Christmas is going to be here before we know it. If you’re anything like me, you’re ready to eat and be merry and cozy up under a snuggly blanket with a nerdy theological book or two so you can read by the light of the evergreen tree.
While I always try and balance my reading out with a healthy amount of beach reads, I’ve lately been enthralled (and have therefore devoured) the many post-evangelical books on the market right now.
In case you’re looking to fill another spot under the tree with such reading material, consider singing, “Santa baby, a post-evangelical book, or two…” and picking up one of the following releases:
Circle of Hope (Eliza Griswold)
From the publisher: “Americans have been leaving their churches. Some drift away. Some stay home. And some have been searching for – and finding – more authentic ways to find and follow Jesus. This is the story of one such ‘radical outpost of Jesus followers’ dedicated to service, the Sermon on the Mount, and working toward justice for all in this life, not just salvation for some in the next. Part of a little-known yet influential movement at the edge of American evangelicalism, Philadelphia’s Circle of Hope grew for forty years, planted four congregations, and then found itself in crisis.”
From me: The book was utterly captivating and so well-written. I highly recommend any priests, pastors, or spiritual guides read through it ASAP.
Links: Bookshop Amazon Barnes & Noble
The Exvangelicals (Sarah McCammon)
From the publisher: “Growing up in a deeply evangelical family in the Midwest in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Sarah McCammon was strictly taught to fear God, obey him, and not question the faith. Persistently worried that her gay grandfather would go to hell unless she could reach him, or that her Muslim friend would need to be converted, and that she, too, would go to hell if she did not believe fervently enough, McCammon was a rule-follower and―most of the time―a true believer. But through it all, she was increasingly plagued by fears and deep questions as the belief system she’d been carefully taught clashed with her expanding understanding of the outside world.”
From me: I already liked and respected McCammon’s journalism, but the interweaving with her own personal story really hit the nail on the head. You can also read more of my thoughts in this review.
Links: Bookshop Amazon Barnes & Noble
Even After Everything (Stephanie Duncan Smith)
From the publisher: “Exquisitely told and urgently resonant, Even After Everything is a love letter to anyone who has opened their heart only to be hurt. Stephanie Duncan Smith proposes that it’s not through grit or forced resilience that you will find a way forward, but through receiving the full spectrum of our lives, just as we receive the empathy of God-with-us in every moment.”
From me: Although this book is not technically a post-evangelical read like the others, it is distinctly centered in the church calendar year and thereby offers a glimpse into a non-evangelical world. You can also read more of my thoughts in this review.
Links: Bookshop Amazon Barnes & Noble
When Religion Hurts You (Laura E. Anderson, PhD)
From the publisher: “Religious trauma is something that happens far more often than most people realize. But religious trauma is trauma. In When Religion Hurts You, Dr. Laura Anderson takes an honest look at a side of religion that few like to talk about. Drawing from her own life and therapy practice, she helps readers understand what religious trauma is and isn’t, and how high-control churches can be harmful and abusive, often resulting in trauma. She shows how elements of fundamentalist church life–such as fear of hell, purity culture, corporal punishment, and authoritarian leaders–can cause psychological, relational, physical, and spiritual damage.”
From me: Even though this book released in 2023, I just read it this last year and would call it a companion book to many of the post-evangelical books on the market right now.
Links: Bookshop Amazon Barnes & Noble
Knock at the Sky (Liz Charlotte Grant)
From the publisher: “What does Bible study look like after inerrancy? Do you have to give up studying Scripture when you no longer believe in its literal interpretation? Can you still believe this book is sacred even while renegotiating your relationship to the church? In Knock at the Sky, Liz Charlotte Grant offers compelling answers to these questions and more in this deeply personal commentary on the book of Genesis.”
From me: I really love Liz as a human (and love what she puts out on Substack). This book is pure gold for those who have gone through a spiritual evolution, especially when and as and if the Bible held a big place in your life.
Links: Bookshop Amazon Barnes & Noble
Church Camp (Me! Cara Meredith!)
From the publisher: “Roasted marshmallows, campfire stories, shaving cream battles–for some of us, Christian summer camp is where we felt most at home, where we could be the most authentic versions of ourselves. But for campers at white Evangelical church camps in particular, camp was also often the place to inherit a toxic image of God and of each other. From purity-motivated admonitions not to “make purple,” to the emotional manipulation of “Cry Night,” to the utter lack of diversity among campers and staff, the culture of white Evangelical camps has too often betrayed a generation.”
From me: I mean, if post-evangelical reading is your thing, might I suggest this campy, theologically nerdy, hybrid memoir of a book? You might just love it.
Links: Bookshop Amazon Barnes & Noble
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So there you go: Five books, plus a bonus round (that you’ll be able to devour on or around April 29, 2025). I know there are a ton of other post-evangelical books on the market right now, so do fill up the chat with your recommended reads!
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