2019 Press Releases

IVP Academic Joins the Association of University Presses as an Affiliate Member

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 20:37:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press (IVP) is pleased to announce that IVP Academic has been approved as an affiliate member in the Association of University Presses.

As the academic publishing imprint of InterVarsity Press, IVP Academic publishes titles and textbooks that facilitate the broader conversations that are taking place in the academy and the church. Engaging in the most important issues, IVP Academic offers texts that enrich the study of scholars and cater to students and courses of all levels.

“We welcome IVP Academic as an Affiliate member to our global community of 153 publishers, committed to the highest caliber of research-based scholarship,” said Peter Berkery, executive director of the Association of University Presses. “As an Affiliate member—approved by our Admissions and Standards Committee, Board of Directors, and voting members—IVP Academic has demonstrated a sustained, mission-driven commitment to scholarly publishing by performing peer review on its publications and meeting our output and staffing requirements. Together, IVP Academic and all of our members pursue a shared mission of ensuring academic excellence and cultivating knowledge.”

Established in 1937 as the Association of American University Presses, the Association of University Presses is a community of publishing professionals and institutions committed to the highest caliber of research-based scholarship. For IVP Academic, applying for affiliate membership seemed like a natural acknowledgment of the conventions of academic publishing they have long followed: the importance of peer review, independent editorial boards, and participation in scholarly discourse.

Jon Boyd, academic editorial director said, “I see joining the AUP as an opportunity to nurture connections for IVP Academic among partners who are in countless ways our kindred spirits in the centuries-long traditions of publishing. I’m confident it’ll be a benefit to our authors and books, and I really look forward to all we can learn from our publishing heroes in the AUPresses membership.”

For more information on the Association of University Presses and IVP Academic, please visit aupresses.org and ivpress.com/academic.

Send Institute Selects Three IVP Titles for Top 10 Church Planting Related Books from 2019

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 17:27:00 GMT

Send Institute, a think tank for evangelism and church planting in North America, has included three InterVarsity Press titles on its list of Top 10 Church Planting Related Books from 2019. Daniel Yang, director of Send Institute, said, “These books capture how some leaders are responding to the church planting challenges and opportunities in the 21st century.”

The IVP books that made the Send Institute list include Together for the City by Neil Powell and John James, Sent to Flourish edited by Len Tang and Charles E. Cotherman, and A Big Gospel in Small Places by Stephen Witmer.

In Together for the City: How Collaborative Church Planting Leads to Citywide Movements pastors Neil Powell and John James contend that to truly transform a city, the gospel compels us to create localized, collaborative church-planting movements. They share lessons learned and principles discovered from their experiences leading a successful citywide movement. In the foreword Tim Keller, founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, said, “While there is an increasing body of literature about church planting in general, there is almost nothing available that describes whole-city collaboration among multiple denominations, networks, and movements. Neil and John spell out what it takes to get this done. I know of no better book on the subject.”

Sent to Flourish: A Guide to Planting and Multiplying Churches is written by a diverse team of scholar-practitioners who have planted churches in a variety of contexts, cultures, and church traditions. This book provides a tested road map based on Fuller Theological Seminary’s renowned church-planting program. In addition to editors Len Tang and Charles E. Cotherman, contributors include Carrie Boren Headington, John Lo, Tim Morey, Johnny Ramírez-Johnson, Scott W. Sunquist, Nick Warnes, and JR Woodward. “Drawing from Scripture and the experience of many church starters and reproducing churches, this book has the capacity both to inspire and to guide planting initiatives into healthy, practical activation,” said Daniel Steigerwald, missional catalyst and coach at Artesia ReSourcing. “Along the way, the authors remain ever attentive to helping startup teams cultivate the supportive environments and practices conducive to their flourishing and the multiplying of new churches.”

In A Big Gospel in Small Places: Why Ministry in Forgotten Communities Matters pastor Stephen Witmer lays out an integrated theological vision for small-place ministry. Filled with helpful information about small places and with stories and practical advice from his own ministry, Witmer’s book offers a compelling, comprehensive vision for small-place ministry today. A Big Gospel in Small Places was also recently listed on Kevin DeYoung’s Top 10 Books of 2019 and was honored with two awards: the 2019 WORLD Magazine Book of the Year Short List in the Accessible Theology category and the 2019 Gospel Coalition Book Award in the Ministry category.

Collin Hansen, editorial director for The Gospel Coalition, said “This is a book whose time has come. I’ve long appreciated Stephen Witmer’s advocacy for ministry in the small places. And now we have an apologetic, a theological vision for this particular work. He makes the case for small places without patronizing them or denigrating ministry in other areas. I even appreciated his pushback to the urban thesis of the early church. That’s what makes this book an important read, even if you could never imagine living in the places where Stephen and I grew up.”

Yang also made special mention of two other IVP books. He said, “In addition to my recommended books on church planting, I offer up eight more books in evangelism and missiology that I think are important as we continue to think about missions in 21st century North America.” The two IVP titles included among the eight were You Found Me: New Research on How Unchurched Nones, Millennials, and Irreligious Are Surprisingly Open to Christian Faith by Rick Richardson and Seeking Church: Emerging Witnesses to the Kingdom by Darren T. Duerksen and William A. Dyrness.

IVP Receives Four 2020 Christianity Today Book Awards

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 19:54:00 GMT

Christianity Today has released the winners of its 2020 Book Awards, and InterVarsity Press is pleased to announce that it received top honors in four categories and Awards of Merit in three others. These titles are among the thirty-two that Christianity Today has chosen as books that are “most likely to shape evangelical life, thought, and culture.”

The 2020 Book of the Year in the Culture and the Arts category was IVP’s Write Better: A Lifelong Editor on Craft, Art, and Spirituality by Andrew T. Le Peau. Jason Morehead, pop culture blogger at Opus, said, “In Write Better, longtime editor Andrew Le Peau offers concise, thoughtful advice on a number of writerly topics: struggling with creativity and writer’s block, crafting sentences that captivate and reward readers, publishing, and even copyright and legal issues. Above all, Le Peau encourages writers by reminding them of the gift that God has given to them. Writing can be an insular, introverted activity, but Le Peau does well to remind us that writing should ultimately be a blessing to others.”

The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction by Justin Whitmel Earley tied for the top honor in the Christian Living/Discipleship category. Earley offers four daily and four weekly habits designed to help create new routines and transform frazzled days into lives of love for God and neighbor. He provides concrete, doable practices, such as a daily hour of phone-less presence or a weekly conversation with a friend. “This book is an excellent blend of theological, personal, and practical insight. It describes problems unique to our time in a way that’s easily relatable, in part because Earley makes good use of personal anecdotes rather than merely citing sociological data,” said Matthew McCullough, pastor of Trinity Church in Nashville.

The winner in the Missions/Global Church category was IVP’s Women in God’s Mission: Accepting the Invitation to Serve and Lead. Mission researcher Mary T. Lederleitner interviewed and surveyed ninety-five respected women in mission leadership from thirty countries to gather their insights, expertise, and best practices. She unveils how women serve in distinctive ways and identifies key traits of faithful, connected leaders.

