Ada, Mich. (December 10, 2025)— Baker Publishing Group is pleased to announce that nine titles across its imprints— Baker Academic, Brazos Press, Lexham Press (acquired), Revell and Bethany House—were selected as winners, finalists, or Award of Merit recipients Christianity Today 2025 Book Awards.
Each year, Christianity Today’s panel of editors, theologians, pastors, scholars, and writers evaluate hundreds of submissions across multiple categories. Baker Publishing Group celebrates the authors and editors whose work contributes meaningfully to conversations in the church and the world.
“We at Baker Publishing Group are honored by the recognition our titles have received this year in the Christianity Today Book Awards. It’s a testament to the work and dedication of the team here at BPG and to the authors we’re honored to work with.” says, Jesse Myers, President and CEO, Baker Publishing Group, “We have titles represented from Baker Academic, Brazos, Revell, and Bethany House as well as Lexham Press whose titles and authors we were pleased to welcome to BPG this year.”
Baker Publishing Group Honorees:
Award of Merit —Book of the Year; and Winner— Apologetics & Evangelism
The Body God Gives: A Biblical Response to Transgender Theory
by Robert S. Smith (Lexham Academic)
Robert S. Smith argues that God intends a person’s gender to be grounded in the reality of his or her biological sex—the body God has given.
Winner — Biblical Studies
Jesus and the Law of Moses: The Gospels and the Restoration of Israel within First-Century Judaism
by Paul T. Sloan (Baker Academic)
This book explores the Synoptic Gospels’ depiction of Jesus as an authoritative teacher who heralds Israel’s restoration and participates in intra-Jewish debate about how to keep the Law.
Winner — Bible & Devotional
Reading the Psalms as Scripture
by James M. Hamilton Jr. and Matthew Damico (Lexham Press)
A richly coherent and accessible guide showing how the Psalms function as Scripture and how readers can engage them devotionally and theologically.
Finalists — Fiction
From the Valley We Rise
by Elizabeth Musser (Bethany House)
A moving, character-driven story of hope, resilience, and faith.
The Light on Horn Island
by Valerie Fraser Luesse (Revell)
A lyrical Southern novel blending mystery, beauty, and redemption against the backdrop of the Gulf Coast.
Finalist — Christian Living & Spiritual Formation
The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World
by David Zahl (Brazos Press)
A timely call to rediscover grace amid cultural exhaustion, anxiety, and endless striving.
Award of Merit — Theology (Academic)
Contesting the Body of Christ: Ecclesiology’s Revolutionary Century
by Myles Werntz (Baker Academic)
A sweeping historical and theological account of how the 20th century reshaped Christian understandings of the church.
Finalist-Theology Academic
Joining Creation’s Praise: A Theological Ethic of Creatureliness
by Brian Brock (Baker Academic)
Winner — Theology (Popular)
The Cost of Ambition: How Striving to Be Better Than Others Makes Us Worse
by Miroslav Volf (Brazos Press)
An internationally renowned theologian argues that rather than improving us as individuals and as a society, our ambition to be better than others actually diminishes us.
Baker Publishing Group publishes high-quality writings that represent historic Christianity and serve the diverse interests and concerns of evangelical readers.
Contact: Shelly MacNaughton, (616) 450-5560, smacnaughton@
Nashville, Tenn., December 10, 2025 – Thomas Nelson, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP), announces it has extended its partnership with Museum of the Bible to sponsor more than 200 events at their renowned World Stage Theater in Washington, DC.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (December 12, 2025) – Hachette Nashville is proud to announce an exceptional year of publishing, with a total of six titles from its imprints hitting the New York Times bestseller list over the course of 2025. This achievement underscores the publisher’s commitment to offering impactful, high-quality content to readers of faith-based and conservative political books.
NAIROBI, Kenya — December 2025 — The African Christian publishing landscape marked another significant milestone as the 5th African Christian Authors Book Award (ACABA) BookFest & Gala, organized by CLC Kenya, convened in Nairobi with record-breaking participation and a growing global footprint.
The CLC Kenya/ACABA teams received specialized capacity-building support through partnerships with Africa Speaks, Publishing in Color (a connection established at the 2023 ECPA PubU conference), and Media Associates International, ensuring that the training offered to African authors reflects global best practices in Christian publishing.
CLC Kenya/ACABA engaged 61 partners across Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Scotland—including Tyndale Kids, Christian Focus Publications, Dernier Publishing, Answers in Genesis, Goodwill Rights Management, Urban Press, and African Christian publishers serving the African market.
DECEMBER 2025 –
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. —Dec. 1, 2025 — This Advent season, millions of listeners will discover bestselling author John Mark Comer and his acclaimed book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry through Hallow, the leading Catholic prayer and meditation app. As part of Hallow’s annual Advent Prayer Challenge, “Pray25: Be Still,” actor Chris Pratt will read selections from Comer on Sabbath, silence, solitude and slowing down. The three narrated reflections will post on December 5, 12, and 19, inviting users to experience Comer’s message of rest and renewal during one of the busiest times of the year.
November 24, 2025, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Zondervan is honored to announce that five books from the Zondervan Academic and Zondervan Reflective publishing imprints have been recognized by The Gospel Coalition (TGC) as winners in the 2025 TGC Book Awards. These recognitions reflect the strength, theological depth, and pastoral relevance of our authors’ work.
November 24, 2025; WHEATON, Ill.— Crossway is pleased to announce that Matt Smethurst’s Tim Keller on the Christian Life: The Transforming Power of the Gospel (April 2025) has won The Gospel Coalition’s 2025 Book Award in the History and Biography category. Announcing the award, TGC commends, “At the heart of Tim Keller on the Christian Life lies a simple but profound conviction: The gospel changes everything. Matt Smethurst captures the essence of Keller’s ministry by tracing the key themes that shaped his preaching and writing.”
We are thrilled to announce that Numbers 20-36, part of the globally esteemed Apollos Old Testament Commentary (AOTC) series, by L. Michael Morales, has been honoured with the Award of Distinction for Biblical Studies at The Gospel Coalition Book Awards 2025.
Lille, France / Chicago, USA, December 1, 2025—Nord Compo, a global leader in publishing services, announced two AI-enhanced tools to advance the company’s growing suite of innovations designed to streamline production workflows, reduce costs, and uphold the highest quality standards for publishers worldwide.




