Iron Stream Media (ISM) is honored to announce our winners of the 2021 Golden Scroll and Christian Market Book Awards announced at the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA) virtual awards ceremony on Sunday, August 15, 2021.

2021 Golden Scroll Awards were as follows:

Contemporary Novel of the Year Winner
The Endling by Deborah Maxey ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1645262640

Contemporary Novel of the Year Third Place
Deep End of the Lake by Carol Grace Stratton ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1645262770

2021 Christian Market Novel of the Year
The Endling by Deborah Maxey ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1645262640

** The 2021 Christian Market Novel of the Year was a tie including our own Deborah Maxey for The Endling.

ISM also offers congratulations to Karen Porter, this year’s recipient of the Jennifer Kennedy Dean Award, which is named for the author of Live a Praying Life, ISM’s best-selling book for many years. According to AWSA’s founder, Linda Evans Shepherd, “This special award recognizes someone who carries the light with excellence to a hurting world.”

Iron Stream Media derives its name from Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” This sharpening describes the process of discipleship, one to another. Iron Stream Media provides a variety of solutions for churches, ministry leaders, and nonprofits that include in-depth Bible study curriculum, Christian book publishing, and consultative services. Iron Stream Media is the home of Brookstone Publishing Group, Harambee Press, Iron Stream, Iron Stream Fiction, and Iron Stream Kids. Through the popular Life Bible Study and Student Life Bible Study brands, they also provide web-based, full-year and short-term Bible study teaching plans as well as printed devotionals, Bibles, and discipleship curriculum.

Publishing arm of Our Daily Bread Ministries adds two new members to its group of specialists

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., September 30, 2021 — Our Daily Bread Ministries (ODBM) today announced its publishing arm, Our Daily Bread Publishing, is expanding its dedicated staff with two new hires. Katara Patton, senior editor, and Joel Armstrong, content editor and product developer, both bring a wide array of expertise with them and will use their gifts to advance the organizational goals of the publishing company and the ministry.

“As we further develop our publishing strategy and capacity to create books that inspire a multitude of audiences to nurture their faith, the addition of Katara and Joel is extremely exciting,” said Chriscynethia Floyd, vice president and publisher of Our Daily Bread Publishing. “Our goal is to produce resources that encourage people to turn to God’s Word for comfort, bring insight on Scripture, and grow one’s faith. Katara and Joel each bring a unique set of skills and qualities that will support our mission as a ministry.”

Patton will perform acquisition and developmental editing duties, including working alongside executive editor and leader of the Voices Collection, Joyce Dinkins, to expand publishing efforts from Black content creators. Patton will work closely with a variety of industry agents, authors, and ODBM cross-functional teams to develop and create content that serves the overall ministry. Patton previously served as a writer for the Our Daily Bread devotional, a role she will continue to provide in her new position. Before joining Our Daily Bread Publishing, Patton worked for Christian publishing organizations including Tyndale, Urban Ministries, Christian Century and McGraw-Hill.

Armstrong has joined the growing staff of Our Daily Bread Publishing as content editor and product developer, where he will create original content as well as edit a wide list of authors. He previously worked at Kregel Publications as an associate editor and is a graduate of Northeastern University. Armstrong brings with him unique experience presenting at writers and editors conferences on a variety of topics, including book structure, pacing and suspense, and self-editing. He is also a writer and has published short fiction, poetry, and academic nonfiction.

Our Daily Bread Publishing publishes books that foster growth and godliness in the lives of God’s people. It provides individuals across the world with materials that focus on Scripture, show reverence for God and His Word, demonstrate the relevance of vibrant faith, and equip and encourage you in your life every day.

