Joel hosted a freewheeling conversation with Chris Smith (Founding Editor of ERB), Lindsey Cornett (Managing Editor of Englewood Press) and Jen Pollock Michel (author, writer, former ERB podcast host) all about our favorite books from 2024. We discuss our personal perspectives on how to choose 'favorite' books, and we talk about a wide range of titles, including fiction, poetry and non-fiction that we read this year. There's sure to be something in here for every type of reader. Enjoy!

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) 

• The Shape of Our Lives: A Field Guide for Congregational Formation by Phillip Kenneson, Debra Murphy, Jenny Williams, Stephen Fowl & James Lewis
• The Feast by Margaret Kennedy
• Hello Beautiful: A Novel by Ann Napolitano
• Virgil Wander: A Novel by Leif Enger
• I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger
• Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
• The Bright Sword: A Novel of King Arthur by Lev Grossman
• Lamb of the Free: Recovering the Varied Sacrificial Understandings of Jesus' Death by Andrew Remington Rillera
• Collected Poems by Jane Kenyon
• An Intimate Good: A Skeptical Christian Mystic in Conversation with Teresa of Avila by Laurel Matthewson
• The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila
• Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
• The Understory: An Invitation to Rootedness and Resilience from the Forest Floor by Lore Ferguson Wilbert
• Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeleine L'Engle
• The Genesis Trilogy by Madeleine L'Engle
• Democracy and Solidarity: On the Cultural Roots of America's Political Crisis by James Davison Hunter
• All Things Are Full of Gods: The Mysteries of Mind and Life by David Bentley Hart
• The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings by Philip and Carol Zaleski
• The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien by John Hendrix
• Go and Do Likewise by John Hendrix
• Miracle Man by John Hendrix
• The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix
• Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times by Elizabeth Oldfield
• Cloud Cuckoo Land: A Novel by Anthony Doerr
• Circle of Hope: A Reckoning with Love, Power and Justice in an American Church by Eliza Griswold
• The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary Schmidt
• The Book of Belonging: Bible Stories for Kind and Contemplative Kids by Mariko Clark and Rachel Eleanor
• Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus by Chris Smith and John Pattison
• Escaping the Housing Trap: The Strong Towns Response to the Housing Crisis

Chris had a wide-ranging conversation with first-time guest, Lore Ferguson Wilbert, and repeat guest, Ragan Sutterfield, in which they touched on various topics including: processing the recent U.S. election, grief and lament, pace and time, rootedness and place, story, and of course, what they have been recently reading.

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) 

• The Understory: An Invitation to Rootedness and Resilience from the Forest Floor by Lore Ferguson Wilbert
• Handle With Care: How Jesus Redeems the Power of Touch in Life and Ministry by Lore Ferguson Wilbert
• The Art of Being a Creature: Meditations on Humus and Humility by Ragan Sutterfield
• Wendell Berry and the Given Life by Ragan Sutterfield
• Farming as a Spiritual Discipline by Ragan Sutterfield
• The Art of the Commonplace: Agrarian Essays by Wendell Berry
• When Time is Short: Finding Our Way in the Anthropocene by Timothy Beal
• Becoming Friends of Time: Disability, Timefullness and Gentle Discipleship by John Swinton
• Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life by Henri Nouwen
• How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell
• How to Be Idle: A Loafer's Manifesto by Tom Hodgkinson
• The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming by Masanobu Fukuoka
• Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention - And How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari
• Amphibious Soul: Finding Wild in a Tame World by Craig Foster
• Systematic Theology: Volume 1, the Doctrine of God by Katherine Sonderegger
• The Quickening: Creation and Community at the Ends of the Earth by Elizabeth Rush
• North Woods: A Novel by Daniel Mason
• The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason

Joel hosted a conversation with two ERB reviewers, who each recently reviewed new books about the intersection of creativity and faith. They discuss the craft of poetry, their personal experiences with creative slumps, how certain books and poems do (or do not!) aid the creative process, and what this all means about humans, belief, and existing in God's creation. It was a fun, honest, and open discussion. Enjoy!

