2024 Press Releases

IVP’s Land of My Sojourn Named Among Library Journal’s Best Nonfiction of 2024

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 20:18:00 GMT

Library Journal, the most widely circulated publication for librarians, has named Land of My Sojourn by Mike Cosper among its list of Best Nonfiction of 2024.

Land of My Sojourn: The Landscape of a Faith Lost and Found from InterVarsity Press (IVP) was selected along with 144 titles that made the publication’s Best Books 2024 lists across ten categories.

The Library Journal announcement said, “We celebrate the wondrous activity of reading with this list of 144 titles, books that delighted LJ reviewers, columnists, and editors. These works made us put them down and think―and pick them up again at any free moment. The books on this list drove conversations at work, with friends, with the barista, the dog walker, and the dentist. They are the books that make us happy to be readers.”

Library Journal described Land of My Sojourn this way: “Evangelical pastor Cosper left active ministry after a spiritual reckoning triggered by some of his followers’ support of Donald Trump. Cast adrift, isolated, and brokenhearted, he travels to the Holy Land where he gains a renewed understanding of faith. In this memoir, he considers church disagreements and his own spiritual uncertainty and works his way to a new identity.”

Russell Moore, editor in chief of Christianity Today, said, “At some point in every Christian’s life, God intervenes to show us that what we thought to be our home isn’t―and sometimes, only a lifetime later does one see that this was actually good news. Mike Cosper is one of the sharpest thinkers in the Christian world, and also one of the most creative. This book includes cultural analysis, personal lament, and biblical reflection. If you’ve ever felt the pain of losing home―and if you want to learn how to long for something better―this is the book for you.”

Cosper writes, “In the years since leaving local church ministry, I’ve devoted an enormous amount of time and resources to examining the church’s often troubled witness, its ongoing crisis of leadership, and the epidemic of narcissism, abuse, and cover-up that has continued to emerge year after year. This book is about my journey both before and undergirding that work―the shattering of dreams and the grace that restored a broken faith in the aftermath. It’s a story about grace leading me home when I thought all was lost.

“Taken together, my encounters with Peter, Elijah, and Jesus connected to indelible images from my time in Israel and formed a new spiritual landscape in my mind, one with enough gravity to draw my feet back to solid ground. My hope is that as I tell this story you might find echoes of your own.”

Cosper is the director of podcasting for Christianity Today, where he has hosted The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill and Cultivated. He also served as one of the founding pastors at Sojourn Church in Louisville, Kentucky, from which he launched Sojourn Music, a collective of musicians writing songs for the church. He is the author of several other books, including Recapturing the Wonder and Rhythms of Grace.

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

IVP’s First Nations Version and The Common Rule Receive Milestone Award for 100,000 Copies Sold

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 19:59:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press (IVP) is proud to announce that it has received the ECPA Bronze Milestone Award in recognition of the remarkable impact of two titles that have surpassed 100,000 copies sold across print, digital, and audio formats. The books are The Common Rule by Justin Whitmel Earley and First Nations Version by Terry M. Wildman and the First Nations Version Translation Council.

Published in 2019, The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction provides a set of daily and weekly practices designed to form people in the love of God and neighbor.

“I would say I’m ‘so humbled’ by this milestone, but honestly the humility comes in the form of genuine surprise,” said Earley. “When I started writing about habits as spiritual disciplines a few years ago, it was mostly to help myself process the way God was using the grace of habit to bring me back to mental health, because my life had collapsed. I never imagined that so many people from so many walks of life were struggling with the same. I had no idea so many people would tell me that this little book would help them rethink the spiritual habits in their own lives.”

On June 3, 2025, IVP will release The Common Rule Youth Edition: Growing Your Faith in a Distracted World to similarly empower young readers to break free from the stress and anxiety of modern life.

Earley added, “All I can say is that God is so good to work through my failure and my clumsy writing efforts to bring such great good in others’ lives. And it makes me all the more excited that a version of this book for teens is coming out this Spring! May God continue to bless it, and all glory to the one who uses our failures to work his good!”

Published in 2021, First Nations Version: An Indigenous Bible Translation of the New Testament (FNV) is a dynamic equivalence translation of the New Testament that captures the simplicity, clarity, and beauty of Native storytellers in English, while remaining faithful to the original language of the Bible. The culmination of a rigorous five-year translation process, this Bible translation is a collaboration between organizations like OneBook and Wycliffe Associates, Indigenous North Americans from over twenty-five different tribes, and a translation council that consisted of twelve Native North American elders, pastors, young adults, and men and women from different tribes and diverse geographic locations.

Wildman, lead translator and project manager of the FNV, said, “The hopes and dreams that guided our Translation Council and me in creating the FNV have exceeded all expectations. Since its release, the FNV has become a bridge for Indigenous people to connect with Creator’s Good Story (Gospel), touching readers across Turtle Island (North America) and beyond. Surpassing 100,000 copies sold isn’t just a milestone; it reflects lives transformed, stories honored, and relationships deepened across cultures. The FNV has found a home at Native gatherings, college campuses, churches, schools, study groups, and personal devotions, affirming the power of language and culture to heal, build understanding, and warm hearts on a shared journey of faith.”

Based on the profound impact the FNV has had on so many readers, in September IVP also published an IVP Kids title, Birth of the Chosen One: A First Nations Retelling of the Christmas Story, that features Native American art by illustrators Hannah Noel Buchanan and Holly Buchanan. And in Summer 2025 IVP will release the FNV leather bound edition (June 24, 2025) as well as First Nations Version Psalms and Proverbs; An Indigenous Bible Translation (August 5, 2025).

“The First Nations Version is a groundbreaking, fresh translation of the New Testament filled with vivid, evocative language and imagery,” said Al Hsu, senior editor for IVP. “We’re thrilled with how the FNV New Testament has been received and are excited to be developing the FNV Psalms and Proverbs as the sacred songs and words of the wisdomkeepers.”

Established in 1990, the ECPA Milestone Sales Award program recognizes outstanding sales achievement in the publication of quality Christian literature. Eligibility for these awards is attained whenever a book achieves the designated sales level in all of its formats.

IVP Launches Second Season of The Digital Examen Podcast on January 8

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 21:02:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press (IVP) will kick off the second season of The Digital Examen on January 8. Hosted by pastor and author Jay Kim, the podcast will expand on the theme of “Living at the Pace of Peace.”

“Like many people these days, I often find myself overwhelmed by the chaos of the digital age—so much frenzy, so little peace,” Kim said. “My hope is that The Digital Examen will offer people not only a learning experience but also an invitation into stillness with God as we slow down enough to listen as much as we learn.”

Building on the topics of listening, peace, and slowness explored in season one, season two will seek to not only equip listeners to perceive God’s voice but to also notice God himself in the everyday with one’s whole self.

New episodes of The Digital Examen release weekly on Wednesdays starting January 8 through March 26. In the first episode Kim will introduce the second podcast season by posing questions about what it means to slow down and notice God amid the noise and pace of the digital age. As the lead pastor at WestGate Church in Silicon Valley, Kim has experienced the digital church in all its splendor and writes about it in his two books, Analog Church and Analog Christian. Kim has also written on the topic of the digital age for Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Missio Alliance, and Relevant Magazine.

