My Favorite Books of 2024

Reading is fun, challenging, and renewing for the soul. Sometimes, it is also a chore. Over the past several years I’ve read a lot more fiction than I had for many years previous, a change I’ve really enjoyed. The good, true, and the beautiful show up in all kinds of books, in ways that can be surprising. If you are interested in checking out all of the books I read this year, you can see that list over on Goodreads. Here are some of my favorite reads from 2024 in spiritual formation, philosophy, theology, culture/politics, and fiction:

Spiritual Formation

• The Divine Conspiracy: I’ve read this book numerous times over the years, and every time I read it I discover new insights, layers of depth, and brilliant wisdom that brings me closer to God and what Willard calls The Kingdom Among Us. This book is a classic already, and I expect it to be read for generations to come.

• Into the Silent Land: I had this book on Kindle for a while, but after a few people recommended it to me I finally read it. It is an excellent guide to contemplative prayer, a book I’ll return to in the future as I continue in this practice. One of my struggles over the decades has been truly seeing and experiencing the gentle and fierce love of God for me. It is easier for me to see God and experience him as judge, or taskmaster, or as someone who merely tolerates me. But one thing that has helped me see and experience myself as his beloved is this practice, along with a few others.

Philosophy

• On the Road with Saint Augustine: I used this book in an Honors seminar course, “The Sacred and Secular in Modern Life.” The time spent reading and discussing this book with my students was the best experience I’ve had in my 20 years of teaching at EKU. Smith explores Augustine’s thought in the context of existential concerns like ambition, sex, mothers, fathers, and friendship. The result is excellent. I love this book.

Theology

• Creation Regained: This is one of a few books I read back in the 1990s that led me to move from working in campus ministry to being a philosophy professor. I enjoyed going back to it and being reminded that God is at work renewing all of creation - all of it. His kingdom is truly all-encompassing, meaning any work or activity that reflects or in some way fosters goodness, truth, or beauty has eternal value. Someone once told me that the only things that last forever are God, his word, and his people. That’s a misreading of the Bible, and a deep misunderstanding of life, theology, and God himself. This short but wise book puts that misunderstanding to bed for good.

Culture/Politics

• The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: Alberta’s book about politics, evangelical Christianity in America, and extremism is very good. The topic of extremism and Christian nationalism has been widely written about and discussed in recent years. While there is a lot of misunderstanding and misuse/abuse of the term “Christian nationalism,” Alberta does a great job telling the stories of how politics can co-opt Christian faith and practice. I resisted reading this book for a while, as I have read quite a few criticisms of American evangelicals and evangelicalism in recent years. But I am so glad I read it. I learned a lot, got angry a lot, but came away hopeful that renewal is possible. I hope it comes. This is well-worth your time and thought.

• Disarming Leviathan: This very good book by my friend Caleb Campbell does more than most books on Christian nationalism. It defines and analyzes it, as many books have in recent years, but then goes further and guides the reader in how to have humble, loving, and heart-to-heart conversations with our Christian nationalist neighbors.

Fiction

• Demon Copperhead: This book set in Appalachia, bringing us into what life is like for many in this neglected and suffering region of our nation, is as good as advertised. It is also a story of the redemptive power of love.

• Peace Like a River: A moving, beautiful, and engaging story about family, sin, redemption, love, faith, and justice. It gives us a peek behind the enchanted nature of reality in our disenchanted age.

Other Recommended Reads:

• Spiritual Formation: Invitation to Solitude and Silence, Reading for the Love of God, and Practicing Lament.

• Philosophy: How (Not) to Be Secular and Do Guns Make Us Free?

• Culture/Politics: Just Immigration and Oath and Honor

• Fiction: A River Runs Through It and the other Leif Enger books I read this year: Virgil Wander and I Cheerfully Refuse.

My Books:

I also published 2 books this year, Humility: Rediscovering the Way of Love and Life in Christ, and American Christian Nationalism: Neither American nor Christian. The humility book is my favorite of the books I’ve published, as it encompasses over a decade of reading and research on this vital Christian virtue, but also reflects my passion for spiritual formation and helping others follow the Way of Jesus as I seek to do the same. We really can be more humble and loving, more like Christ. In this book, I explain how to make progress in this as followers of His Way.

Your favorites books of 2024?

If there are any books that have been especially meaningful or helpful to you this year, please share in the comments! I and others would benefit from that, I’m sure.

Finally, as we move into 2025, I’m grateful for those of you who subscribe to and/or read Rediscovering the Way. I hope it has been useful to you. I also appreciate those of you who have financially supported this work this past year. Though all of my content here on Substack is and will remain free, that support does help me devote more time to this kind of work.