About Our Daily Bread Ministries
Our Daily Bread Ministries (ODBM) is a nondenominational, nonprofit organization that distributes more than 60 million resources in 150 countries. Through print, radio, television, DVD, podcast, book, mobile app, and websites, ODBM encourages people to draw closer to God and helps them grow in their faith. Since 1938, ODBM has endeavored to trust in God above all else and relied on His wisdom and strength to guide their ministry. ODBM is not funded or endowed by any group or denomination. Many people, making even the smallest of donations, enable the ministry to reach others with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible. Visit www.odb.org/donate to help make a difference. For more information about ODBM, visit www.odb.org.

About Our Daily Bread Publishing
Our Daily Bread Publishing is the publishing arm of Our Daily Bread Ministries (ODBM) and serves to produce books that foster growth and godliness in the lives of God’s people. Established in 1988 under the original name Discovery House, the nonprofit organization publishes books, audiobooks, ebooks, DVDs, Bible study curriculum, and stationery. As part of the founding vision, the organization provides materials that focus on Scripture, that show reverence for God and His Word, that demonstrate the relevance of vibrant faith, and that equip and encourage people in their lives every day. For more information about Our Daily Bread Publishing, visit www.ourdailybreadpublishing.org.

Media Contact: Olivia Lake, Lambert, olake@lambert.com, 616-258-5768

COMPEL Direct Access launches Monday

This Fall’s COMPEL training Direct Access study will feature Felicia Harris’ newly released book, First in the Family: Biblical Truths for Cycle Breakers (Leafwood Publishers). 

Direct Access is a unique online experience providing a behind-the-scenes look at the writing, editing, and publishing process of newly released Christian living titles. For this study, Felicia will join her editor, Jason Fikes from Leafwood Publishers. Together, they will explore the message of First in the Family, showing how authors can improve their writing and incorporate Scripture into their own stories. They will also discuss topics like platform building and time management as an author.

Participants in the study will see how Felicia shares her complex story of trauma and family suffering alongside profound Scriptural truth. Having lived with the immense weight of family secrets, influences, and imperfections, she shows readers the steps they can take to become cycle breakers—those who refuse to be held bound by the way things have always been.

For more details and to access the study, visit the COMPEL book club website.

About COMPEL and Leafwood Publishers

COMPEL training is a ministry of Proverbs 31 Ministries and is a simple starting place that encourages female writers through community, writing challenges, and online courses.

Leafwood Publishers is an imprint of Abilene Christian University Press and inspires fresh and deep conversations about faith and life, one book at a time.

Symphony of Salvation: A 60-Day Devotional Journey through the Books of the Bible

Carol Stream, Ill. (October 1, 2021)—NavPress, in alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, will release Symphony of Salvation, a new devotional resource crafted from writings of the late Eugene H. Peterson, on October 19, 2021.

Rendered beautifully in full color, Symphony of Salvation guides readers through every book of the Bible, giving insight into the sights, sounds, personalities, and controversies of an ancient world. Peterson’s distinct poetic tone and wisdom will help readers grow in their appreciation of God’s overarching story and how that story speaks into our everyday lives.

Symphony of Salvation can be used as a 60-day devotional or an accessible Bible reference resource. Each entry is Peterson’s thoughtful reflection on a particular book of the Bible as a whole, complete with “A Verse to Remember” Scripture callouts.

Eugene H. Peterson was a pastor for nearly thirty years, as well as a theologian and scholar of biblical languages. The author of more than thirty books, he is best known for The Message, his translation of the Bible into contemporary, poetic language. His ministry as a pastor and his writings on theology and spirituality have shaped generations of Christians.

Symphony of Salvation by Eugene H. Peterson
ISBN: 978-1-64158-405-0
Hardcover: $19.99
October 2021
NavPress.com 

Since its founding in 1962, Tyndale House Publishers has been a voice to trust for generations of readers. Today, Tyndale is one of the largest independent Christian publishers in the world. Tyndale’s mission is to make the Bible accessible to as many people as possible in language that they can relate and respond to. Tyndale publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT) and offers nonfiction books that equip readers with Christ-centered insight, counsel, and life-improving stories. In addition, Tyndale publishes fiction from fresh new voices and celebrated authors alike, capturing the imagination of millions of readers. With a deep understanding of the importance of nurturing future generations, Tyndale also publishes children’s products that make God’s Word and wisdom come alive. Tyndale’s independent status allows it to follow its founding model, giving a majority of annual revenue—more than $110 million throughout its history—to charitable missions. With every book purchased, Tyndale readers help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world.

The NavPress mission is to advance the calling of The Navigators by bringing biblically rooted, culturally relevant, and highly practical products to people who want to know and love Christ more deeply. Through The Message Bible and other insightful resources, NavPress seeks to bring positive spiritual movement to peoples’ lives. In January 2014, NavPress entered into an alliance with Tyndale House Publishers to strengthen and better position NavPress and its rich content for the future. NavPress provides books and other content that bring spiritual impact, life transformation, and help lead in the mission of making disciples.

WESTMONT, IL—IVP Academic’s Resurrecting Justice by Douglas Harink has won the 2021 Word Guild Award in the Non-Fiction Biblical Studies category. The Word Guild Awards are given out each year to encourage the pursuit of excellence in writing and to help raise the profile of Canadian writers who are Christian.

Anna Gissing, associate editor for IVP Academic, said, “Arguments for justice today often come from outside the Bible. In Resurrecting Justice, Doug Harink brings his expertise in Pauline theology to this hot topic, demonstrating that justice is a major theme in Romans as well. We are proud that his work has been honored with this award and trust that many readers will appreciate his contribution to studies in biblical justice.”

In Resurrecting Justice: Reading Romans for the Life of the World  theologian Douglas Harink invites readers to rediscover Romans as a treatise on justice. He traces Paul’s thinking on this theme through a sequential reading of the book, finding in each passage facets of the gospel’s primary claim—that God accomplishes justice in the death and resurrection of Jesus Messiah. By rendering forms of the Greek word dikaiosynē as just or justice, Harink emphasizes the inseparability of personal, social, and political uprightness that was clear to Paul but is obscured in modern translations’ use of the words righteous and righteousness instead.

Throughout this book, Harink includes personal reflection questions and contemporary implications, helping readers connect Paul’s teaching to issues in their world such as church life, politics, power, criminal justice, and violence.

Nijay K. Gupta, professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary, said, “What is Romans about? We know the traditional answers: justification by faith, forgiveness of sins, personal salvation. Harink doesn’t throw these out the window but puts the spotlight on the thematic thread of justice that runs all through Romans. I admit that I had my initial hesitations and doubts about reading Romans as a treatise on justice, but by the end I was a believer! Harink joins together what has often been torn asunder today—the relationships between personal and corporate, individual and communal, and personal justification and social justice in Christian thought and theology—with the resurrection of Christ at the center of it all.”

IVP also had one title selected for the 2021 Word Guild Short List in two categories. Wisdom from Babylon: Leadership for the Church in a Secular Age by Gordon T. Smith made the short list for Biblical Studies and for the Best Book Cover Award. Gordon Smith is passionate about the need for capable, mature leaders to navigate and respond to a changing society. In this book, he draws on his extensive experience as a university president, pastor, and international speaker to open a multidisciplinary conversation about the competencies and capacities essential for today’s leaders.

David Fitch, B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary, and author of Faithful Presence, said, “Wisdom from Babylon is a masterful guide for Christian leadership amid the upheavals of our secular age. Global in reach, thick with scholarship, Gordon Smith’s work gives us the wherewithal to gain a footing for the journey that besets us. He offers not retreat but presence. This book is hope for anyone asking, ‘How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?’ (Psalm 137:4).”

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

Contact: Krista Clayton | 630.734.4013 | kclayton@ivpress.com

The release of Leslie Stobbe’s life story, God Moments in My Publishing Life, provides authors and editors a personal tour of the development of Christian publishing. A one-hour interview of Leslie by Thomas Umstattd, Jr for his podcast, Christian Publishing Show, provided additional details on Leslie’s 65 years in Christian publishing.

As editorial director of Moody Press in the 1970s Leslie Stobbe watched the struggle to get larger Christian publishers skeptical of ECPA’s value to join. As president of Here’s Life Publishers in the 1980s he was on the ECPA Membership Committee that finally saw Tyndale House join ECPA.

Les Stobbe’s connection with Christian publishing goes back to 1955, when he was appointed editor of a denominational weekly, the Mennonite Observer, and buyer for the Christian Press bookstore in Winnipeg, Canada. Six years later, as floor supervisor of Moody Bookstore he was asked by Kenneth N. Taylor to review his new Bible translation project, his personalization of the Book of Timothy—and then asked to tackle editing Living Letters. He then became editor of Christian Bookseller Magazine from 1962-66, traveling the U.S. to gather stories from bookstore owners and New York publishers.

Now Les is providing a tour through the growth of Christian publishing in his personal story, God Moments in My Publishing Life. reliving 65 years of Christian publishing’s growth through the experiences of one who was there. Covered are his years as editorial director of Moody Press, Christian Herald Association, managing editor of Scripture Press’s curriculum division, president of Here’s Life Publishers. His 25 years as literary agent began in 1993 and continued for 25 years as he worked closely with book authors, wrote online journalism curriculum–and was appointed Journalist in Residence at Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts.

Contact Les at lhstobbe123@gmail.com, www.stobbeliterary.com.

Everyone Has a Story | Robert K. Cheong shows readers how each of their stories matters and is a part of God’s bigger story

Greensboro, NC—What unanswered questions do you have about your life? Some of us struggle to find meaning, others wonder about identity, and all of us want to be loved. A person’s story—the events and relationships that define them—will guide how they answer these questions. But God has a story too. His story is about sending Jesus to this broken world to mend all that is broken. In Restoration Story: Why Jesus Matters in a Broken World (New Growth Press/September 27, 2021), Robert K. Cheong helps readers connect their story to God’s story, transforming how they live and love.

We all have our own back story—our sometimes unconscious beliefs—that have been shaped by our families, relationships, and life experiences. Our stories shape the personal narratives we live out: “I am not loved.” “No one cares for me.” “I have to be better than everyone around me.” “How I look is the most important thing about me.” Our back story guides us in how we relate to God and others. But are these reference points true? And how are they affecting our lives today? Cheong helps readers unpack their story and learn to live out of God’s new story. Readers will discover how to retell their story based on who God is, what he’s done, and the call to love him and others.

“Culture places value in exploring and sharing stories. As people seek answers to who they are, why they do what they do, and their purpose in life, they tend to look for the answers in their own stories. People also long for change—change in how they love and how they live,” shares Cheong. “I wrote this book because the church needs a practical, yet gospel-centered resource that helps them to see how God’s story not only answers these timeless questions but also helps them to understand their past, present and future story.”

Through the stories of four individuals, readers will learn how the dynamics of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation shape their past struggles, confirm their future hope, and ensure their ability to live in God’s power in the present. At the intersection of God’s story and their own, they’ll find that his love sustains them in their weariness, guides them in their confusion, and comforts them in their suffering. The story of his love will compel readers to live for him.

“God’s story from Genesis to Revelation serves as a never-changing framework that will help you navigate life’s storms. When it feels like you’re drowning, God guides you through the chaos. When you find it easy to drift, he sets you upon his intended course,” Cheong explains. “God’s story not only captures the reality of life in this fallen world but, more importantly, reveals his reality and his heart for his people.”

Author and speaker Paul David Tripp writes, “There is always a need for rich, practical, and transformative gospel resources, and Robert Cheong’s Restoration Story is one of the best I’ve seen. This book takes people on a heart-exposing, faith-igniting, and life-changing journey. This seasoned pastor has invested years helping people see their story through the lens of Scripture’s gospel story. I am so glad that, because this work is now in print, countless more will journey through God’s story and find themselves, find their Savior, and find their way to healing of heart and mind, and with it find a brand-new way of living.”

Restoration Story can also be used alongside Cheong’s Restore: Changing How We Live and Love companion study guide. The study guide was designed to be used in a small group setting, and helps participants examine and process their stories more fully.

Restoration Story: Why Jesus Matters in a Broken World
by Robert K. Cheong
September 27, 2021 / Retail Price: $17.99
Print ISBN 978-1-64507-165-5
Religion/Christian Ministry/Personal Growth

For review copy and interview information, contact:
Audra Jennings – audra@newgrowthpress.com – 903.874.8363

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert K. Cheong, PhD, serves as the Pastor of Care at Sojourn Church Midtown in Louisville, KY. He has a passion for helping the church to be confident in Jesus, and he is the executive director of Gospel Care Ministries, which trains leaders in churches, networks, and mission organizations for discipleship and care in community.  Cheong also serves as a Council Member for the Biblical Counseling Coalition. He is the author of God Redeeming His Bride: A Handbook for Church Discipline, Restore: Changing How We Live and Love, and Restoration Story: Why Jesus Matters in a Broken World.  He enjoys life with his wife, Karen, their grown children, and their adorable grandchildren.

Learn more about Robert K. Cheong and Gospel Care Ministries at www.gospel.care, Facebook (@gospelcareministries), Twitter (@GospelCareMn) or Instagram (@gospelcareministries).

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SUGGESTED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

• When it comes to sharing stories, what did you see going on within the church that sparked the inspiration for writing Restoration Story?
• If God knows every detail of our stories, and knew every aspect of our lives before we were born, does that mean we have no choices? If we can choose, how do our stories continue to fit with his?
• You tell the stories of four people as you make your way through the book as examples for readers to identify with. How are these stories similar? How do they differ?
• How do you describe common struggles? What are the common struggles we all face?
• What are the other types of struggles we face?
• Even though we share many experiences or struggle in many ways, why do we not reach out to others to talk and build supportive relationships?
• Describe how you walk through the four movements of the gospel—creation, fall, redemption, and consummation.
• It seems that we would obviously know our own stories, but how do we often times avoid our stories? Why do we need to acknowledge and understand our stories?
• We all desire love, but what do we misunderstand about it?
• How does Jesus restore our stories?
• What is the most important thing to know about God’s story and how our story is a part of his?
• How does Restoration Story stand out as different from other discipleship resources?
• How do Restoration Story and your previously released Bible study, Restore, work together?

October 1996 – October 2021

Grand Rapids, Mich, (Oct. 2021)  – Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and Biblica, a global Bible ministry, are proud to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the New International Reader’s Version (NIrV). Since the first publication of the full NIrV Bible in 1996, it has sold more than 8.5 million copies and impacted the lives of many more around the globe.

“There has never been a more meaningful time to ensure that young readers and English language learners have access to God’s Word in a faithful, easy-to-read text,” says Melinda Bouma, vice president and publisher of Bibles for Zondervan. “It’s humbling to see the impact the NIrV translation has had during the last 25 years. We celebrate this significant anniversary, the tireless efforts of everyone involved in bringing it to fruition, our partnership with Biblica, and more importantly all the lives that have been changed by it. It is so exciting to dream of those it will impact in the next 25 years!”

“Biblica is honored to steward and publish the New International Reader’s Version. This translation is the foundation for many of Biblica’s ministry resources. It has impacted countless lives through prison ministry resources like the Free on the Inside Bible. Hundreds of thousands of teens throughout the English-speaking world are learning to make healthy life choices through the Reach4Life New Testament. Numerous children around the world are discovering God’s Word in their learning style through the Treasure Hunt Bible. The readable and accurate NIrV makes this life-changing ministry possible,” said Jonathan Call, senior vice president of translation, publishing, and digital innovation at Biblica.

The NIrV is based on the New International Version (NIV), the most widely read and trusted modern English Bible translation in the world. While the NIV enjoys a widespread reputation as the best combination of accuracy and readability for anyone at a seventh-grade reading level and up, a vision was cast decades ago to honor younger readers and individuals with a non-English primary language, by creating the NIrV developed at a third-grade reading level. This makes it ideal for new and beginning Bible readers, and those who struggle with reading in English.

“Our goal on the NIrV translation team is to make the wonderful work of the NIV available to all those who want or need a translation that is easier to understand while remaining rigorously faithful to the original texts of Scripture,” said Michael Williams, PhD., chair of the NIrV translation committee and member of the Committee on Bible Translation (CBT), the group responsible for maintaining the NIV text. “The NIrV removes as many barriers as possible to a fuller comprehension of the Bible by people of all ages and abilities.”

Nearly 40 people from 14 denominations – many of the same people who translated the NIV – worked together on the development of the NIrV. Each verse was meticulously evaluated in light of the meaning of the original languages in which the Bible was written. Sentence structure, grammar, syntax, and word selection were all carefully reviewed to ensure maximum comprehension while retaining Biblical accuracy.

Throughout the work to make the NIrV a more readable translation, a heavy emphasis was also placed on making it more understandable. Literary experts and educators specializing in elementary education examined both sentence structure and word choices, searching for every possible opportunity to clarify the Scriptures.

Sentences were kept to no more than 15 words and expressions that only native English speakers would understand, such as idioms, figures of speech and nation-specific allusions, were avoided. Even with those changes, the NIrV does not compromise the biblical text in any way:

The NIrV translation team followed the NIV guidelines for accuracy, clarity, and readability, and the NIV was constantly referenced throughout the process. All of the work was approved by a final review committee composed of several members of the Committee on Bible Translation (CBT). This committee structure, with its built-in checks and balances, assures Scriptural integrity and literary and stylistic excellence. They still meet regularly to address any necessary updates.

Releasing Sept. 21, book encourages women to know they are already enough

NASHVILLE, TN., Sept. 8, 2021 – Understanding the struggle of fighting insecurity and trying to live up to worldly expectations and pressure, beloved musician, YouTube sensation, wife, mother of three and author Kelsey Grimm is releasing her debut book “Over It: Forgetting Who You’re Expected to be and Becoming Who You Already Are” on Sept. 21 from Worthy Books.

In “Over It,” Grimm gets vulnerable and honest to share the message that women don’t have to ascribe to what outside influences like TikTok, Instagram and even the Church say they need to be or what they need to look like because who they are is already enough. Grimm wants readers to know that she is just like them – wearing multiple hats trying to barely hold it all together.

“The message is loud and clear – today’s culture tells us exactly what we’re supposed to be: what our bodies should look like, where our beauty and worth lie, our level of success based on what we can offer the world,” said Grimm. “I wanted to write this book to let women know they are not alone by being vulnerable because I am so over the suffocating pressure of performance and expectation that we place on ourselves.”

“Over It” walks through topics covering the importance of not journeying through life alone, addressing the dangers of false expectations and understanding the significance in placing value in who we think we were created to be rather than who we are.

“Many of us have adopted a way to view God as someone wanting to catch us in trouble and not catch us with His love,” said Grimm. “We have owned something that God never said about us. In fact, it’s the opposite of what God has said about us. We’ve created entire traditions and customs in response to how we felt we were supposed to get into contact with God.”

Grimm is part of the popular duo Caleb + Kelsey with her husband Caleb. Generating a loyal following, Caleb + Kelsey have over 500 million video views on Facebook, approaching 5 million followers, eclipsing 65 million YouTube views and several #1 selling albums.

For more information about “Over It: Forgetting Who You’re Expected to be and Becoming Who You Already Are,” visit https://www.thekelseygrimm.co/over-it-book.

About Kelsey Grimm
Kelsey Grimm is known by most, as a singer/artist alongside her husband, Caleb, in their duo Caleb+Kelsey. She also considers herself a stay-at-home mom, with the majority of her time spent raising their 3 beautiful babies in Nashville, TN. Kelsey is an enthusiastic, vibrant, adrenaline junkie who craves deep, meaningful relationships, below-the-surface conversation, and an occasional good glass of wine.

She’s passionate about pursuing a life that’s honest and bold – learning to see herself through the eyes of the Divine while encouraging others to do the same.

WESTMONT, IL— With the forthcoming releases of We the Fallen People and Struggling with Evangelicalism, InterVarsity Press (IVP) continues its yearlong seventy-fifth anniversary celebration by telling the story of its history of publishing books that have shaped and reflected evangelical discourse. Since the publication of Basic Christianity in 1964, IVP has published landmark resources on what it means to live and look like a Christian.

IVP’s history with Christianity and relationship to evangelicalism stems from InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s roots in England. From its early days, IVP focused on writing books to reach college students and engage current cultural trends. In the book Heart. Soul. Mind. Strength.: An Anecdotal History of InterVarsity Press, 1947–2007, coauthors Andrew T. Le Peau and Linda Doll wrote, “InterVarsity Press . . . saw openness to the academic world as a means of bringing minds under the lordship of Christ.” As IVP grew, it expanded the range of topics addressed in its books.

The 1960s saw the publication of The God Who Is There and Escape from Reason by Francis A. Schaeffer and Know Why You Believe by Paul E. Little. In 1972 IVP published Knowing God by J. I. Packer. IVP continued to publish books by John Stott, such as Christian Mission in the Modern World in 1976 and The Cross of Christ in 1986. These books reflect the growing interest among evangelicals in the life of the mind and how to live as a Christian in the world.

As Christians and evangelicals have considered what it means to live and look like a Christian in a changing world, IVP’s books have reflected these changes while maintaining a commitment to love for God, God’s Word, and God’s purposes in the world. The formation of the IVP Academic imprint in the early 2000s highlighted IVP’s commitment to academic life and thought and featured Christian scholarship across the disciplines.

In 2004 IVP published the first volume in the History of Evangelicalism series, The Rise of Evangelicalism by Mark A. Noll. Coedited by Mark Noll and David Bebbington, this series reflects the diversity of evangelical belief and practice around the world. In a recent piece reflecting on this series and the meaning of evangelical today, Noll wrote, “The rewarding chance to work on the series has, in turn, provided a propitious angle from which to comment especially on questions of diversity, continuity, incoherence, and coherence raised by contemporary debates over the meaning of ‘evangelical’ and ‘evangelicalism.’ It also points to a conclusion that the most significant present-day questions about the history of evangelicalism do not arise from American political turmoil but from the shape of world Christianity as a whole.”

The political turmoil Noll writes about is reflected in recent IVP books, such as Still Evangelical?, Compassion (&) Conviction, and most recently, We the Fallen People. In We the Fallen People historian Robert Tracy McKenzie presents a close look at the ideas of human nature to be found in the history of American democratic thought. McKenzie described his motivation for writing We the Fallen People as “reflect[ing] my deep concern for the future of American democracy and even greater concern for the public testimony of American Christians. The political polarization that engulfs us poses a dire challenge to both. My ultimate goal is not to make a political statement but rather to help Christians think Christianly about democracy. We must think Christianly before we can act faithfully, and as we do so, both the witness of the church and the stability of our political institutions will benefit.”

As many Christians today are reconsidering whether to use the evangelical label, Dan Stringer presents his consideration of this issue in Struggling with Evangelicalism. Stringer considers evangelicalism within the context of its global expression and how “evangelicalism is not just a brand to identify with but a space to inhabit.” Stringer writes, “I care deeply about evangelicalism because it has been my home through every life change. This vital thread holds together the complexities of my story. Having wrestled extensively with my own mixed feelings about evangelicalism’s brokenness and beauty, I’m ready to help others do the same.”

Contact:  Karin DeHaven, 630.734.4013, kdehaven@ivpress.com