Kim’s guests for season two include:

January 15

Ashlee Eiland is a thought leader, writer, and Bible teacher. She formerly served as colead pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church in West Michigan. She is the author of Human(Kind) and Say Good.

January 22

Glenn Packiam is the lead pastor of Rockharbor Church in Costa Mesa, California. He is the author of several books, including The Resilient Pastor, Worship and the World to Come, Blessed Broken Given, and the most recent title, The Intentional Year, coauthored with his wife, Holly.

January 29

Ruth Haley Barton is founding president of the Transforming Center, a spiritual formation ministry to pastors and Christian leaders. She is the author of numerous books and resources on the spiritual life, including Invitation to Solitude and Silence, Sacred Rhythms, Longing for More and Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership.

February 5

Michael John Cusick is the CEO and founder of Restoring the Soul, an intensive counseling ministry in Denver. He is a licensed professional counselor, spiritual director, and former assistant professor of counseling at Colorado Christian University. Michael is the author of Surfing for God and Sacred Attachment.

February 12

A.J. Swoboda is an associate professor of Bible and theology at Bushnell University and lead mentor for the doctor of ministry program on spiritual formation and soul care at Friends University. He is the author of many books, including The Gift of Thorns, After Doubt, and the award-winning Subversive Sabbath.

February 19

Kathy Tuan-MacLean is the national faculty ministry director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, where she invites and resources faculty to follow Jesus together. Since joining InterVarsity in 1990, she has led numerous students and faculty in Bible study, spiritual formation, and leadership development. She is the coauthor, with Tara Edelschick, of Moms at the Well.

February 26

Natasha Smith is a grief advocate, speaker, and podcast host. She is the author of Can You Just Sit with Me? and Black Woman Grief. Her work has appeared in Guideposts, Propel Women, Influence magazine, her.BIBLE, and elsewhere.

March 5

Kevin Chapman is a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialty in cognitive behavioral therapy. He is the founder and director of the Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders and has appeared on TLC and the Today show as well as in USA Today, Huffington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. Chapman leads Sound Mind Ministries and is the author of Mastering Our Emotions.

March 12

Steve Cuss is the author of Managing Leadership Anxiety. He spent twenty-six years in local church leadership after serving as a trauma and hospice chaplain. He now hosts emotional health workshops all over the world for non-profit organizations and businesses and cultivates an online community of learners at Capable Life.

March 19

Andy Crouch is partner for theology and culture at Praxis, an organization that works as a creative engine for redemptive entrepreneurship. Crouch served for more than ten years as an editor and producer at Christianity Today, including serving as executive editor from 2012 to 2016. His work and writing have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Time. He is the author of numerous books, including Culture Making, Strong and Weak, and The Life We’re Looking For.

March 26

Kim will wrap up the second season of The Digital Examen with a final episode focused on reorienting our lives so that we can notice God with the entirety of our beings—heart, soul, mind, strength—in both the mundane and majestic moments of everyday life.

The Digital Examen podcast will be available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcast distributors. Check out the IVP YouTube page for a peek at The Digital Examen trailer.

IVP Academic Titles Receive Top Honors in Southwestern Journal of Theology Book of the Year Awards

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 00:34:00 GMT

IVP Academic’s On Classical Trinitarianism and Wonders of Your Law were both named top books in their academic disciplines as part of the 2024 Book of the Year awards, a process coordinated by the Southwestern Journal of Theology.

“The Southwestern Seminary faculty members have made excellent choices related to the 2024 Book of the Year awards, a process coordinated by the Southwestern Journal of Theology,” said David S. Dockery, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary president. “Faculty members from all five schools joined together to offer their insights regarding 2024 publications in various fields of study such as Biblical and theological studies, church history, apologetics and Christian worldview, worship, ministry studies, education and counseling, as well as evangelism and missions. The process reflects the wide-ranging engagement of the Southwestern faculty with the best of Christian scholarship.”

Wonders from Your Law: Nexus Passages and the Promise of an Exegetical Intertextual Old Testament Theology by Kevin S. Chen was honored as the top book in the Biblical Studies category. Chen is professor of Old Testament Studies at Gateway Seminary in Ontario, CA. He previously taught at Christian Witness Theological Seminary in San Jose, CA, and Union University in Jackson, TN. He is the author of The Messianic Vision of the Pentateuch and is a contributor to the Worldview Study Bible.

Chloe T. Sun, professor of Old Testament and program director of the Chinese Studies Center at Fuller Theological Seminary, said, “In Wonders from Your Law, Kevin Chen identifies ten key nexus passages in the Old Testament, resulting in an integrative and intertextual approach that honors the literary, textual, and theological unity of the Old Testament. Readers will discover the themes of creation, deliverance, the temple, the Messiah, and his kingdom as well as wisdom, which are all weaved together to form God’s story with Israel. The book contributes creatively to Old Testament theology from an evangelical perspective. It invites us to get on the ‘subway’ of the Old Testament and to be awed by its ‘transfer stations’ and, ultimately, its destination.”

Southwestern Journal of Theology selected On Classical Trinitarianism: Retrieving the Nicene Doctrine of the Triune God, edited by Matthew Barrett, as the top book in the Church History/Historical Theology/Biography category. Motivated by the longstanding need to retrieve the classical doctrine of the Trinity, Barrett brings together Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox scholars to intervene in the conversation. With over forty contributions, this ecumenical volume resurrects the enduring legacy of Nicene orthodoxy, providing a theological introduction that listens with humility to the Great Tradition.

Matthew Barrett is professor of Christian Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, the editor-in-chief of Credo Magazine, and Director of the Center for Classical Theology. He is the author of the award-winning book, Simply Trinity: The Unmanipulated Father, Son, and Spirit, as well as the author of The Reformation as Renewal: Retrieving the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. He is currently writing a Systematic Theology.

"On Classical Trinitarianism is a breathtaking accomplishment. An astonishing array of contributions maps the field of trinitarian theology—historical, dogmatic, and polemical,” said Hans Boersma, the Order of St. Benedict Servants of Christ Chair in Ascetical Theology at Nashotah House Theological Seminary, Wisconsin. “The forty chapters, written by prominent theologians from each of three major branches of the church, are a major refutation of the so-called revival of the Trinity in twentieth-century theology. This publication is a serious, in-depth reassertion of classical Nicene theology over against the recent onslaught of social trinitarianism with its rationally comprehensible and compositional (and, often, subordinationist) view of the Trinity. Anyone attempting a return to the social trinitarianism of the previous century will have to reckon with Matthew Barrett's major accomplishment in this volume.”

The Southwestern Journal of Theology awards recognize a top overall Book of the Year and the top books in twelve categories related to various academic disciplines. Books are nominated by the residential faculty of Southwestern Seminary and Texas Baptist College, the seminary’s undergraduate school. Dockery and Malcolm B. Yarnell III, editor of the Southwestern Journal of Theology and research professor of theology, coordinate the process, which also identifies books that receive honorable mention commendations in each category.