Books and Writing Mentioned in this Episode:

If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) 

• Honest Creativity: The Foundation of Boundless, Good, and Inspired Innovation by Craig Detweiler
• Ashley's Review of 'Honest Creativity' for ERB
• Word Made Fresh: An Invitation to Poetry for the Church by Abram Van Engen
• Christian's Review of 'Word Made Fresh' for ERB
• Break, Blow, Burn and Make: A Writer’s Thoughts on Creation by E. Lily Yu
• Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot
• A Book Of Luminous Things: An International Anthology of Poetry by Czeslaw Milosz
• The Portal of the Mystery of Hope by Charles Peguy
• The Art of Being a Creature: Meditations on Humus and Humility
  by Ragan Sutterfield
• The Hedgehog Review
• Culture Wars: The Struggle To Control The Family, Art, Education, Law, And Politics In America by James Davison Hunter<

Our new managing editor, Lindsey Cornett sat down with the writer and illustrator of the brand-new "Book of Belonging" collection of Bible stories for children. They discuss the problems and difficulties with many "traditional" children's bibles, how the two of them met and decided to collaborate on this project, what sets this project apart from other approaches, and how the process has impacted them personally. It's a wide-ranging and honest conversation. Enjoy!

Books and Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) 

• The Book of Belonging: Bible Stories for Kind and Contemplative Kids by Mariko Clark & Rachel Eleanor
• Mariko Clark's Instagram
• Rachel Eleanor's Instagram
• Scott Erickson's Instagram
• BEMA Podcast
• Red Rising by Pierce Brown
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• The Understory: An Invitation to Rootedness and Resilience from the Forest Floor by Lore Ferguson Wilbert
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Chris spoke with two first-time guests, Sarah Bessey and Sarah McCammon about the Exvangelical movement and so-called 'deconstruction' in American Christianity. They speak about their own experiences in conservative, evangelical Christianity, how they approached deconstruction, what they are observing about deconstruction in our cultural moment, and of course, what they are currently reading.

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) 

• Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith by Sarah Bessey
• The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living and Leaving the White Evangelical Church by Sarah McCammon
• Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes du Mez
• Where God Happens: Discovering Christ in One Another by Rowan Williams
• Strange Gods: A Secular History of Conversion by Susan Jacoby
• Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck
• The Understory: An Invitation to Rootedness and Resilience from the Forest Floor by Lore Ferguson Wilbert
• Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
• World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Joel hosted a conversation with two first-time podcast guests all about 'CCM' or 'Contemporary Christian Music.' They explore various cultural aspects of 'CCM,' as well as the reality of profit-driven corporate influence. Larry Norman figures prominently in their discussion, and Joel reflects a bit on his experience as a 90s kid immersed in this industry.

Leah Payne is Associate Professor of American Religious History at Portland Seminary and a 2023–2024 Public Fellow at the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). She holds a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University and her research explores the intersection of religion, politics, and popular culture. Payne is co-host of Rock That Doesn’t Roll, a Public Radio Exchange (PRX) podcast about Christian rock and its listeners and Weird Religion, a religion and pop culture podcast, as well as the author of the new book God Gave Rock & Roll to You: a History of Contemporary Christian Music (Oxford University Press, 2024).

Gregory Alan Thornbury, currently serves as Executive Director of Silver Art Projects at the World Trade Center. He has spent the past 25 years in higher education and arts nonprofits, as a professor, college dean, vice president, and president. Most recently, he served in senior leadership as Vice President at the New York Academy of Art in Tribeca, founded by Andy Warhol. In addition to being a curator, he is a scholar of art, philosophy, and religion, and his most recent book is "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?: Larry Norman and the Perils of Christian Rock" (Convergent Books, 2018).

