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Dear Reader,
Books have been a huge part of my life. I’m almost never without a book nearby. When I forget to carry something to read, I usually regret it.
Yet books aren’t merely a source of personal entertainment; the structure of our civilization is built on books. As Joel Miller argues in The Idea Machine, “Books enable us to stack up ideas and see whether they can bear the weight of new associations and connections.” The world as we know it wouldn’t exist without books.
More significantly, as I note in my review, “For Christians, books have never been mere objects; they’ve always been instruments of faith and imagination.” That’s why literacy has always gone where Christians—especially Protestants—have taken the gospel message. It’s worth thinking about that connection the next time you pick up a book.
Editors’ note: If you’re interested in developing your writing skills, join me and the rest of TGC’s editorial team for our next TGC Writers’ Cohort, February 25 to April 15, 2026 (8 weekly sessions). Learn more.
Happy reading!
Andrew Spencer
Associate Editor
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New from TGC
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Book Review
Andrew Spencer
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“Tracing the macrohistory of the written word requires a definition of ‘book’ that goes beyond the codex—the collection of paper leaves bound together that serves as the Platonic ideal when we moderns use the term. Miller broadly defines the book as ‘a portable collection of written ideas, designed to elevate the human mind beyond its natural limits of experience, memory, distance, and time.’” Read the review.
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Book Review
Benjamin Myers
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“In pointing us toward the imitation of Cicero’s civic-mindedness and Aeneas’s dutifulness, Williams subtly invokes the doctrine of common grace. She observes that ‘these writers in the dawning age of Christianity share with us a wonder that we might too easily take for granted as we read the pagan classics—that God could love sinful humanity so very much.’” Read the review.
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Book Review
Harrison Perkins
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Book Review
Matthew Hoskin
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Links for the Reading Life
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Trevin Wax, “My Favorite Reads of 2025” (The Gospel Coalition)
“At the close of every year, I share a list of the books I most enjoyed reading—usually a mix of theology, cultural analysis, biography, and fiction. Here’s hoping a few of this year’s favorites make their way onto your Christmas wish list or spark gift ideas.”
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Ivan Mesa and Nadya Williams, “On My Shelf: Life and Books with Nadya Williams” (The Gospel Coalition)
“I’m a chaotic and eclectic reader—plus I’m now a books editor and host a podcast on classic books. As a result, I usually have multiple books going at once, with business and pleasure reading all mixed up.”
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Brady Brickner-Wood, “Now Watch Me Read” (The New Yorker)
“A performative reader treats books like accessories, lugging around canonical texts as a ploy to attract a romantic partner or as a way to revel in the pleasure of feeling superior to others. While everyone else is scrolling social media and silencing life with noise-cancelling headphones, the performative reader insists upon his intelligence with attention-seeking insincerity, begging to be noticed with the aid of a big, look-at-me, capital-‘B’ book.”
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Staff, “The Gospel Coalition 2025 Book Awards” (The Gospel Coalition)
“The Gospel Coalition’s annual book awards offer help identifying ‘sound theological works’ for your enrichment. We work hard to identify some of the best evangelical books published each year.”
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The Gospel Coalition
8520 Allison Pointe Boulevard, Suite 220, Indianapolis, IN, 46250
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