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The names of PCA pastors, scholars, and lay leaders appeared all over lists celebrating the best Christian books of 2023, including lists produced by Christianity Today and The Gospel Coalition.
At The Gospel Coalition, Paul E. Miller’s book “The Praying Church” was the winner in the Ministry category while Kevin DeYoung’s “Impossible Christianity: Why Following Jesus Does Not Mean You Have to Change the World, Be an Expert in Everything, Accept Spiritual Failure, and Feel Miserable Pretty Much All the Time” won the Practical Theology category. Miller is a PCA ruling elder and the founder of seeJesus.net. DeYoung is senior pastor of Christ Covenant Church (PCA) in Matthews, North Carolina.
The winner in the Bible Study and Devotional Literature category was “Anxiety: Finding a Better Story” by Liz Edrington. Edrington is the fellowship groups and young adults director at North Shore Fellowship (PCA) in Chattanooga.
In the Arts & Culture category, Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt won with her book “Redeeming Vision: A Christian Guide to Look at and Learning from Art.” Weichbrodt is associate professor of art and art history at Covenant College.
In the Christian Living category, Jasmine Holmes earned the Award of Distinction for the book “Never Cast Out: How the Gospel Puts and End to the Story of Shame.” Holmes is a regular contributor to The Gospel Coalition, and she and her family attend Redeemer Church in Jackson, Mississippi.
Christianity Today releases its book awards in December,mber 2023, but the works are featured in the January 2024 issue. Jon Nielson, pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church of Wheaton (PCA) in Wheaton, Illinois, received the Award of Merit in the Young Adults category for his book “Knowing God’s Truth: An Introduction to Systematic Theology.” DeYoung’s book “Do Not Be True to Yourself: Countercultural Advice for the Rest of Your Life” was a finalist in the same category.
In the category Christian Living/Spiritual Formation, PCA member Alan Noble earned the Award of Merit for his book “On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living.”
Weichbrodt’s “Redeeming Vision” won the award of merit in the Culture and Arts category.
And “Faithful Disobedience: Writings on Church and State from a Chinese House Church Movement,” edited by Hannah Nation and J. D. Tseng was a finalist in the category of Missions/Global Church.
“All of our award winners contain insight and beauty on their own,” said CT Books Editor Matt Reynolds. “And like all good books, they are made complete in the greatest Book of all.”
See the full book lists from The Gospel Coalition here, and from Christianity Today here.