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) 

• God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music by Leah Payne
• Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music? Larry Norman and the Perils of Christian Rock by Gregory Alan Thornbury
• Evangelicals, Incorporated: Books and the Business of Religion in America by Daniel Vaca
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
• Missions Begin with Blood: Suffering and Salvation in the Borderlands of New Spain by Brandon Bayne
• From Bible Belt to Sunbelt: Plain-Folk Religion, Grassroots Politics and the Rise of Conservative Evangelicalism by Darren Dochuck
• The Heaven and Earth Grocery Story by James McBride
• Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
• Encounters: Experiences with Nonhuman Intelligences by D. W. Pasulka
• Why We Can't Sleep by Darian Leader
• Modern Genre Theory: An Introduction for Biblical Studies by Andrew Judd
• You Like it Darker: Stories by Stephen King

The audio for this episode was recorded during a live event in collaboration with The Table and Gravity Commons, in which Matt Tebbe interviewed Jon DePue (co-author of 'Beyond Justification' with Douglas Campbell). The conversation focuses on the themes of this book, common interpretations of Paul's theology and ways to re-approach Paul with new lenses.

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) 

• Beyond Justification: Liberating Paul's Gospel by Douglas Campbell and Jon DePue
• Four Views on the Apostle Paul ed. by Michael F. Bird
• The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul's Gospel by Douglas Campbell

Chris sat down at the recent CCDA conference with two first-time podcast guests, Stephanie Vander Lugt and Kimberlee Medicine Horn Jackson, each of whom hosted CCDA workshops. They discuss their work as it relates to the religious practices of indigenous people, the importance of attentiveness, and of course, what they are currently reading.

**This episode is sponsored by InterVarsity Press, publisher of 'Zion Learns to See.' When Zion joins her dad at work, she discovers that a day at the community center brings new and wonderful people into her life. Inspired by real events, this children’s book by Terence Lester and his daughter Zion, allows kids and adults to learn with Zion about people experiencing homelessness and see how she is moved to respond as she recognizes that all people matter to God. Zion Learns to See, a new IVP Kids book by Terence Lester and Zion Lester.

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) 

• Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus by C. Christopher Smith and John Pattison
• Land of the Spotted Eagle by Luther Standing Bear
• Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver
• Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race by Willie James Jennings
• Consider the Birds: A Provocative Guide to Birds of the Bible by Debbie Blue
• Inciting Joy: Essays by Ross Gay
• The Book of (More) Delights: Essays, Book 2 by Ross Gay
• The Uncontrollability of the World by Hartmut Rosa
• An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo

Chris hosted a lively and interactive conversation between first-time guest David Fitch and returning guest Myles Werntz concerning the thesis of David's brand-new book from Brazos Press, the use of power in ministry and the institution of the church, whether power and conflict can be leveraged healthily in community, and of course what they are currently reading.

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) 

• Reckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails When it's on the Wrong Side of Power by David Fitch
• From Isolation to Community: A Renewed Vision For Christian Life Together by Myles Werntz
• Sanctorum Communio: A Theological Study of the Sociology of the Church by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• Myles' Substack
• Myles' Review of 'Reckoning with Power' for Christianity Today
• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
• Shadow Work by Ivan Illich
• The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe by Richard Rohr
• God's Israel and the Israel of God: Paul and Supersessionism by Michael Bird and Scot McKnight
• Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield
• Gender as Love: A Theological Account of Human Identity, Embodied Desire and Our Social Worlds by Fellipe do Vale

Jen sat down (live!) with two first-time podcast guests at the recent CCDA conference: E.K. Strawser and Lisa Rodriguez-Watson. They have an impassioned discussion about the importance of contextualizing discipleship work in the setting of the local congregation, as well as the importance of Western Christians listening to the global church.

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

If you’d like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) 

• Centering Discipleship: A Pathway for Multiplying Spectators into Mature Disciples by E.K. Strawser
• How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
• Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now by Jeff Yang, Phil Yu & Phillip Yang
• Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep by Tish Harrison Warren
• When the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
• Demon Copperhead: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver