This year we received 349 nominated titles from 45 publishers. CT staff selected the top five books in each category, and then panels of judges (one panel for each category) determined the winners. In the end, we honor 22 titles that bring understanding to people, events, and ideas that shape evangelical life, thought, and mission. Our judges comment on the winners:

APOLOGETICS/EVANGELISM
Going Public with Your Faith: Becoming a Spiritual Influence at Work

William Carr Peel and Walt Larimore
(Zondervan)

Practical but never programmatic, this book emphasizes that witnessing is more what we are than what we do. It is helpful in delineating the limits and possibilities of workplace evangelism, and it provides a nuanced approach to cultivating relationships.

CHRISTIAN LIVING
My God and I

Lewis B. Smedes
(Eerdmans)

The late Lewis B. Smedes's memoir is a compelling window into the messy, plodding process of becoming sanctified. Both accessible and inspiring, Smedes's reflections are central to corporate and individual spiritual life. His own story succeeds in drawing readers into the story of God's redemption in their own lives.

BIBLICAL STUDIES
The Resurrection of the Son of God

N.T. Wright
(Fortress Press)

Consummately erudite yet eminently readable, this book magnificently demolishes every objection, ancient and modern, to the doctrine of the bodily resurrection of Christ. Rather than a defense, this is a positive argument for the resurrection—compelling in both its overall scope and its detail.

THE CHURCH/PASTORAL LEADERSHIP
The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations

Dan Kimball(Zondervan) Relevant, cogent, and practical, this book contains ideas that are fresh and represent a significant thrust forward. The author thinks ...