CHARLOTTE, NC– The Good Book Company is pleased to announce that three books have been named winners in end-of-year book awards by Christianity Today and The Gospel Coalition. Any Time, Any Place, Any Prayer was chosen as CT’s Children and Youth Book of the Year, and The God Contest and Finding My Father were named winners in their respective categories in TGC’s 2021 Book Awards.

Any Time, Any Place, Any Prayer (The Good Book Company, September 2021), written by Laura Wifler and illustrated by Catalina Echeverri, is a beautifully illustrated Bible storybook that teaches kids how to pray and excites them to want to pray. Award panelist Amy Gannett, writer, Bible teacher, and founder of Tiny Theologians, said, “This book is theologically sound and beautifully illustrated, and it will encourage children and adults alike to grow in a prayerful life.”

Finding My Father (The Good Book Company, October 2021) by Blair Linne won in the First-Time Author category of TGC’s Book Awards. The book is Blair’s personal and moving story, that reveals how we can learn to trust our heavenly Father, especially for those who  feel their earthly father has let them down. The TGC judges commented that “this book speaks to the brokenness in all of our lives, encouraging us to trust in the healing and hope that only the gospel can secure.”

The God Contest (The Good Book Company, January 2021), written by Carl Laferton and illustrated by Catalina Echeverri, was named winner in the Children’s category. This book takes kids back to the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel, and then on to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, to give them confidence that the God of the Bible has proved himself to be the one true God. The judges called it “a refreshing reminder that if we serve the One True God, we are not alone!”

Titles that have received honorable mentions and awards in 2021 include:

• Mere Evangelism (The Good Book Company, September 2021) by Randy Newman received an Honorable Mention in Evangelism and Apologetics for The Gospel Coalition 2021 Book Awards.
• Being the Bad Guys (The Good Book Company, February 2021) by Stephen McAlpine won SparkLit’s 2021 Australian Christian Book of the Year, and received an Honorable Mention in Public Theology and Current Events in TGC’s Book Awards and an Honorable Mention in Accessible Theology for the World Magazine 2021 Book of Year.
• Truth On Fire (The Good Book Company, September 2021) by Adam Ramsey received an Honorable Mention in the First-Time Author category in TGC’s Book Awards.
• Brave by Faith (The Good Book Company, May 2021) by Alistair Begg received an Honorable Mention in Accessible Theology for the World Magazine 2021 Book of Year.

ABOUT THE GOOD BOOK COMPANY
Founded in 1991, The Good Book Company (TGBC) is an international Christian publisher. Their Bible studies, books, devotionals, videos, tracts, evangelistic courses, and training materials are used throughout the English-speaking world, and in translation in over 35 languages worldwide. Everyone at TGBC is passionate about the Lord Jesus, His word, His church, and His gospel of grace. They create and publish biblical, relevant, and accessible resources that will encourage Christians to keep going, keep growing, and keep sharing their faith.

 

December 2021: Virtusales announces the launch of the new Biblio Suite publishing software, incorporating 20 years of publishing experience and powerful functionality into a brand new system using the latest technologies from Microsoft and Google, with collaboration and feedback from over 100 publishers.

Released to all Biblio customers as an inclusive upgrade, the new Biblio Suite provides a completely rejuvenated, best-of-class system, enabling publishers to roll out new workflows and dashboards within their current system’s landscape and upgrade their processes whilst avoiding the disruption and cost of a full ERP implementation.

Featuring a brand new, intuitive user interface and range of dashboards to improve user experience and increase productivity, the new Biblio will better user’s connectivity with their internal systems and teams, external contacts and business partners.The award-winning Biblio provides best-of-breed solutions for publishers and content providers with support for any product – from physical books to digital content, journals, merchandise and licences – plus a wide range of identifiers (including those beyond the traditional ISBN).

Philip Turner, CEO of Virtusales Publishing Solutions, said:
“Our goal has always been to be the trusted partner that allows publishers to focus on the business of publishing and not to need to worry about changing requirements of legacy software. This major upgrade combines the latest technology with rich functionality to support the complexities of today’s publishing, delivering an ultramodern publishing system without the disruption or cost of implementing new software. The new Biblio Suite is keenly awaited by thousands of users, and a customer base that appreciates the investments that Virtusales continues to make to its technology base.  After more than 20 years of investment, the Biblio Suite remains best of breed and at the leading edge for all types of publishing.”

About Virtusales
Virtusales is the creator of the industry leading Biblio Suite of publishing software. Working with some of the world’s leading trade, children’s, academic and scholarly, educational and professional, content and licensing, and religious publishers – including Penguin Random House, Harvard University Press, Hachette, Bloomsbury and Macmillan Publishers – Virtusales is streamlining publishers’ workflows and bringing efficiencies to their business processes with innovative software, exceptional service and a collaborative approach.

Our leading edge, web-based technology, rapid development cycle of new functionality and close working relationships with our customers ensure that our client publishers are able to manage and adapt to the industry’s challenges more efficiently, now and in the future.

To learn more and book a demo visit: https://www.virtusales.com/new-biblio-demo

Press contact:  Kat Coveyduck, Director of Marketing and Communications,
kat.coveyduck@virtusales.com, +44 (0)7795253799

Ada, Mich. (December 16, 2021)—On Tuesday, December 14, Christianity Today announced their list of winning titles for the 2022 Book Awards, which included three Baker Publishing Group titles: Simply Trinity by Matthew Barrett, Preaching to People in Pain by Matthew D. Kim, and Reparations by Duke L. Kwon and Gregory Thompson.

In addition to the three winning titles, Christianity Today also named seven Baker Publishing Group titles as finalists or Award of Merit recipients.

Every year, Christianity Today reviews numerous titles to compile a list of recommended books that shape evangelical life, thought, and culture. Matt Reynolds, books editor for Christianity Today, stated that the winning titles “represent some of the year’s most exemplary Christian thinking.” For a complete list of winning titles, please visit Christianity Today Book Awards.

The Church & Pastoral Leadership

Preaching to People in Pain: How Suffering Can Shape Your Sermons and Connect with Your Congregation by Matthew D. Kim

(Baker Academic; ISBN 9781540961297; Ebook ISBN 9781493430864; $24.99)

An experienced preacher and teacher encourages pastors to preach on pain to help their congregants identify and share their suffering in Christian community for the purpose of healing and transformation.

 

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Politics & Public Life

Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair by Duke L. Kwon and Gregory Thompson

(Brazos Press; ISBN 9781587434501; Ebook ISBN 9781493429578; $24.99)

This book articulates the church’s responsibility for the deep racial brokenness at the heart of American culture, investigates the Bible’s call to repair it, and offers a vision for the work of reparation at the local level.

 

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Theology/Ethics

Simply Trinity: The Unmanipulated Father, Son, and Spirit by Matthew Barrett

(Baker Books; ISBN 9781540900074; Ebook ISBN 9781493428724; $24.99)

In this accessible text, author and theologian Barrett helps readers grasp the doctrine of the Trinity so we can resist attempts to distort it and articulate the Trinity in a way that’s faithful to the Scriptures and impactful in our own lives.

 

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Apologetics & Evangelism (Finalist)

Why God Makes Sense in a World That Doesn’t: The Beauty of Christian Theism by Gavin Ortlund

(Baker Academic; ISBN 9781540964090; Ebook ISBN 9781493432455; $22.99)

This winsome and accessible apologetics book for a new generation makes the case that Christianity offers a compelling explanatory framework for making sense of our world.

 

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Beautiful Orthodoxy (Award of Merit)

Enjoying the Bible: Literary Approaches to Loving the Scriptures by Matthew Mullins

(Baker Academic; ISBN 9781540961662; Ebook ISBN 9781493421954; $22.99)

A literature professor shows how learning to read and love poetry can increase our understanding of the biblical text, helping us learn to read and love God’s Word.

