanizing resource to help men become sons, brothers, makers, husbands, and fathers whose lives glorify God by showcasing the wisdom—and goodness—of His design.”
Christian Living
“Some books on beauty are more bookish than beautiful—they engage the mind but not the heart. Ryken’s Beauty Is Your Destiny doesn’t fall into that trap. This is a book that simultaneously stimulates our minds and stirs our affections. It’s informative but also pleasurable to read, leading us not only to grasp a full-orbed theology of beauty but also to worship the source from which all beauty flows.”
Christian Living
“One reason skeptics don’t take Christianity seriously is the disconnect they see between the beliefs and behavior of so many Christians. Do we really believe the doctrines we say we believe? If so, why are our lives so often unchanged—so often indistinguishable from the lives of unbelievers? Paul Tripp tackles this problem compellingly in Do You Believe? For twelve central Christian doctrines, he lays out not only what the doctrine is but how we should live in light of it. Doctrine is not just about knowing information, he says. It’s about transformation. This is an urgent and essential book—a treasure trove of wisdom for any Christian willing to take seriously the implications of belief for everyday life.”
Biblical Studies & Commentaries
“Genesis is a beautiful, rich, and foundational book in Scripture. But it’s also daunting and, for most people, difficult to understand. Alex Duke’s From Eden to Egypt walks readers through Genesis in a way that’s approachable, relatable, and—dare I say—even fun! Whether you’re a church leader teaching through Genesis, a student looking to better understand God’s Word, or simply someone curious about a pivotal but often misunderstood book of the Bible, From Eden to Egypt is a fantastic resource.”
Christian Living
“We can never dwell too much on the grace of God. His grace is inexhaustibly rich and endlessly nourishing. And as Kyle DiRoberts reminds us in this book, grace is also a whole-Bible idea, gloriously manifest from the first pages of Genesis to the final words of Revelation. DiRoberts is a helpful guide on the journey, showing us the many faces and facets of grace across the pages of Scripture. Readers might go into this book humming the hymn 'Amazing Grace,' but they'll leave with a deeper appreciation of just how amazing grace is.”
Apologetics
“about the difficult and often bizarre parts of the Bible lead them to doubt Christianity. It should be on the bookshelf of every pastor and parent who gets peppered with “gotcha!” questions about the Bible. It should be read with an open mind by skeptics and anyone on a spiritual deconstruction journey. Chances are, there’s someone in your life who needs to read it right now.”
How (Not) to Read the Bible Study Guide plus Streaming Video
Bible Studies & Devotionals
“about the difficult and often bizarre parts of the Bible lead them to doubt Christianity. It should be on the bookshelf of every pastor and parent who gets peppered with “gotcha!” questions about the Bible. It should be read with an open mind by skeptics and anyone on a spiritual deconstruction journey. Chances are, there’s someone in your life who needs to read it right now.”
Ethics, Culture & Social Issues
“An exceptional piece of theologically rigorous, culturally perceptive criticism. With Charles Taylor's monumental book A Secular Age as a guide, Joustra and Wilkinson show how narratives of dystopian apocalypse in contemporary films and television reveal deep philosophical, theological, and existential truths about today's world. . . . Whether dissecting Mad Men or The Hunger Games, Scandal or Game of Thrones, this book's analysis is timely, wide-ranging, and coherent, shedding light on power, politics, identity, and more in the twenty-first century.”
Christian Living
“This book resonated deeply. Too many of us see time as a problem to be solved and a puzzle to be managed. But Jen Pollock Michel invites us to see time as a gift to be received and a mystery to be embraced. This book’s wisdom is rich, immersive, beautifully written, and casually profound. Get yourself a copy and read it in an unrushed way.”
Christian Living
“In an age of AI-mediated knowledge, when we are drowning in heaps of unhelpful (or, at best, semi-helpful) information, trustworthy human sages are more important than ever. The late J. I. Packer is a voice like that, and his Knowing Christianity is a classic every Christian should have in their library. There are nuggets of wisdom in every paragraph of this book. For both new converts and lifelong believers, this is a meaty but accessible work to read slowly and return to often.”
Fiction
“We can drag our kids to church kicking and screaming (and sometimes we might have to), but ideally we help them learn to love church and choose to be there. This delightful book is a tool that can help. In a beautifully simple story, Meg Is Not Alone paints a picture of the church as family. In a world of loneliness and fear, the local church is a haven of diverse, supportive, hope-filled community. This book reminds us of that.”
Arts & Literature
“This is one of the best books on film and theology I've ever read. By conceiving of and engaging with movies as 'prayerful gestures received by God," Larsen guides the reader in a study that is itself a reverent, prayerful gesture. Packed with insights into how both the content and the form of films can mirror prayer, Movies Are Prayers is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt the pangs of transcendence in a movie theater. Yet this is a book as much about prayer as it is about pop culture. Readers will gain not only new language with which to understand movies, but an enlivened paradigm for understanding prayer.”
Children & Youth
“This book is a beautifully written and illustrated celebration of worship. All creation sings! Read this book to your child and then go outside, listening for the sounds of creation’s worshipful song. Let this book inspire your family to discover the melodies written in the book of nature—and add your voices to the choir!”
Polly and the Screen Time Overload
Children & Youth
“Technology—like any good tool—can go wrong when we become enslaved to it. This is a lesson today’s parents, as well as their children who are digital natives, need to hear often, and in many different ways. Polly and the Screen Time Overload is a fun, timely conversation starter for families who recognize that our media habits have as much to do with spiritual formation as they do with screen time.”
Christian Living
“One can never read too many books that revel in the awesome attributes of God, and Thaddeus Williams’s Revering God is a worthy addition to the genre. Deftly weaving timely cultural analysis with timeless theological truth, the book is a valuable reminder to the contemporary church: reverence to God is a far more pressing priority than relevance to the culture.”
Arts & Literature
“Part personal narrative and part cultural history, Joel Heng Hartse's musical memoir is a lovingly written ode to all that is weird and wonderful, disturbing and divine about the world of Christian rock. Conversant in everything from White Town to Rebecca St James, Radiohead to Michael W. Smith, Hartse provides a richly observant, nostalgic document of the shaping artifacts and sonic ephemera of his evangelical youth. His book paints a picture of the recent past that will be funny, poignant, and therapeutic for anyone who grew up in a similar milieu.”
Apologetics
“In the post-Christian West, most young Christians are going to, at some point, venture down a path of doubt and deconstruction. We can either throw up our hands in lament and resignation, or we can come alongside and equip them with tools of wisdom for their journey. Set Adrift takes the latter approach. Sean McDowell and John Marriott don’t condescend to the reader who is in the process of deconstruction. They instead converse with them, offering understanding and empathy but also appropriate pushback, crucial considerations, and common pitfalls to avoid. I’d recommend this book to every Christian high school graduate. It may not stop some readers from questioning their faith, but I expect it will help many avoid losing it entirely.”
NOTE: Only includes books currently in our catalog; not necessarily a complete list.
Ethics, Culture & Social Issues
Christian Living
Christian Living
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