The best new books I’ve read in the last month are For Such a Time As This When life feels uncertain and overwhelming, finding words capable of grounding and restoring is a rare gift. For Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional by Hanna Reichel could not be more timely. She speaks directly into the chaos of the moment with practical wisdom for healthy boundaries and faithful resilience. More than a devotional, Reichel's words have the power and the gentleness to become Read More …
Books
Great New Books for September (#2256)
The best new books I’ve read in the last month are Welcome Back Three authors on this month’s list are returning to So What Faith: The American Religious Landscape What is really going on with religion in America? The best place to start exploring this question is Ryan P. Burge’s The American Religious Landscape: Facts, Trends, and the Future. Whether you’re new to the topic, a religious leader navigating recent shifts, or simply curious about the role of religion Read More …
Great New Books for August 2025 (#2249)
The best new books I’ve read in the last month are A Change of Habit While I'm not generally a fan of memoir or one to heap praise on debut authors, I'm thankful I picked up a copy of Sister Monica Claire's A Change of Habit: Leaving Behind My Husband, Career, and Everything I Owned to Become a Nun. I was drawn in by her storytelling then captivated by her story. With a voice that’s authentic, candid, and deeply reflective, Sister Monica Claire takes us on an extraordinary journey Read More …
Great New Books for July 2025 (#2239)
The best new books I’ve read in the last month are 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 Read More …
Great New Books for June 2025 (#2231)
The best new books I’ve read in the last month are Welcome Back Four names on this month's list are repeat authors or editors Read More …
Great New Books for May 2025 (#2221)
The best new books I’ve read in the last month are 5+ Rating Why Religion Went Obsolete is the first book published in 2025 to receive a 5+ rating here on So What Faith. This distinction has been awarded to just three to five books a year in recent years: Why Religion Went Obsolete I have lost count of the number of books I have read that examine the decline of religion in the United States. While each offers its own particular insights, it takes only a few to Read More …
Best of the Best: Top Authors (#2215)
Over the last 16 years I’ve read widely in the fields of ministry and leadership. Here on So What Faith, I've shared reviews or ratings of more than 1,100 of these recently published books . At the end of each year, I publish a Top 10 Books of the Year list featuring the very best books I've read that were published that year. Six years ago this month, I wrote Top 12 Authors: 2009-2019 sharing the dozen authors who had appeared on more than one top 10 list. Last year, I updated this Read More …
Great New Books for April 2025 (#2212)
The best new books I’ve read in the last month are Money, Lies and God "Those who wish to protect democracy in the US should hold at the front of their minds a simple fact: We - that is, those of us who reject the politics of conquest & division - are in the majority" (p.236). If you're looking to gain a deeper understanding of the growing authoritarian impulse in America, Katherine Stewart's Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy is a Read More …
Great New Books for March 2025 (#2204)
The best new books I've read in the last month are Immigration and Apocalypse Immigration is a topic that is being discussed with greater passion and urgency than ever before. As faith leaders, we must be equipped to engage in these conversations with a deep understanding that places the current moment in its proper historical context. To do this effectively, we must continue learning, and Yii-Jan Linn’s powerful new book is an essential resource for that journey. Welcome Read More …
Great New Books for February 2025 (#2197)
The best books I've read so far this year that were published in 2024 or 2025 are 99% Perspiration Thomas Edison's quip, "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration" continues to shape thinking about work in America. Journalist Adam Chandler unpacks why it is that hard work alone is hardly enough for American workers to succeed in today's economy. Additionally, he provides helpful historical data alongside interviews with a wide variety of workers to Read More …