Daniel Yang, director of the Send Institute at Wheaton College’s Billy Graham Center, said, “Equal parts prophetic and pastoral, this book puts Lederleitner’s heart as a scholar-practitioner on brilliant display, showcasing her unique blend of gifts in research, missions practice, and engagement across theological traditions. Women should read it to be reminded of their non-negotiable role in Great Commission fulfillment. Men should read it to gain a better understanding of their responsibility to help remove obstructions that many women face in missions organizations. Ultimately, the stories and research presented here remind us that God’s mission in the world depends on both men and women responding to the church’s missionary mandate. Neither should ever feel sidelined.”

The 2020 Book Award in the Politics and Public Life category went to In Search of the Common Good: Christian Fidelity in a Fractured World. In this book, Jake Meador diagnoses our society’s decline as the failure of a particular story we’ve told about ourselves: the story of modern liberalism. He shows us how that story has led to our collective loss of meaning, wonder, and good work, and then recovers each of these by grounding them in a different story—a story rooted in the deep tradition of the Christian faith.

Bonnie Kristian, contributing editor of The Week, said, “In Search of the Common Good is timely not only in its theology and praxis but in its faithful capture of our era’s sense of disintegration, isolation, and uncertainty. Yet Meador does not follow other critics of the loneliness of the liberal order into a call for a new culture war offensive to compel external Christian virtue via the power of the state. Rather, he invites readers to push deeper into robust community, to cling to hope and work together to incarnate it in every sphere of our lives.”

The three IVP titles that received the Award of Merit include:

As I Recall: Discovering the Place of Memories in Our Spiritual Life by Casey Tygrett received the Award of Merit in the Spiritual Formation category. Tygrett explores the power of memory and offers biblical texts and practices to guide us in bringing our memories to God for spiritual transformation. Tricia McCary Rhodes, author of The Soul at Rest, said, “While we might think our souls are formed through classic disciplines like prayer, meditation, or gratitude, Tygrett demonstrates that our journey toward wholeness will fall short without the practice of remembrance. With gentle encouragement and eloquent prose, he invites us on a pilgrimage into our past through practical exercises that help us see our memories for the redemptive treasures God intends them to be. Even painful memories, when brought into the presence of God, can come together to form a powerful story of identity, enabling us to live with uncertainty and flourish in resilience.”

Surprised by Paradox: The Promise of “And” in an Either-Or World by Jen Pollock Michel won the Award of Merit for The Beautiful Orthodoxy Book of the Year. “Michel asks readers to suspend their need for black and white distinctions, learning instead to sit in the tension of mystery,” said Nika Spaulding, resident theologian at St. Jude Oak Cliff Church in Dallas. “As she traces the paradoxes at the heart of ideas like Incarnation, grace, lament, and the kingdom of God, once-unnerving mysteries start to feel like welcome realities. Beautifully written, Surprised by Paradox weaves personal experience, theological reflection, and solid exegesis into a book that will comfort, encourage, and rebuke. Her vulnerability will pull readers in to take a closer look, and her cogent arguments will beckon them not only to acknowledge the mystery of the Christian faith, but also to celebrate and herald it.”

The Award of Merit in the Biblical Studies category went to Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes: Honor and Shame in Paul’s Message and Mission by Jackson W. The executive director for the Center for Baptist Renewal, Matthew Emerson, said, “Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes introduces Western readers to Eastern cultural concepts (particularly the honor-shame dynamic and the matrix of social expectations and behaviors related to it) and demonstrates how these concepts play a major role in Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. This is a sophisticated exercise in cultural analysis for the sake of better understanding the Bible, and it should serve as a methodological primer for and a prime example of such an approach for the foreseeable future.”

For a complete list of award winners visit ivpress.com/award-winners.

IVP Receives Two Gospel Coalition 2019 Book Awards

Thu, 05 Dec 2019 15:42:00 GMT

With nearly three hundred books reviewed each year between their academic journal Themelios and their regular book review section, The Gospel Coalition has chosen two IVP titles among its top twelve books of the year. The Gospel Coalition 2019 Book Awards went to He Descended to the Dead and A Big Gospel in Small Places.

TGC editor Ivan Mesa said, “At the end of each year we take stock of the most helpful titles across various categories, using the following fourfold criteria:

offers gospel-centered argument and application;
includes faithful and foundational use of Scripture, both Old Testament and New Testament;
fosters spiritual discernment of contemporary trials and trends; and
encourages efforts to unite and renew the church.”

He Descended to the Dead: An Evangelical Theology of Holy Saturday by Matthew Emerson was the title that best fit these criteria for the Academic Theology category of the TGC Book Awards. “Matthew Emerson has brought light to an often dark topic,” the judges wrote. “This book is a lovely blending of academic, systematic, and pastoral theology that deals with a neglected, misunderstood, and important creedal topic. It also models how evangelicals can engage and retrieve Patristic theology under the authority of Scripture.”

A Big Gospel in Small Places: Why Ministry in Forgotten Communities Matters by Stephen Witmer was one of two TGC Book Award winners in the Ministry category. This title was also recently included on the shortlist for WORLD magazine’s Best Books of the Year. The Gospel Coalition judges said this about Witmer’s book, “In recent years, church planters and revitalizers have been drawn in increasing numbers to urban areas. But what about those out-of-the-way places where rural folks need to hear the gospel and sound doctrine? Stephen Witmer provides a compelling theological case for why those places matter and offers a keen, biblically sound strategy for the small places. Focusing on the city may seem strategic, but Witmer shows how Jesus is often unstrategic. Witmer argues, in beautiful prose, why ministry in the country remains an urgent and fulfilling necessity.”

For a complete list of IVP award winners visit ivpress.com/award-winners.

Two IVP Titles Named in WORLD Magazine’s 2019 Books of the Year Issue

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 17:44:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press was honored to have two titles make the shortlist for WORLD Magazine’s 2019 Books of the Year. WORLD editor Marvin Olasky wrote, “Here’s our pick of vivid and insightful new releases for better understanding America, world events, history, science, and theology.”

Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God’s Image was selected for the shortlist for WORLD’s science book of the year. In this book leprosy surgeon Dr. Paul Brand and bestselling writer Philip Yancey offer a new audience timeless reflections on the body in this updated and combined edition of the award-winning books Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and In His Image.

“I have long loved the collaboration between the marvelous theologian Philip Yancey and his mentor—orthopedic humanitarian surgeon Paul Brand,” said Anne Lamott, author of Traveling Mercies, Bird by Bird, and Hallelujah Anyway. “What a blessing to reread this work after thirty years, to immerse myself in the story of Dr. Brand’s work with leprosy patients in India and the Bayou, and in the resultant lessons about the miraculous workings of the human body, the beauty of human friendship and caring, the profundity of God’s love. Brilliant, charming, and wonder inducing, this is a modern classic of science and faith.”

