The Pagan City, the Christian City, and the Secular City | Steven Smith @EerdmansPublishing

Eerdmans https://jmp.princeton.edu/events/pagans-and-christians-city-three-lectures

Get the book - amzn.to/2Cb4myH

Steven D. Smith, Warren Distinguished Professor of Law, University of San Diego

Standard depictions of the Culture Wars as a conflict between “secular” and “religious” constituencies resonate with an entrenched historical paradigm, interpreting Western history as having advanced in stages, from classical paganism to Christendom to modern secularism. But observers find these “secular vs. religious” depictions inadequate in accounting for the manifestly religious attitudes, rhetoric, and actions on both sides of the cultural divide. Taking influential lectures by T. S. Eliot as a point of departure, the present lectures will propose that our cultural struggles are better understood as a modern reenactment of the Fourth Century conflict between enduring religiosities represented by Christianity and paganism. And contemporary movements, often described as “progressive," amount to a counterrevolution on behalf of what Eliot called “modern paganism” and seek to reverse the Christian Revolution of late antiquity.

updated 5 years ago

The Pagan City, the Christian City, and the Secular City | Steven Smith

Eerdmans 2018-12-12 | https://jmp.princeton.edu/events/pagans-and-christians-city-three-lectures

Get the book - amzn.to/2Cb4myH

Steven D. Smith, Warren Distinguished Professor of Law, University of San Diego

Standard depictions of the Culture Wars as a conflict between “secular” and “religious” constituencies resonate with an entrenched historical paradigm, interpreting Western history as having advanced in stages, from classical paganism to Christendom to modern secularism. But observers find these “secular vs. religious” depictions inadequate in accounting for the manifestly religious attitudes, rhetoric, and actions on both sides of the cultural divide. Taking influential lectures by T. S. Eliot as a point of departure, the present lectures will propose that our cultural struggles are better understood as a modern reenactment of the Fourth Century conflict between enduring religiosities represented by Christianity and paganism. And contemporary movements, often described as “progressive," amount to a counterrevolution on behalf of what Eliot called “modern paganism” and seek to reverse the Christian Revolution of late antiquity.

Conversation with Cait West and Kristin Kobes Du Mez

Eerdmans 2024-10-17 | Cait West and Kristin Kobes Du Mez had a live conversation event to celebrate the release of West's debut book, Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy. To learn more about and purchase Rift, please visit our website: eerdmans.com/9780802883582

Recorded May 9, 2024, at Schuler Books in Grand Rapids, MI.

Interview with Author Brad East—Letters to a Future Saint

Eerdmans 2024-09-04 | Want to learn more? Visit our website to order a copy of Letters to a Future Saint by Brad East: eerdmans.com/9780802883872

An invitation to the Christian faith for the bored, the distracted, and the spiritually hungry

Dear future saint,

Why is the gospel worth living for?

Why is it worth dying for?

In these letters, a fellow pilgrim addresses future saints: the bored and the distracted, the skeptical and the curious, the young and the spiritually hungry. Lively and readable, these bite-sized letters explain the basics of Christian life, including orthodox doctrine, the story of Scripture, the way of discipleship, and more.

Interweaving Scripture, poetry, and theological writings, Letters to a Future Saint educates readers in the richness of the Christian tradition. But beyond that, this earnest and approachable volume offers young people— who may be largely uninformed of the depths of faith despite having been raised in Christian homes —an invitation into the life of the church and into a deeper relationship with God.

Deconstructing Your Faith without Losing Yourself: A Live Conversation

Eerdmans 2024-04-26 | The Eerdmans April 2024 Spotlight on Deconstruction culminates in this featured webinar event featuring Eerdmans authors Angela Herrington, Angela Parker, Tiffany Yecke Brooks, Shannon Kearns, and Cait West. The panelists discuss the important topics of faith deconstruction and healing from religious trauma and spiritual abuse.

🚨 To never miss another live webinar event in the future, be sure to subscribe to our mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/eerdmans/email-list

💻 Check out the EerdWord blog on Deconstruction - eerdword.com/spotlight-on-deconstruction

📚 Deconstructing Your Faith Without Losing Yourself - eerdmans.com/9780802883285/deconstructing-your-faith-without-losing-yourself

📚 Gaslighted by God - eerdmans.com/9780802878687/gaslighted-by-god

📚 Holy Ghosted - eerdmans.com/9780802882806/holy-ghosted

📚 If God Still Breathes, Why Can’t I? - eerdmans.com/9780802879264/if-god-still-breathes-why-cant-i

📚 Rift - eerdmans.com/9780802883582/rift

This is a recording from a live webinar event that aired 6:30pm Eastern on April 25, 2024.

Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies: A Conversation with David Gushee and Kristin Du Mez

Eerdmans 2024-03-20 | This is a recording from a conversation between Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of New York Times bestselling book, Jesus and John Wayne, and David P. Gushee, author of Defending Democracy from its Christian Enemies. The event occurred on March 15th in the Loosemore Auditorium at Grand Valley State University.

David and Kristin discuss the main premises of David's latest book with Eerdmans and offer insights into how Christians can take action to preserve and uphold the democratic values enshrined in our constitution, especially in today's political climate.

Many thanks to our co-sponsors for this event:
The Kaufman Interfaith Institute at Grand Valley State University - https://www.gvsu.edu/interfaith/
and Schuler Books - schulerbooks.com

📚 Defending Democracy from its Christian Enemies - eerdmans.com/9780802882936/defending-democracy-from-its-christian-enemies

📚 Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation - kristindumez.com/books/jesus-and-john-wayne

📫 To stay in the know about more upcoming events with Eerdmans authors, please subscribe to our mailing list! https://mailchi.mp/eerdmans/email-list

Beyond Homeless: Christian Faith in a Culture of Displacement | A Live Conversation

Eerdmans 2024-01-16 | This is a recording from a live webinar event that aired 7pm Eastern/4 Pacific on Thursday, Jan. 11th, 2024. To never miss another live webinar event in the future, be sure to subscribe to our mailing list by clicking here: https://mailchi.mp/eerdmans/email-list

What would the world look like if everyone had a home?

In the 15th anniversary edition of Beyond Homelessness, authors Steven Bouma-Prediger and Brian Walsh return to their work with a new postscript, in which they discuss the evolution of their ideas and share true stories of home and community built anew.

Join authors Steven and Brian for a live conversation about their book! Byron Borger of Hearts & Minds bookstore will facilitate the discussion.

To learn more about the book visit: eerdmans.com/9780802883360/beyond-homelessness-15th-anniversary-edition

Sign up for Eerdmans monthly newsletter, The Logo, click here: https://mailchi.mp/eerdmans/email-list

How to Pronounce New Testament Koine Greek with Benjamin Kantor

Eerdmans 2023-07-10 | Maybe it's time to repent of using Erasmian and discover a better way of pronouncing Koine Greek. In his new book, Benjamin Kantor breaks a path toward an authentic pronunciation of Koine Greek at the time of the New Testament.

