Our judging process began with 472 titles submitted by 72 publishers. Christianity Today's editors selected finalists in each category, and our expert judges went to work discovering the best of the bunch from 2009. Here are the 12 winners (including two ties) and 11 notables that best shed light on the people, events, and ideas that shape evangelical life, thought, and mission, with comments from the judges.
Apologetics/Evangelism | Biblical Studies | Christianity & Culture | The Church/Pastoral Leadership | Christian Living | Fiction | History/Biography | Spirituality | Missions/Global Affairs | Theology/Ethics |
Apologetics/Evangelism
 |
God Is Great, God Is Good: Why Believing in God Is Reasonable and Responsible William Lane Craig and Chad Meister, Editors (InterVarsity Press) |
Our judges said:
"Craig and Meister bring together cutting-edge essays that attest powerfully to the massive and growing evidence in favor of theism in general and Christianity in particular. Each essay responds to the charges made by the New Atheists, but this is by no means a polemical book. The writers set a high bar for reasonable, responsible discourse, and they live up to it."
By William Lane Craig: God Is Not Dead Yet | How current philosophers argue for his existence.
* * *Award of Merit:
Faith at the Edge: A Book for Doubters
Robert N. Wennberg (Eerdmans)
* * *Biblical Studies
 |
Sin: A History Gary A. Anderson (Yale University Press) |
Our judges said:
* * *"This masterful account of the history of sin pulls together the biblical text, the church fathers, and Anselm of Canterbury. The breadth of sources used and the thoroughness of Anderson's narrative are impressive, particularly given that he is able to accomplish so much in a rather brief amount of space."
Award of Merit:
The First and Second Letters to the Thessalonians (The New International Commentary on the New Testament)
Gordon D. Fee (Eerdmans)
* * *Christianity and Culture
 |
Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults Christian Smith with Patricia Snell (Oxford University Press) |
Our judges said:
"Sociologist Smith and collaborator Snell present an in-depth scholarly study of the religious, spiritual, moral, and emotion-laden lives of adults ages 18 to 23. The implications of this study for Christian ministry are enormous. Here is an indispensable resource for parents, pastors, campus ministers, and everyone concerned for the future of the church."
Interview: Lost in Transition | With his latest research on emerging adults, sociologist Christian Smith helps the church reach out to a rootless generation.
* * *Award of Merit:
American Babylon: Notes of a Christian Exile
Richard John Neuhaus (Basic Books)
Books & Culture:Looking Toward the New Jerusalem | The powerful witness of Richard John Neuhaus' last book.
* * *The Church/Pastoral Leadership (tie)
 |
Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional Jim Belcher (InterVarsity Press) |
Our judges said:
"From a former insider of the emerging church, this theologically weighty book speaks to both sides in the emerging/traditional debate. Though reflecting primarily a Reformed perspective, Belcher is irenic, showing appreciation for both emergent concerns and the great tradition of Christian faith and practice."
Review: Emerging vs. Traditional | In Deep Church, Jim Belcher says it doesn't have to be either-or.
 |
Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck (Moody) |
Our judges said:
"DeYoung and Kluck respond to the church's many critics with theological verve, historical backbone, biblical agility, and—above all—an infectious love for the bride of Christ, tawdry or frumpy though she can be."
Interview: Why Churchless Christianity Doesn't Work | Kevin DeYoung defends the institutional church.
* * *Award of Merit:
The Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third-Culture Church
Dave Gibbons (Zondervan)
* * *Christian Living
 |
I Told Me So: Self-Deception and the Christian Life Gregg A. Ten Elshof (Eerdmans) |
Our judges said:
"By combining philosophy, psychology, and theology with practical examples, Ten Elshof clearly shows how we all are self-deceived, and why that is detrimental to our spiritual growth. The author has written a book that is not only intriguing, readable, applicable, and thoughtful, but also a catalyst for self-examination."
Review: Is Self-Deception Always Bad? | Not necessarily, says Gregg A. Ten Elshof.
