Religionless Christianity Calls Believers Out of the Pews and Onto the Battlefield

NASHVILLE, Tenn., (July 11, 2023) — Eric Metaxas woke up slumbering Christians with his bestselling Letter to the American Church. In the inspiring sequel, Religionless Christianity (Salem Books, March 12, 2024), he will spur them on with the prophetic words of the martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who appealed to Christians not to “practice” their faith but to live it.

“The remarkable response to Letter to the American Church has given me tremendous hope that many in the American church are eager to repent of their ‘mission drift’ into ‘faith without works’ and ‘silence in the face of evil’ and to chart the biblical way forward. We have to understand what God wants us to do right now, before it’s too late,” says Metaxas.

Like the German church of the 1930s, today’s American church has settled into the merely “religious” faith of Sunday mornings, a counterfeit Christianity that is impotent in the face of evil. The  acclaimed biographer of Bonhoeffer, Metaxas draws on the words and deeds of the anti-Nazi hero to show why we must live our faith in every sphere of life. Our times demand nothing less than the vibrant and courageous faith of historical Christianity.

“There is real hope and a reason to be excited about what lies ahead if we do what God asks of us,” says Metaxas. “If we understand where we have gone wrong and rediscover our duty to live out our faith adventurously and fearlessly, God can not only turn things around but can use His people to change the world for His purposes in history.”

The head of Salem Books, Julie Jayne, shares her author’s enthusiasm. “We are proud to stand with Eric in this battle for the soul of the church. Religionless Christianity represents a powerful counter-thrust against those forces that have taken a weak and dispirited church for granted.”

To pre-order a copy of Religionless Christianity, visit www.amazon.com/Religionless-Christianity-Gods-Answer-Evil.

ERIC METAXAS is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Is Atheism Dead?, Fish Out of Water, Martin Luther, If You Can Keep It, Bonhoeffer, Amazing Grace, and Miracles. His latest book is Letter to the American Church (September 2022). He has written more than thirty children’s books, and his books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. His writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the New Yorker, and Metaxas has appeared as a cultural commentator on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. He is the host of The Eric Metaxas Show, a nationally syndicated daily radio show heard on 300 outlets nationwide and aired on television by TBN. He lives in New York City with his wife and daughter. His new book, Religionless Christianity, will be available nationwide on March 12, 2024.

 

CAROL STREAM, Ill., July 10, 2023 — Christianity Today is calling for submissions for the 2024 Christianity Today Book Awards. The CT Book Awards, along with our “Beautiful Orthodoxy” Book of the Year, will be announced in December at ChristianityToday.com.

Winners will be featured prominently in the January/February 2024 issue of CT and widely promoted in CT newsletters and on the site. Publishers of the winning books will also have the opportunity to participate in a promotion organized by CT’s marketing team.Here are this year’s awards categories:

1. Apologetics/Evangelism

2a. Biblical Studies

2b. Bible and Devotional

3a. Children

3b. Young Adults

4. Christian Living/Spiritual Formation

5. The Church/Pastoral Leadership

6. Culture and the Arts

7. Fiction

8. History/Biography

9. Marriage and Family

10. Missions/The Global Church

11. Politics and Public Life

12a. Theology (popular)

12b. Theology (academic)

Nominations:
To be eligible for nomination, a book must be published between November 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. We are looking for scholarly and popular-level works, and everything in between. A diverse panel of scholars, pastors, and other informed readers will evaluate the books.Publishers can nominate as many books as they wish, and each nominee can be submitted in multiple categories. There is a $40 entry fee for each title submitted in each category. To enter your nominations, please click the following and follow the prompts. (Note: You will be directed to upload a PDF of each book you wish to nominate.) https://christianitytoday.typeform.com/to/ZXV3MKdW

Finalist Books:
If your book is chosen as one of the four finalists in any category, we will contact you and ask that you send a copy of the book directly to the four judges assigned to that category. We will provide mailing addresses for each judge.

Deadline:
The deadline for submitting nominations is Monday, July 31, 2023.

Any questions about any aspect of the process? Email us at bookawards@christianitytoday.com.