Tune in for this interview with the author to hear some examples of pronouncing Koine Greek and what's so important about these books.

Order your copy: eerdmans.com/Products/7831/the-pronunciation-of-new-testament-greek.aspx

The Ethics of Evangelicalism

Eerdmans 2023-06-30 | In recent history, the Evangelical Theological Society has become the most prominent gatekeeper for defining the "who's in and who's out" of Evangelical Christianity. Their main stance is on the theological belief of inerrancy.

Isaac Sharp and David Gushee discuss the ethics of fundamentalist Christianity within the evangelical movement, recovering moral traditions, and how to do justice for the underdog that is pushed out of the movement altogether.

Order your copy of The Other Evangelicals online: eerdmans.com/Products/8175/the-other-evangelicals.aspx

A Desire for Truth & Control | Christianity and Conspiracy Theories

Eerdmans 2023-06-26 | Why are we so susceptible to believing in rampant conspiracy theories? Mike Austin, philosopher and editor of QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross, discusses our innate desire for truth and control in how God created us. As we pursue being "like Christ," we seek out truth in all avenues, even ways that might lead us astray.

Order QAnon, Chaos and the Cross: eerdmans.com/Products/8265/qanon-chaos-and-the-cross.aspx

Order Faith and Fake News: eerdmans.com/Products/8245/faith-and-fake-news.aspx

Excluding and Demeaning Black & Feminist Evangelicals

Eerdmans 2023-06-20 | Is the exclusion of certain "types" of evangelical Christians based on theology at its core or is it about race, politics, gender, and sexuality ultimately?

Isaac Sharp and David Gushee discuss the making of the evangelical movement when it came to pushing out those who defined themselves as feminists as well as Black evangelicals who wanted to stay true to certain cultural traditions.

History repeats itself as only some evangelical history is kept in print, and debates like the complimentarian and egalitarian thought come around every so often to consider whether women can be pastors or leaders in the church based on biblical interpretation. Tune in to hear more about how this debate among others relating to Black and feminist Christians influences an entire people group and their faith life.

Order a copy of The Other Evangelicals by Isaac Sharp: eerdmans.com/Products/8175/the-other-evangelicals.aspx

Recovering Glory to Jesus Christ | The Glory Cycle

Eerdmans 2023-06-19 | In Matthew Bates newest book, Why the Gospel?, he charts "The Glory Cycle." In this discussion with Scot McKnight, Bates explores the ways the gospel message helps us to restore glory to Jesus Christ as King.

Learn more about recovering glory to Jesus in Why the Gospel?: Living the Good News of King Jesus with Purpose. eerdmans.com/Products/8168/why-the-gospel.aspx

Rampant Conspiracies & Tips for Fact Checking

Eerdmans 2023-06-14 | QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross: Christianity and Conspiracy Theories addresses rampant unverified beliefs by people of faith, namely QAnon. Faith and Fake News: A Guide to Consuming Information Wisely shares insightful ways Christians can best guard ourselves against misinformation and learn to discern fake news from truth.

Read more in each book, available now.
QAnon, Chaos and the Cross: eerdmans.com/Products/8265/qanon-chaos-and-the-cross.aspx

Faith and Fake News: eerdmans.com/Products/8245/faith-and-fake-news.aspx

Reading the Bible with Humilitiy

Eerdmans 2023-06-12 | Robyn Whitaker, author of Even the Devil Quotes Scripture, tells us how to get the most out of Scripture when we read the Bible through the lens of humility and love, recognizing original intention, language, and cultural biases.

Read more in her newest book, available wherever books are sold. eerdmans.com/Products/8203/even-the-devil-quotes-scripture.aspx

Christian Faith, Fake News, & Conspiracy Theories

Eerdmans 2023-06-05 | Rachel I. Wightman (Faith and Fake News) and Mike Austin (QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross; editor) discuss the current cultural climate of misinformation online and how Christians are so quickly falling into believing viral conspiracy theories like QAnon.

These helpful books invite readers to discover the pitfalls of believing fake news and chaotic conspiracies and guide Christians to discover the truth in everything they read and share online.

Faith and Fake News: A Guide to Consuming Information Wisely: eerdmans.com/Products/8245/faith-and-fake-news.aspx

QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross: Christianity and Conspiracy Theories: eerdmans.com/Products/8265/qanon-chaos-and-the-cross.aspx

Malformed Gospels & the Truth about the King Jesus Gospel

Eerdmans 2023-06-02 | There are many misinformed and maligned gospels out there, and Matthew Bates names some of those in his newest book, Why the Gospel?

Scot McKnight and Matthew Bates discuss how some of the gospels we've accepted as truth over the years are not truly the way we should come to understand the gospel of King Jesus as portrayed in the Bible.

Discover a deeper understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ in Why the Gospel? Available now: eerdmans.com/Products/8168/why-the-gospel.aspx

Grappling with the Misuse and Misinterpretation of Scripture with Robyn Whitaker

Eerdmans 2023-05-29 | Robyn Whitaker, author of Even the Devil Quotes Scripture, and Trevor Thompson, senior acquisitions editor for Eerdmans, discuss the cultural misuse of the Bible and how to restore a healthier way to interpret God's Word.

Even the Devil Quotes Scripture is available now, where books are sold. eerdmans.com/Products/8203/even-the-devil-quotes-scripture.aspx

On Writing a Memoir about Parents and PTSD with Honor

Eerdmans 2023-05-26 | Tune into hear how Arthur Boers, author of Shattered, processed trauma and familial relationships through his writing of this memoir. Lauren Winner and Scott Cairns discuss the complications and beauty of interacting with the stories and lives of others through the lens of our own stories.

Learn more about Shattered: A Son Picks Up the Pieces of His Father's Rage: eerdmans.com/Products/8246/shattered.aspx

The Good News of King Jesus | Matthew Bates & Scot McKnight

Eerdmans 2023-05-12 | Why has God issued the gospel as a royal proclamation? And what role can it play in our everyday lives?

Professors and authors, Scot McKnight (Northern Seminary) and Matthew Bates (Quincy University) discuss the importance of understanding WHY allegiance to King Jesus is vital to our lives.

Learn more about WHY THE GOSPEL? and order your copy today: eerdmans.com/Products/8168/why-the-gospel.aspx

Reading the Bible on Its Own Terms | Even the Devil Quotes Scripture

Eerdmans 2023-05-10 | Have you been told that asking questions about your faith or God is dangerous? Robyn Whitaker, author of EVEN THE DEVIL QUOTES SCRIPTURE, offers an exhortation of the faithful practice of asking questions as you read and seek to understand God's Word.

