Each year, Presbyterian Outlook celebrates the books that resonate most with our readers. Using data from the affiliate links we post with each book review, we’ve compiled a list of the best books of 2024, according to our readers. From thought-provoking devotionals to practical guides for navigating church challenges, these reader-approved selections reflect the diversity and depth of faith-filled living. Whether you’re seeking inspiration, wisdom, or fresh perspectives, this list highlights titles that made a lasting impact in 2024.
This Beautiful Day: Daily Wisdom from Mister Rogers by Fred Rogers
Who better to speak to this time and place than everyone’s favorite Presbyterian minister, Mr. Rogers? — Amy Pagliarella
Gone for Good? Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition edited by Mark Elsdon
“This book may help congregations that are far, far away from the sale of their church property avoid this seemingly inevitable fate.” — Beth Guzman
Every Day for Everyone: 365 Devotions from Genesis to Revelation
“Every Day for Everyone” is the daily devotional I’ll be reading in 2025, writes Amy Pagliarella.
Season’s Greetings: Christmas Letters from Those Who Were There by Ruth L. Boling
Season’s Greetings is a nativity set come to life as each character tells their story, describing the sights, sounds and smells of that night in Bethlehem. — Amy Pagliarella
Everything Good about God Is True: Choosing Faith by Bruce Reyes-Chow
“It’s an excellent resource for individuals or groups who may have been wounded by a religious community, or for wandering, wondering folk who may know nothing about Christian faith…” — Lucy Forster-Smith
A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church (Year C) by Wilda C. Gafney
“What does it look like to tell the Good News through the stories of women who are often on the margins of scripture and often set up to represent bad news?” Wilda Gafney asks. Reviewed by Amy Pagliarella.
Being Here: Prayers for Curiosity, Justice, and Love by Pádraig Ó Tuama
“‘Being Here’ would be a welcome addition to a small group’s gathering and closing time or stand on its own as the foundation of a daily or weekly prayer service,” writes Amy Pagliarella of Pádraig Ó Tuama’s latest book.
Calling All Angels: An Advent Study of Fearlessness and Strength by Erin Wathen
Calling All Angels is a classic Advent devotional that both leans into the warmth and coziness of the season and offers fresh insights to startle us into the “holy disruption of ‘God with us.’” — Amy Pagliarella
Swimming with the Sharks: Leading the Full Spectrum Church in a Red-and-Blue World by Jack Haberer
America’s political divisiveness might have inspired Jack Haberer to write this book, but “Swimming with the Sharks” will resonate beyond this election season as a reminder that our passions must be rooted in Jesus’ passions. — Amy Pagliarella
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