CONTACT: Jordyn Hibdon, jhibdon@christianitytoday.com

Carol Stream, Ill. (July 12, 2023) —Tyndale House Publishers, in partnership with Axis, is set to release the next five guidebooks in their series designed to help parents bridge generational gaps in conversation with their teens. These guides also include parent questions for personal reflection and teen discussion questions for honest conversations. These booklets will release for individual purchase on October 17, 2023, and the Parent Guides to Connecting in Chaos bundle will be available on November 21, 2023. 

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A Parent’s Guide to Tough Conversations

Gain practical strategies and tips to impact conversations with your kids.

Features:

• How to naturally initiate difficult conversations
• How to determine when, where, and what topics to discuss
• How to use encouraging language to help your kids open up
• How to forgive yourself if you’ve messed up tough topics in the past 

 

 

 

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A Parent’s Guide to Cancel Culture

Mainstream media’s cancel culture can have devastating effects on people’s jobs, relationships, and reputations. Learn how to skillfully address cancel culture without compromising biblical truth.

Features:

• What does it mean to be canceled?
• What is concerning about cancel culture?
• What biblical truths combat cancel culture?
• What does it look like to respectfully disagree?  

 

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A Parent’s Guide to Racism in the United States

From its foundation to the present day, the United States has been marred by racism. Learn how to discuss this hot-button issue compassionately.

Features:

• Definitions of race-related terms such as racism, white privilege, and Black Lives Matter
• Concise summary of the history of the US Civil Rights Movement
• Biblical support for respecting people of all races
• Practical strategies for pursuing racial justice as a family
• Shame-free discussion questions for honest conversation

 

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A Parent’s Guide to Walking through Grief

Whether it’s a friend moving away, a breakup, or a death, this sensitive guide offers reassuring explanations to commonly asked questions about how to handle grief.

Features:

• What is grief, and how do teens typically respond?
• What happens when we don’t deal with grief?
• What does healthy grieving look like? 

 

 

 

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A Parent’s Guide to Talking about Death  

Learn practical strategies to process the pain of loss by gently addressing commonly asked questions with confidence.

Features:

• Why is talking about death so hard?
• Why should you talk about death?
• How should you talk to your teen about death?

 

 

 

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A Parent’s Guide to Tough Conversations | ISBN: 978-1-4964-6774-4 | Softcover: $4.99

A Parent’s Guide to Cancel Culture | ISBN: 978-1-4964-6778-2 | Softcover: $4.99

A Parent’s Guide to Racism in the United States | ISBN: 978-1-4964-6782-9 | Softcover: $4.99

A Parent’s Guide to Walking through Grief | ISBN: 978-1-4964-6786-7 | Softcover: $4.99

A Parent’s Guide to Talking about Death | ISBN: 978-1-4964-6790-4 | Softcover: $4.99

October 2023 | Tyndale.com

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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 substantial portion of annual revenue—millions of dollars per year—through corporate donations and the work of Tyndale House Foundation. With every book purchased, Tyndale readers help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world.

Contact: Kristen Schumacher, kristenschumacher@tyndale.com, 630.784.5103

What does it mean to be blessed?  Are Christians entitled to happiness, fulfillment, and perfect peace?  Holy Unhappiness (Worthy, July 18, 2023, ISBN: 9781546001928) explores these questions and challenges the false beliefs many in the church hold about “the good life” and what it means to walk in communion with God.

American Christians have developed a long list of expectations about what life with God will feel like.  Many Christians rightly deny the Prosperity Gospel—the idea that God wants you to be healthy and wealthy— but instead embrace its more subtle spin-off, the Emotional Prosperity Gospel, or the belief that God wants you to always experience happiness and fulfillment. Our society has become increasingly averse to sadness and emotional discomfort. Too often, people of faith assume that difficult feelings are a result of either God’s judgment or our own lack of spiritual maturity.  Some even equate happiness with holiness.

In Holy Unhappiness, Amanda Held Opelt, author of A Hole in the World, grapples with her own experience of disillusionment when life didn’t go the way she expected.  She examines some of the historic, religious, and cultural influences that led to the idolization of positive feelings and the marginalization of negative feelings.  Unpacking nine elements of life that have been tainted by the message of the Emotional Prosperity Gospel – including work, marriage, parenting, calling, community, and church – she points to a new path forward, one that reimagines what the “blessed” life can be like if we release some of our expectations and seek God in places we never thought to look.