Interpreting the Bible is no simple feat. Whitaker introduces her new book that allows readers to discover how to read the Bible as the Bible suggests it is meant to be read—through a hermeneutic of love.

Learn more and order a copy of EVEN THE DEVIL QUOTES SCRIPTURE: eerdmans.com/Products/8203/even-the-devil-quotes-scripture.aspx

Glass as a Metaphor for Life | Introducing Shattered: A Son Picks Up the Pieces of His Fathers Rage

Eerdmans 2023-05-05 | Arthur Boers, joined by Lauren Winner and Scott Cairns, shares an excerpt from his new book, Shattered, and talks about why he decided to write about his relationship with his abusive father.

"Glass can be dangerous and fragile but glass is also helpful."

Learn more about the memoir, Shattered: eerdmans.com/Products/8246/shattered.aspx

Author Reading Corner: Matthew Bates, Why the Gospel?

Eerdmans 2023-05-03 | Join us in our reading corner where one of our authors reads an excerpt from their books to give you a sneak peek into their work!

Today, Matthew W. Bates reads part of Chapter 3 from his new book, Why the Gospel?: Living the Good News of King Jesus with Purpose. Learn more and order a copy online: eerdmans.com/Products/8168/why-the-gospel.aspx

A Memoir on Addiction, Art, Liturgy, and Loss | Lessons and Carols

Eerdmans 2023-04-26 | John West, author of Eerdmans new release, Lessons and Carols: A Meditation on Recovery, sits down with acquisitions editor, Lisa Ann Cockrel to talk about his new book.

What is the tradition of lessons and carols all about? Why did it resonate with West for the framing of his memoir, and how did it allow him to see his story of addiction, art, liturgy and loss unfold in such a lyrical manner?

Order a copy of Lessons and Carols: eerdmans.com/Products/8249/lessons-and-carols.aspx

John West is a technologist and writer, currently reporting the news with code at the Wall Street Journal, where his work has won multiple awards and been a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize.

Who Defines Evangelical Christians?

Eerdmans 2023-04-14 | Even though some believers consider themselves "Evangelical" Christians, someone decided for them that they couldn't be a part of the institution of Evangelicalism.

Does the identity evolve constantly? Who are the Evangelical gatekeepers? What's the threat posed by these groups of believers who have been pushed out of the Evangelical movement?

Discover the history of Evangelicalism in Isaac Sharp's new book, The Other Evangelicals. eerdmans.com/Products/8175/the-other-evangelicals.aspx

Who are the Other Evangelicals?

Eerdmans 2023-04-11 | Isaac Sharp and David Gushee introduce Sharp's new book, The Other Evangelicals, by discussing who these "othered" evangelical Christians are, and why they have become "othered" throughout the history of Evangelicalism.

Stay tuned for more videos about The Other Evangelicals, and order a copy of Sharp's book today! eerdmans.com/Products/8175/the-other-evangelicals.aspx

The Future of Democracy in America with Shaun Casey and John Fea

Eerdmans 2023-02-16 | Tune in with two of our Eerdmans authors, Shaun Casey (Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom) and John Fea (Believe Me) as they discuss the political balance of faith and democracy, how we have gotten to where we are today, and what would actually make America great.

Order Believe Me: eerdmans.com/Products/7742/believe-me.aspx
Order Chasing the Devil at Foggy Bottom: eerdmans.com/Products/8170/chasing-the-devil-at-foggy-bottom.aspx

Forget What You Think You Know About Women in the New Testament

Eerdmans 2023-02-04 | In this book talk, Trevor Thompson, Senior Acquisitions Editor at Eerdmans discusses the newest releases about women in the New Testament with authors, Susan Hylen (Finding Phoebe) and Amy Peeler (Women and the Gender of God).

They tackle the importance of women's lives to the heart of God, the good and the bad of women's history, and how to talk about God's gender.

FINDING PHOEBE
Learn More: eerdmans.com/Products/8206/finding-phoebe.aspx
Order from Amazon: https://a.co/d/iAzGTVg
Order from Bookshop: bookshop.org/p/books/finding-phoebe-what-new-testament-women-were-really-like-susan-e-hylen/18675407?ean=9780802882066

WOMEN AND THE GENDER OF GOD
Learn More: eerdmans.com/Products/7909/women-and-the-gender-of-god.aspx
Order from Amazon: https://a.co/d/ceajoi9
Order from Bookshop: bookshop.org/p/books/women-and-the-gender-of-god-amy-peeler/18246319?ean=9780802879097

In Pursuit of Justice | Meet the Book: People Get Ready

Eerdmans 2023-01-07 | People Get Ready tells the stories of twelve twentieth-century activists whose faith led them to speak prophetically and work peacefully toward justice for the marginalized.

Tune in for a conversation with the book editors and some of the contributors to see what this book is all about and learn how some distinct people of faith have contributed to the pursuit of justice.

Order the book today: eerdmans.com/Products/7904/people-get-ready.aspx

Meet the Editors

Eerdmans 2022-12-17 | As the year comes to a close, we wanted to round up our editors to chat about this year at Eerdmans and what they are looking forward to in 2023. You might be the first to hear about some upcoming books, and you certainly will enjoy the heartfelt and humorous conversation!

We'll be live on Facebook and Youtube | December 16th at 3 PM EST. Tune in live to ask your live questions and be a part of the lively conversation!

Whats happening at Eerdmans Publishing? Meet the Editors & Upcoming Books

Eerdmans 2022-12-16 | Get to know our editorial team at Eerdmans, and be a fly on the wall for their conversation about 2022 and where we're headed in 2023 with some insights on new books.

Shop the eBook sale (ends 12/31/2022): eerdword.com/yearend-ebook-sale-2022

Preview and pre-order upcoming books:
eerdmans.com/Products/CategoryCenter.aspx?SearchTerm=ComingSoon

Bringing Up Kids When Church Lets You Down

Eerdmans 2022-10-21 | A hilarious, relatable, and exclusive interview with Eerdmans Editor, Andrew Knapp as he sits down with author, Bekah McNeel to discuss her new book, Bringing Up Kids When Church Lets You Down.

Buy your copy today!
Eerdmans: eerdmans.com/Products/8209/bringing-up-kids-when-church-lets-you-down.aspx
Amazon: amazon.com/Bringing-Kids-When-Church-Lets/dp/0802882099
Barnes and Noble: barnesandnoble.com/w/bringing-up-kids-when-church-lets-you-down-bekah-mcneel/1140967217

Read the Publisher's Weekly Review: publishersweekly.com/9780802882097

Gender of God with Mallory Wyckoff & Amy Peeler

Eerdmans 2022-10-08 | Ever wonder why we refer to God as "Father" or "He"? Curious how to reconcile that with the truth of both male AND female being made in the image of God?