A Big Gospel in Small Places: Why Ministry in Forgotten Communities Matters by Stephen Witmer was chosen for WORLD’s shortlist in the accessible theology category. In this book pastor Stephen Witmer lays out an integrated theological vision for small-place ministry. Filled with helpful information about small places and with stories and practical advice from his own ministry, Witmer’s book offers a compelling, comprehensive vision for small-place ministry today.

“While I’ve learned a lot, it turns out my experience in small-town ministry hasn’t so much resulted in the discovery of things I didn’t know as in the rediscovery of things I once knew,” said Whitmer. “I’ve come to see afresh the beauty and brokenness of small places—the one in which I now live as well as others around the world and throughout history. I’ve slowly come to view these places through a biblical lens, with a gospel-centered theological vision, more like God sees them. I long to communicate this vision in this book.”

Jake Meador, author of In Search of the Common Good and editor in chief of Mere Orthodoxy, said, “Stephen Witmer’s A Big Gospel in Small Places is compelling because it is a simple depiction of the deeply normal, deeply human life of small places, a life that many evangelicals have regarded with indifference for far too long. For several decades now, evangelicals have thought more often in terms of size, efficiency, and influence than in the more humane and Christian terms of fidelity, affection, and rootedness. There is a call in this book to love small places and serve them faithfully, of course. But there is also a call to cultivate a certain patience in one’s own life, a commitment to belong fully to the local life of one’s home place, and to view all of this work with a smiling affection borne of the confidence that God smiles on such a life.”

WORLD is the nation’s most widely read news outlet from a Christian perspective, with a half-million people reading the magazine and website or listening to the podcast.

A Subversive Gospel Wins the Conference on Christianity & Literature Book of the Year for Literary Criticism

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 20:03:00 GMT

The Conference on Christianity & Literature has announced that A Subversive Gospel: Flannery O’Connor and the Reimagining of Beauty, Goodness, and Truth by Michael Mears Bruner was chosen as the 2020 CCL Book of the Year for literary criticism.

“Bruner breaks new ground in O’Connor studies by discussing in detail the influence of Friedrich von Hügel upon her work,” said Gregory Maillet, professor of English at Crandall University and former coeditor of Christianity and Literature. “Seeing O’Connor’s work as an expression of the many subversive elements of the Christian gospel, Bruner’s critical approach helps us understand how O’Connor asks us to reimagine what beauty, goodness, and truth might mean in the modern world.”

In A Subversive Gospel, Bruner explores O’Connor’s theological aesthetic and argues that she reveals what discipleship to Christ entails by subverting the traditional understandings of beauty, truth, and goodness through her fiction.

David McNutt, associate editor at IVP Academic and the editor for the Studies in Theology and the Arts series said, “We are grateful that the Conference on Christianity & Literature has recognized Michael Bruner’s excellent book on Flannery O’Connor, A Subversive Gospel, with its 2020 Book of the Year award for literary criticism. Like both Flannery O’Connor and Dr. Bruner, IVP Academic seeks to bring thoughtful and creative Christian resources to bear upon a range of issues, including the relationship between faith and the arts, which is reflected in our Studies in Theology and the Arts series. We look forward to continuing to contribute to that conversation.”

The Conference on Christianity & Literature has recognized the book of the year since 1979, in the categories of original literary art, literary criticism, and biography. Past recipients of the award include prominent authors like Flannery O’Connor and Madeleine L’Engle. In January 2020 the Conference on Christianity & Literature will honor A Subversive Gospel as part of the CCL luncheon during the annual MLA conference in Seattle.

For a complete list of IVP award winners visit ivpress.com/award-winners.

IVP to Serve as Premiere Publishing Partner for Online Educational Platform

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 17:21:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press (IVP) is pleased to announce a new partnership with Seminary Now (www.seminarynow.com), a subscription-based educational platform that gives pastors and lay church leaders access to video courses and certification programs from leading teachers and seminaries. As a way to continue extending its reach into the higher education marketplace and create new forms of content to meet the ever-changing needs of its customers, IVP will be the premiere publishing partner for the platform, which is scheduled to launch in spring of 2020.

“Our vision for Seminary Now began after church and denominational leaders expressed the need for on-demand training for pastors and church leaders unable to attend seminary,” says William Shiell, president of Northern Seminary, which is the primary institution underwriting the new endeavor. “We value IVP’s partnership because of our mutual commitment to women in leadership, multiethnic ministries, academic training, and biblical justice.”

Jason Gile, the executive director of Seminary Now, added, “On-demand video courses present a unique opportunity for seminaries, publishers, and other organizations to collaborate in the shared mission to equip Christian leaders. By providing accessible and relevant theological teaching to Christians across the world, we believe Seminary Now has the potential for great impact on the church.”

IVP books will be featured in a significant number of the initial course offerings when the platform launches. Key authors and courses currently scheduled for the initial years of the program include:

Roger Olson, professor of theology at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary (The Mosaic of Christian Belief)
Tara Beth Leach, senior pastor of the First Nazarene Church in Pasadena, CA (Emboldened)
John Walton, professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College (The Lost World of Genesis One)
Brenda Salter McNeil, pastor and professor of reconciliation studies at Seattle Pacific University (Roadmap to Reconciliation 2.0)
Tremper Longman III, professor of biblical studies at Westmont College (Old Testament Essentials)
Ruth Haley Barton, founding president, Transforming Center (course TBD)
Sandra Maria Van Opstal, pastor of Grace and Peace Community in Chicago, IL (The Next Worship)
James Choung, vice president of strategy and innovation at InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (True Story)
Dominique Gilliard, director of racial righteousness at Evangelical Covenant Church (Rethinking Incarceration)
Mary Hulst, chaplain of Calvin College (A Little Handbook for Preachers)
Jonathan Brooks, pastor of Canaan Community Church in Chicago, IL (Church Forsaken)
Matthew Stanford, CEO of the Hope and Healing Center in Houston, TX (Grace for the Afflicted)
Wayne Gordon, founding pastor, Lawndale Community Church, and John Perkins, founder, Christian Community Development Association (Making Neighborhoods Whole)
David deSilva, professor of New Testament and Greek at Ashland Theological Seminary (An Introduction to the New Testament)
Sarah Shin, author and speaker (Beyond Colorblind)
Michael Bird, theology lecturer at Ridley College, Melbourne (Introducing Paul)
Lucy Peppiatt, principal of Westminster Theological Centre (Rediscovering Scripture’s Vision for Women)

“Christian higher education is changing at a dizzying speed, and the manner in which our content is utilized in those spaces is changing as well,” said Jeff Crosby, IVP’s publisher. “I’m grateful for the chance to partner with the team at Seminary Now as together and in concert with other like-minded organizations we create and deliver thoughtful Christian content to pastors, students, and others who want to deepen their understanding of theology, ecclesiology, biblical studies, social justice, spiritual formation, and many other disciplines.”

In addition to partnering with IVP, Seminary Now is developing relationships with a wide range of seminaries and organizations with similar theological convictions that will provide content to potential consumers of the platform, such as Missio Alliance, The Apprentice Institute, and the Christian Community Development Association.

