#10

Surrender to Love is the first in Benner’s trilogy called The Spiritual Journey. Benner has a background in Psychology and applies his expertise to the area of spiritual transformation.

Psychology is an important but often overlooked aspect of spiritual formation. It provides insight into who we are, what we feel, and how we think. Only once we understand how God uniquely made us, can we truly push through the walls on the spiritual journey.

For Benner, Love and Surrender are the heart of Christian Spiritualty. The book also includes an experiential guide and reflection questions.

#9

With 2024 being a US presidential election year, Christians more than ever need to be thoughtful about the way candidates use the Bible and their faith to influence voters.

Schiess is a host on the Holy Post podcast and provides insightful commentary on the intersection of faith and culture. She now applies that expertise to politics by looking at the history of how the Bible has been used in American politics.

Christians can agree that the Bible is authoritative but can come to very different conclusions when it comes to politics. Schiess provides a helpful example for making the Bible the basis for political engagement.

#8

Ward is a journalist who has covered American politics and culture for over twenty years. He provides a perspective from someone with experience both inside and outside the evangelical movement.

Ward makes the claim that the evangelical movement has failed a generation. Evangelical faith has become entwined with politics that has created a shift in values and priorities.

Ward calls Christians to embrace truth, complexity, and nuance. These align well with our approach here at Faithful Intellect.

#7

Christian Nationalism has recently emerged as a stronger voice within evangelicalism. Wolfe claims that this is the form of government we must pursue if we want to love our neighbors and our country.

Where does Christian Nationalism provide a helpful corrective to the rise of secularism and where does it slide into political idolatry?

#6

Dispensationalism was a foundational theological framework for many evangelicals that impacted everything from global politics (Israel and Palestine) to movies and books (Left Behind).

Hummel provides a history of the ideas and culture of dispensationalism and the large impact it had on evangelicalism despite its relatively recent inception in the nineteenth century.

The Holy Post interview with Hummel was one of the top five most listened to Holy Posts episodes of 2023.

#5

Critical Theory is a philosophical and sociological school of thought that came out of The Frankfurt School in the 1920s. It focuses on the way oppression underlies many aspects of society.

Critical Theory has impacted many hot topics today like race, class, and gender. The Bible has a lot to say on these same cultural topics. What aspects of Critical Theory are compatible with the Bible, what aspects must be rejected, and where can Christians reasonably disagree?

While this book isn’t likely to be one of the top Christian books for 2024 due to its length and depth, it still makes our list.

#4

The rise of secularism has pushed Christianity more to the margins of much of western society, but the legacy of the underlying Christian assumptions remains strong. Holland describes how the Christian revolution remade the world.

The morals and ethics of western society are still deeply rooted in Christianity. What are the implications of this for Christians today?

#3

Davis and Graham provide insights found from the largest and most comprehensive study of dechurching in America by Dr. Ryan Burge and Dr. Paul Djupe.

They look at date about beliefs, behavior, and belonging along with demographics, size, concerns, and the historical roots.

In addition to analyzing the situation, the authors also provide ideas of what can be done to both prevent people from leaving, but also bring people back to the church.

#2

As a New York Times bestseller, this is going to be one of the top Christian books for 2024. Alberta provides a perspective on American Evangelicalism for both insiders and outsiders. Alberta is a journalist who describes the movement based on interviews from a wide variety of perspectives.

While Alberta is clearly calling out the political idolatry of some evangelicals, does he accurately and fairly capture the complexity and nuance? How pervasive is this extremism and is it enough to fairly characterize evangelical ism as a whole?

#1

Spiritual formation is a foundational principle at Faithful Intellect. While the basics of spiritual formation are simple, they are not easy. Villodas provides a valuable perspective on developing a life more like Jesus’.

The book outlines 5 core values.

Contemplative Rhythms
Racial Justice
Interior Examination
Sexual Wholeness
Missional Presence