Mallory Wyckoff (God Is) and Amy Peeler (Women and the Gender of God) join together in a conversation about the limited language we use to describe God and how to grapple with the concept and intersection of human gender and a Divine Being.

Order God Is by Mallory Wyckoff: eerdmans.com/Products/8208/god-is.aspx
Order Women and the Gender of God by Amy Peeler: eerdmans.com/Products/7909/women-and-the-gender-of-god.aspx

Who is God Really? | Interview with the Author, Mallory Wyckoff

Eerdmans 2022-09-16 | God is Mother. God is Midwife. God is Hostess. God is Mystery. God is Home.

Traditional language for God has been dominated by a single image—Father—and masculine norms. For some, this language is meaningful. For others, it is deeply problematic. In both cases, it’s limited.

Author of God Is, Mallory Wyckoff, chats with Acquisitions Editor, Trevor Thompson, about how her newest release with Eerdmans came to life.

Order a copy today - eerdmans.com/Products/8208/god-is.aspx

Eerdmans Live Stream

Eerdmans 2022-09-09 | ...

A Transgender Journey with Scripture | Shannon T.L. Kearns, Queer Theology

Eerdmans 2022-08-19 | In the Margins: A Transgender Man's Journey with Scripture explores personal stories from Shannon Kearns' life as he grappled with his sexuality, gender identity, and what the Bible has to say about it all.

Tune in for this exclusive conversation with Shannon as he reads the introduction, answers some pertinent questions about the book, and shares his hope for readers.

Order your copy of In the Margins today! eerdmans.com/Products/7948/in-the-margins.aspx

Christians Navigating Digital Ethics | Sex, Tech, and Faith

Eerdmans 2022-08-16 | A values-based, shame-free, pleasure-positive discussion of Christian ethics in response to a range of pressing issues in the digital age, Sex, Tech, and Faith by Kate Ott introduces a much-needed conversation about how Christians ought to engage in the ethics of digital sexuality.

Learn more about the book, why Kate wrote it and what we have to learn through this conversation.

Available now - wherever books are sold! eerdmans.com/Products/7846/sex-tech-and-faith.aspx

Gaslighted by God

Eerdmans 2022-02-25 | This book is for those who are so broken down, so shell-shocked, so soul-tired that they can’t bear the thought of picking up another book that tells them they need to pray more, study the Bible more, trust more, or carry more guilt.

Gaslighted by God is not a book of easy answers—it’s a companion for those mourning the loss of a belief system who need their pain recognized and legitimized. Tiffany Yecke Brooks shows—through stories from her own life, conversations with Christians from a variety of backgrounds, historical anecdotes, and messy episodes from Scripture—that there can be faith after disillusionment. But it will be a different faith—bruised, battered, nuanced, and real, rather than one wrapped in tissue-thin platitudes and three-point sermons. It will be a faith empowered to see beyond who God “should” be to who God is.

Tiffany Yecke Brooks is the lead or contributing writer on more than two dozen books, including multiple New York Times bestsellers. She is the coauthor of Fear Is a Choice: Tackling Life's Challenges with Dignity, Faith, and Determination (with NFL running back James Conner), Limitless: The Power of Hope and Resilience to Overcome Circumstance (with Paralympic gold-medalist Mallory Weggemann), and the narrative nonfiction historical thriller Espionage and Enslavement in the Revolution: The True Story of Robert Townsend and Elizabeth (with historian Claire Bellerjeau). She holds a PhD from Florida State University, where her dissertation covered, in part, cultural adaptations of stories from the book of Genesis. A popular speaker for student groups, faith conferences, and academic lectureships, Brooks has taught literature and writing at Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, and the University of South Carolina Beaufort.

Fleming Rutledge: Living in Advent Time

Eerdmans 2021-12-09 | Fleming Rutledge is an Episcopal priest, best-selling author, and acclaimed preacher. Her most recent books are "Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ" (eerdmans.com/Products/7619/advent.aspx) and "Means of Grace: A Year of Weekly Devotions" (eerdmans.com/Products/7870/means-of-grace.aspx).

Advent, says Fleming Rutledge, is not for the faint of heart. As the midnight of the Christian year, the season of Advent is rife with dark, gritty realities. In this book, with her trademark wit and wisdom, Rutledge explores Advent as a time of rich paradoxes, a season celebrating at once Christ’s incarnation and his second coming, and she masterfully unfolds the ethical and future-oriented significance of Advent for the church.

///

VIDEO CREDITS
Interviewer: Laura Bardolph Hubers
Production, Camera, Editing: Ahna Ziegler
Filmed at AAR & SBL Annual Meetings in Boston, MA

Reading Evangelicals: How Christian Fiction Shaped a Culture and a Faith

Eerdmans 2021-11-15 | The audiobook of Daniel Silliman's "Reading Evangelicals: How Christian Fiction Shaped a Culture and a Faith" is now available! This is the story of five best-selling novels beloved by evangelicals, the book industry they built, and the collective imagination they shaped.

AUDIOBOOK: audible.com/pd/Reading-Evangelicals-How-Christian-Fiction-Shaped-a-Culture-and-a-Faith-Audiobook/B09L9N5QHY
PRINT BOOK: eerdmans.com/Products/7935/reading-evangelicals.aspx

By: Daniel Silliman
Narrated by: Trevor Thompson
Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
Available on Audible

DESCRIPTION
Who are evangelicals? And what is evangelicalism? Those attempting to answer these questions usually speak in terms of political and theological stances. But those stances emerge from an evangelical world with its own institutions—institutions that shape imagination as much as they shape ideology.

In this unique exploration of evangelical subculture, Daniel Silliman shows readers how Christian fiction, and the empire of Christian publishing and bookselling it helped build, is key to understanding the formation of evangelical identity. With a close look at five best-selling novels—Love Comes Softly, This Present Darkness, Left Behind, The Shunning, and The Shack—Silliman considers what it was in these books that held such appeal and what effect their widespread popularity had on the evangelical imagination.

Reading Evangelicals ultimately makes the case that the worlds created in these novels reflected and shaped the world evangelicals saw themselves living in—one in which romantic love intertwines with divine love, humans play an active role in the cosmic contest between angels and demons, and the material world is infused with the literal workings of God and Satan. Silliman tells the story of how the Christian publishing industry marketed these ideas as much as they marketed books, and how, during the era of the Christian bookstore, this—every bit as much as politics or theology—became a locus of evangelical identity.