IVP Academic’s The New Testament in Color and On Classical Trinitarianism Receive Prestigious Book Awards

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 19:36:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press (IVP) is celebrating the work of numerous authors who were honored as part of this year’s Christianity Today and Gospel Coalition Book Awards.

“We are humbled and extremely grateful for these awards programs and for the ways they shine a light on books that will continue to leave a lasting impact on the church and culture for years to come,” said Terumi Echols, IVP’s president and publisher. “I am also thankful for the authors who have entrusted these projects to us and for the dedicated teams at IVP who work alongside them to bring their ideas to life and ultimately to the lives of readers.”

IVP Honors from The Christianity Today Book Awards

WINNER, BIBLICAL STUDIES

The New Testament in Color: A Multiethnic Bible Commentary, edited by Esau McCaulley, Janette H. Ok, Osvaldo Padilla, and Amy Peeler, is a first-of-its-kind volume that is both theologically orthodox and multiethnically contextual.

Gregory Lanier, New Testament professor at Reformed Theological Seminary, said, “This book, in which four major scholars pull together contributions from over two dozen authors, marks a major step forward. Not only does it sketch out the rationale for doing biblical exegesis from Black, Native American, Latino, or Asian standpoints. It reveals what the results look like, showcasing how scholars from diverse backgrounds read the same Bible while attending differently to its applications and implications.”

Michael Kibbe, associate professor of Bible at Great Northern University, said, “The editors deserve thanks and congratulations for producing a groundbreaking Bible commentary that amplifies their voices and perspectives. I hope it prompts more of its kind.”

AWARD OF MERIT, POLITICS AND PUBLIC LIFE

In Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor, Caleb E. Campbell introduces the basics of Christian nationalism and explores the reasons so many people are attracted to it. He also addresses a variety of American Christian nationalist talking points and offers questions and responses that humbly subvert these claims and cultivate deeper, heart-level conversations.

“While I am deeply concerned about a sudden uptick in Christian nationalist rhetoric and the harm it does to Christian witness, I’m also sensitive to the ways this threat can be overhyped,” said Rachel Ferguson, director of the Free Enterprise Center at Concordia University Chicago. “Campbell navigates the topic with prudence, not to mention the credibility that comes from his experience as a teenaged white supremacist turned pastor with firsthand knowledge of the pain and dissension extremist politics brought to his church. Disarming Leviathan was personally convicting, as it forced me to acknowledge that flapping my gums against Christian nationalism has far less kingdom impact than actually loving people who have been drawn into its orbit.”

FINALIST, MARRIAGE, FAMILY, AND SINGLENESS

Family Discipleship That Works: Guiding Your Child to Know, Love, and Act Like Jesus by Brian Dembowczyk invites parents into more active family discipleship without judgmentalism but with grace and understanding.

Pastor and author Barnabas Piper said, “In all honesty, as both a father and a pastor, I usually cringe when I see books about family worship (or parenting in general) because of how many of them heap pressure, expectation, and even legalistic standards on parents. In Family Discipleship That Works Brian Dembowczyk does a wonderful job pointing parents to Christ as hope and a means of discipleship. Brian doesn’t shy away from high biblical standards and commands, but neither does he burden parents with them. Rather, he models what he writes about by explaining truth with clarity and grace and dependence on the gospel of grace. This book offers a deep, firm foundation for discipleship as parents, and meaningful, practical steps we can take.”

For a list of past IVP honors from the Christianity Today Book Awards visit ivpress.com/award-winners.

IVP Honors from The Gospel Coalition 2024 Book Awards

WINNER, THEOLOGICAL STUDIES

On Classical Trinitarianism: Retrieving the Nicene Doctrine of the Triune God not only addresses the major modern challenges to the classical doctrine of the Trinity but also illustrates why properly articulating this central mystery of the faith is vital for the church’s worship, witness, and discipleship. Motivated by the longstanding need to retrieve the classical doctrine of the Trinity, theologian Matthew Barrett brings together Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox scholars to intervene in the conversation. With over forty contributions, this ecumenical volume resurrects the enduring legacy of Nicene orthodoxy, providing a theological introduction that listens with humility to the Great Tradition.

Michael F. Bird, deputy principal at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia, said, “One will be hard-pressed to find a more comprehensive explanation of trinitarian doctrine than this collection of essays. Matthew Barrett has assembled a prestigious team of scholars to explain what the Trinity is and why it still matters. On Classical Trinitarianism is an outstanding achievement in modern scholarship on the Christian doctrine of God.”

AWARD OF DISTINCTION, HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY

In Ownership: The Evangelical Legacy of Slavery in Edwards, Wesley, and Whitefield, Sean McGever takes three of evangelicalism’s greatest giants—Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and John Wesley—and considers their approaches to slavery, which were (to say the least) complicated. Laying out the dominant attitudes among Christians toward slavery at the time, McGever sets these “men of their times” in their own context, inviting us to learn how these shapers of American evangelicalism contributed to the tragic history of racism in America. He also explores how Christians finally began to recognize that slavery, which they’d excused for most of Christian history, is actually wrong.

Mark Noll, author of America’s Book: The Rise and Decline of a Bible Civilization, 1794–1911, said, “This book is unusually well researched (showing that Wesley, Edwards, and Whitefield actively or passively supported slavery even after Quaker Bible believers had published solid arguments showing the system’s evil). It is patiently argued (bending over backward to explain charitably why these landmark evangelicals acted as they did). It is also painstakingly self-reflective (asking, If we condemn earlier Christians for unthinking support of their society’s evil, what evils might we be supporting unthinkingly today?). The result is unusual clarity about the past and, even more, a compelling imperative for examining our own lives today.”

For a list of past IVP honors from The Gospel Coalition Book Awards visit ivpress.com/award-winners.

Actress Keelia Clarkson Signs Two-Book Contract with IVP for Avila Falls Series

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 22:35:00 GMT

Keelia Clarkson, an actress, writer, and podcaster, has signed a two-book contract with InterVarsity Press (IVP) for the Avila Falls series, a classic fiction story of a big city girl returning home to a small town to find herself, faith, and love.

Clarkson describes this series as “The Devil Wears Prada and Gilmore Girls go to church and discover their identity.” She adds that Avila Falls is a contemporary love story with all the fun, romance, and charm of any of the most popular novels for women, but without the problematic content and confusing messaging so often present in today’s love stories.

“So often, the genre of romance is filled not only with oversexualized and problematic storylines but also stories that leave the readers with incomplete, untrue, and confusing messages about love, relationships, and romance,” Clarkson said. “My hope with this book is to offer an enchanting, exciting, engrossing story that offers the reader hope, redemption, and a vision of what true love can look like—without sacrificing enjoyment, fun, and romance.”

As an actress, Clarkson has appeared in popular TV shows like NBC’s New Amsterdam and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and beloved romantic indie films like Miracle on Highway 34. She is playing the lead in the faith-based romance/western Bright Sky. She has been published in multiple print and online outlets, including Magnify Collective, Radiant NYC, and Evie Magazine.

