Best Books 2016 Publishers Weekly

Hate Spin: The Manufacture of Religious Offense and Its Threat to Democracy

Cherian George (MIT)

George urges readers who are considering contentious discussions of religious freedom to pause and examine who deploys the rhetoric of religion under attack and why, persuasively arguing that there is a distinction between actual hate speech and a manufactured form of indignation that he calls "hate spin."

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Love, Henri: Letters on the Spiritual Life

Henri J.M. Nouwen, edited by Gabrielle Earnshaw (Convergent)

This invaluable collection of more than 200 letters by the late Nouwen provides insight into his personal struggles, insecurities, and faith, and offers to a wide audience the heartfelt guidance Nouwen shared so generously with individuals.

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Public Faith in Action: How to Think Carefully, Engage Wisely, and Vote with Integrity

Miroslav Volf and Ryan McAnnally-Linz (Brazos)

Volf and McAnnally-Linz have assembled a helpful, concisely written guide to help Christians through this election season. Working on the premise that Christian faith must naturally spill over into public discussion, they offer insight into making informed decisions about candidates and political issues.

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Apostle: Travels Among the Tombs of the Twelve

Tom Bissell (Pantheon)

In this quirky and learned Christology, Bissell journeys to the tombs of the 12 apostles with each chapter covering an apostle's life story and legend, comparisons of the apostle's appearances throughout the Gospels, and the places from Italy to India where relics beckon pilgrims.

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Grace Without God: The Search for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging in a Secular Age

Katherine Ozment (Harper Wave)

A wide-ranging book prompted by her young son's spiritual questioning, in which Ozment skillfully weaves together interviews with cutting-edge academic experts, her personal story, helpful statistics, and her experiences attending gatherings across the U.S. where she talked with many Americans trying to build community and a shared meaning outside of traditional religious strictures.

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