ENDORSEMENTS
“Beautifully crafted and deftly argued, Reading Evangelicals offers a deeply perceptive analysis of modern evangelicalism through the lens of popular Christian fiction. Carefully researched and laden with keen insights, the book will stand as an essential contribution to the study of American evangelicalism.”
— Kristin Kobes Du Mez
author of Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation

“Reading Evangelicals offers much more than just the stories of five best-selling books that became popular among evangelicals. It is a fascinating and insightful history of the cultures that created the reading audiences for these books and of the cultures these books helped to create. This is the story of modern American evangelicalism—and we need to read it.”
— Karen Swallow Prior
author of On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books

“The clever double entendre of Daniel Silliman’s title is more than matched by the insights and sheer readability of the book itself. Its patient account of million-selling evangelical novels is full of unusual wisdom about the authors of these books, but also their publishers, the bookstores that sold them, and (not least) the multitudes who have read them. Silliman’s depiction of American evangelicalism as an ‘imagined community’ defined in large part by these best sellers is thought-provoking in the best way possible.”
— Mark A. Noll
author of A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada

Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? The Bible and Modern Science and the Trouble of Making It All Fit

Eerdmans 2021-10-29 | The audiobook of Janet Kellogg Ray's "Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? The Bible and Modern Science and the Trouble of Making It All Fit" is now available on Audible! Narrated by Sheri-Beth Dusek, this book presents a scientific look at creationism from a former creationist.

Audiobook: audible.com/pd/Baby-Dinosaurs-on-the-Ark-Audiobook/B09K4NFX9L?qid=1635450636&sr=1-8&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_8&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=Z4QP15FATP3BKZK2FMVA
Print book: eerdmans.com/Products/7944/baby-dinosaurs-on-the-ark.aspx
eBook: amazon.com/Baby-Dinosaurs-Ark-Science-Trouble-ebook/dp/B08ZS2KLNT/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

DESCRIPTION

A significant number of Americans, especially evangelical Christians, believe Earth and humankind were created in their present form sometime in the last 10,000 years or so—the rationale being that this is (presumably) the story told in the book of Genesis. Within that group, any threatening scientific evidence that suggests otherwise is rejected or, when possible, retrofitted into a creationist worldview.

But can this uncomfortable blend of biblical literalism and pseudoscience hold up under scrutiny? Is it tenable to believe that the Grand Canyon was formed not millions of years ago by gradual erosion but merely thousands of years ago by the Great Flood? Were there really baby dinosaurs with Noah on his ark?

Janet Kellogg Ray, a science educator who grew up a creationist, doesn’t want other Christians to have to do the exhausting mental gymnastics she did earlier in her life. Working through the findings of a range of fields including geology, paleontology, and biology, she shows how a literal interpretation of the book of Genesis simply doesn’t mesh with what we know to be reality. But as someone who remains a committed Christian, Ray also shows how an acceptance of the theory of evolution is not necessarily an acceptance of atheism, and how God can still be responsible for having created the world, even if it wasn’t in a single, momentary, miraculous event.

ENDORSEMENTS

“Too much Christian opinion on science has been uninformed and unhelpful. In Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? Dr. Ray gives us a down-to-earth yet thorough introduction for how science works and how necessary it is to shake off unhelpful and untrue assumptions about the Bible. If anyone asks why you accept the science of evolution as a Christian, feel free to simply pass them a copy of this book.”
— Jared Byas
cohost of the podcast The Bible for Normal People

“Ray writes with candid humor, a pastoral spirit, and engaging, accessible science. This book deserves to be widely read, especially if you’re not sure that evolution and robust faith can go together.”
— Dennis R. Venema
professor of biology at Trinity Western University

“This is a well-written, insightful, and accessible book with pitch-perfect and well-balanced tone. I couldn’t help but to be drawn into the stories that punctuated the treatment.”
— John H. Walton
professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College

Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same Sex Relationships

Eerdmans 2021-10-08 | The audiobook of Karen R. Keen's "Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships" is now available!

AUDIOBOOK: audible.com/pd/Scripture-Ethics-and-the-Possibility-of-Same-Sex-Relationships-Audiobook/B09HW1MTT1?qid=1633610434&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=MHXAC5R4HNRKBAF1D6K9
PRINT BOOK: eerdmans.com/Products/7654/scripture-ethics-and-the-possibility-of-samesex-relationships.aspx

By: Karen R. Keen
Narrated by: Tanya Eby
Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
Available on Audible

ABOUT THE BOOK
When it comes to same-sex relationships, this book by Karen Keen contains the most thoughtful, balanced, biblically grounded discussion you’re likely to encounter anywhere. With pastoral sensitivity and respect for biblical authority, Keen breaks through current stalemates in the debate surrounding faith and sexual identity.

The fresh, evenhanded reevaluation of Scripture, Christian tradition, theology, and science in Keen’s Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships will appeal to both traditionalist and progressive church leaders and parishioners, students of ethics and biblical studies, and gay and lesbian people who often feel painfully torn between faith and sexuality.

REVIEWS
“At a time when debates about the viability of same-sex unions for Christians often generate more heat than light, this marvelous little book by Karen Keen is a true gift. . . . All readers will benefit from, and be blessed by, engaging with Keen’s well-researched, well-written, heartfelt book.”
— Gregory A. Boyd, pastor, author of Letters from a Skeptic and Cross Vision

“A very important contribution to the conversation about same-sex marriage taking place in the church today. Keen takes the Bible seriously and approaches the issues as one who knows and understands what is at stake for both sides of the debate. I highly recommend this book.”
— Adam Hamilton, pastor, author of Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times

“Karen Keen here provides a needed, integrative perspective that fruitfully brings together evangelical biblical interpretation, theological ethics, and pastoral wisdom to frame a loving, Christ-honoring discussion about same-sex relationships. This is a very helpful resource for seminary students, pastors, and congregations.”
— Elaine A. Heath, professor at Duke Divinity School, author of God Unbound: Wisdom from Galatians for the Anxious Church

If God Still Breathes, Why Cant I? Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority

Eerdmans 2021-10-07 | The audiobook of Angela N. Parker's "If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I? Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority" is now available! In this book, Dr. Parker describes how she learned to deconstruct one of White Christianity’s most pernicious lies: the conflation of biblical authority with the doctrines of inerrancy and infallibility.

AUDIOBOOK: audible.com/pd/If-God-Still-Breathes-Why-Cant-I-Audiobook/B09HN8WX58?action_code=SNGGBWS072717001P&ipRedirectOverride=true&shareTest=ControlShareeerdmans.com/Products/7926/if-god-still-breathes-why-cant-i.aspx
PRINT BOOK: eerdmans.com/Products/7926/if-god-still-breathes-why-cant-i.aspx

By: Angela N. Parker
Narrated by: Chanté McCormick
Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
Available on Audible

ABOUT THE BOOK
Angela Parker wasn’t just trained to be a biblical scholar; she was trained to be a White male biblical scholar.

She is neither White nor male.

Dr. Parker’s experience of being taught to forsake her embodied identity in order to contort herself into the stifling construct of Whiteness is common among American Christians, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. This book calls the power structure behind this experience what it is: White supremacist authoritarianism.