While Opelt acknowledges the dignity of desiring happiness, she ultimately pleads for the normalization of sadness, anger, grief, disappointment, and other uncomfortable feelings as a part of the Christian experience, making a case that there is holiness to be found even in our unhappiness.

Leyland, UK – From August 2023, Reformation Lightning, 10Publishing’s fiction imprint, will publish the first series in S. D. Smith’s renowned children’s fiction saga, The Green Ember, in the UK and Commonwealth (excluding Canada).

The Green Ember is a bestselling adventure saga aimed at 9-12s, with over 1 million books sold across all three series. Families in the UK have been longing to get hold of the novels that follow rabbitkind as they try to liberate themselves from oppressive preylords. And now they will be able to.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Story Warren in this way,” said Editorial Director of 10ofThose, Jonathan Pountney. “Much like our other Ref Light novels, The Green Ember series is Christ-honouring, quality writing that has sprung from the author’s biblical worldview. The Christian themes have been holding out gospel hope to many children in the US and we’re excited to extend that opportunity to children in the UK and Commonwealth too.”

He continued, “This partnership will help us continue to fill the gap in the Christian trade space with quality Middle Grade and YA fiction that presents the truth and beauty of the gospel.”

Reflecting on the licensing, S. D. Smith said, “We are delighted to be sharing The Green Ember stories with readers in the UK and beyond alongside our partners at Reformation Lightning. These are truthful, faithful, thrilling adventures and it’s an absolute privilege to share them in the birthplace of so many figures of literature who have delighted me as a reader and inspired me as an author.”

The first two books in the first series, The Green Ember and Ember Falls, about rabbit siblings Heather and Picket, will be available from 10ofThose in August, with the second two books following in March 2024.

As well as the addition of The Green Ember, Ref Light is releasing six new titles from September 2023. Notably, a three-book series about Siamese kittens for 5 – 8-year-olds by Michael Haykin, professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a novella in H. R. Hess’ popular Callenlas Chronicles.

About 10ofThose
10ofThose is a publisher, distributor and retailer, and provides the bookshops for many major conferences. They are based in Leyland, UK and Louisville, KY.  Their publishing imprints include 10Publishing, Evangelical Press and Reformation Lightning.

Natalie Runion’s Raised to Stay and Bryan Clark’s God’s Not Like That rank near top of USA Today’s bestseller list

July 14, 2023 — COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – Christian publisher David C Cook celebrates author Natalie Runion’s first book Raised to Stay: Persevering in Ministry When You Have a Million Reasons to Walk Away successfully placing on USA Today’s bestseller list, garnering the #1 spot in the religion category, ranking 21^st in all books, #5 in nonfiction.

Additionally, Raised to Stay made the Publisher’s Weekly bestseller list, placing #23 in the trade paperback frontlist category.

Bryan Clark’s book, God’s Not Like That: Redeeming Inherited Beliefs and Finding the Father You Long For placed at #2 in the religion category, #9 in the non-fiction category, and #37 in all books on USA Today’s list. Both books released on July 4, 2023.

In Raised to Stay, Runion explores the disappointment many are feeling and the hurt experienced in the Church today. With leaders and laypeople leaving churches across American in droves, the message is clearly resonating with faith audiences, as well as readers across genres. She invites Christian pastors and volunteer leaders to acknowledge “the hurt and the hard” of ministry so they can move toward “hope and healing.”

“I feel so blessed to share the message of hope and healing with so many who have experienced hurt within the Church—a heartbreak I myself walked through personally,” said Runion. “I am humbled and overcome with gratitude for every Stayer who has committed to keep their eyes on our good Father who is faithful to complete every work He begins in us.”

Bryan Clark’s book, God’s Not Like That, is a practical guide for overcoming barriers and experiencing the abundant life Christians long for, but often struggle to find. Clark does this by helping readers identify the wrong beliefs about God we receive from our families of origin and replace them with truth.

“It’s not a question of if you learned about God from your family of origin. It’s a question of what you learned about Him—and a faulty view of God will always be a barrier to a satisfying spiritual life,” writes Clark. “Finding abundant life has nothing to do with money or prosperity or a life free from pain. It has everything to do with a right view of God that sustains us in the best of times and the worst of times.”

Bryan Clark is Senior Pastor Emeritus of Lincoln Berean Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. His voice is familiar to thousands across the country as a Bible teacher for Back to the Bible radio. He also has a podcast with Dan Whitney (a.k.a., Larry the Cable Guy) called “Talk’n Truth” under the Back to the Bible brand.