Helen Lee, associate director of strategic partnerships and initiatives at IVP, will serve as the main liaison between Seminary Now and IVP. “We have always considered the church to be a key audience for us to reach, and our involvement with Seminary Now will give us another channel to serve pastors and lay leaders with our high-quality, thoughtful, and compelling content,” Lee said. “I have appreciated the strong working relationship we have developed with Bill Shiell and Jason Gile on this project, and I look forward to seeing the fruition of our joint efforts in the months to come.”

Promotional efforts for the platform will begin at the forthcoming ETS and AAR-SBL academic conferences in San Diego, with the program’s full launch slated for spring of 2020. To receive updates about Seminary Now and learn how to receive early access, sign up at www.seminarynow.com or follow @SeminaryNow on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. For more information regarding the program, please contact Jason Gile (director@seminarynow.com; ph: 630-620-2105) or Helen Lee (hlee@ivpress.com; ph: 630-734-4038).

IVP Contracts Leadership Book with President Emeritus of World Vision US

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 15:50:00 GMT

Richard Stearns, president emeritus of World Vision US and the author of The Hole in Our Gospel, has signed a contract with InterVarsity Press for a leadership book that will release in 2021.

Stearns was the longest-serving president in World Vision’s history from 1998–2018. He joined World Vision US to follow what he felt was a distinct call from God on his life, leaving a corporate career that included chief executive officer roles at Lenox and Parker Brothers games.

“Richard Stearns is an organizational leader and author who has long maintained a commitment to write only when he has something of importance to say,” IVP’s publisher, Jeff Crosby, said. “He has continued that pattern with this project on leadership, bringing insights from his varied career as he crafts a book of substance on core elements of leadership like courage, perseverance, integrity, humility, and much more. I’m delighted to be working with him on this project.”

Stearns said, “This book is about why I believe that the values Christian leaders embrace are more important than the success they achieve. Qualities like integrity, humility, kindness, passion, courage, and forgiveness matter more to God than the most impressive résumé of accomplishments. And I believe that Christian leaders, and even secular leaders, who embody these characteristics will lift up not only their own performance but also the performance of their teams.”

During his twenty years at World Vision US, Stearns built a strong leadership team focused on bringing corporate best practices to the nonprofit sector. Logging three million air miles, he traveled to more than sixty of the nearly one hundred countries in which the organization works. He served as a prophetic voice for the organization, calling on the American church to respond to the AIDS pandemic in the early 2000s, and later raising awareness about the refugee crisis and global poverty. As a thought leader, Rich appeared regularly in media outlets such as Christianity Today, Fox News, CNN, NPR, Charisma News, and Relevant magazine.

Stearns’s forthcoming book will draw on the wisdom and experience he accumulated over the years in various leadership roles, but he makes it clear that leadership stretches far beyond those in official leadership positions. “I am writing this book because I believe leadership is so very important. Leadership affects every dimension of our human experience. Leadership can unite us, lift us up, and inspire us to achieve great things. And leadership is crucial to accomplishing God’s purposes in our world. In short, leadership matters to God and so it ought to matter to us.”

Ed Gilbreath, IVP executive editor, said, “Throughout his career, Rich Stearns has lived out the values of Christian leadership in both secular and faith-based contexts. He comes to this project with loads of hard-earned executive experience and a gospel-inspired love for all people. I’m thrilled that he has chosen to partner with IVP to share his unique insights on the heart of leadership. His message will resonate even more during these increasingly turbulent times in the church and society.”

IVP Releases Book by US Presidential Candidate

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 15:07:00 GMT

On Tuesday, November 5, InterVarsity Press will be launching its first book by a United States independent presidential candidate. Mark Charles, and coauthor, Soong-Chan Rah, will be releasing Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery.

A recent Publishers Weekly starred review described the book this way: “This sobering critique presents a disturbing yet welcome analysis of how the Doctrine of Discovery has split American church and society along racial lines, and makes a powerful argument for engaging in national dialogue around issues of class, gender, and race.”

With a prophetic blend of history, theology, and cultural commentary, Charles and Rah reveal the damaging effects of the Doctrine of Discovery and call the nation and churches to a truth-telling that will expose past injustices and open the door to conciliation and true community.

“I recall hearing Mark Charles speak at a Confessing Church consultation in Alexandria, Virginia, on the topic of the Doctrine of Discovery, several years before the publication of Unsettling Truths,” said Jeff Crosby, publisher for IVP. “I thought then, Mark’s message must be taken more widely than his speaking engagements will allow. I’m grateful for the InterVarsity Press team’s courageous commitment to publish this book about a topic that is not well understood, a topic we would do well to grapple with. If, as Mark and Soong-Chan write, the ‘unsettling of deeply entrenched beliefs’ leads to healing for a nation, then this book is one to be celebrated for not only its prophetic challenge but also its healing powers.”

Unsettling Truths and the ideas within it were in the works long before Charles decided to run for president. Together Charles and Rah put in nearly a decade of research, three years of writing, and another year of editing. Crosby said, “Unsettling Truths is an unsettling book because it challenges its readers to evaluate what we have long been taught and perhaps blindly accepted regarding American history and our country’s notion of its ‘exceptionalism’ and forces us to consider another viewpoint. It also helpfully and with precision probes questions regarding the intersection of Christian doctrine and a faithful pursuit of justice. While we may not agree with all of Mark’s and Soong-Chan’s interpretations and applications, we will benefit—as individuals, as communities, and as a nation—from giving the work careful, reflective attention.”

Charles, a man of Navajo and Dutch descent, is a speaker, writer, and consultant on the complexities of American history, race, culture, and faith. He and his family live in Washington, DC. Rah was born in Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated to the United States shortly after his sixth birthday. He currently serves as Milton B. Engebretson Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. Rah is the author of Prophetic Lament, The Next Evangelicalism, Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church, and others.

Charles and Rah wrote, “The coauthors of this book have been friends for many years. . . . Our connection stems from our mutual love for Jesus and our mutual passion for Justice, both of which have found expression in our mutual lament for the church. In our journey together, we have discovered the power of developing common experiences and a common memory, which moves us toward a common purpose.”

Al Hsu, senior editor at IVP, said, “Mark and Soong-Chan are an ideal team for this project, bringing together history and theology, pointing readers to original sources and grappling with contemporary issues. Together they help us reckon with how the past continues to have ongoing implications for our present. Their unflinching exposition of hard truths will be deeply unsettling to many, in ways that will open us to a more hopeful future.”

The November release of Unsettling Truths also coincides with Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Native people and to acknowledge their important contributions.

Award-Winning and Bestselling Liturgy of the Ordinary to Be Released in New Hardcover Format

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 13:47:00 GMT

Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren released at the end of 2016 to high praise and bestselling sales numbers. Since then it has sold nearly seventy-five-thousand copies and has received such accolades as a starred review in Publishers Weekly and the Beautiful Orthodoxy Book of the Year award from Christianity Today. Given the ongoing interest in the book, IVP is releasing a new hardcover edition of Warren’s masterful work in December 2019 to commemorate the book and its accomplishments.