Drawing from her perspective as a Womanist New Testament scholar, Dr. Parker describes how she learned to deconstruct one of White Christianity’s most pernicious lies: the conflation of biblical authority with the doctrines of inerrancy and infallibility. As Dr. Parker shows, these doctrines are less about the text of the Bible itself and more about the arbiters of its interpretation—historically, White males in positions of power who have used Scripture to justify control over marginalized groups.

This oppressive use of the Bible has been suffocating. To learn to breathe again, Dr. Parker says, we must “let God breathe in us.” We must read the Bible as authoritative, but not authoritarian. We must become conscious of the particularity of our identities, as we also become conscious of the particular identities of the biblical authors from whom we draw inspiration. And we must trust and remember that as long as God still breathes, we can too.

Deliberately speaking in the testimonial form—rather than the more conventional mode of philosophical argument—Day bears witness to the truth revealed in her and others’ lived experience in a voice that is unapologetically visceral, emotive, demonstrative, and, ultimately, communal. With prophetic insight, she addresses this moment when the fastest-growing group of students and teachers are charismatic and neo-Pentecostal people of color for whom theological education is currently a site of both hope and harm. Calling for repentance, she provides a redemptive narrative for moving forward into a diverse future that can be truly liberating only when it allows itself to be formed by its people and the Spirit moving in them.

Daniel Silliman and Kristin Du Mez: A Conversation about Reading Evangelicals

Eerdmans 2021-10-05 | We recorded a Zoom interview with Daniel Silliman and Kristin Du Mez to discuss Silliman's new book "Reading Evangelicals: How Christian Fiction Shaped a Culture and a Faith" (Eerdmans, 2021). This book shares the story of five best-selling novels beloved by evangelicals, the book industry they built, and the collective imagination they shaped.

Buy "Reading Evangelicals": eerdmans.com/Products/7935/reading-evangelicals.aspx

DANIEL SILLIMAN
Daniel Silliman is a journalist and a historian. He is the news editor for Christianity Today; the author of "Reading Evangelicals," a history of bestselling evangelical fiction; and teaches humanities at Milligan University. Daniel spent several years as a crime reporter outside Atlanta before pursuing higher education in Germany, earning a MA from Tübingen University and a doctoral degree from Heidelberg University. He was a Teaching Fellow at the University of Notre Dame from 2016–2017 and a Lilly Postdoctoral Fellow at Valparaiso University from 2017–19. He has reported and edited news coverage for CT since 2019.

KRISTIN DU MEZ
Kristin Kobes Du Mez is a New York Times bestselling author and Professor of History and Gender Studies at Calvin University. She holds a PhD from the University of Notre Dame and her research focuses on the intersection of gender, religion, and politics. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, Religion News Service, and Christianity Today, and has been interviewed on NPR, CBS, and the BBC, among other outlets. Her most recent book is "Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation."

READING EVANGELICALS
Who are evangelicals? And what is evangelicalism? Those attempting to answer these questions usually speak in terms of political and theological stances. But those stances emerge from an evangelical world with its own institutions—institutions that shape imagination as much as they shape ideology.

In this unique exploration of evangelical subculture, Daniel Silliman shows readers how Christian fiction, and the empire of Christian publishing and bookselling it helped build, is key to understanding the formation of evangelical identity. With a close look at five best-selling novels—Love Comes Softly, This Present Darkness, Left Behind, The Shunning, and The Shack—Silliman considers what it was in these books that held such appeal and what effect their widespread popularity had on the evangelical imagination.

Reading Evangelicals ultimately makes the case that the worlds created in these novels reflected and shaped the world evangelicals saw themselves living in—one in which romantic love intertwines with divine love, humans play an active role in the cosmic contest between angels and demons, and the material world is infused with the literal workings of God and Satan. Silliman tells the story of how the Christian publishing industry marketed these ideas as much as they marketed books, and how, during the era of the Christian bookstore, this—every bit as much as politics or theology—became a locus of evangelical identity.

2021 Fall-Winter Catalog

Eerdmans 2021-09-22 | Our catalog for the 2021 Fall-Winter season is now available!

Look inside to read about all the books in our publishing lineup, including:

• Means of Grace: A Year of Weekly Devotions by Fleming Rutledge, edited by Laura Bardolph Hubers (August 3, 2021)
• God Gets Everything God Wants by Katie Hays (September 21, 2021)
• Eastern Christianity: A Reader by J. Edward Walters (November 18, 2021)
• The Pharisees edited by Joseph Sievers and Amy-Jill Levine (December 2, 2021)
• The Book of Lamentations (NICOT) by John Goldingay (February 2, 2022)
• The Mind in Another Place: My Life as a Scholar by Luke Timothy Johnson (March 22, 2022)
• Gaslighted by God: Reconstructing a Disillusioned Faith by Tiffany Yecke Brooks (May 3, 2022)

Issuu version of the catalog available at issuu.com/eerdmans/docs/eerdmans_adult_catalog_fall-21_digital

Notes of a Native Daughter

Eerdmans 2021-09-08 | The audiobook of Keri Day's "Notes of a Native Daughter: Testifying in Theological Education" is now available! Part of the Theological Education between the Times series, this book bears witness to more liberating futures in theological education. It illustrates how progressive Afro-Pentecostal communities can help theological education decolonize and become more inclusive.

AUDIOBOOK: audible.com/pd/Notes-of-a-Native-Daughter-Testifying-in-Theological-Education-Audiobook/B09F8LHD9Y?qid=1631017793&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=9HFJZNWQ0N83N1953693
PRINT BOOK: eerdmans.com/Products/7882/notes-of-a-native-daughter.aspx
EBOOK: amazon.com/Notes-Native-Daughter-Testifying-Theological-ebook/dp/B08ZS5J5HW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

By: Keri Day
Narrated by: Robin Eller
Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins
Available on Audible

ABOUT THE BOOK
In "Notes of a Native Daughter," Keri Day testifies to structural inequalities and broken promises of inclusion through the eyes of a black woman who experiences herself as both stranger and friend to prevailing models of theological education. Inviting the reader into her religious world—a world that is African American and, more specifically, Afro-Pentecostal—she not only uncovers the colonial impulses of theological education in the United States but also proposes that the lived religious practices and commitments of progressive Afro-Pentecostal communities can help the theological academy decolonize and reenvision multiple futures.

Deliberately speaking in the testimonial form—rather than the more conventional mode of philosophical argument—Day bears witness to the truth revealed in her and others’ lived experience in a voice that is unapologetically visceral, emotive, demonstrative, and, ultimately, communal. With prophetic insight, she addresses this moment when the fastest-growing group of students and teachers are charismatic and neo-Pentecostal people of color for whom theological education is currently a site of both hope and harm. Calling for repentance, she provides a redemptive narrative for moving forward into a diverse future that can be truly liberating only when it allows itself to be formed by its people and the Spirit moving in them.