Clarkson is also the editor-in-chief of Wallflower Journal, which launched in January 2022 and has since reached hundreds of thousands of women. She leads a team of women writers covering topics of relationships, lifestyle, beauty, personal stories, and culture. She launched the Dear Wallflower podcast in September 2022 to thousands of young women listeners and receives up to 3k
downloads per month.

Clarkson lives between New York City, Los Angeles, and Colorado Springs with her husband, Nathan Clarkson, an award-winning actor, filmmaker, and best-selling author. She is the daughter-in-law of beloved speaker/podcaster and best-selling author Sally Clarkson

The first title in the Avila Falls series will release in Spring 2026. The acquiring agent is Cindy Bunch, associate publisher and director of editorial at IVP, and Clarkson is represented by Don Pape of Pape Commons.

IVP Receives Seven 2024 Top Shelf Book Cover Awards

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 16:36:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press (IVP) is pleased to announce that seven cover designs were chosen for the 2024 Top Shelf Book Cover Awards by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA).

David Fassett, former Art and Creative Director at IVP, is credited with the designs for all seven award-winning covers. Shane White, IVP’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Publicity, said, “David left a legacy of excellence in design at IVP, and we are grateful to ECPA for recognizing his tremendous work.”

During his time at IVP, Fassett said this about his design work: “I think a book cover should truthfully and clearly communicate the gist of the book in a way that is visually compelling with the goal of moving the intended reader to pick up the book (or click on it). The cover should also serve as a visual reminder of the experience that the reader had with the book.”

IVP’s 2024 Top Shelf Book Cover Award designs include:

Creator: A Theological Interpretation of Genesis 1 by Peter J. Leithart

Hear Ye the Word of the Lord: What We Miss If We Only Read the Bible by D. Brent Sandy

Hopeful Lament: Tending Our Grief Through Spiritual Practices by Terra McDaniel

Lay Me in God’s Good Earth: A Christian Approach to Death and Burial by Kent Burreson and Beth Hoeltke

Looking Up: A Birder’s Guide to Hope Through Grief by Courtney Ellis

Ownership: The Evangelical Legacy of Slavery in Edwards, Wesley, and Whitefield by Sean McGever

The Riches of Your Grace: Living in the Book of Common Prayer by Julie Lane-Gay

Covers are judged by top designers in the publishing industry for their merits in appropriateness for the market, level of conceptual thinking, and quality of execution according to contemporary design standards and aesthetics. The Top Shelf Awards focus solely on these artistic and technical merits, without considering sales performance, reader engagement, or market reach.

Winners are officially announced and presented with an award at ECPA’s annual PubU event, where the industry’s design community gathers to learn and network. Winning book covers and judges’ comments are featured at TopShelfAward.org.

Zion Learns to See from IVP Kids Receives Black Authors Matter Children’s Book Award

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 01:15:00 GMT

IVP Kids is pleased to announce that Zion Learns to See has received the 2024 Black Authors Matter Children’s Book Award in the religion and faith category. This annual award is sponsored by the National Black Book Festival and was established to honor excellence in African American literature.

Coauthored by father and daughter Terence and Zion Lester and illustrated by Subi Bosa, Zion Learns to See was also a finalist in the social justice category. Other honors include a 2024 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award and being named a 2024 American Fiction Awards finalist.

Zion Learns to See: Opening Our Eyes to Homelessness is inspired by real life events. Zion joins her dad at his work at the community center one day and learns about people experiencing homelessness. As she recognizes that all people matter to God, Zion is fueled into action and initiates a campaign with her classmates.

Zion Lester shared, “Our family’s constant involvement in serving the community helped me to see those faced with homelessness as community members. I learned to see everyone, regardless of whether they have an address, with dignity by being in the community.”

“Without instilling values such as love, compassion, justice, dignity, mercy, and grace” said Terence, “we risk raising a generation indifferent to the hardships of others.”

Terence Lester received his PhD from Union Institute and University. He is a minister, speaker, community activist, author, and founder of Love Beyond Walls, a not-for-profit organization focused on poverty awareness and community mobilization. Zion Lester became interested in her dad’s work on a Saturday morning when she was seven years old. Since then, she has grown to become a community leader, writer, and speaker. She regularly serves with Love Beyond Walls and encourages other youth to volunteer, too.

”Zion Learns to See is a delightful read and a necessary nudge,” said Dorena Williamson, bridge builder and author of The Celebration Place. “In the Gospels, Jesus was filled with compassion when he saw people who were marginalized by society and religion. This book gives us an opportunity to be like Jesus and motivates readers to join Zion in seeing and loving our neighbors as fellow image bearers.”

For a complete list of children’s titles from IVP, visit ivpkids.com.

IVP’s The Disrupters Podcast to Release Three Election-Related Bonus Episodes

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 22:29:00 GMT

IVP is excited to announce that The Disrupters podcast will be adding three election-related bonus episodes to its fifth season to prepare listeners the day before the presidential election, the day of the election, and the day after the election.

Seasons one and two of The Disrupters podcast asked the question, “What does it mean to disrupt the church?” Seasons three and four asked the question, “What does it mean to disrupt culture?” For its fifth season, hosted by IVP author Kaitlyn Schiess, The Disrupters asked the question, “What does it mean to disrupt ourselves?”

Continuing this theme, this bonus mini-series features host Miranda Zapor Cruz, author of Faithful Politics. Cruz offers a disruption of the noise surrounding Election Day 2024 through thoughtful meditations accompanied by relevant Scripture readings, to help listeners combat the anxiety and uncertainties that accompany the selection of our next national and local leaders. Together, these episodes educate, inspire, and reassure listeners who seek a healthy posture this election year, for the health of their souls as well as for the flourishing of their communities.

Each bonus episode will include a related Scripture reading from the First Nations Version (episode 11), The Second Testament (episode 12), and The First Testament (episode 13).

The schedule of topics and readers will include:

November 4, Episode 11, “Before You Vote”

Amy Williams is a youth ministry veteran and a certified gang intervention specialist. She is the author of Worth Seeing.
Chloe T. Sun is the author of Conspicuous in His Absence and is professor of Old Testament and program director of the Chinese Studies Center at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Terry M. Wildman is the lead translator, general editor, and project manager of the First Nations Version. He serves as the director of spiritual growth and leadership development for Native InterVarsity. He is also the author of Birth of the Chosen One.
Michael F. Bird is academic dean and lecturer in New Testament at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia. He is the author of over thirty books on the Bible, theology, and history, including Introducing Paul and A Bird’s-Eye View of Luke and Acts.

November 5, Episode 12, “While You Wait”

Prasanta Verma is the author of Beyond Ethnic Loneliness. Her essays and poetry have been published in Sojourners, Propel Women, (in)courage, Inheritance Magazine, The Indianapolis Review, Barren Magazine, and The Mudroom blog.
Lynn H. Cohick is distinguished professor of New Testament and director of Houston Theological Seminary at Houston Christian University. She is an associate editor of Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, the second edition.
Terence Lester is a minister, speaker, community activist, author, and founder of Love Beyond Walls, a nonprofit organization focused on poverty awareness and community mobilization. He is the author of five books, including the forthcoming From Dropout to Doctorate (September 2025).
Scot McKnight is professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lisle, Illinois. He is the author of many books, including Reading Romans Backwards, Pastor Paul, and The Second Testament.

