Books

In "Being Real: The Apostle Paul’s Hardship Narratives and the Stories We Tell Today," Philip Plyming argues that there are profound lessons we can learn from Paul's critiques of the prevailing culture of Corinth.

In "Nice Churchy Patriarchy: Reclaiming Women's Humanity from Evangelicalism," Liz Cooledge Jenkins takes an unflinching look at the ways misogyny's subtler forms impact every aspect of women’s experiences in church.

Walter Brueggemann has written scores of books. If one wants to understand the insights of this biblical scholar, where does one begin? Beau Underwood suggests the best way to dive into Brueggemann is not through a book he wrote but with a book written about him.

In her book "The God of Monkey Science," science educator and evangelical Janet Kellogg Ray reveals the dangers of science denialism to the future of our planet and to the Christian faith itself.

In "Defending Democracy From Its Christian Enemies," David P. Gushee calls us to preserve key democratic norms — even as many Christians take a reactionary and antidemocratic stance.

In "The A to Z of the New Testament: Things Experts Know That Everyone Else Should Too," James F. McGrath cuts through common myths and misunderstandings of problematic Bible passages.

In "Walter Brueggemann's Prophetic Imagination: A Theological Biography Paperback," Conrad L. Kanagy peers deeply into the theologian's interior life, about which little has been understood by even those closest to him.

Carolyn Chen’s "Work Pray Code: When Work Becomes Religion in Silicon Valley" explores how work has displaced religion in so many people’s lives. If we can’t serve both God and mammon, it feels like a lot of people have chosen the latter.

In "The Gospel According to James Baldwin: What America's Great Prophet Can Teach Us About Life, Love, and Identity," Greg Garrett invites new readers and longtime lovers of the great writer into a thoughtful exploration of his continued relevance.

For this issue of A Public Witness, Brian and Beau briefly highlight 15 of their favorite books beyond those from our monthly giveaway reviews.