Summer Reads 2026
For this issue of A Public Witness, we offer our fifth annual list of books recommended by Word&Way writers that will be perfect for wherever you find your happy place this summer.
From Flannelgraphs to Zoom, Churches Bring Sunday School Home
Brian Kaylor didn’t realize how the coronavirus pandemic was emotionally impacting his 8-year-old son, Kagan, until the children’s minister at their church started sharing a nightly bedtime story.
3 Reasons Why Reading (Especially Fiction) Can Improve Your Spiritual Life
By reading fiction, we get a portal into reality and how to live well ourselves. Good fiction so often tells the truth in a way nonfiction cannot.
When You Don’t Have Time to Read? Read!
About one-quarter of Americans report they did not read or listen to a book in the previous year. I suspect that many simply cannot find the
Good intentions but little Bible-reading characterizes most churchgoers
While most churchgoers desire to honor Christ with their lives and even profess to think on biblical truths, a recent study found few actually engage in personal reading and study of the Scriptures.
How reading Scripture is like rock climbing
Mimi Haddad, President of Christians for Biblical Equality, provides a clear understanding of biblical interpretation that begins with the authority of Scripture.
Bring the Bible alive when reading aloud
When I drive long distances, I get tired. Several years ago, a coworker suggested books on tape, which not only keep me awake behind the wheel, but help me experience some of my favorite authors.
Eventually, I discovered another benefit:
Children’s home summer reading program going to the dogs
The "dog days of summer" has taken on a new meaning for children at Texas Baptist Children's Home, thanks to a new partnership with the Austin Dog Alliance.
Bible reading shaped life and decisions, Bush writes
Former President George W. Bush made no secret his politics were tinged by his religious faith, but in his recently released memoir, Decision Points, he never would have made it to the White House without a fateful—and faith-filled—decision to quit drinking in 1986.
Reading the Bible through the eyes of poverty yields different interpretations
Status in society can influence how people read and interpret the Bible—and often how they will act on it, according to some Christian leaders.