“When several of us at IVP got acquainted with Tish Harrison Warren and her writing, we knew we had found a winsome and distinctive voice. One that perfectly fit our ethos,” said Cindy Bunch, associate publisher and director of editorial for IVP. “The structure the author put into place for Liturgy of the Ordinary gave her an ideal writing structure, flowing out of both the lines of an ordinary day and of our Sunday worship. At release it was quickly and heartily embraced by readers. As a way to celebrate its success, we are now pleased to offer it in a hardcover format.”

Liturgy of the Ordinary has defied typical publishing sales models, having ongoing steady sales in the months and years since its original release. And the praise continued after the book’s release as well, with reviews in the Chicago Tribune, the Episcopalian magazine The Living Church, and others.

“From the photograph of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the cover, Tish Harrison Warren’s debut work, Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life, signals that it’s rooted in the quotidian, the humble humdrum of day-after-day existence,” said Barbara Mahany for the Chicago Tribune. “This is spiritual guidance for the bed-maker, the teeth-brusher, the traffic-snarled among us. This is one ordinary day turned inside out, its hallowed script revealed, liturgical underpinnings exposed. . . . The purity of her vision, the clarity of her writing, makes effortless work of the notion that the small acts of our everydays are what shape us into the sacred vessels we are meant to be.”

The hardcover edition will be available in bookstores and online on December 3, 2019. For more information, please visit ivpress.com/liturgy-of-the-ordinary.

IVP Senior Sales and Marketing Director Recognized by PW Star Watch

Fri, 02 Aug 2019 13:37:00 GMT

Justin Paul Lawrence, IVP’s recently promoted senior sales and marketing director, has been recognized by Publishers Weekly (PW) in their annual Star Watch program. Lawrence is one of fifty innovative publishing professionals, including editors, booksellers, publicists, marketers, agents, and designers honored in the program, which is in its fifth year.

“Since he assumed the role of director of sales in July of 2016, Justin Paul Lawrence has made significant contributions to the overall growth and momentum that InterVarsity Press has achieved, opening new sales channels and serving legacy markets and customers with excellence,” said Jeff Crosby, publisher of IVP. “I’m grateful for this recognition of his work and am looking forward to his contributions in the recently expanded role of senior director of sales and marketing. I join my colleagues at IVP in extending my hearty congratulations.”

Lawrence started at IVP in 2015 as academic and library markets sales manager, working with colleges, universities, and libraries to make IVP’s books known to a broader market. In the last two years of his leadership of the sales department, IVP has seen over 25 percent growth across both print and digital markets and has seen the rise of bestselling books such asThe Road Back to You. Under Lawrence’s direction, IVP has expanded its reach with their Library Select program, expanded their presence at trade shows like BookExpo and ALA Annual and Midwinter, and entered into a distribution partnership with SPCK (UK).

Prior to working at IVP, Lawrence’s publishing career included working as the trade buyer for Calvin College’s campus bookstore, as a publicist and copywriter for Eerdmans, as the shipping department manager for Regent College’s online bookstore, and as a bookseller with Barnes & Noble. He received an undergraduate degree in history, theology, and art from Houghton College, an MCS degree from Regent College, and an MBA from Grand Valley State University.

“I am amazed and honored to be part of PW Star Watch for this year,” said Lawrence. “IVP has a fantastic team that is building on a legacy of nearly seventy-five years of groundbreaking publishing. I am glad that my inclusion can highlight that long development in some small way.”

Lawrence is IVP’s first honoree in PW Star Watch. Their top fifty honorees will be narrowed to a top five to be announced and profiled in the September 2, 2019, issue of Publishers Weekly magazine. One “superstar” will be named at the PW Star Watch celebratory event at the Marquee nightclub in New York City on Wednesday, September 18, 2019.

For more information about PW Star Watch, please visit: www.publishersweekly.com/pw/event/item/65-pw-star-watch-2019.html

Rob Moll, author and editor, dies at forty-one

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 21:43:00 GMT

Rob Moll, author of The Art of Dying and What Your Body Knows About God, has died at the age of forty-one. Leaving behind his wife and four young children, Moll will be remembered as a talented writer and editor as well as a beloved friend.

Jeff Crosby, publisher of IVP, said of Moll’s life and work: “Rob Moll’s books and his work as a journalist demonstrated a depth of insight, integrity, and compassion that was an inspiration to his readers everywhere, as was his utter zest for living life to the fullest. As a reader and as his publisher for two books, I extend to Clarissa and the family my heartfelt condolences in this time of unspeakable loss.”

Moll began his career as a journalist in the suburbs of Chicago, working as a reporter and editor for the Grayslake Times and Citizen Media. He quickly added to his journalism roster by joining the staff of Christianity Today (CT), where for nearly sixteen years he served in various capacities as editor and writer.

Over the course of his journalism career, Moll won awards from the Evangelical Press Association, and he also contributed op-eds to the Wall Street Journal, theWashington Post, CNN, Fox News, The Hill, and Huffington Post.

In 2010, Moll published his first book, The Art of Dying, after volunteering for several years as a hospice chaplain. Lauren Winner wrote in the foreword, “We, the church, need to recover the art of dying. . . . I hope that people will read this book—and talk about it, and take inspiration from it. I hope we will let Rob Moll’s insights help us become communities where people can reckon with, rather than dodge, death.”

In 2011 Moll was appointed communications officer to the president for World Vision. In that role, he worked directly with Richard Stearns to create communications for one of the world’s largest humanitarian organizations. His second book, What Your Body Knows About God, was published in 2014. It was called a “must-read” by many, and like so much of Moll’s writing and work, received the highest of praise. In 2016 Moll began work with Eventide Asset Management as their director of business operations, leading the company’s communications efforts.

“Wise beyond his years; gone before his time,” said Al Hsu, Moll’s longtime editor. “I am still in shock at the news of Rob’s untimely passing. But he had prepared for his death many years before it came. His work as a hospice volunteer brought him to reflect deeply on the ancient Christian practice of ars moriendi, the art of dying. Rob’s awareness of his mortality became a gift to others facing death. While we grieve him, I am grateful that Rob pointed his readers beyond death to the hope of resurrection and life everlasting.”

Moll wrote in The Art of Dying, “The living Christians and the dead are still of one body, still of one hope. . . . We prepare for death and we see the Christian life in practice by providing a means for the dying to continue their presence in the church. Not only does it offer an opportunity for the dying and elderly to continue to fulfill the ministry to which God has called them, but the rest of the congregation sees life lived and ended with hope and faithfulness.”

To further support Moll’s legacy, both for his family and his work, please visit gofundme.com and mycause.worldvision.org. For more information on his writing with IVP, please visit ivpress.com/rob-moll.

IVP Announces Personnel Changes for Future Growth and Initiatives

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 13:33:00 GMT

Over the past two fiscal years IVP has seen a 27 percent increase in sales. In a recent Publishers Weekly article, IVP Publisher Jeff Crosby explained the growth: “It has not been a single book nor a single customer; not a single segment or single new strategy; not the addition of one or two new team members or author acquisitions. Instead, it has been the accumulation of many years of relentlessly pushing the flywheel of mission-driven publishing that has led to the results we are seeing.”