 

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Biblical Studies (Award of Merit)

Covenant: The Framework of God’s Grand Plan of Redemption by Daniel I. Block

(Baker Academic; ISBN 9780801097881; Ebook ISBN 9781493429158; $54.99)

A leading scholar helps readers understand the big picture of the Bible through the lens of God’s covenants with humanity as they play out in both the First and the New Testaments.

 

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Christian Living & Discipleship (Finalist)

Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us about Wisdom, Persistence, and Strength by Kat Armas

(Brazos Press; ISBN 9781587435089; Ebook ISBN 9781493431113; $17.99)

Combining personal storytelling with biblical reflection, a Cuban American writer tells the story of unnamed and overlooked theologians—mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and daughters—whose survival, resistance, and persistence teach us the true power of faith and love.

 

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Fiction (Award of Merit)

The Weight of Memory by Shawn Smucker

(Revell; ISBN 9780800735319; Ebook ISBN 9781493430383; $15.99)

When Paul Elias receives a terminal diagnosis, he returns to his hometown to seek a guardian for his granddaughter. But her imagination leads him on a journey into forgotten things and old secrets that leave him wondering about the nature of his illness, his granddaughter’s future, and reality itself.

 

 

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History & Biography (Finalist)

The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr

(Brazos Press; ISBN 9781587434709; Ebook ISBN 9781493429639; $19.99)

A trusted historian shows that “biblical womanhood” isn’t biblical but rather arose from a series of clearly definable historical moments and presents a better way forward for the contemporary church.

 

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Marriage & Family (Finalist)

The Intentional Father: A Practical Guide to Raise Sons of Courage and Character by John Tyson

(Baker Books; ISBN 9780801018688; Ebook ISBN 9781493430321; $16.99)

Backed by Barna Research, Jon Tyson offers practical steps to help men raise sons of consequence whose lives will be marked by honor, courage, self-discovery, and community.

 

Baker Publishing Group publishes high-quality writings that represent historic Christianity and serve the diverse interests and concerns of evangelical readers.

Contact: Karen Steele, (616)676-9185 x100, ksteele@bakerpublishinggroup.com

WESTMONT, IL–InterVarsity Press (IVP) is pleased to announce its newest podcast, Get in The Word with Truth’s Table. Produced in partnership with the popular show Truth’s Table, the podcast will feature daily Bible readings and prayers narrated by Dr. Christina Edmondson and Ekemini Uwan, two cohosts of Truth’s Table. The first episode will release on January 1, 2022, and will cover the entire canon of the Bible over the course of the year.

“This is a dream that has been a long time in coming,” said Helen Lee, IVP’s director of Product Innovation. “Nearly two years ago, we first met with Ekemini regarding her deep desire for Christians to hear the voices of women of color reading the Word of God. I’m so delighted that we have reached this point of the imminent release of a podcast that not only features the Holy Scriptures, but that does so through the unique and distinctive voices of Ekemini and Christina. I believe that many listeners will come to experience the truth of God’s Word in a new way through this podcast, and I’m so grateful to be in partnership with Truth’s Table to bring Ekemini’s original vision to reality.”

“The Word of God is living, active, and dynamic, yet when people choose to listen to the Bible, their ears are often met with homogeneity, as most of the options available to them are the voices of white men,” Uwan said. “The church and the world miss out when the beautiful tapestry of ethnic diversity within the kingdom of God is veiled in this way. The church in America and the global church desperately need to hear Black women and non-Black women of color read the full canon of Scripture. Get in The Word with Truth’s Table will help provide a much-needed biblical resource.”

The podcast will use a fresh and unique approach to moving through the Bible, featuring the Bible Study Together reading plan created by Peter Schrock. The reading plan goes chronologically through the Old Testament and makes relevant connections between the Old and New Testaments along the way, “interweav[ing] the New Testament and Old Testament together in a single tapestry so that Old Testament stories, psalms, and prophecies connect as much as possible to New Testament teaching without losing their original context” (from Bible Study Together).