November 6, Episode 13, “After the Result”

Dorena Williamson writes children’s books and is the author of ColorFull, ThoughtFull, GraceFull, and The Celebration Place. In 1995, Dorena and her husband, Chris, cofounded Strong Tower Bible Church in Franklin, Tennessee, a multicultural fellowship passionate about biblical justice and God’s diverse kingdom.
Carmen Joy Imes is associate professor of Old Testament at Biola University. She is the author of Bearing God’s Name, Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends, and Being God’s Image.
Jay Y. Kim serves as the lead pastor at WestGate Church in Silicon Valley and on the leadership team of the ReGeneration Project. He is the author of Analog Church and Analog Christian and is the host of IVP’s The Digital Examen podcast.
Robert Chao Romero is associate professor in the Departments of Chicana/o Studies and Asian American Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles. He is the author of Brown Church.

Read this press release for information about the schedule and guests for season five of The Disrupters, which is available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcast distributors.

IVP Academic Announces a Promotion and New Associate Editor

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 19:44:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press (IVP) is pleased to announce that Noel Forlini Burt has accepted the position of Associate Editor for IVP Academic. In addition, Rachel Hastings, who has served as the Associate Editor for IVP Academic since 2022, has been promoted to Assistant Academic Editorial Director.

“Till now, Rachel has been our primary biblical studies specialist, so now that Noel joins the department, we can do even more in Old and New Testament studies,” said Jon Boyd, IVP’s Associate Publisher and Academic Editorial Director. “And since they both have serious chops in other fields too, like spiritual formation, psychology, and higher education, there’s a very nice domino effect that will widen the ‘beat’ for each editor at IVP Academic.”

Forlini Burt will work from her home in Birmingham, Alabama, where she most recently directed the preministerial scholars program at Samford University and taught courses in Bible and spiritual formation. She has also taught at Baylor University’s Truett Seminary, Baptist Seminary of Kentucky, and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

Forlini Burt earned her PhD in Hebrew Bible from Drew University and is certified in both spiritual direction (George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University) and spiritual formation (Upper Room Academy). Her undergraduate degree is in journalism, a sphere she still loves. Forlini Burt is the author of Hope in the Wilderness: Spiritual Reflections for When God Feels Far Away.

Boyd said, “We see a striking fit for Noel among us at IVP. One interviewer jokingly asked, after meeting her, ‘Are we sure she doesn’t already work here?’ That’s how ‘all in’ she looks to us. As she herself put it in her application, her vision is ‘to nurture…authors as they produce scholarship in biblical studies that will enrich our academic conversations and our lives with God’—and we can’t wait to see the fruit of her work.”

Hastings joined IVP in 2021 as Assistant Project Editor and was soon promoted to Associate Project Editor for trade books before assuming the role of Associate Editor for IVP Academic.

“Rachel is well known not only within InterVarsity Press but also widely, even globally, for her smart editorial work with authors and her passion for the academy and the church,” Boyd said. “Her promotion to Assistant Academic Editorial Director will position her with even more people who will appreciate working with her.”

Hastings has two master’s degrees, one in Old Testament and one in New Testament, from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and she was the recipient of Gordon-Conwell’s New Testament and Greek Award in 2020.

Boyd said, “Life at work is so much better when you have trusted colleagues to collaborate with for mutual interdependence, for teamwork that makes everything better. Rachel Hastings is that kind of colleague, and her leadership in the IVP Academic Editorial team and beyond is already apparent and bearing fruit daily.”

IVP Remembers and Honors Rev. Dr. William E. Pannell

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 16:08:00 GMT

Rev. Dr. William E. Pannell, known as one of the most significant figures in Black evangelicalism in the last century, died on October 11, 2024. He was 95.

“Whenever the history of evangelicals in America is written, there will be a chapter on William Pannell,” said Willie James Jennings, Yale Divinity School. “He has been their Jeremiah—his words carrying the density of gospel truth and the wisdom of a seasoned disciple of Jesus.”

“He would never say this of himself, but I will,” said Jemar Tisby in his article titled “Who Is Bill Pannell?”. “In the truest sense of the word, Dr. Pannell is a real life saint.”

Tisby, who was mentored by Pannell, said that it was one of his greatest professional honors to write the introduction to the 2021 expanded edition of Pannell’s influential book The Coming Race Wars: A Cry for Justice, from Civil Rights to Black Lives Matter.

“In that book he was prophetic about the rising racial tensions in this country and the imperative for the church to act. He was adamant that the gospel had something to say about the most pressing issues of justice in our world,” Tisby said. “We are in a time when people are looking for Christians to model the life of Christ. They are looking for people who pursue Jesus and justice at the same time. People today are looking for a gospel that is actually good news. That’s what Dr. Pannell brings. A message of Christ that is compassionate, angered at injustice, and powerful to enact change.”

“Bill” Pannell was born in Sturgis, Michigan. He received his BA from Fort Wayne Bible College in Indiana in 1951. He went on to study Black history at Wayne State University in Detroit. In 1980 he earned an MA in Social Ethics from the University of Southern California (full biography available at Fuller.edu).

Pannell was professor emeritus of preaching at Fuller Seminary, where he taught from 1974 until his retirement in 2014. Fuller recognized his service to the school and the whole church with the January 2015 renaming and dedication of the William E. Pannell Center for African American Church Studies. Pannell previously served in leadership roles with Youth for Christ and Tom Skinner Associates. His other books include My Friend, the Enemy and Evangelism from the Bottom Up.

Ed Gilbreath, who worked as Pannell’s editor on the expanded edition of The Coming Race Wars, wrote about his friendship with Pannell in the Christianity Today article, “My Friend, Bill Pannell.” Gilbreath said, “Pannell loved Jesus and his church. As a preacher, his heart beat for the gospel and its biblically rooted values of evangelism, discipleship, and justice. His teaching was grounded in a strikingly honest understanding of how Christianity and the church really operate in the world. He was frank about how they are often accessories to the sins of racism and social injustice rather than proponents of reconciliation.

“A lack of real discipleship was at the core of our troubles, Pannell believed. ‘Christ’s parting command was that we go and make disciples of the nations,’ he wrote in his last book, an expanded edition of his 1993 release, The Coming Race Wars, ‘It wasn’t build more churches; it was make disciples. It seems fairly clear today that we have far more churches and Christians than we have disciples.’”

Terumi Echols, President and Publisher of IVP, said, “We can only imagine the far-reaching impact the life and words of William Pannell have left on the Church. We are grateful for his courage in speaking out on issues of racial justice and for his generosity in loving across differences so well. And we at IVP are truly humbled and honored to carry on that legacy through a book that will impact the Church and the culture for generations to come.”

You can learn more about the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. William E. Pannell through this documentary from Fuller Studios titled The Gospel According to Bill Pannell.