Crosby also recognizes the need to keep innovating to bring about growth in the future. He said that IVP will make “measured and strategic investments” in both new strategies and people. In preparation for continued sales increases and these new initiatives, IVP has announced a number of personnel changes that will contribute to its ongoing growth and vision.

Justin Paul Lawrence, who has served as Director of Sales since 2016, joined IVP as the Academic and Library Markets Sales Manager in 2015. He has been promoted to the newly created position of Senior Director of Sales and Marketing. Lawrence will oversee marketing and publicity, key accounts, and data distribution, as well as trade, online, and digital sales.

Helen Lee, formerly Director of Marketing, has made the lateral move to the recently created position of Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships. In this role she will lead the development of new and existing initiatives and publishing partnerships. Lee was hired as Associate Editor for IVP Books and IVP Praxis in 2014 and was named Director of Marketing in 2016.

As the sales and marketing teams consolidate into one department, Andrew Bronson has been named Director of Marketing. Bronson has been a part of the IVP marketing department for more than eighteen years, serving as Special Markets Sales Manager, Digital Sales and Marketing Manager, and most recently as Senior Marketing Manager.

“Justin Paul Lawrence’s work has had a significant impact on the growth we have realized over the past three years,” Crosby said. “I’m grateful for his ‘yes’ to an expanded role, which will benefit from his many years of work in book retailing and publishing as well as his experiences at Regent College and Calvin College. The new roles of fellow veteran IVP staff Helen Lee and Andrew Bronson also position us to seize opportunities to expand our reach and engage culture in the years ahead. I’m grateful for their ‘yeses’ as well and look forward to the impact all three will have.”

Alisse Wissman came to IVP in 2010 as Academic Print Publicist & International Sales Coordinator. In 2013 she was named Publicity Manager and will now serve as Associate Director of Publicity.

Marsha Barnish has been with IVP for thirteen years. She started out as a sales coordinator in 2006, and since then has served as Digital Publishing and Sales Coordinator, Digital Assets Manager, and Assistant Director of Sales. She will now be Associate Director of Sales.

Christina Gilliland started out as a marketing coordinator for IVP in 2017. She was promoted to Assistant Marketing Manager last year and will now serve as a marketing manager in the Sales and Marketing Department.

Lawrence said, “I’m pleased that Andrew has accepted this new role and that I’ll get to tap into his publishing experience and connections. As the market continues to evolve, I am also excited to work with Alisse, Marsha, Christina, and the rest of the team to help our books transform lives. I believe that we have achieved the right mix of enthusiasm and expertise to enable continued growth in the future.”

Statement from InterVarsity Press on Counterfeiting (Updated 7/11/19)

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 20:49:00 GMT

Update July 11, 2019:

In a meeting with an Amazon representative on Wednesday, July 10, Amazon confirmed that some counterfeit copies were shipped directly from Amazon. This was the result of a now-discontinued co-mingling program that Amazon used for some of its books. Fake editions were inadvertently mixed in with our good inventory. Upon discovering this, Amazon “quarantined” and then destroyed those counterfeit copies.

In that same meeting, the Amazon representative promised to provide a full refund to any customer who bought a counterfeit copy, no matter how long ago they were purchased. This includes fakes from re-sellers as well as those that were inadvertently mixed in with Amazon’s good inventory.

You may have seen the recent article in Christianity Today describing two of our books, Liturgy of the Ordinary and Delighting in the Trinity, which have been sold in counterfeit editions by re-sellers on Amazon.

As the article stated, in response to InterVarsity Press’s proactively filing a formal complaint through Amazon’s standard protocols and after Christianity Today had made contact with its media relations team, Amazon removed the re-sellers of the counterfeit editions from its store. We are grateful for Amazon’s response to our complaint and its expressed openness to hear directly from us if we encounter counterfeit editions in the future. We consider Amazon a valued trade partner and recognize the extraordinary place it occupies in the global supply chain for books.

We have recently invested in a new service which allows us to more closely monitor our data distribution and to routinely pull a report of who is controlling the Amazon buy button on each of our books. It’s important to note that third-party sellers on Amazon distributing our books is not always a sign of counterfeiting, but it is one key way that we can monitor such activity.

Unfortunately, we do believe that there are other authors and publishers who will find themselves in a similar situation. It is our hope that by exposing what has happened with Liturgy of the Ordinary we will raise awareness of counterfeiting among publishers and readers alike. You may also want to read the New York Times article on this topic, which clearly indicated the issue of counterfeit editions is not unique to InterVarsity Press.

Additionally, you can view images of a counterfeit and authentic edition of one of the affected books at this Dropbox link.

If you have questions or concerns on this topic, you can email AuthenticEditions@ivpress.com, and a staff member will respond.

IVP Announces New Branding, Logo Redesigns

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 22:01:00 GMT

As it nears its seventy-fifth year of publishing, IVP is pleased to announce a brand and logo redesign to carry them into the next decade.

With this redesign, IVP desired to celebrate their legacy while also leading the way in beauty and relevance within the publishing field. IVP’s current branding and logo have been in place since 2006, and after gathering feedback from over four hundred fans, the creative team at IVP updated both in a modern and meaningful style.

“What sets IVP apart is our willingness to tackle tough topics, our commitment to diversity, and our desire to publish books that might be controversial in Christian circles,” said Lorraine Caulton, director of creative and customer engagement. “In thinking of IVP’s legacy, what we find is the constancy of our mission. We haven’t just become smart and socially conscious, and we aren’t following a trend; we pursue a mission. The fact that IVP is smart and reflective may conjure up different images to people. Our goal in a brand refresh is to ensure that the terms approachable and friendly also come to mind.”

In examining IVP’s history of publishing since 1947, the creative team was reminded of this legacy and the way it’s displayed in its visual branding. Beyond evoking the idea of pages in a book, the three swooshes also represent IVP’s aim to reach the university, the church, and the world. The new logo seeks to reinforce our purpose, clarify our communication with readers, and position IVP for a thriving future in the years ahead.

“I think good branding helps people to get to know us,” said David Fassett, art director. “It helps us connect with our customers and also distinguishes us from others in the marketplace. Jeff Bezos, president of Amazon, said your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room. I think good branding gives us an opportunity to shape what other people think about us.”

Based on further reader feedback, IVP will now be the public face of InterVarsity Press. Additionally IVP will become the imprint name for their trade line of books, which will also include the publishing lines of IVP Formatio and IVP Praxis. The books that were contained in the IVP Books and IVP Connect imprints will also be rebranded under this new IVP imprint. IVP Academic, whose logo is included in the redesign, will continue as the imprint that publishes reference series, monographs, and commentaries.

“Our previous logo had a serious and stately vibe that was appropriate for the time,” Fassett continued. “And that tone made sense since it was developed alongside the launch of our academic imprint, which we wanted to appear thoughtful and credible. Our primary goal was to update our current branding so it continues the legacy of our current look but makes it more contemporary, approachable, versatile, and elevates IVP as the primary identifier among our audience.”