Get in The Word with Truth’s Table will also feature the New English Translation of the Bible, “a completely new translation of the Bible with 60,932 translators’ notes . . . completed by more than 25 scholars—experts in the original biblical languages—who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts” (from NetBible.com). 

Get in The Word with Truth’s Table is one of a growing number of projects underwritten by IVP’s Every Voice Now initiative, which seeks to amplify and elevate voices of color. “IVP’s growing commitment to diversity and equity in Christ is visible among its dynamic and thoughtful authors of color and well-respected executive leaders of color,” said Edmondson, whose IVP book Faithful Antiracism, coauthored with Chad Brennan, will release in March 2022. “Truth’s Table, a leader in African American podcasting, is honored to partner with our siblings in Christ at IVP to make the Word of God accessible to a diverse audience.”

For more information regarding this new podcast, please contact Krista Clayton, associate director of Publicity (kclayton@ivpress.com), or Helen Lee, director of Product Innovation (hlee@ivpress.com).

Messianic Rabbi Tells His Riveting Story of Faith and Triumph in the Middle of Persecution in New Autobiography, ‘Called To Breakthrough’

Lake Mary, FL—Christians around the world have experienced massive amounts of persecution. One unique example is the life of a Jewish man who came face to face with Messiah Jesus. Called to Breakthrough: An Autobiography (Charisma House, ISBN-13: 978-1-62999-998-2) is the latest book by Messianic Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, available today, and in it he shares the dramatic journey that revealed his calling.

After being met by Jesus one night in a vision, Schneider experienced immense backlash from his Jewish family and unexpected trials as he persistently tried to tell them about the truth of Christ. He was subjected to deprogramming, committed to a psychiatric ward, violently assaulted by a member of an extremist Jewish group, and struggled with insecurities and rough edges that needed to be smoothed out. Schneider’s is a testimony of how God met him, was with him, and sustained him, even in the very roughest of places, and how he found his purpose, identity, and destiny through a personal relationship with God.

Schneider says the trials he faced only made him grow closer to Christ. “Regardless of the cost, though,’ he writes, “my vision of Jesus had so impacted me that I couldn’t stop talking about it, and I shared it with everybody.”

“Without fully realizing it, I had just placed a huge wedge between me and my family, and the more I spoke with them about my Messiah, the deeper the divide became,” continues Schneider. “Since the day I gave my life to Jesus, I have not been able to have a deep relationship with my own flesh-and-blood relatives—it has been this way for over forty years now. To continue relationship with my family would mean never sharing my experiences of Jesus or discussing Him, and that is something I am unwilling to do.”

Though his family didn’t react too much at first, when they saw how serious Schneider was about pursuing Jesus, they became alarmed. “They ended up hiring the most famous deprogrammer in the country…he and his bodyguards kidnapped me, brought me back to his rehabilitation home in California where they tried to deprogram me,” he reveals. This ended up being only the beginning of the tribulations that Schneider would face in the coming years because of his faith.

Later Schneider faced his parents’ fury when, after deprogramming did not work, they hired a Jewish psychiatrist who used Schneider’s testimony of meeting Jesus in a dream to deem him as delusional in front of a court, which led to being placed in a psychiatric ward.

As time went on, he writes, “though I was in love with God, full of passion, and running after Him, I was definitely a diamond in the rough and a horse that needed to be tamed.” Schneider describes in detail, his transformation – from growing up culturally Jewish to becoming a grateful recipient of the divine mercy and freedom in Jesus Christ.

Rabbi Kirt Schneider says his goal is to help others experience a life profoundly marked by the call of Messiah Jesus. “We must have a vision for breakthrough and believe that it is possible by His Spirit,” he says. “No matter where you are right now, God will bring His own into victory.’”