“The fact that both of these books are resonating with Christian readers is no surprise to us,” said David C Cook Executive VP, Chadd Miller. “Many Christ followers today are looking for healing and ways to deepen their spiritual life. Both Natalie and Bryan draw from their own personal experience coupled with scripture to offer hope to a generation that is struggling to find renewed faith and connection within the Church.”

For interviews or more information, please contact Cathy Herholdt, VP of Communications, at cathy.herholdt@davidccook.org.

David C Cook is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to equipping the global church with leadership, discipleship, and worship resources to help Christians grow in faith and pass it along to the next generation. Read more about David C Cook and its global ministry outreach at www.davidccook.org.

Media Contact: Cathy Herholdt, VP of  Communications, cathy.herholdt@davidccook.org, 719.533.3011

Legendary authors Janette Oke and Davis Bunn will keynote Winners Gala on November 16

The Art of Writing webinar series presented Thursday evenings, October 19 to November 9

July 17, 2023, Tempe, AZ – The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) has announced the program for THE CHRISTY AWARD online fall events that include webcasts announcing the finalists and winners of the industry’s top award for Christian fiction – and a four-part ART OF WRITING series for writers, publishers, creatives, and fans.

To be more accessible, the events will return to a virtual format this year in order to extend the opportunity for more authors and fans to participate.  The event will return to an in-person affair next year and will be held in Chicago following ECPA PubU.

The Christy Award finalists will be revealed in a free webcast on Thursday morning, October 12th at 11am CT with host, radio announcer, and award-winning author Chris Fabry.

Hosted by Christy Hall of Fame author Chris Fabry, The Christy Award Winners Gala will be held Thursday, November 16th at 7pm CT via free webcast to recognize the finalists and announce the winners of The Christy Award in nine categories, Book of the Year, and Amplify Award.

The event will feature two literary greats, Christian fiction legacy authors JANETTE OKE and DAVIS BUNN.

Award presenters will include Christy winning authors Amanda Cox, Toni Shiloh, Nicole Deese, Patricia Raybon, Jocelyn Green, Sarah Sundin, Terri Blackstock, Karen Witemeyer, Sharon Hinck, and Kara Swanson.

Leading up to the Gala, a series of weekly Thursday evening webinars on October 19, 26 and November 2 and 9, will be presented as the ART OF WRITING conference.  The four-part series will bring together writers, creatives, and publishing curators for training and connection around these topics:

• Dispelling the Myths Around Christian Fiction
• Going Deep with Award-Winning Authors
• How Great Books Can Improve Your Novel and Your Life
• Publishing Doesn’t Have to Terrify You!

“It’s always a joy to host an event that both honors excellence in Christian fiction and offers the creative community practical instruction, encouragement, and light on the path of the writing life,” Jeff Crosby, ECPA president, said. “The Christy Gala and Art of Writing sessions will do that and more.”

For more information and to sign up to receive updates about these programs, visit TheChristyAward.com. Registration for all events will open next month.

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Janette Oke is the bestselling author celebrated for her significant contribution to the Christian book industry. Her novels have sold more than 30 million copies, and she is the recipient of the ECPA President’s Award, the CBA Life Impact Award, the Gold Medallion Award, and The Christy Award. Janette and her husband, Edward, live in Alberta, Canada.

Davis Bunn is the award-winning author of numerous national bestsellers, with sales totaling more than 8 million copies. His work has been published in 20 languages, and his critical acclaim includes four Christy Awards for excellence in fiction. He and his wife, Isabella, live in England. www.davisbunn.com

Chris Fabry is an award-winning author and radio personality. He has written more than 80 books for adults and children and is a member of the Christy Award Hall of Fame. He is host of the daily radio program Chris Fabry Live on Moody Radio. His latest novel is Saving Grayson, to be released November 7. Chris and his wife, Andrea, now live in Arizona and are the parents of nine children.

