Brian D. McLaren

The Pietist Option

“One of my mentors used to describe himself as 'a Pietist with a PhD.' After reading The Pietist Option, I know more deeply what he meant, and I realize more clearly why his winsome spirit won my heart. This book invites us all into a more just and generous way of following Christ in today's world.”

The Pursuit of God in the Company of Friends

Christian Living

“It's so easy to talk about authentic community, so easy to theorize and dream about it, but making it real calls out our souls. Rich Lamb confesses that he's not a natural 'people person,' so he's had to learn the skills and joys of Christian community day by day, step by step, just as most of us must do. That's why his counsel is street-level, apt and wise. This book will help you make it real.”

The Sacred Meal

Preaching & Worship

“It’s so fitting that Nora Gallagher would write on the sacramental meal, because that’s how I’ve always felt about her writing . . . it opens up a channel of grace and offers a taste of mystery, accessible to anyone, yet so full of meaning that the inside feels bigger than the outside. The Sacred Meal is a rich meal for the soul, and will be a great book to share among a circle of friends too.”

The Sacredness of Questioning Everything

“David Dark is one of our wisest authors, and I plan to read everything he writes. The Sacredness of Questioning Everything will comfort questioners, doubters, and skeptics with assurance that their questions can be faithful, and it will challenge the complacent with an ethical summons to wonder. It invites everything to give life—and faith—a second thought, and did I mention that it’s beautifully written?”

The Shift

Christian Living

“There's so much wisdom, so much compassion, and so much encouragement packed into these pages...I know you'll love The Shift!”

The Sounds of Love and Grace

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Jimi Calhoun has a gift for seeing familiar things in fresh ways. Let him be your guide to the Ten Commandments and you’ll be amazed at how this ancient moral code speaks to issues in tomorrow’s headlines.”

The Unbiased Self

Christian Living

“For years, I have been studying common glitches in human reasoning known as biases, and so I picked up with real interest this new book on the subject by social psychologist Erin Devers. I learned something valuable and new on the first page, and I finished the book as a fan of Professor Devers' work. If you want to be right (as opposed to wrong) and you want to have valid reasons to feel good about yourself, The Unbiased Self can really help you.”

The Underground Church

Church Leadership & Ministry

“While reading this book, I felt afresh how subversive the Christian way of life should be in relation to today's partisan ideologies and consumerist assumptions. Robin Meyers depicts a subversive, transformative, and hopeful identity for followers of Christ--one that I hope will be increasingly contagious.”

Transforming Christian Theology

Theology

“How can an important theological book be so delightful to read? How can a top-drawer theologian have such high respect for 'normal' Christians that they are seen as partners in the work of transforming theology? How can Philip Clayton make the idea of big-tent, progressive Christianity so believable and attractive that one can imagine Evangelicals, charismatics, mainliners, and Roman Catholics joyfully discussing it over a meal together? There's only one way to find out: open up Transforming Christian Theology and start reading--now.”

True Story

Apologetics

“One of the most important theological conversations going on these days is about the shape of the biblical narrative. Not surprisingly, many leaders in this conversation are those working in the intellectual ferment of the college campus and at the intersection of church and the emerging culture. James Choung is one of these important voices, and this book opens up important new vistas regarding the story we find ourselves in.”

Turned On

“Some books tell you how to be happy and successful in a pretty little box. Some books tell you how to escape the box and embark on a life-changing adventure. Turned On is one of the latter. It dares you to believe that the universe is about creativity and that you are a maker, an artist, a person capable of adding life to life and joy to joy.”

Turning Over Tables

Bible Studies & Devotionals

“We Christians often refer to God as ‘the Almighty,’ and sadly, we often make ourselves in that image, acting as if power (for our ego, our gender, our denomination, our party, or our nation) is something to be grasped, amassed, and hoarded. That’s why I’m so grateful that Kathy Escobar invites us to devote the season of Lent to a time of reflection on power. Get ready though . . . because this well-written book is powerful enough to challenge your assumptions about power!”

Unarmed Empire

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Sean Palmer has made a beautiful discovery. He discovered a pearl of great price buried in the back yard of Christianity. He wants to share that treasure with you through his new book, Unarmed Empire. If you share in this discovery, you'll discover why he is so passionate about it. You'll want to share it too.”

UnClobber, Expanded Edition with Study Guide

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Written with a theologian’s intelligence and a pastor’s sensitivity, this book is the resource thousands have been waiting for.”

Unteachable Lessons

Christian Living

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Useless Beauty

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Johnston reads Ecclesiastes with a rich, postmodern hermeneutic--not the more common simplistic, linear, moralistic, or formulaic approach that threatens to drown Bible readers in the shallows. His reading has great value for people seeking new ways to find meaning in Scripture. Personally, it helped me weave my life experience with my viewing of film and my reading of the Bible, and it left me feeling alive and energized.”

We Were Spiritual Refugees

Church Leadership & Ministry

“Here are three things I couldn’t be more excited about: 1. Katie Hays’s new book, We Were Spiritual Refugees, 2. the amazing church it tells the story of, Galileo, and 3. what might happen if you read it. Who knows what you might be inspired to do?”

What You Sow Is a Bare Seed

History & Biography

“Why should you read about a small church you’ve probably never heard of? One reason: because a small, informal, experimental faith community, like one tiny seed, can have a great impact, both on its members and on the people and communities the members impact. I know, because I am one of the latter. My life has been enriched with the overflow of the community you will meet in Celeste Kennel-Shank’s new book.”

When God Became White

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“I read everything I can by Grace Ji-Sun Kim, but I especially needed this book. As a white man who inherited a white male God, I am grateful for this Korean-born theologian who gently, clearly, and firmly guides readers like me into a bigger, deeper, more awesome and just understanding of the Holy One.”

White Knuckle Love

History & Biography

“You read some books to solve a problem or answer a question. You read some books to make you laugh or stave off boredom. But there are a very few remarkable books that help you feel more alive, that help you feel the bottomless depth of your heart, that make you feel like crying and you can’t tell if it’s for sadness or joy. This is one of those books. Don’t miss it.”