This year, 43 publishers nominated 291 titles. CT editors selected the top books in each category, and then panels of judges—one panel for each category—voted. In the end, we chose 22 titles that bring understanding to people, events, and ideas that shape evangelical life, thought, and mission. Selections from judges' comments are below.
"Faces head-on the most tactically challenging issues that keep people from Christian faith in our time with both clarity and charity. And by showing a Christian who loves creation, science, his neighbors, and his Lord, it presents a rare and welcome picture of mature Christian character."
Our coverage:
Creation or Evolution? Yes! | Francis Collins issues a call to stand on the middle ground. (January 16, 2007)
Living with the Darwin Fish | Why the discovery of yet another 'missing link' doesn't destroy my faith. (March 12, 2007)
"Wonderful. A dazzlingbook. It reads beautifully, grabs the reader with its fascinating detective work, and sets the scholarly discussion of the historical Jesus on a new (very old!) foundation: eyewitness reports as the basis of the biblical gospel. This is biblical scholarship of the highest order that can be read with enjoyment by the thoughtful layperson."
"How should a Christian handle the memory of abuse? If it is forgotten, where is justice for the accuser? How is reconciliation possible when abuse involves communities and nations? Volf addresses these questions with a profound theological grasp of their implications both for the present and the future."
Our coverage:
Redeeming Bitterness | Miroslav Volf tells how to stop the 'shield of memory' from turning into a sword. (April 9, 2007)
"Directness and liveliness of illustration and argument, theological substance, quality of biblical reflection, and readability that may make it accessible even to those coming to faith, Bible reading, or prayer for the first time."
"This very practical book addresses a big gap in most evangelical churches: the lack of a functional process for actually making disciples (not just incorporating church attenders)."
"Literarily sophisticated and subtle. Characters and setting are extremely well developed. The nexus of family drama and large sociopolitical context is very rare. Faith plays a subtle but powerful role."
Our coverage:
Trouble in the Heartland | New fiction from Vinita Hampton Wright. (Lauren F. Winner, Books & Culture, March 1, 2006)
"Likely to change people's minds about deeply important cultural views and memories. The Civil War, Stout argues, was not a just war in its inception or in its conduct."
Our coverage:
Mine Eyes Have Seen the Gory | Two historians tell why Christian thought went AWOL during the civil war. (August 1, 2006)
Grapes of Wrath | A moral history of the Civil War. (Books & Culture, March/April 2006)
"Completely fresh with new insights presented in a lucid and compelling way. This is an important work of scholarship that will likely give future generations a firm foundation for thinking theologically about the church's mission in the world. Likely to affect the way that biblical theology and exegesis are done in evangelical seminaries."
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Our coverage:
An Upside-Down World | Distinguishing between home and mission field no longer makes sense. (January 18, 2007)
"A brilliant and convincing exposition of the deficiencies of intellectualized, mysticized, and experientialized approaches to spirituality with a convincing, positive case for Christian spirituality as entering into the reality (divine embrace) of what Christ has accomplished for us on the Cross. The engagement with the rich history of spirituality, orthodox and otherwise, is outstanding."
"This book tackles a subject too often ignored by evangelical Christians. The role of Nietzsche in forming what we call modern culture is of foundational importance, and Williams expounds this for us in a clear and compelling way. Every pastor and Christian educator should read and ponder this book when addressing the concerns of modern society."
God's Word in an Old Light | Philip Jenkins on how global South Christians read the Bible. (December 5, 2006)
An Upside-Down World | Distinguishing between home and mission field no longer makes sense. (January 18, 2007)
Downward, Outward, Later | A superb new history of Christianity. (Philip Jenkins, Books & Culture, September/October 2006)
Companions of Life | A supple faith. (Philip Jenkins, Books & Culture, March/April 2007)
Excerpt:
"Shall the Fundamentalists Win?" | An excerpt from Philip Jenkins' new book, The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South. (December 5, 2006)
Both talk about endurance in suffering, but only Scripture encourages me to boast in my weakness.
Isabel Ong
2007 Christianity Today Book Awards
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Despite their crucial role in congregational life, 83 percent of women’s ministry leaders remain unpaid.
The theologian set aside his nearly finished magnum opus while in prison, investing instead in creative writing.
Our picks for the books most likely to shape evangelical life, thought, and culture.
Both talk about endurance in suffering, but only Scripture encourages me to boast in my weakness.