God Gets Everything God Wants

Eerdmans 2021-08-26 | The audiobook of Katie Hays's God Gets Everything God Wants is now available for pre-order! This book invites weary Christians, former Christians, and the Christ-curious to take another look at God. You can watch the trailer here.

• Audiobook: audible.com/pd/God-Gets-Everything-God-Wants-Audiobook/B09D8Q54BX?qid=1629907318&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=9XMBNQNBHJZE5VQH86MY
• Print book: eerdmans.com/Products/7856/god-gets-everything-god-wants.aspx
• eBook: amazon.com/God-Gets-Everything-Wants-ebook/dp/B08ZS7X26R/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

AUDIOBOOK
By: Katie Hays
Narrated by: Katie Hays
Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins

DESCRIPTION
If God gets everything God wants, and if what God wants is you, can anything stand in God’s way?

Too many Christians have been taught that core aspects of who they are—their gender, their sexual orientation, their politics, their skepticism—prevent God from loving them fully. For these individuals, church has been a painful experience of exclusion, despite the reality that Jesus was the embodiment of God’s radical inclusion.

Katie Hays invites weary Christians, former Christians, and the Christ-curious to take another look at God through the testimony of our biblical ancestors and to reimagine the church as a community of beautiful, broken, and burdened people doing their best to grow into their baptisms together. Hays insists that yes, God does get everything God wants, and—even better—we’re invited to want what God wants, too, and want it “more and more and more, until life feels abundant and eternal and delicious and drunken with possibility.”

This is a message of stouthearted faith anchored in wonder—not false certainty. Atheists are welcome. Those who feel uneasy inside a church are welcome. Those still angry at other Christians are welcome. Because no matter what we’ve experienced, the God who still adores this world is the God of hope, inclusion, and defiance of the powers that be. And for those who are willing to collaborate in “the painstaking work of examining our Christian faith and sorting it out—the good stuff from the harmful stuff, the stuff with integrity from the stuff we simply inherited from family or church or . . . the cultural air we’re breathing”—there await life-giving possibilities found nowhere else.

Morning and Evening Prayers by Cornelius Plantinga

Eerdmans 2021-08-17 | Cornelius Plantinga's "Morning and Evening Prayers" is now available as an audiobook! This book will be loved by anyone seeking fellowship with God—from those who have prayed their whole lives to those who have yet to find the words.

Audiobook: audible.com/pd/Morning-and-Evening-Prayers-Audiobook/B09CJ8ZYH2?qid=1629222400&sr=1-2&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_2&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=QRGAYRBCV4P02PJT2JZB
Print book: eerdmans.com/Products/7881/morning-and-evening-prayers.aspx
eBook: amazon.com/Morning-Evening-Prayers-Cornelius-Plantinga-ebook/dp/B08JG1RJFN/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

By: Cornelius Plantinga Jr.
Narrated by: Cornelius Plantinga
Length: 2 hrs and 54 mins

In this little book, Cornelius Plantinga offers a month’s worth of prayers, with two for each day: one for the morning, looking forward, and one for the evening, looking back. Each prayer expresses some essential Christian longing on behalf of self and others—for faith, hope, love, wisdom, gratitude, peace—yet also makes space for any state of heart or mind by rejoicing with all who rejoice and weeping with all who weep. Earnest and unassuming, Morning and Evening Prayers is for anyone seeking fellowship with God—from those who have prayed their whole lives to those who have yet to find the words.

New Audiobook: Mitkas Secret

Eerdmans 2021-08-09 | Mitka's Secret: A True Story of Child Slavery and Surviving the Holocaust is now available as an audiobook! Written by Steven W. Brallier with Joel N. Lohr and Lynn G. Beck.

Audiobook: audible.com/pd/Mitkas-Secret-Audiobook/B09BZYP9VV?qid=1628519307&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=DFJ9HKJZ22GGGAHHWSDE
Print book: eerdmans.com/Products/7916/mitkas-secret.aspx
eBook: amazon.com/Mitkas-Secret-Slavery-Surviving-Holocaust-ebook/dp/B08ZSBBJRK/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

AUDIOBOOK
By: Steven W. Brallier, Joel N. Lohr, Lynn G. Beck
Narrated by: Trevor Thompson
Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins

DESCRIPTION
Mitka Kalinski had never revealed his past to anyone. Not even to his wife or his four children.

But in 1981, three decades after it had all ended, Mitka finally broke his silence about the horrors he had endured during the Holocaust and in the years immediately afterward: not only German concentration camps and sadistic medical experiments but also seven years of enslavement in the household of a Nazi officer, “Iron” Gustav Dörr.

Having been orphaned before the war, Mitka did not know his origins or even his name. Torture, slavery, and a false name stripped him of his identity entirely. Thus, when he immigrated to the United States in 1951, Mitka seized the opportunity to bury his past and forge a new life. He lived the American life in all its fullness and moved to Nevada with his beloved wife, Adrienne, and their children. But the secret he carried became an increasingly heavy burden, preventing wholeness and healing.

This is Mitka’s account of facing the past, confronting his captors, connecting with lost relatives, and finding peace in the rediscovery of his origins. For Mitka, this also meant reclaiming his Jewish heritage—a journey that gave him a new sense of purpose and freedom from the lingering effects of trauma that had filled his life to that point. By the end, Mitka’s Secret is less a story of survival and more one of redemption and transformation—from hidden suffering to abundant joy.

PRAISE
“Mitka’s remarkable story harrowingly demonstrates the horrors and personal repercussions of the Holocaust.”
— Publishers Weekly

“Mitka’s Secret is very different from any Holocaust book I have ever read. The horrors of the first part are very painful to read, but after that it becomes a fascinating tale of how one can recover from the most horrendous experiences when you have a loving partner by your side. It also has a beautiful ending when the hero of the story finds his roots, his family, and his faith.”
— Eva Schloss: Holocaust survivor, humanitarian, and speaker; stepsister of Anne Frank and author of Eva’s Story

“Mitka’s life is the ‘journey of a soul’ filled with tragedy yet transformative enough to inspire and seek the truth.”
— Rabbi Anchelle Perl

Mitka Meets His Book (Mitkas Secret: A True Story of Child Slavery and Surviving the Holocaust)

Eerdmans 2021-07-21 | After years of interviews, Mitka Kalinski saw his life story in print for the first time.

"Mitka's Secret" (Eerdmans, 2021) tells the true story of Mitka Kalinski, who survived seven years of enslavement—while still a child—to a Nazi officer during and after World War II.

Available at eerdmans.com/Products/7916/mitkas-secret.aspx

Music by Jordan S Roper (imdb.com/name/nm5214976)

***ABOUT THE BOOK***
Written by Steven W. Brallier with Joel N. Lohr and Lynn G. Beck

Mitka Kalinski had never revealed his past to anyone. Not even to his wife or his four children.