For more information on the philosophy of this change, please visit ivpress.com/redesign.

IVP Features Bestselling Authors at ALA 2019

Thu, 23 May 2019 18:01:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press (IVP) returns to the American Library Association (ALA) this year with giveaways of some of their bestselling authors’ new books. IVP is a leading Christian publisher of thoughtful books with a respected history providing resources that strengthen the church, encourage individuals, and shape the academy.

Beginning on Saturday, June 22, IVP will be giving away hardcover copies of The Path Between Us by Suzanne Stabile (coauthor, with Ian Morgan Cron, of the bestselling The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery). This book examines the increasingly popular nine Enneagram types and how they experience relationships. Stabile helps guide readers into deeper insights about themselves, their types, and others’ personalities so that they can have loving, mature, and compassionate relationships.

Sharon Garlough Brown, author of the bestselling Sensible Shoes series has a new novel, Shades of Light, releasing this August. Advanced reader copies will be available on Sunday, June 23. The book is the story of Wren Crawford, a social worker who struggles with anxiety and depression. She finds solace in art and spiritual formation along with traditional therapeutic interventions, but a relationship from her past threatens to undo her progress. As Wren seeks healing in this beautifully written novel, readers are invited to move beyond pat answers into an experience of hope that illuminates the darkness.

Additionally, IVP will be giving away copies of bestselling author Philip Yancey’s revised and expanded book Fearfully and Wonderfully, coauthored with Dr. Paul Brand and originally released as two separate volumes. Advanced reader copies will also be available on Monday, June 24. Brand and Yancey offer a new audience timeless reflections on the body, which provides a window into the very structure of God’s creation and a testament to God’s glory.

IVP is also highlighting Jake Meador’s first book, In Search of the Common Good, with an advanced reader copy giveaway on Friday, June 21. Meador reclaims a vision of common life for our fractured times: a vision that doesn’t depend on the destinies of our economies or our political institutions but on our citizenship in a heavenly city. Only through that vision can we truly work together for the common good.

And on Sunday, June 23, IVP will be giving away paperback copies of Jonathan P. Walton’s groundbreaking, new book, Twelve Lies That Hold America Captive, in which he exposes the cultural myths and misconceptions about America’s identity, showing how our notions of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are at odds with the call to take up our cross and follow Jesus.

Stop by IVP booth #2052 for all these giveaways and more.

InterVarsity Press to Publish Alabaster Devotional Series: Study Bibles for an Instagram Generation

Wed, 15 May 2019 13:44:00 GMT

Brian Chung and Bryan Ye-Chung of Alabaster Co. have signed a contract to partner with InterVarsity Press (IVP) on the Alabaster Devotional series—a version of their widely praised Alabaster Bible set, originally launched through a Kickstarter campaign in 2016.

Chung and Ye-Chung got their start in ministry with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVP’s parent organization) and were inspired by fellow staffer and author James Choung. His book Real Life predicts the spiritual question of the next generation to be, What is beautiful? and Chung and Ye-Chung leaned into that question when they started Alabaster Co.

“We have become a culture that values design, consumes large amounts of visual media, and has given everyone access to a camera and tools for making,” said Chung and Ye-Chung. “We are all creatives. In the midst of this reality, we ask, How do we show that the gospel is beautiful?”

The Gospels was the first release of Alabaster Co. They integrated visual imagery and thoughtful design in the four biblical texts, interested in seeing how it could give readers a more beautiful reading experience. The Kickstarter campaign immediately took off and nearly doubled their fundraising goal. Since then they’ve launched more books of the Bible, including Psalms, Romans, and Proverbs.

Alabaster Co. has received coverage from numerous outlets for this project. The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Huffington Post, and others have all called their books “the Bible for millennials.” In a piece with Vox, Chavie Lieber wrote, “These are no ordinary religious books. They have that Kinfolk-inspired, vaguely Scandinavian vibe that has taken over coffee shops, fashion boutiques, and interior design Instagram. Their pages are clean and spacious, and the religious texts are placed next to photos that are solemn yet alluring: forests of trees, mysterious caves, a de-petaled rose, mist above the ocean, a woman holding a candle.”

The IVP Alabaster Devotional series will initially release with volumes for each the four Gospels and two volumes for Psalms, beginning in the winter of 2020. These versions will have lectio and visio divina study material throughout, which will be authored by Jan Johnson (John, Matthew, and Luke), Tracey Gee (Mark), and Kathy Khang (Psalms, volumes one and two). The books will use the New Living Translation.

“This project will combine the Alabaster Bible’s modern, reader-friendly design with lectio divina studies rooted in the ancient tradition of the church,” said Ethan McCarthy, editor for the project. “Part of our DNA at IVP has always been to invite readers into the Bible in fresh and life-giving ways—and this series promises to do just that.”

IVP, which is approaching its seventy-fifth year of publishing in 2022, has a long history of producing Bible study content. The first book published by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship was written by Jane Hollingsworth titled Discovering the Gospel of Mark. Since then IVP has produced countless Bible studies, including their expansive series of LifeGuide Bible Studies.

“We look forward to partnering with IVP on the Alabaster Devotional series,” added Chung and Ye-Chung. “In many ways, the Alabaster journey began with InterVarsity, through the spiritual foundation it built for the founding team members during their time in college. To partner with IVP is to go full circle as a company.”

Becoming Dallas Willard Wins Prestigious 2019 ECPA Christian Book Award®

Fri, 03 May 2019 16:00:52 GMT

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) has announced that Becoming Dallas Willard: The Formation of a Philosopher, Teacher, and Christ Followerby Gary W. Moon was chosen as the book of the year in the category of Biography and Memoir for the 2019 ECPA Christian Book Awards®.

“Those who did not know Dallas in person can get a good sense of him from his lectures and writings. But what has been a gnawing omission is the details of his life made available to the public—until now,” said J. P. Moreland, distinguished professor of philosophy at the Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. “Becoming Dallas Willard is a first-rate, accurate, honest, timely, and riveting biography. I am so thankful to Gary for doing such a careful and painstakingly accurate treatment of the life of the greatest man I ever met.”

In Becoming Dallas Willard, Moon, a close friend of Willard, offers a candid and inspiring biography about a great man of the faith who was a personal mentor and inspiration to hundreds of pastors, philosophers, and average churchgoers. His presence and ideas rippled through the lives of many prominent leaders and authors, such as John Ortberg, Richard Foster, James Bryan Smith, Paula Huston, and Moreland. As a result of these relationships and the books he wrote, Willard fundamentally altered the way tens of thousands of Christians have understood and experienced the spiritual life. Moon writes about the development of Willard’s personal character, philosophical writing, and spiritual teaching and how he has inspired some of the most influential books on spirituality of the last generation.

