Book Reviews

Pursuing God, the Cure for Narcissism

LeRoy Lawson reviews three books that explore Eugene Peterson’s vision of pastoral ministry, the cultural rise of narcissism, and scientific mysteries that remind readers of the value of…

Angels, Demons, and the Future of the Church

LeRoy Lawson reviews three books exploring Steven Pinker’s case for declining violence, Claire Tomalin’s revealing biography of Charles Dickens, and Fritz Kling’s seven currents shaping the future of…

To End, to Follow, to Believe

LeRoy Lawson reviews books by Henry Cloud, Kyle Idleman, and Stanley Hauerwas, exploring necessary endings, committed discipleship, and one theologian's unconventional journey into Christian faith.

Provocative Approaches to Purity, Dementia, and the Afterlife

LeRoy Lawson reviews three thought-provoking books exploring purity and mercy, the fractured experience of dementia, and imaginative visions of the afterlife that ultimately illuminate this life.

Looking Upward, Outward, and Inward

LeRoy Lawson reviews three books exploring the discovery of the vast universe, a new generation of culture-engaging Christians, and a thoughtful Christian approach to sexual identity.

Not Just Another Leadership Book

Nonprofit Leadership in a For-Profit World reminds Christian leaders that lasting leadership begins not with techniques and business-school skills, but with Scripture, dependence on God, spiritual depth, and…

Aging, Dying, Disasters and Joy

LeRoy Lawson reviews three very different books that explore aging, death, disaster, ordinary life, and the surprising capacity of human beings to find meaning and community.

Four Books About Microfinance

LeRoy Lawson considers four books on microfinance and global poverty, exploring how thoughtful lending, patient capital, and results-focused generosity can help poor communities without undermining their dignity or…

Two Books about Hell

LeRoy Lawson considers Rob Bell’s Love Wins alongside Brian Jones’s Hell Is Real, examining their contrasting views of Heaven, Hell, God’s nature, salvation, and the urgency of evangelism.

You Must Read This Beyond a Job Description

Teresa Welch reviews Eugene H. Peterson’s The Pastor: A Memoir, reflecting on Peterson’s vision of pastoral ministry as a vocation shaped by prayer, listening, Sabbath, community, and attention…

You Must Read This Setting Limits, Taking Control

Jennifer Taylor reviews Henry Cloud and John Townsend's Boundaries, exploring how healthy limits and personal responsibility can strengthen relationships, families, and ministry leadership.

You Must Read This . . . Recognizing Leadership Potential

You Must Read This Looking Afresh at The Least

Brian Mavis reviews Same Kind of Different as Me, a moving true story of friendship that challenges prejudice, changes perspectives on homelessness, and demonstrates the unexpected relationships that…

You Must Read This Contemplating the Image of Christ

Patricia Magness considers Shusaku Endo's Silence, a challenging novel of persecution in 17th-century Japan that confronts readers with questions of suffering, apostasy, faith, and the face of Christ.

You Must Read This Radical

Shawn McMullen considers David Platt’s Radical and Radical Together, two books challenging Christians to reconsider comfort and embrace lives of obedience, service, and sacrifice for the sake of…