But in 1981, three decades after it had all ended, Mitka finally broke his silence about the horrors he had endured during the Holocaust and in the years immediately afterward: not only German concentration camps and sadistic medical experiments but also seven years of enslavement in the household of a Nazi officer, “Iron” Gustav Dörr.

Having been orphaned before the war, Mitka did not know his origins or even his name. Torture, slavery, and a false name stripped him of his identity entirely. Thus, when he immigrated to the United States in 1951, Mitka seized the opportunity to bury his past and forge a new life. He lived the American life in all its fullness and moved to Nevada with his beloved wife, Adrienne, and their children. But the secret he carried became an increasingly heavy burden, preventing wholeness and healing.

This is Mitka’s account of facing the past, confronting his captors, connecting with lost relatives, and finding peace in the rediscovery of his origins. For Mitka, this also meant reclaiming his Jewish heritage—a journey that gave him a new sense of purpose and freedom from the lingering effects of trauma that had filled his life to that point. By the end, Mitka’s Secret is less a story of survival and more one of redemption and transformation—from hidden suffering to abundant joy.

***REVIEWS***
“Mitka’s remarkable story harrowingly demonstrates the horrors and personal repercussions of the Holocaust.”
— Publishers Weekly

“For us to make ‘Never Again’ a reality when it comes to horrors like the Holocaust, we must read and remember inspiring stories like this. I recommend this book to all who want a more intimate knowledge of human history and to be moved by a story of hope and survival.”
— Eboo Patel, author of "Out of Many Faiths: Religious Diversity and the American Promise"

“Mitka’s Secret is very different from any Holocaust book I have ever read. The horrors of the first part are very painful to read, but after that it becomes a fascinating tale of how one can recover from the most horrendous experiences when you have a loving partner by your side. It also has a beautiful ending when the hero of the story finds his roots, his family, and his faith.”
— Eva Schloss, Holocaust survivor, humanitarian, and speaker; stepsister of Anne Frank and author of "Eva’s Story"

“A most powerful life story of a child survivor of the Holocaust and his way from a children’s home in Ukraine to America. This book demonstrates that child survivors were not only passive objects of German crimes but also active individuals. After Mitka had somehow survived the shootings in the East and had managed to stay alive in different camps, he was taken to Rotenburg an der Fulda. While Mitka’s memory before arriving in this small German town at the end of 1942 is marked by a few blurred flashbacks only, it now changes into a coherent and detailed narrative about life as a child forced laborer in Nazi Germany, the lifelong impact of trauma, and the healing process of telling this incredible story.”
— Johannes-Dieter Steinert, author of "Holocaust und Zwangsarbeit: Erinnerungen jüdischer Kinder 1938–1945," winner of the 2020 Yad Vashem International Book Prize for Holocaust Research

“Mitka’s life is the ‘journey of a soul’ filled with tragedy yet transformative enough to inspire and seek the truth.”
— Rabbi Anchelle Perl, Chabad of Mineola, New York

Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, by Marilyn McEntyre

Eerdmans 2021-07-15 | The second edition of Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies is now available as an audiobook!

Audiobook: audible.com/pd/Caring-for-Words-in-a-Culture-of-Lies-Audiobook/B098FGDRYG?ref=a_author_Ma_c19_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=1ae0e65e-ad09-4aa7-aa73-772cefb1b5e1&pf_rd_r=K025Y81BWE702K1Z4NCP
Print: eerdmans.com/Products/7889/caring-for-words-in-a-culture-of-lies-2nd-ed.aspx

With the pervasiveness of vitriol and dishonesty today, language needs to be revived and restored. In Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, Marilyn McEntyre exposes the commercial and political forces that affect public discourse in American culture and counters with 12 constructive “strategies of stewardship” - such as challenging lies (including widely tolerated forms of deception and spin), fostering the art of conversation, and encouraging playfulness and prayerfulness in writing and speaking.

The second edition of this timely and timeless book includes updated cultural references and questions for reflection and discussion at the end, allowing a new generation of listeners to apply McEntyre’s wisdom in a world that struggles with truth and graceful language more than ever before.

Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right, by Randall Balmer

Eerdmans 2021-07-01 | Print: eerdmans.com/Products/7934/bad-faith.aspx
eBook: amazon.com/Bad-Faith-Race-Religious-Right-ebook/dp/B08ZS631T9/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1625158687&sr=1-2
Audiobook: audible.com/pd/Bad-Faith-Race-and-the-Rise-of-the-Religious-Right-Audiobook/B097J526YF?qid=1625159461&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=SXQH272SRY4ZE6NJPMB0

There is a commonly accepted story about the rise of the Religious Right in the United States. It goes like this: with righteous fury, American evangelicals entered the political arena as a unified front to fight the legality of abortion after the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

The problem is this story simply isn’t true.

Largely ambivalent about abortion until the late 1970s, evangelical leaders were first mobilized not by Roe v. Wade but by Green v. Connally, a lesser-known court decision in 1971 that threatened the tax-exempt status of racially discriminatory institutions—of which there were several in the world of Christian education at the time. When the most notorious of these schools, Bob Jones University, had its tax-exempt status revoked in 1976, evangelicalism was galvanized as a political force and brought into the fold of the Republican Party. Only later, when a more palatable issue was needed to cover for what was becoming an increasingly unpopular position following the civil rights era, was the moral crusade against abortion made the central issue of the movement now known as the Religious Right.

In this greatly expanded argument from his 2014 Politico article “The Real Origins of the Religious Right,” Randall Balmer guides the reader along the convoluted historical trajectory that began with American evangelicalism as a progressive force opposed to slavery, then later an isolated apolitical movement in the mid-twentieth century, all the way through the 2016 election in which 81 percent of white evangelicals coalesced around Donald Trump for president. The pivotal point, Balmer shows, was the period in the late 1970s when American evangelicals turned against Jimmy Carter—despite his being one of their own, a professed “born-again” Christian—in favor of the Republican Party, which found it could win their loyalty through the espousal of a single issue. With the implications of this alliance still unfolding, Balmer’s account uncovers the roots of evangelical watchwords like “religious freedom” and “family values” while getting to the truth of how this movement began—explaining, in part, what it has become.

2021 Spring/Summer Catalog

Eerdmans 2021-04-26 | Our 2021 Spring/Summer catalog dropped:

• "Galatians," N. T. Wright (May 25)
• "Mitka's Secret," Steven Brallier (July)
• "Means of Grace," Fleming Rutledge & Laura Bardolph Hubers (Aug)
• "The Pharisees," Joseph Sievers & Amy-Jill Levine (Dec)
• 77 other titles

Full catalog available here: eerdmans.com/Catalogs/Academic-Catalog.aspx