IVP Kids' Birth of the Chosen One and Zion Learns to See Receive 2024 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 01:43:00 GMT

IVP Kids is pleased to announce that Birth of the Chosen One and Zion Learns to See are 2024 Moonbeam Award medalists. Winners were announced in over forty categories for titles published from 2022 to 2024.

Birth of the Chosen One: A First Nations Retelling of the Christmas Story, written by Terry M. Wildman, received second place in the holiday category. This children’s picture book narrates the birth of Jesus in the tradition of Native oral storytellers and features Native American art by sisters Hannah and Holly Buchanan.

“This artful retelling captures the wonder of the birth that changed human history. We commonly read the nativity story with mental pictures shaped by Western culture and traditions. What a joy, then, to read the story afresh through First Nations eyes!” said L. Daniel Hawk, professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Ashland Theological Seminary.

Birth of the Chosen One features text from the bestselling First Nations Version, a New Testament in English by Native North Americans.

Zion Learns to See: Opening Our Eyes to Homelessness received first place in the social activism category. Coauthored by Terence and Zion Lester and illustrated by Subi Bosa, Zion Learns to See is inspired by real-life events. Zion joins her dad at his work at the community center one day and learns about people experiencing homelessness. Her new understanding fuels her to action and she initiates a campaign with her classmates.

“My parents have always taught me that we love our neighbors as ourselves and we put God first,” said Zion Lester. “In my view, loving others is an act of service, and serving is crucial because it extends God’s love to others and treats people with dignity, affirming their worth regardless of their circumstances.”

“The core message of our book,” said Terence Lester, “is that age is no barrier to service.”

The Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators. Moonbeam Award winners will be honored at an award ceremony held on November 9, in conjunction with the annual Traverse City Children’s Book Festival.

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

IVP Announces Open Registration for First Nations Version Just Show Up Book Club

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 17:29:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press (IVP) has announced that its first Just Show Up Book Club (JSU) will kick off on October 29, 2024. In recognition of Native American Heritage Month in November, the first IVP Just Show Up book will be the First Nations Version: An Indigenous Bible Translation of the New Testament (FNV) by Terry M. Wildman. The FNV recounts the Creator’s Story—the Christian Scriptures—following the tradition of Native storytellers’ oral cultures.

The IVP JSU Book Club is made possible through a grant from the Grace and Mercy Foundation, an organization that partners with nonprofit organizations to promoting lifelong learning through JSU Book Clubs and the Public Reading of Scripture (PRS). The JSU Book Club is a book club without homework where people gather to read, listen, and discuss great books together.

“The mission of Grace and Mercy and the Just Show Up Book Club is also the mission of IVP. We both strive to get life-changing books into the hands of readers so they can read, discuss, and grow in their understanding of faith and the world around them,” said Terumi Echols, President and Publisher at IVP. “We are so grateful for their support in offering a format like the IVP Just Show Up Book Club that will bring people together to read and discuss transformative resources like the First Nations Version.”

The FNV is a dynamic equivalence translation of the New Testament that captures the simplicity, clarity, and beauty of Native storytellers in English, while remaining faithful to the original language of the Bible. The culmination of a rigorous five-year translation process, this new Bible translation is a collaboration between organizations like OneBook and Wycliffe Associates, Indigenous North Americans from over twenty-five different tribes, and a translation council that consisted of twelve Native North American elders, pastors, young adults, and men and women from different tribes and diverse geographic locations.

On September 3 the FNV also added a resource for children with Birth of the Chosen One: A First Nations Retelling of the Christmas Story. Featuring stunning Native American art, Birth of the Chosen One is a powerful picture book from IVP Kids that illuminates the Christmas story in a fresh and new way.

And in August 2025 IVP will release the Psalms-Proverbs edition of the FNV.

“The First Nations Version is a groundbreaking, fresh translation of the New Testament filled with vivid, evocative language and imagery,” said Al Hsu, IVP’s Associate Editorial Director, Trade. “We’re thrilled with how the FNV New Testament has been received and are excited to be developing the FNV Psalms and Proverbs as the sacred songs and words of the wisdomkeepers.”

Starting on October 29, the IVP JSU Book Club will focus its first seven-week reading plan on the FNV Gospel of Mark. The book club will meet online on Tuesdays from noon to 1 p.m. Central time.

IVP will also host book clubs in January and February that feature On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living by Alan Noble (January) and Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope by Esau McCaulley (February).

“We are excited to welcome people into the IVP JSU Book Club and into just a few of the impactful resources that make up the IVP library,” said Lori Neff, IVP Associate Director of Marketing and the host for the first IVP JSU Book Club. “We look forward to sharing together in both rich readings from the FNV and in rich discussion around this beautiful First Nations translation.”

Visit justshowup.ivpress.com to learn more and to sign up for the IVP JSU Book Club.

Mitali Perkins Signs Contract with IVP Kids

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 21:26:00 GMT

A prolific and honored author of books for young readers, Mitali Perkins has signed a contract with IVP Kids for the Spring 2026 release of her book tentatively titled Big Changes, Fresh Starts: Praying the Beatitudes with Jesus.

Perkins is known for a long list of titles written for young readers, including You Bring the Distant Near (nominated for a National Book Award) and Rickshaw Girl (adapted into a film by Sleeperwave Productions), all of which explore crossing different kinds of borders. Her goal is to make readers laugh or cry, preferably both, as long as their hearts are widening.

Perkins says, “By the time I was 11, I’d lived in Ghana, Cameroon, London, New York and Mexico before settling in California just in time for middle school. Yep, I was the new kid again, in seventh grade, the year everybody barely makes it through.

”My biggest lifeline during those early years was story. Books were my rock, my stability, my safe place as I navigated the border between California suburbia and the Bengali culture of my traditional home.”

After studying political science at Stanford and public policy at U.C. Berkeley, Perkins taught in middle school, high school, and college. When she began to write fiction, she says, “my protagonists were often—not surprisingly—strong characters crossing all kinds of borders, seeking community, and promoting justice.”

In this first book with IVP Kids, Perkins helps children to pray the Beatitudes in times of change or stress.

Elissa Schauer, IVP Executive Editor and acquisitions editor for Perkins’s project, said, “We’re thrilled to have Mitali Perkins join the IVP Kids family! She’s brought a wonderful message for any child in the midst of the changes and challenges of life, be it a new school or new school year, or simply a new day: God is with us in these moments.”

Perkins was represented by Laura Rennert of Andrea Brown Literary, and this title includes world rights.

IVP Academic’s The Meaning of Singleness Named 2024 Australian Christian Book of the Year

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 19:25:00 GMT

IVP Academic is thrilled to announce that The Meaning of Singleness by Danielle Treweek has been named the 2024 Australian Christian Book of the Year.

The judges for the award commented: “Taken seriously, this book will change the way churches operate, preachers preach, Christian organizations act, friends befriend, and crucially, how we love and are loved.”

