It took me about three minutes after receiving Carol Howard Merritt’s new book Healing Spiritual Wounds: Reconnecting with a Loving God After Experiencing a Hurtful Church to realize it was a book for me. It took me seconds longer to realize that it was a book for so many of you, as well. As I read this book, I became aware of parts of me that haven’t healed, even though I’m now worshipping in a church I love. As I read this book, healing seemed possible in those hidden corners than it ever has. If your story includes being hurt by the church, or by religious people, this book might be just the balm you’ve been looking for.

I’ve been following Amy Peterson’s writing for a long time, so I know the current parts of her story much better than the ones found in her first book, Dangerous Territory: My Misguided Quest to Save the World, which releases today. This memoir challenged me to think about the ways that I also want to be “great” for God and to make peace with the fact that I didn’t move to Kenya after high school, even though a tiny part of me still feels guilty.

This month, we’ve made a point of curating essays and conversations around the idea of “the other.” With this in mind, I interviewed Brandon Hatmaker, whose ministry, along with his wife, Jen, has long focused on the homeless, the marginalized, and the underdog. Brandon is the author of Barefoot Church: Serving the Least in a Consumer Culture and his latest: A Mile Wide: Trading a Shallow Religion for Deeper Faith.

Mike McHargue, also known as Science Mike, might sound familiar when you hear his voice. He is co-host of The Liturgists Podcast, and host of the Ask Science Mike podcast. In September, he released his first book, Finding God in the Waves, which tells the story of his tumultuous faith journey and explores the ways that science has deepened his Christian faith. Cara Strickland interviewed Science Mike for Off the Page.

D.L. Mayfield’s words have always encouraged me toward greater depth of thought and examination of my own blind spots and her new book, releasing today, is no exception. I caught up with her to talk a little about it.

I first became familiar with Bromleigh’s writing when I heard her speak on a panel at a writing conference on the topic of writing about sex. Since that time, I’ve been awaiting her book (which releases today). Recently, I caught up with her to talk about it.

Christie Purifoy’s Roots and Sky Interview by

I’ve been a fan of Adam McHugh’s writing since his first book, Introverts in the Church. Recently, he released The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction. It’s a book with a counter-cultural message, and a gentle spirit. I caught up with Adam to talk about it. I hope that this taste will whet your appetite for the entire book. http://bit.ly/AdamMcHugh-Interview