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The Englewood Review of Books The leading book news / reviews outlet for Christian readers. https://englewoodreview.org/enewsletter

We miss you, Rachel!
30/08/2026

We miss you, Rachel!

Our Kindle ebook deal of the day... Only $1.99!!!!The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trustby Francis S. C...
29/08/2026

Our Kindle ebook deal of the day... Only $1.99!!!!
The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust
by Francis S. Collins
“In The Road to Wisdom, Francis Collins—a distinguished scientist as well as a former atheist who found meaning in the Christian faith—draws on his own deep, diverse experiences as he leads us through a maze of conflicting beliefs and opinions in search of wisdom: the sort that can save us before it is too late. This book should be read by anyone, Christian and non-Christian alike, who is seeking meaning or trying to make sense of our troubled times.”—Jane Goodall

A reflection on church decline by ERB Senior Editor C. Christopher Smith...."Personally, I’m not especially hopeful abou...
28/08/2026

A reflection on church decline by ERB Senior Editor C. Christopher Smith....
"Personally, I’m not especially hopeful about transitioning off a growth trajectory in society at large, but in the Christian tradition, we have practices of grief and lament that can guide us toward accepting what we have lost in our decline. From that vantage point, we can begin to imagine new possibilities for life together in our churches."

So true... Who are those on the margins that are showing us a different way in these times?
28/08/2026

So true...
Who are those on the margins that are showing us a different way in these times?

"Liz Bucar’s BEYOND WELLNESS: HOW RESTORING THE RELIGIOUS ROOTS OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICES CAN HEAL US is a readable and cu...
27/08/2026

"Liz Bucar’s BEYOND WELLNESS: HOW RESTORING THE RELIGIOUS ROOTS OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICES CAN HEAL US is a readable and curiosity-inspiring approach to religion, especially for those who do not consider themselves religious. Published in 2026 through Penguin Random House’s imprint Tarcher – known for its focus on faith, spirituality, and self-improvement – BEYOND WELLNESS reveals the religious frameworks that support practices such as yoga, AA, physical fitness, and even psychedelics. Bucar is uniquely positioned for this field: she is a professor of religion at Northeastern University, a certified Kripalu yoga instructor, and (you’ll learn more if you read the book!) intenSati instructor. She challenges her readers, especially those who identify as spiritual but not religious, to take seriously the religious traditions that inform the practices we embrace in order to experience greater wellbeing and consistency with our own values.

Bucar works through different 'spiritual but not religious' practices including mindfulness, sound baths, food, and fitness. I was surprised by her choice to present these practices not from a distance as a researcher of religion, but as a practitioner. This sets the book apart; in a genre often defined by respectful distance, Bucar’s willingness to move in close, earnestly engage, and thoughtfully reflect is a gift to the reader, and when those reflections are combined with her encyclopedic knowledge of religious history and practice, readers are fortunate indeed."

--from our review of BEYOND WELLNESS by Liz Bucar
review written by Byrnese Craig

As always, find the full review at our website!

On the Englewood Review this week, we have a new review of the book GRACE OVER GUNS: PURSUING PEACE IN A MILITARIZED WOR...
27/08/2026

On the Englewood Review this week, we have a new review of the book GRACE OVER GUNS: PURSUING PEACE IN A MILITARIZED WORLD by Ben Daniel and reviewed by Leroy Seat.

Here's a taste of Leroy's review:

In Pope Leo’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence, he said, “Today, more than ever, without prejudice to the right to self-defense in the strictest sense, it is important to reaffirm that the ‘just war’ theory, which has all too often been used to justify any kind of war, is now outdated.”

Ben Daniel, the author of GRACE OVER GUNS: PURSUING PEACE IN A MILITARIZED WORLD, would agree. He is a Presbyterian minister who serves as pastor of the Montclair Presbyterian Church in Oakland, California. Although Presbyterians are generally supporters of “just war,” this book makes clear that Daniel is now a pacifist. His earlier books were published by Westminster John Knox Press, the publishing house of the Presbyterian Church (USA); his new book, however, appears under the imprint of Herald Press, the publishing house of the Mennonite Church USA, a shift that aligns with the book’s pacifism as revealed in its subtitle.

Daniel first writes about “just war” in the fourth chapter, which is titled “The Prayers of Nagasaki.” As an American who lived in Japan for 38 years, I was most interested in that chapter, and I think it was the best of the book’s seven chapters. In his discussion of the United States dropping two atomic bombs on Japan, he succinctly explains the “Christian just war theory.” He then asserts that there is no way the use of nuclear weapons in August 1945 can be justified by using that theory. Despite all the ways Americans from President Truman to many war historians up to the present have sought to justify it, Daniel concludes that “the bombing of Nagasaki and of Hiroshima was evil, at least according to the ethics of Jesus” (97).

The author ends that chapter by telling how he attended a soccer match in Nagasaki in the new stadium that opened in October 2024. He was impressed that that new facility “is called Peace, not in Japanese, but in the language of those who dropped the bomb” (108).

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As always, find the full review at our website!

This week's starred new releases is A WOMAN'S PLACE IS IN THE STORY: SEEING WOMEN IN THE BIBLICAL NARRATIVE by Sandra L....
26/08/2026

This week's starred new releases is A WOMAN'S PLACE IS IN THE STORY: SEEING WOMEN IN THE BIBLICAL NARRATIVE by Sandra L. Glahn, published by IVP Academic.

Here's what Kaitlyn Schiess, author and editor at Holy Post Media, had to say: "Sandra Glahn beautifully presents biblical accounts of women that have been ignored or minimized, but she doesn't stop there―she teaches us how to read the whole story of Scripture. This book is for preachers, Sunday school teachers, and anyone interested in reading the Bible more fully and faithfully."

Learn more about this book and our other featured new releases at The Englewood Review!

This week's feature review is of the book TO LIVE WELL: PRACTICAL WISDOM FOR MOVING THROUGH CHAOTIC TIMES by Alan Noble,...
19/08/2026

This week's feature review is of the book TO LIVE WELL: PRACTICAL WISDOM FOR MOVING THROUGH CHAOTIC TIMES by Alan Noble, reviewed by Rachel Lonas.

Rachel offers a thoughtful critique of the book, considering where its message doesn't quite land and offering thoughts about what might be missing.

As always, find the full review at our website!

19/08/2026

Is the new Mary Oliver documentary on your radar?

We've got a brand new episode of The Englewood Review of Books Podcast ready for you this week: a conversation with poet...
29/07/2026

We've got a brand new episode of The Englewood Review of Books Podcast ready for you this week: a conversation with poets Robert Cording and Marjorie Maddox.

Humble and gracious, Cording and Maddox share how they write about their own deep questions, intense challenges, and heart-breaking losses in their vulnerable, relatable poetry and prose.

Both retired college professors, Cording and Maddox also address contemporary Americans’ hesitance regarding and anxiety about reading poetry as they likewise discuss how their craft enables readers to feel welcome when encountering their poetry.

They each read one of their poems to illustrate how accessible and moving their poetry can be.

Find the show wherever you listen to podcasts!

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