The Meaning of Singleness: Retrieving an Eschatological Vision for the Contemporary Church offers biblical, historical, cultural, and theological reflections to retrieve a theology of singleness for the church today. Drawing upon both ancient and contemporary theologians, including Augustine, Ælfric of Eynsham, John Paul II, and Stanley Hauerwas, Treweek contends not only that singleness has served an important role throughout the church’s history, but that single Christians present the church with a foretaste of the eschatological reality that awaits all of God’s people.

Treweek said, “One of my hopes is that those who read The Meaning of Singleness might be better equipped to love, respect, and value the single members of their church communities. And, of course, I hope it will encourage unmarried Christians (whether they be never-married, divorced, or widowed) to delight more and more in the intrinsic goodness of their singleness. But I also pray that those who read this book might better understand the vitally important and God-glorifying role singles have to play in the church’s understanding of her own unique identity. I hope my book might help us all to better realize it’s not simply that single Christians need the church, but the church who really and truly needs single Christians.”

The judges added: “This is a work of tremendous scholarship and intellectual acuity. By adopting the perspective of our destiny rather than origin, Treweek demonstrates that in church history, biblical exegesis and Christian theology, singleness has the same eternal significance as marriage. She takes on sacred cows and names Christian leaders who have veered away from the Bible to privilege marriage and devalue singleness. Treweek presents us with a vision of the church that is far more inclusive and faithful to Scripture.”

Treweek (PhD, St Mark’s National Theological Centre and Charles Sturt University) is the founding director of the Single Minded Ministry and an adjunct teacher at Moore Theological College, Sydney. She also serves as both the Diocesan Research Officer and a member of the Archbishop’s Doctrine Commission within the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, Australia.

The Australian Christian Book of the Year Award has been around since 1981 and is given annually to an original book written by an Australian citizen. The award recognizes and encourages excellence in Australian Christian writing. Entries are judged with an eye to the original nature of the work; literary style, including suitability for the target audience; design, layout, cover, text, and illustrations; and contribution that the book makes in meeting a need for Christian writing in the Australian situation and in the Australian market.

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

Carmen Joy Imes and Nijay K. Gupta to Coauthor IVP Kids Book on Women of Scripture

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 20:48:00 GMT

IVP Academic authors and respected biblical scholars Nijay K. Gupta and Carmen Joy Imes will be turning their writing focus toward a much younger audience with a newly contracted IVP Kids book about women of Scripture. Written for children ages 6 to 12, this hardcover book will be available in 2026.

Gupta released Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church in March 2023. In it he cast a light on the many inspiring contributions by women leaders of the early church. He wrote, “These women leaders of the early church are more than just extras on the set of the gospel drama. They were key figures.”

Now Gupta, along with Imes, associate professor of Old Testament at Biola University, will introduce young readers to twenty-five women of the Bible, telling their stories of faith, gifting, courage, and wisdom. This collection will also offer an illustration depicting each figure.

“Through their writing and teaching in Old and New Testament studies, Carmen and Nijay have helped us recognize the many ways that God has worked through women in Scripture. And we are eager to have them share this insight with the next generation,” said Elissa Schauer, IVP Executive Editor. “Our hope is that in hearing these stories and in learning more about these figures, kids begin to recognize that God can and will work through them too!”

Nijay K. Gupta (PhD, University of Durham) is professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. His books include Tell Her Story, A Beginner’s Guide to New Testament Studies, Paul and the Language of Faith, and commentaries on Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1–2 Thessalonians. He has co-edited The State of New Testament Studies, Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (2nd ed.), and The State of Pauline Studies.

Carmen Joy Imes (PhD, Wheaton College) is the author of Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters, Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends, and Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters.

IVP Kids and Penny Preaches Kick Off #GiftedWomen Campaign on August 7

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 15:36:00 GMT

In anticipation of the August 13 release of Penny Preaches: God Gives Good Gifts to Everyone! IVP Kids is kicking off the #GiftedWomen campaign to celebrate all the women who, as the subtitle says, are using their “good gifts” to inspire, encourage, and make a difference in the lives of others.

On August 7 the IVP social media team will set off the first wave of tags, asking people to share a word or video about three people they have seen sharing their gifts in impactful ways.

Allie Noble, IVP’s senior social media manager said, “We are asking our followers to post the names of gifted women they know and nominating others to do the same. Our goal is to create a chain reaction of empowerment, lifting up women in the church and beyond.”

Penny Preaches by Amy and Rob Dixon was written to inspire young people, especially girls, to embrace the gifts God has given them.

Amy Dixon is the author of three picture books—Maurice the Unbeastly, Sophie’s Animal Parade, and Marathon Mouse—as well as a middle grade novel. Rob Dixon is the author of Together in Ministry: Women and Men in Flourishing Partnerships.

“Our desire in writing Penny Preaches was to catch our readers in that moment of radiant confidence—When I grow up, I’m going to be a mermaid!—to see that God gives good gifts to everyone, and to begin the sacred process of wondering, What good gifts has God given to me?” said Amy and Rob. “As Penny reminds us, God gives good gifts to everyone. And while being a mermaid is, sadly, not one of the gifts, parents and caregivers have a crucial role to play in the process of helping kids discover theirs. We pray that as more young people discover their good gifts and are given the freedom to exercise them in the church, we will grow into the flourishing community we were always meant to be.”

Publishers Weekly called Penny Preaches “one of IVP’s more provocative titles” in its portrayal of a little girl who longs to teach God’s words to others, since many Christian denominations don’t allow women in preaching or teaching roles.

“Our hope for every child is that they would be able to discern, embrace, and cultivate whatever gifts God has given them, even if those gifts push the boundaries of how the church has historically understood gifting for women and men. I pray that we are forming a church in the future where that isn’t a problem anymore,” said Amy and Rob.

Noble said, “We hope that this social media campaign is a celebration and awareness of all the women who are sharing their good gifts. Most importantly, we hope Penny Preaches and this social media campaign will inspire all the girls and young women who want to someday be like the women they look up to, the women using their good gifts.”

IVP Academic’s Highly Anticipated The New Testament in Color Releases August 6

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 20:12:00 GMT

On Tuesday, July 23, Fuller Seminary hosted a launch party for the August 6 release of the highly anticipated The New Testament in Color, the first volume of its kind written by a multiethnic team of scholars.

IVP President Terumi Echols said, “The New Testament in Color serves as a laser-focused Bible commentary that digs deeper into Bible teachings to provide context from a multicultural perspective, which is pioneering for the North American church.”

“The New Testament in Color is a book I long hoped would eventually be written and is in many ways overdue,” said Max J. Lee, Paul W. Brandel Professor of biblical studies at North Park Theological Seminary, Chicago, Illinois.

Theologically orthodox and multiethnically contextual, The New Testament in Color: A Multiethnic Bible Commentary fills a gap in biblical understanding for both the academy and the church.

Esau McCaulley, Jonathan Blanchard Chair of New Testament and Public Theology at Wheaton College and author of Sharing in the Son’s Inheritance and Reading While Black, served as the general editor for the volume. He said, “We wanted to create a project that embodies the North American church at its best. We wanted to bring together a diversity of cultures united by a common desire to read, understand, obey, and apply God’s word.”

