The best new books I’ve read in the last month are
- (5+) Miracles and Wonders: The Historical Mystery of Jesus by Elaine Pagels (Doubleday, 2025)
- (5.0) The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s by Paul Elie (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2025)
- (5.0) Little Bosses Everywhere: How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America by Bridget Read (Crown, 2025)
- (4.5) Food Fight: How What We Eat is Weaponized edited by Miguel A. De La Torre (Pilgrim Press, 2025)
- (4.5) The Nine Asks: Creating Safer and More Courageous Spaces by Kimberly Danielle (Westminster John Knox Press, 2025)
- (4.0) Holy Hurt: Understanding Spiritual Trauma and the Process of Healing by Hillary L. McBride (Brazos Press, 2025)
- (4.0) The Cost of Ambition: How Striving to Be Better Than Others Makes Us Worse by Miroslav Volf Brazos Press, 2025)
- (4.0) Beyond Church and Parachurch: From Competition to Missional Extension by Angie Ward (IVP, 2025)
Miracles and Wonders
Elaine Pagels, an esteemed historian of religion who has taught at Princeton since 1982, offers a thorough and fascinating exploration of Jesus’ identity in her latest book, Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus. This must-read volume unfolds chapter after chapter with the questions everyone asks and follows each with Pagels’ thoughtful consideration of the possible answers, including her own.
Blending historical scholarship with theological insight, Pagels examines how early Christians shaped the stories we know today in ways many have never considered. Her analysis of the Gospels, Paul’s letters, and broader cultural influences is accessible, intelligent, and deeply engaging.
Whether you’re a seeker, a scholar, or somewhere in between, Miracles and Wonder invites you into a richer understanding of the Jesus behind the stories.
Note: Miracles and Wonder is just the second book to be rated 5+ by So What Faith in 2025. The first, Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America by Christian Smith, was recognized in May.
Welcome Back
Three authors on this month’s list are returning to So What Faith:
- Elaine Pagels first appeared on So What Faith in April 2012 when I reviewed a book she had recently authored: Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation.
- Miguel A. De La Torre was featured in May 2021when I rated his then new book, Decolonizing Christianity: Becoming Badass Believers, 4.5
- Miroslav Volf is a prolific author who has been mentioned multiple times, including for two books he authored: Captive to the Word of God: Engaging the Scriptures for Contemporary Theological Reflection (April 2011) and A Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good (August 2011) and for a book he co-authored: Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most (May 2023).