James K. A. Smith

The Stories We Tell

Christian Living

“Like Paul at the Areopagus, Mike Cosper walks through the cultural artifacts of our entertainment industry and effectively says, ‘I can tell by your sitcoms and dramas and even your romantic comedies that you are a storytelling people who long for more. Let me introduce you to the Storyteller you don’t even realize you long to know.’ The result is a book that will change how you watch TV and movies. But more importantly, this might change the conversations you have with your neighbors.”

The Theater of God's Glory

Theology

“Drawing on John Calvin’s rich, Trinitarian theology of creation and embodiment, Taylor deconstructs Calvin’s flat—yea, disheartening—dismissal of the liturgical arts, offering a constructive contribution to the conversation between theology and the arts that has important implications for worship renewal in the church.”

Theology and Culture

Theology

“Too many 'guides' pretend to a kind of theological neutrality that leads us nowhere. Steve Long's wonderful little book is a noted exception: here is a guide to the theological terrain that doesn't apologize for working with a compass. Providing a helpful survey of various schools of thought, the book also constitutes an argument for a particular theological understanding of culture. Long not only charts the territory, he also shows students how to plot a path through it. I've already been commending it to my students.”

Under the Wings of God

Christian Living

“This subtle yet profound collection of meditations is the fruit of a lifetime of listening to the Word. Combining a keen mind and a pastoral heart, Plantinga is attuned to the depths and secrets of Scripture. Listen with him and hear from God in ways you never have before.”

Vintage Saints and Sinners

History & Biography

“In our postmodern age, it's all the more important that Christians cultivate ancient friendships, apprenticing with broken and beautiful saints who've preceded us. Their lives of devotion, service, and sacrifice help us to reimagine our own. In this wise, humble, passionate book, Karen Marsh invites you to meet the ancient friends who have nourished her faith. It's a joyful, honest journey that will make you want to join this pilgrimage for yourself.”

Wait with Me

Prayer & Spiritual Formation

“This, thankfully, is not a book that promises to solve loneliness. It's not a how-to guide for 'getting out there' or a formula for ensuring God will erase your sense of isolation. This book is something very different: a poignant, wise, at times searing invitation to attend to our loneliness as a call from God. This is spiritual writing that is at once urgent and patient, honest and inviting.”

Watch and Wonder

Prayer & Spiritual Formation

“I feel like I have glimpsed something of God in the azure flash of a tiny indigo bunting and the sublime grandeur of a bald eagle's gaze. In this wise and inviting book, Sutterfield helps us understand the wondrous intersection of Creator and creation in these beings who defy gravity. Read this book to learn how to listen and look for feathered companions who teach us to lift up our hearts.”

What Your Body Knows About God

Science & Faith

“The theologian Henri de Lubac once said that human beings were created with a natural desire for the supernatural. This marvelous, accessible book by Rob Moll picks up on this conviction brilliantly, inviting us to embrace our bodies as the gifts they are. The incarnate God meets us in our bodies and brains. An excellent exposition of the bodily basis of discipleship.”

Where Goodness Still Grows

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“In this poignant, honest book, Amy Peterson confronts her disappointment with the evangelical leaders who handed her The Book of Virtues then happily ignored them for the sake of political power. But instead of just walking away, Peterson rewrites the script, giving us an alternative book of virtues needed in this moment. And it’s no mistake that it ends with hope.”

Why Christians Should Be Leftists

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“This is a timely book that I hope will catalyze serious conversations in our churches, especially in the Protestant mainline.”

Women of the Gospels

Bible Studies & Devotionals

“This series is a wonderful gift for the church in late modernity. In an era of twittered attention, we have inculcated all sorts of bad reading habits that we then bring to Scripture. The Ancient-Future Bible Study prescribes a counter-formative regimen: the personal and communal practice of lectio divina or ‘sacred reading.’ For some this will be a strange, new practice; but it will quickly feel as natural as breathing. So find some friends, take up this series, and read anew!”

Women of the Torah

Bible Studies & Devotionals

“This series is a wonderful gift for the church in late modernity. In an era of twittered attention, we have inculcated all sorts of bad reading habits that we then bring to Scripture. The Ancient-Future Bible Study prescribes a counter-formative regimen: the personal and communal practice of lectio divina or ‘sacred reading.’ For some this will be a strange, new practice; but it will quickly feel as natural as breathing. So find some friends, take up this series, and read anew!”

Word Made Fresh

Arts & Literature

“I’ve been waiting for someone to write this book. Sensitive to newcomers and even skeptics, Abram Van Engen is a warm, wise, generous guide into the manifold gifts poetry offers. A master teacher and thoughtful scholar, Van Engen writes as a fellow human, a pilgrim on the way with us, sharing his experiences with poetry to entice us to find our own. At once practical and existential, this book is a master class and a love letter. Like the Ancient Mariner, I will be grabbing people by the lapels and pressing this book into their hands: Here’s why poetry is the song you didn’t realize your heart wants to sing.”