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The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is an international non-profit trade organization comprised of member companies that are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian content worldwide. Since 1974, ECPA has strengthened Christian publishing by building networking, information, and advocacy opportunities within the industry and throughout multiple channels so that our members can more effectively produce and deliver transformational Christian content. ECPA.org

The Christy Award® is the foremost award honoring and promoting excellence in Christian fiction since 1999, and is named for Catherine Marshall’s novel, Christy, which has sold over 10 million copies since its publication in 1967. ECPA assumed ownership and administration of the award in 2017 to focus and grow the unique opportunity of fiction in Christian publishing. TheChristyAward.com FB ChristyAward TW @ChristyAward  IG @thechristyaward

Media contacts:
Jeff Crosby, ECPA President and CEO, jcrosby@ecpa.org, 480-966-3998 ext. 101
Cindy Carter, ECPA Awards & Recognition Manager, ccarter@ecpa.org, 480-966-3998 ext. 103

Greg Atkinson Draws from Personal Experience with Mental Illness, Church Hurt, and Childhood Abuse to Encourage Readers to Choose Kindness 

PLANO, Texas (June 6, 2023) – Bestselling author, speaker, and pastor Greg Atkinson challenges readers to be the kind of change they want to see in the world in his new book, The Secret Power of Kindness: 10 Keys to Unlocking Your Capacity to Change the World, available now from Invite Press.

Recognizing we live in a world that values kindness but struggles to actually be kind, Atkinson helps readers overcome unforgiveness and division, cultivate inner qualities of kindness toward self and others, and make the world a better place starting from the inside out.

“The secret power of kindness, when released, can solve most of our problems, not only personally but as a nation collectively,” said Atkinson. “We have the power within us to be extraordinarily kind, to be the people of God we were meant to be, to demonstrate over-the-top kindness that goes the extra mile, to start a ‘kindness movement’ that spreads and multiples. But first, we must learn to tap into that ‘secret’ place within us where kindness, love, and peace dwell.”

Throughout the book, Atkinson shares vulnerably about his own pain in his life, from being deeply hurt and abused by his father and suffering childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a daycare worker to struggling with mental health and losing his job as a pastor because of it. Through each example, he proves that kindness begins with forgiveness, both for yourself and others.

“How you deal with the trauma and pain in your life—including how you respond to it—will shape your life presently and in the future,” said Atkinson. “The bottom line is that you have a choice—you can become bitter or better. Kindness is the remedy, and forgiveness is the antidote.”

Each chapter of The Secret Power of Kindness is dedicated to a different key of kindness, beginning with forgiveness and followed by generosity, composure, acceptance, rest, wisdom, empathy, patience, love, and unity. Atkinson encourages readers to embrace each to be part of a movement to change the world and make it a better place.

The Secret Power of Kindness includes a foreword by Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker, and is endorsed by leaders including Bob Goff, Dr. Richard Blackaby, Jon Gordon, Faith Eury Cho, and Danielle Strickland, to name a few. The book already landed on several Amazon bestsellers lists even prior to its official June 6 release, including claiming No. 1 in both the “Christian Families” and “Christian Dating and Relationships” categories.

“Kindness may seem old-fashioned, but in truth, it’s omnirelevant,” writes Batterson in the foreword. “As Greg so aptly points out, be kind to yourself. We often forget that the Great Commandment is three-dimensional. We know we need to love God and love people. But it’s hard to love others if you don’t like yourself. The hardest person to forgive is the person who stares back at you in the mirror every day! Be kind to that person, and you’ll be kinder to others.”

For more information about The Secret Power of Kindness, visit secretpowerofkindness.com.

Greg Atkinson is a bestselling author, speaker, pastor, coach, and consultant who has worked with churches of all sizes, including some of the largest and fastest growing in the country, as well as organizations such as Josh McDowell Ministries. He is a contributor to many magazines and websites, including Relevant Magazine, Christianity Today, Pastors.com, ChurchLeaders.com, and Outreach Magazine, as well as a member of the Forbes Coaching Council and a Forbes featured contributor. Atkinson is the Founder of the First Impressions Conference and Worship Impressions and Co-Founder of the Social Media Church Conference. His website is gregatkinson.com.

Invite Press is a premier publisher of books to help readers grow in their Christian faith. It publishes books that matter to the everyday life of following Jesus as well as those that apply to the work of full-time ministry. Invite Press is an imprint of Invite Resources, which exists to build a like-hearted community of influencers who are high on Jesus, low on politics, and biased toward innovation. Visit inviteresources.com for more information.

New Book Examines How the Bible, a Book Written Nearly Two Millennia Ago, Still Speaks to a Current Generation of Readers