The Book of Love: A Better Way to Read the Bible
Richard Beck
Broadleaf, 270 pages | Published May 19, 2026
It’s often said that, to make sense of the Bible’s difficult passages, we should read through the lens of love — but how? The Book of Love provides thoughtful guidance, backed with quotes and stories from Scripture, that both anticipates and responds to likely objections to this approach. Christian psychologist Richard Beck begins with Genesis as the foundation for essential goodness, and he tackles theodicy head on, writing: “(T)here are a lot of things in the Book of Love that aren’t very loving … (and) God is implicated in the violence.”
Beck identifies some historic approaches to Biblical interpretation as problematic, particularly supersessionism (seeing Judaism as replaced by Christianity) and fundamentalism (where Scripture/God’s nature is believed to be static). He carefully discusses these approaches, offering an alternative hermeneutic of God’s parental love. Finally, he peppers his writing with living examples, such as Dorothy Day. The Book of Love makes for an intriguing Bible study, filled with discussion starters on the authority and interpretation of Scripture, and an invitation to ditch the Bible as a rulebook and read it instead as the story of a loving God.
Forgiveness: Reclaiming Its Power in a Culture of Outrage and Fear
Amy Orr-Ewing
Brazos Press, 208 pages | Published April 21, 2026
“We are in a moment when the orthodox, historic meaning of Christ’s death as a ransom, a satisfaction, a substitution for our sin is more meaningful than ever,” writes public theologian Amy Orr-Ewing. It is this clarity of purpose that makes Forgiveness so compelling; even those who disagree with some of its theology may appreciate its usefulness when applied to modern cancel culture and its fixation on grievance.
Orr-Ewing is a forgiveness apologist, and she shares numerous stories of Christ at work in individual lives, bringing about radical transformations. She also handles tricky situations with great care, for example, her descriptions of people forgiving their abusers without inviting reconciliation that would lead to further harm. However, after numerous examples of Christian forgiveness leading to changed lives, individually and on a national stage, Forgiveness could have extended some grace toward those who would like to forgive but find themselves unable to do so, as well as compassion for those who extend forgiveness and are met with unrepentant perpetrators.
Glimmerings: Letters on Faith Between a Poet and a Theologian
Miroslav Volf and Christian Wiman
HarperOne, 272 pages | Published January 13, 2026
Two friends – one a poet, one a theologian, both brilliant – join in “groping for God via email” in this epistolary work. But these are also colleagues who have taught together at Yale Divinity School, and their conversation draws on everything from Job, a shared appreciation for Jürgen Moltmann and their lived experiences of God’s presence (and absence).
Glimmerings is candid and wise, breaking our hearts only on occasion when we are reminded that poet Christian Wiman writes from Mass General as he awaits the bone marrow transplant that will save his life. This isn’t an intellectual exercise — it is a living faith that emerges from suffering, study and friendship. “I am saved by God’s faithfulness, not primarily by my faith,” writes theologian Miroslav Volf, to which Wiman responds, “I find it very consoling to think of my faith not mattering so much, of it being mostly a form of patience.” Amen.
On the Mystery: Discerning Divinity in Process (new edition)
Catherine Keller
Fortress Press, 230 pages | Published February 24, 2026
“We become who we are only in relation,” writes theologian Catherine Keller, and our relationships, questioning and activities can bring us closer to the mystery that is God. On the Mystery resists the “either/or” of the faith: truth need not be absolute/unchanging, but that need not lead to moral relativism. Keller faithfully explores the central tenets of our faith – the Triune God, creation, theodicy, and more – sparring with classical traditions, drawing on biblical stories, and relating God-talk to contemporary examples such as eco-justice churches and political arguments. Her work (which includes an appendix of discussion questions) is a helpful guide for introducing small groups to more challenging theology or for offering a refresher for a seminary-educated reader interested in theology through a process lens.
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