In her book Reading Genesis, novelist Marilynne Robinson argues that a “hermeneutics of self-protectiveness” has prevented modern readers from fully engaging with scripture. We sniff out traces of self-interest or factionalism in biblical texts and abandon the wisdom therein. “No one wants to be found among the credulous,” she writes.
I find myself among those who don’t want to be found among the credulous, when it comes to the Bible or anything else. Suspicion provides a hard, necessary armor, especially in an era overrun with misinformation. It can snap us out of the overly neat narratives we feed ourselves or keep us alert to the designs of the authoritarians plastered to our screens.
But Robinson is right: Suspicion alone does not give us a complete reading. As we grapple with texts or face our political conditions, we also need imagination. And we need, sometimes, to puncture through our sturdy disbelief into the more wobbly realm of belief.
Perhaps more than any other medium, books can simultaneously sharpen our suspicion and enlarge our imaginations. Sojourners’ best books of 2024 do both with style; read them, and you might be surprised to find yourself, begrudgingly or not, among the credulous.
James by Percival Everett
Huckleberry Finn casts a long shadow over American literature, a shadow altered and expanded in James, Percival Everett’s reimagining of the classic tale. Central to both novels is the relationship between a mischievous white boy, Huck, and a man escaping from slavery, whose name includes the N-word in the original. But in Everett’s version, the latter assumes his rightful name, James, and the story is told from his perspective. “By writing about his life, reflecting on his relationship to Huck and his relationship with the nation that has enslaved him,” writes senior associate opinion editor Josiah R. Daniels, “James becomes more confident in who he is as a person and more convinced that he has a responsibility to liberate himself and others.”
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
In Kaveh Akbar’s debut novel Martyr!, an Iranian-American poet wants to die for something, but he doesn’t know what. Tormented by addiction and grief for a mother he never knew, Cyrus is obsessed with martyrs, a preoccupation that reveals both his desperate quest for meaning and his narcissistic tendencies. As reviewer Sergio Lopez writes, “Akbar’s magic trick is that even when his characters are at their most selfish — their most human — his writing takes a warm and generous view of humanity itself.”
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Winner of the Booker Prize, Samantha Harvey’s Orbital serves as both an ode to the earth’s beauty and a chilling reminder of its fragility. Following six astronauts as they orbit the earth and track the development of a massive typhoon, the novel is, as I write in my review, “a testament to the power of language to rekindle one’s sense of awe.” It’s all too easy to let numbness settle in when assessing the bleak politics surrounding our planet’s future. What Harvey offers is a resounding, convicting reminder that numbness is not an option.
Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley
Building on her popular Instagram account @blackliturgies, writer Cole Arthur Riley offers a wealth of spiritual resources in her book of the same name, Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human. Centering Black experiences and drawing from Black writers, Riley’s 43 liturgies provide clear, resonant language for a host of scenarios. She even has one “For Those Who Doomscroll.” For reviewer Zachary Lee, the book is a “refreshingly accessible entry into contemplative literature.”
This Sweet Earth by Lydia Wylie-Kellermann
The world is flush with advice for parents, some of it solicited, much of it not. But as the earth teeters toward climate collapse, some advice remains sorely needed: How do we raise children honestly and joyfully amid an existential crisis? In This Sweet Earth, former editor of Geez magazine Lydia Wylie-Kellermann tackles the question with a blend of family stories, sage reflections, and handy blessings. “If your heart is worn and your spirit is sulking, pick up this book,” writes Sojourners staffer Kaeley McEvoy. “The delicious prose will make you love the earth again.”
The Violent Take It by Force by Matthew D. Taylor
This has been the year of books about Christian nationalism (not to mention Sojourners articles about the topic). Standing out among the crowd is religion scholar Matthew D. Taylor’s The Violent Take It by Force. Instead of assessing the broader cultural milieu, Taylor focuses on the New Apostolic Reformation, the charismatic movement that helped power the Jan. 6 riots. The book provides clear-eyed, even-handed analysis, helpful for anyone concerned about the role of Christianity in the U.S.’s alarming anti-democratic lurch.
The Book of Belonging by Mariko Clark and Rachel Eleanor
With Mariko Clark’s The Book of Belonging comes a storybook Bible that highlights scriptural themes of wonder, contemplation, and identity. Imaginatively illustrated by Rachel Eleanor, the stories are interwoven with opportunities to reflect, told in accessible, sometimes arresting, language. In Clark’s retelling of the creation story, “It was as if God popped the top right off God’s imagination and then whatever danced to life was loved, delighted in, and named.” For Bible readers of any age, that’s a pretty good place to start.
Empowered to Repair by Brenda Salter McNeil
Preacher and professor Brenda Salter McNeil has been working in Christian racial reconciliation for years; she begins Empowered to Repair by suggesting that the movement “has lost its power to mobilize change.” Luckily, what follows these sober words is an inspired framework for repairing our deteriorating social fabric, amid worsening backlash against justice movements. Drawing from the Book of Nehemiah, Salter McNeil works to equip leaders who she hopes will “bridge the credibility gap” between people of faith engaged in justice work and those who aren’t — yet.
Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson
“The Bible does not exist to explain away mysteries and complexities but to reveal and explore them with a respect and restraint that resists conclusion,” writes novelist Marilynne Robinson in Reading Genesis, her exacting analysis of the Bible’s weighty first book. A lauded storyteller herself, Robinson teases out the surprising dimensions of stories that too often become simplified as a result of their familiarity. As reviewer Olivia Bardo writes, “Robinson combs through Genesis for the ones who have been overlooked and calls them blessed.”
Devout by Anna Gazmarian
In her bracingly honest memoir, Anna Gazmarian writes of growing up in an evangelical community where mental illness was considered a sign of spiritual failure. When she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she had to reckon with these teachings while holding on to her faith — and allowing it to be transformed in the process. “With gentleness and compassion — toward herself and all who struggle with mental health — [Gazmarian] writes about how she learns to believe that God is with her,” writes Cassidy Klein in her review.
Want more ideas about what to read? Check out these other film roundups:
+Sojourners’ Best Books of 2023
+Sojourners’ 2022 Book Roundup to Inspire Faith and Justice
All books featured on this list were independently selected by Sojourners’ editors. Sojourners has partnered with Bookshop.org; when you order books through the links on sojo.net, Sojourners earns a small commission and Bookshop.org sends a matching commission to independent bookstores.
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