Christopher Hall, president of Renovaré, said, “The web of Dallas Willard’s life is a highly complex, wondrous, and redemptive story woven from strands of God’s providence: family, friends, colleagues, events, institutions, ministry, teaching, writing, choices, pain, grief, healing, deep faith, and love. How difficult and maybe all but impossible task it is for a biographer to untangle and explain the story of any image bearer’s life, much less a giant in the land such as Dallas Willard. But Gary Moon does this in a kind, discerning, and wise manner. We can now know Dallas Willard much better—and be enriched and encouraged in the knowing—because his close friend Gary Moon has researched and written so clearly.”

Cindy Bunch, IVP associate publisher, director of editorial, said, “Gary W. Moon approached this project with the attitude of a historical researcher, traveling to visit the sites of Willard’s childhood, and the places where he lived and studied. He interviewed hundreds of people, including colleagues, family, and friends. He read deeply into both Willard’s spiritual and philosophical work in order to follow the development of Willard’s thought and teaching. Then Moon added his psychological understanding to consider how these factors came together to shape the person Willard became. But most importantly Moon gave attention to the formational work of God through the shaping forces in Willard’s life. This book fits well into our formation line because of the guidance it offers the reader on the transformational power of spiritual practice.”

The Christian Book Award® program has recognized the highest quality in Christian books since 1978, honoring the best titles of the year in twelve categories. Five finalists are chosen in each category unless there is a tie, and this year’s winners in each category were announced on April 30 as part of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Awards Celebration in Chicago.

Ed Gilbreath Joins IVP as Executive Editor

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 14:07:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press (IVP) is pleased to welcome Ed Gilbreath onto its staff in the newly created position of executive editor.

Gilbreath, who is also an IVP author of two books, Reconciliation Blues and Birmingham Revolution, most recently served as the executive director of communications for the Evangelical Covenant Church. In that role, he led efforts to redesign and relaunch their ninety-year-old magazine, The Covenant Companion, which has since won numerous accolades, including the Evangelical Press Association’s “Best Denominational Magazine” and the Associated Church Press’s “Best in Class” award.

“I have known Ed Gilbreath throughout the majority of my tenure at InterVarsity Press in his roles as an editor, journalist, author, and business executive,” said Jeff Crosby, IVP publisher. “In each of those spheres, I have admired his keen ability to spot important and timely content, develop writers, and shape their messages in ways that exhort, encourage, challenge, and inform readers. I’m delighted to welcome Ed onto the InterVarsity Press team and look forward to years of fruitful work together.”

Gilbreath was an editor with Christianity Today International from 1999 to 2007, where he wrote and edited award-winning stories for their print and online platforms, helped lead the rebranding of Today’s Christian, and served on a publishing task force for broader planning.

Additionally, Gilbreath founded urbanfaith.com while serving as senior director of communications and digital media with Urban Ministries, Inc. As such, he provided an underserved audience in the evangelical space with Christian news and commentary from a uniquely diverse perspective. While at Urban Ministries, he cultivated new and diverse Christian voices as contributors, expanded the site traffic, and won the first place prize for digital publications from the Evangelical Press Association.

“I’ve gotten to know Ed Gilbreath over the years as the editor for his two excellent IVP books,” said Cindy Bunch, associate publisher for editorial. “His careful work, elegant and reflective writing, and wide range of reading and research interests have prompted me to think that Ed has the makings of an excellent book editor.”

In this newly formed position of executive editor, Gilbreath will work alongside Bunch and IVP’s editorial team on acquisitions and development, leaning into spaces that promote diversity of authors and readers.

“Drawing on his journalistic background, Ed will be acquiring and developing a range of trade books for us,” Bunch continued. “He will provide some added leadership within the editorial department. His influence will also extend beyond the department as he works on some of IVP’s strategic plan projects, including expanding our marketing initiatives with African American audiences.”

“I’ve long admired IVP’s commitment to thoughtful, biblically rooted books from a diversity of Christian voices,” Gilbreath said. “It was a privilege to become an IVP author a decade ago, and now I’m thrilled by the opportunity to join this great team at a time when the church and society are eager to engage with IVP’s life-changing content like never before.”

Gilbreath will begin his work at IVP on May 6, 2019.

Three IVP Titles Chosen as Finalists for the 2019 Christian Book Award® Program

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 19:03:34 GMT

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) selected three InterVarsity Press titles as finalists for its 2019 Christian Book Award® program. The books include Last Call for Liberty by Os Guinness, Becoming Dallas Willard by Gary Moon and Window on the World by Molly Wall and Jason Mandryk.

ECPA named sixty-four finalists in twelve categories. The titles represent the industry’s best books and Bibles of the year in Christian Living, Faith & Culture, Biography & Memoir, Devotion & Gift, Young People’s Literature, Children, Ministry Resources, Bible Reference Works, Bible Study, Bibles, New Author—and the new category of Audio.

Last Call for Liberty: How America’s Genius for Freedom Has Become Its Greatest Threat is one of the finalists in the Faith & Culture category. This book was also chosen as the 2018 WORLD Magazine Book of the Year in the Understanding America category. “Os Guinness has stood as a beacon of eloquence and insight,” said Shelby Coffey III, vice chairman of the Newseum and former editor of the Los Angeles Times. “In a host of important books, he has chronicled the struggle of those who resist the modern world’s descent into carnival culture. Last Call for Liberty is his masterwork—an urgent guide that leads out of the maze America has wandered into. For those who seek to understand the best of freedom’s vital gifts, Guinness is the master class leader.”

The IVP finalist in the Biography/Memoir category is Becoming Dallas Willard: The Formation of a Philosopher, Teacher, and Christ Follower. Also selected as a finalist in the biography category of the 2018 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, this book tells the story of a man who became a personal mentor and inspiration to hundreds of pastors, philosophers, and average churchgoers. His presence and ideas rippled through the lives of many prominent leaders and authors, such as John Ortberg, Richard Foster, James Bryan Smith, Paula Huston, and J. P. Moreland. As a result of these relationships and the books he wrote, he fundamentally altered the way tens of thousands of Christians have understood and experienced the spiritual life. “Gary Moon has written an engaging biography of this philosopher, university professor, and religious thinker who, though an ordinary man of the people, had an extraordinary impact,” said Brendan Sweetman, department of philosophy, Rockhurst University.

Window on the World: An Operation World Prayer Resource was chosen as a finalist in the Children’s category. This revised edition includes new entries for more countries and people groups, with updated information and prayer points from the team at Operation World. Window on the World brings alive the culture, history, and traditions of all sorts of different people. With “Fact Files” and “Do You Know?” features, each section brings information, true stories, maps, and easy-to-use prayer points that take you into homes around the world. It teaches how children live, what they like to do, where they go to school, what they eat and wear, and what they hope and dream.

The Christian Book Award® winners in each category, along with the 2019 Christian Book of the Year®, will be announced on April 30 at the ECPA Awards Celebration held during the ECPA Leadership Summit in Chicago. ECPA president Stan Jantz said, “The Christian Book Award® program is a vital part of our ongoing efforts to bring national attention to the finest books and Bibles published by our members. We are grateful to the publishers who invest in the program by submitting their best work.”

For a complete list of IVP award winners visit ivpress.com.