* * *Award of Merit:
Singled Out: Why Celibacy Must Be Reinvented in Today's Church
Christine A. Colón and Bonnie E. Field (Brazos)
Interview: Every Older Singles' Battle | With Singled Out, Christine Colón imagines what celibacy might look like for today's evangelicals.
* * *Fiction
 |
Notes from Underground Fyodor Dostoevsky; Boris Jakim, translator (Eerdmans) |
Our judges said:
* * *"Translator Jakim captures so well the coarse, insistent voice of Dostoevsky's underground man, who champions freedom of the will but (prophetically) finds himself unwilling to resist the cruelty in his own heart. This modern, readable translation still conveys the rhythms and colors of 19th-century Russia."
Award of Merit:
Anne Rice (Knopf)
Interview: Interview with a Penitent | How Anne Rice moved from fascination with vampires to renewed faith in Christ.
* * *History/Biography
 |
Predestination: The American Career of a Contentious Doctrine Peter J. Thuesen (Oxford University Press) |
Our judges said:
"Surprisingly, Thuesen makes the history of a doctrine—one riddled with arcane terminology and hair-splitting distinctions—not only accessible but also engaging. He has produced an intellectual history that puts ideas in their social context and takes seriously the lives of the men and women who thought about them."
Books & Culture: Do Not Despair; Do Not Presume | Predestination in America.
* * *Award of Merit:
The Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the Hidden Gospels
Janet Soskice (Knopf)
* * *Spirituality
 |
Longing for God: Seven Paths of Christian Devotion Richard J. Foster and Gayle D. Beebe (InterVarsity Press) |
Our judges said:
"By featuring the lives and teaching of 26 spiritual masters from church history, Foster and Beebe shine a light on seven paths (or orientations) to spiritual development. This survey brings together shared themes and unique contributions that guide those journeying with and toward God."
By Richard J. Foster: Spiritual Formation Agenda | Three priorities for the next 30 years.
About Richard J. Foster: A Life Formed in the Spirit | Richard Foster's disciplined attention to spiritual formation began early on.
* * *Award of Merit:
The End of Suffering: Finding Purpose in Pain
Scott Cairns (Paraclete)
* * *Missions/Global Affairs
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The New Shape of World Christianity: How American Experience Reflects Global Faith Mark A. Noll (InterVarsity Press) |
Our judges said:
"With insightful research and poignant historical observation, Noll effectively demonstrates that American individualism, voluntarism, and anti-institutionalism have had a much greater impact on the global church than have money, resources, or power. Noll adds an innovative thesis to our understanding of the contribution of U.S. churches to the amazing growth of the non-Western church."
Interview: Does Global Christianity Equal American Christianity? | Historian Mark Noll talks about how U.S. missionaries have—and have not—shaped the faith in other nations.
* * *Award of Merit (tie):
The Hole in Our Gospel: What Does God Expect of Us?
Richard Stearns (Thomas Nelson)
Interview: 'We Are Not Commanded To Be a Docent in the Art Museum. We Are Commanded To Love the Poor.' | World Vision president Richard Stearns says the greatest sin of our generation is apathy.
The World Missionary Conference, Edinburgh 1910
Brian Stanley (Eerdmans)
* * *Theology/Ethics (tie)
 |
Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation James K. A. Smith (Baker Academic) |
Our judges said:
"Here is a challenging look at how 'liturgies,' sacred or secular, form our desires and shape us into a people with specific loves. Smith makes a compelling case for considering the role of desire in our spiritual formation efforts."
 |
The God I Don't Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith Christopher J. H. Wright (Zondervan) |
Our judges said:
* * *"This book is clear, logical, pastoral, and empathetic. It will help Christians and seekers better understand some of the most difficult aspects of our faith."
Award of Merit:
Knowing Christ Today: Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge
Dallas Willard (HarperOne)
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Related Elsewhere:
See our book awards from 2000-2009.