Lee said, “The editors have done a superb job of gathering scholars from diverse ethnic backgrounds who interpret the biblical text adeptly using the familiar critical tools of exegesis, and who also demonstrate how reading from their particular social location provides theological insight germane to all of God’s people. They show how the New Testament addresses a range of issues important to today’s readers, including topics of restorative justice, immigration and hospitality, racial bias and violence, the priority of families and ecclesial communities, and so much more. Not to be missed are the excellent introductory essays, which trace the ethnic histories of peoples of color and their practice of reading the Bible with a hermeneutic of trust.”

In addition to the twenty-two contributing scholars, the associate editors for the project include Amy L. B. Peeler, Kenneth T. Wessner Chair of Biblical Studies at Wheaton College and author of Women and the Gender of God; Janette H. Ok, associate professor of New Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary and author of Constructing Ethnic Identity in 1 Peter; and Osvaldo Padilla, professor of New Testament and theology at Beeson Divinity School of Samford University. He has published on the Acts of the Apostles and Paul.

Each scholar who contributed to the volume brings exegetical expertise coupled with a unique interpretive lens to illuminate the ways social location and biblical interpretation work together.

Padilla said, “I have often found myself wrestling with what it meant to engage my own ethnic identity. We all have the gift of contributing scholarly insights because of our social location, but we also run the risk of missing important insights because of our social location. My own Hispanic background, for example, that helped me (I think) get at some hidden aspect of the text could also be used to smuggle in some of the idolatrous baggage that is also part of my background. I was surprised how much I had to grapple with the danger of becoming just like the ‘colonizers’ we passionately have criticized when forgetting that this is a two-way street.”

Ok said, “Our collaborative editorial process embodied the joys, challenges, and fruits of bringing together scholars with different expertise, experiences, perspectives, and social locations that you see reflected in the work of our contributors. Creative processes of this magnitude are messy, but I have learned to embrace the messiness as a gift to the church. The ideas for this volume took shape over time and the contributors submitted and resubmitted their work in conversation with the editors while keeping true to their voice and vision. I am proud of this collective labor of love.”

The editors collectively expressed a hope for the readers of The New Testament in Color to grow in appreciation for the wider perspectives on biblical interpretation.

Peeler said, “My deepest hope is that all readers grow in their appreciation for the beauty of many perspectives and when they do so, they also grow in their awe of the creativity and abundance of God’s truth.”

“I hope that people are neither hyper critical nor paternalistic,” McCaulley said. “All biblical commentaries worthy of the name help people understand God’s Word so as to be captured by the vision of the human life contained therein. We hope that it inspires the reader to live more faithfully. Since no one corner of the church has the market on faithful living, the varied cultures included within the commentary might provide fresh insight into the nature of Christian fidelity. I also hope that alongside the differences they hear, they also note elements of familiarity. We are not completely closed off from one another. The same Spirit that inspired the Scriptures also moves in and among the varied cultures in which the gospel has taken root.”

IVP Signs Contracts That Expand Its International Reach

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 22:20:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press (IVP) has announced the expansion of its international reach with the signing of two contracts. IVP has entered into an arrangement with Ingram Publishing Services UK (IPS UK) for the warehousing and fulfillment of IVP’s titles in the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe. The press has also signed a new agreement with the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) for its sales representation in the UK.

“IVP has always had strong representation in the UK and Europe, but these two agreements put the pieces in place to significantly impact the reach of IVP’s resources overseas,” said Shane White, IVP’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Publicity. “We are grateful for these partnerships and look forward to working with both companies to bring our titles to more readers in the UK and Europe.”

The agreement with IPS UK will be effective October 1, 2024. Matthew Dickie, Senior Manager of IPS UK, said, “InterVarsity Press is a distinguished name in Christian publishing, and we’re honored to partner with them. We look forward to committing resources to maximize IVP’s sales and impact in new markets.”

“We're excited to work with IPS UK,” said Ben McCoy, IVP’s Vice President of Operations. “This relationship will ensure our publications further our mission to inspire and equip Christian readers globally."

In addition to the increased distribution in the UK, the new agreement with SPCK extends the reach of IVP titles overseas through SPCK’s established sales representation. SPCK, the United Kingdom’s leading Christian publisher, has been around since 1698, making it the third oldest English publishing house still operating today.

Sam Richardson, CEO for SPCK, said, “Through our long-standing relationship with our friends at InterVarsity Press in the US, we at SPCK are very familiar with their outstanding list and its potential in the UK and Europe. We are delighted to have extended this relationship, and our industry-leading sales team looks forward to working closely with the IVP team to deliver strong support and sales growth to IVP’s authors in the coming years.”

Over the centuries SPCK has distributed more than thirty million books and has provided the means for translating the Book of Common Prayer into more than two hundred languages. SPCK has more than 50,000 web visitors each month, and each year they sell half a million books and apps.

White said, “SPCK has a strong reputation as a longtime, influential Christian publisher in the UK, and we share with them the vision of publishing books that speak into the culture. We look forward to joining forces with our partners at SPCK to make an even greater impact in the world through life-changing resources.”

Made for PAX Signs Contract with IVP for Four Bible Studies

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 16:16:00 GMT

Made for PAX (PAX), an organization that provides mentorship and vocational development for emerging Christians of color, has signed with InterVarsity Press (IVP) to publish four Bible studies centered around its key values: peace, justice, and contemplation.

Tiffany Bluhm, executive director of Made for PAX said, “PAX is pleased to collaborate with an industry leader like IVP that is committed to addressing social issues and faith.”

Since 2019 PAX has been in the business of uplifting, promoting, and celebrating Christians of color. PAX is a Christian non-profit that is committed to resourcing the church with slow, beautiful, Jesus-centered content to reach the next generation and change the world through the biblical vision of shalom.

The Bible studies from IVP, carrying the Made for PAX logo, will include these topics and authors:

Drew Jackson’s Bible study, tentatively titled The Story of Pax, will include video and offers an introduction to the Way of Jesus. Jackson writes poetry at the intersection of justice, peace, and contemplation. He is the author of the poetry collections God Speaks Through Wombs and Touch the Earth.

Dorcas Cheng-Tozun, an award-winning writer, editor, author, and communications consultant, will contribute the Made for Pax study on the topic of mental health.

Migration is the theme of the coauthored study by Cheng-Tozun and Alexis Busetti, host of That Makes Total Sense! a weekly podcast dedicated to exploring God’s generosity and justice.

Kristel Acevedo’s Made for Pax study, tentatively titled Cross-Shaped Pax, will include video and will also be available in Spanish as Para en forma de cruz. Acevedo is the Spiritual Formation Director at Transformation Church in Indian Land, South Carolina.

Elissa Schauer, acquiring editor for the Made for Pax studies, said, “We admire and appreciate the mission, vision, and message of Made for Pax, and are particularly thrilled to have studies written by these four individuals. It’s a great partnership, and these resources are a terrific addition to our Bible study line.”

The Made for PAX Bible studies are tentatively scheduled to begin releasing in 2025 and will carry world rights. The PAX projects were represented by Joy Eggerichs Reed of the Punchline Agency.