For more information about Called to Breakthrough, visit Charisma House.

Called to Breakthrough is released by Charisma House, which publishes books that challenge, encourage, teach, and equip Christians.

• Facebook: @rabbischneider
• Instagram: @discoveringthejewishjesus
• Twitter: @rabbischneider
• YouTube: Rabbi Schneider
• Website: https://discoveringthejewishjesus.com

RABBI KIRT A. SCHNEIDER is the host of the popular TV and radio broadcast, Discovering the Jewish Jesus. For more than thirty years Rabbi Schneider has been teaching people how Jesus fulfilled Messianic prophecy and completes the unfolding plan of the Messiah. He is the author of several books, including Rivers of Revelation, The Lion of Judah, The Book of Revelation Decoded, Rivers of Devine Truth, and Awakening to Messiah.

Title: Called to Breakthrough: An Autobiography | US $18.99 | Release Date: December 7, 2021 | ISBN-13: 978-1-62999-998-2 | E-Book ISBN: 978-1-62999-999-9 | Binding: Casebound | Size: 5.5” x 8.25” | Page Count: 228 | Hometown: Toledo, OH | BISAC: RELIGION / Christian Living / Spiritual Warfare, RELIGION / Christian Living / Spiritual Growth, RELIGION / Christian Living / Personal Growth

To interview Rabbi Kirt Schneider or for a review copy of Called to Breakthrough, please contact  Lklosterman@tkomarketing.net or chelsey@tkomarketing.net.

From pastor and thought leader Stephen Chandler, Stop Waiting for Permission offers encouragement and guidance for readers looking to unlock their God-given greatness and unique, personal genius.

Chandler is one of the youngest pastors of one of the top-ten fastest-growing churches in America, Union Church located in Columbia, MD.

This highly-anticipated first publication from Chandler will give readers the tools they need to close the often overwhelming gap between where they are and all that God created them to be. This passionate, practical message will help readers discover and persevere in their purpose like never before.

Two trade books and accompanying participants guides to Andrew Stoddard of WaterBrook, by Alex Field of The Bindery. (World). Rights queries: Denise Cronin, decronin@prh.com.

WaterBrook is an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC

Ada, Mich. (December 7, 2021)—Baker Academic and Brazos Press are pleased to announce that three titles were honored by The Gospel Coalition in the 2021 TGC Book Awards.

Evangelism and Apologetics Winner

Gavin Ortlund, Why God Makes Sense in a World that Doesn’t
This winsome apologetics book for a new generation makes the case that Christianity offers a compelling explanatory framework for making sense of our world. Pastor and writer Gavin Ortlund believes it is essential to appeal not only to the mind but also to the heart and the imagination as we articulate the beauty of the gospel.

 

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Public Theology & Current Events Winner

Andrew T. Walker, Liberty for All
Christians are often thought of as defending only their own religious interests in the public square, but they can become the strongest defenders of religious liberty for all.

 

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Academic Theology Honorable Mention

Craig Carter, Contemplating God with the Great Tradition

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The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Baker Publishing Group publishes high-quality writings that represent historic Christianity and serve the diverse interests and concerns of evangelical readers.

Media Contact: Shelly MacNaughton, (616) 450-5560, smacnaughton@bakerpublishinggroup.com

CHICAGO, IL—Independent Publishers Group (IPG) and its book manufacturing unit, IPG Ink, are pleased to announce the production of its two millionth book.

IPG Ink, which printed its first book in June 2018, processed the order that included the two millionth title and bestseller from BookBaby “The Flipping Blueprint” on December 1, 2021. “I never thought, back in 2018, that I would be hitting one million books by 2021,” said Clark Matthews, IPG Ink VP, General Manager. “To reach two million in the same period was truly unexpected, but it is testament to the power of local supply chain in the distribution market.”

The book manufacturing unit produced its one-millionth book in March of this year and has seen a year-over-year growth of 105% since 2020. In response to these successes, IPG’s manufacturing division was renamed and rebranded as “IPG Ink” in April 2021. In addition to the rebrand, IPG Ink created a Customer Experience Center where existing and prospective clients can experience the possibilities of the manufacturing process first-hand, get answers to their questions from IPG’s printing experts and see new possibilities for the supply chain of their titles.

The company has made a point of sharing its knowledge with its clients and through thought-leadership positions throughout the printing industry. Matthews was a panelist member at the BMIU webinar (April 2021), gave a one-hour case study to book manufacturers at the Ink Jet Summit in Austin, Texas (July 2021) and appeared at Canon thINK (October 2021), which discussed workflow solutions.

The unprecedented publicity and marketing throughout the year is due in large part to the leadership provided by Matthews, who was interviewed for a feature on supply chain issues in a November episode of WBEZ’s nationally recognized podcast, “Nerdette.” The story was later picked up and aired on NPR’s “Morning Edition” on Thanksgiving morning.

IPG Ink will continue to be heard in an upcoming IBPA feature on book publishing’s supply chain issues, in a case study from Standard-Horizon on cutting-edge adoption of a sophisticated conveyor system and barcode-driven variable-trim binding and trimming workflow and in a Canon case study on Conveyance, the digital workflow tool pioneered and mastered by IPG.

About Independent Publishers Group
In June of 2021, Independent Publishers Group (IPG, www.ipgbook.com) celebrated its 50th anniversary. As the original North American distributor, IPG was founded specifically to represent titles from independent publishers to the book trade. Today IPG remains committed to reimagining distribution and has grown to provide its publishers with services ranging from pre-publication consultation, global sales, marketing & publicity, supply chain, print and digital distribution, data and reporting, to print brokerage. With consistent growth year over year, IPG’s success has come from giving publishers broader reach into more markets, including general trade, academic, children’s, Spanish and special markets.

Media Contact: Sidney Thompson, Corporate Communication, 312.337.0747, sthompson@ipgbook.com 

Nashville, Tenn.—Beyond the Bus: Rosa Parks Life, Lessons, and Leadership, a heartfelt collection of wisdom truths and anecdotes gleaned from author H.H. Leonards’ friendship with Mrs. Parks is available for pre-sale on December 1, the day that Mrs. Parks was arrested for refusing to relinquish her bus seat to white passengers.

“This book is about my time with Mrs. Parks and the things she opened me up about and schooled me on. It is very much a compilation of the lessons I learned with her, the gems of wisdom she taught,” Mrs. Leonards shared. “I want this book to touch people’s soul because that’s what Mrs. Parks did for me. She touched my soul.”

R.H. Boyd, now in its fifth generation of leadership and celebrating 125 years of printing and publishing, was founded by formerly enslaved Dr. Richard Henry Boyd. The Nashville-based enterprise is expanding beyond its curriculum offerings to include book publishing.

“We are so excited to be the publishing partner with Mrs. Leonards and to share with the world insights into the ‘Mother of the Civil Rights Movement,’” said Dr. LaDonna Boyd, president/CEO of R.H. Boyd. “Beyond the Bus reveals more than the stories that have been shared about Mrs. Parks in history books. These vignettes and the gems of wisdom she deposited in the author offer us a deeply personal look into the heart of such a powerful, yet humble spirit.”

On August 30, 1994, Civil Rights icon Mrs. Rosa Parks was robbed and assaulted in her central Detroit home. The assailant had broken down the door but alleged he had chased away an intruder. He requested a reward, but after Mrs. Parks paid him, he demanded more money.

When Mrs. Parks refused to pay him more, he attacked her with sufficient force to require hospitalization and a long period of physical and mental recovery. The thief was apprehended and convicted, but Mrs. Parks had a great deal of anxiety about returning to the home.

That tragic episode was the catalyst that prompted a fortuitous meeting of two women who would become close friends.

H.H. Leonards is the founder and chairman of The Mansion on O Street in Washington, DC, the place Mrs. Rosa Parks called her home-away-from-home for the last decade of her life.

Pre-order today at www.rhboyd.com/rosaparks.

Media Contact: Emmanuel LeGrair, marketing@rhboyd.com

WESTMONT, IL—The Gospel Coalition has announced that five IVP books were given Honorable Mention titles in the 2021 TGC Book Awards. Drawing from the thousands of resources produced by Christian publishers this year, the TGC staff, along with dozens of key contributors, took stock of the best Christian books across eleven categories and recently announced their top choices.

The IVP books that were given Honorable Mention titles in the 2021 TGC Book Awards include:

You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World by Alan Noble was one of the honored titles in the Christian Living category. As the Heidelberg Catechism puts it, “I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.” In You Are Not Your Own, Alan Noble explores how this simple truth reframes the way we understand ourselves, our families, our society, and God. Contrasting these two visions of life, he invites us past the sickness of contemporary life into a better understanding of who we are and to whom we belong.

John Inazu, Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University in St. Louis, said, “In this timely meditation, Alan Noble reminds us that brokenness, loneliness, and purposelessness will not be conquered by living our best life, finding our true self, or even belonging to the right family, club, or church. To the contrary, our greatest fears and anxieties are not problems to be solved but mysteries to be embraced through the knowledge of self that comes only from knowing that the self belongs to Christ.”

The Flourishing Pastor: Recovering the Lost Art of Shepherd Leadership by Tom Nelson was awarded an Honorable Mention title in the Ministry category of the TGC Book Awards. Drawing on the image of the shepherd leader, Tom Nelson offers pastors wisdom and timely vision for leadership that integrates in-depth biblical teaching and whole-life discipleship, providing a road map for ministry resilience and longevity.

“Talented preachers and leaders who are not mature and wise pastors may draw a crowd,” said Timothy Keller, Redeemer City to City, “but they will not help believers ‘grow in grace’ (2 Peter 3:18) and Christlikeness in both their private and public lives. Tom Nelson’s fine book will help rehabilitate the importance of the work of shepherding in our churches.”

Changed into His Likeness: A Biblical Theology of Personal Transformation by J. Gary Millar was chosen as an Honorable Mention title in the Academic Theology category. In this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume Gary Millar explores the nature of gospel-shaped change, focusing on “life in the middle”—between the change that is brought about when we become Christians and the final change in which we will be raised with Christ. Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works composing New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles.

We the Fallen People: The Founders and the Future of American Democracy by Robert Tracy McKenzie was among the honored titles in the History & Biography category. Arguing that we must take an unflinching look at the nature of democracy—and therefore, ourselves—historian McKenzie explores the ideas of human nature in the history of American democratic thought, from the nation’s Founders through the Jacksonian Era and Alexis de Tocqueville.

Ed Stetzer, executive director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center and dean of the School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership, said, “Tracy McKenzie’s book We the Fallen People is an exercise of deep objective thought that will help Christians process the tumult of American government and politics. McKenzie helps us to think Christianly as American citizens about the future of our democracy. This book couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News by Jeffrey Bilbro was awarded an Honorable Mention title in the Public Theology & Current Events category. Bilbro invites readers to take a step back and gain some theological and historical perspective on the nature and very purpose of news. In Reading the Times he reflects on how we pay attention, how we discern the nature of time and history, and how we form communities through what we read and discuss.

“Like a teacher, Bilbro questions readers about our ways of responding to media, and he leads us to consider how our participation with contemporary news forms us and our community,” said Jessica Hooten Wilson, Louise Cowan Scholar in Residence at the University of Dallas, and author of Giving the Devil His Due. “By contextualizing our reading of the news within kairos, Bilbro shows Christians how, as T. S. Eliot writes, ‘to apprehend the point of intersection of the timeless with time.’ A relevant and timeless book about how Christians should belong in but not of this world.”

For a complete list of IVP award winners visit ivpress.com/award-winners.