Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity, by Nabeel Qureshi (M.A. ’08), Zondervan, February 2014. Qureshi describes his dramatic journey from Islam to Christianity, complete with friendships, investigations and supernatural dreams along the way. Providing an intimate window into a loving Muslim home, Qureshi shares how he developed a passion for Islam before discovering, almost against his will, evidence that Jesus rose from the dead and claimed to be God. Unable to deny the arguments but not wanting to deny his family, Qureshi’s inner turmoil will challenge Christians and Muslims alike.

Right Color, Wrong Culture: The Type of Leader Every Organization Needs to Become Multiethnic, by Bryan Loritts (M.A. ’98, Biola trustee), Moody Publishers, April 2014. Increasingly, leaders recognize the beauty and benefit of multiethnic organizations and are compelled to hire diverse individuals who will help them reflect a new America. In this fable of self-discovery and change, Loritts explores the central, critical problem leaders often encounter when transitioning their church, business or organization to reflect a multiethnic reality.

Simon, Who Is Called Peter: Life as One of the Apostles, by Mackenzie Mulligan (’11), Wipf & Stock, April 2014. In Simon Peter, we see one of the messiest people in the entire New Testament. Yet Peter is also the rock on which Christ would build his church — the same church of which we are a part. So come. Walk with Peter. Follow a strange rabbi, though it might cost you everything. Walk on water, though you might sink. Go to Jerusalem, though death awaits you. Stand with Peter as God uses him to build his church, and watch that church grow.

Esther and Her Elusive God: How a Secular Story Functions as Scripture, by John Anthony Dunne (’08, M.A. ’10, M.A. ’11), Wipf & Stock, February 2014. What if the way the book of Esther has been taught in church and retold in films, cartoons and romance novels has missed the original point of the story? Dunne calls Christians to avoid common attempts to make Esther more palatable and theological, and to reclaim this secular story as Scripture. He encourages readers to see in Esther a profound message of God’s grace and faithfulness to his wayward people.

Beloved Dust: Drawing Close to God by Discovering the Truth About Yourself, by Jamin Goggin (’03, M.A. ’08) and Kyle Strobel (M.A. ’02, M.A. ’05, assistant professor of spiritual theology and formation), Thomas Nelson, October 2014. We were formed from the dust, but we were made for life with God. The Christian life is not about looking or feeling like a Christian. It’s about abiding in God. If communion with God is your goal, self-help strategies and personal resolutions will fail you. But Jesus Christ will not. Drawing deeply from Scripture and narrating their own experiences, Goggin and Strobel wrote this book to be a companion for your journey with Jesus in the truth of yourself — as his beloved dust.

Theology and California: Theological Reflections on California’s Culture, co-edited by Fred Sanders (associate professor, Torrey Honors Institute), Ashgate, September 2014. Many universities are picking up on California literature as a theme that highlights a place of hope, wonder and cultural innovation, but have neglected the significance of theological instincts flowing through the Californian dynamic. Californians Fred Sanders and Jason Sexton assemble leading voices and specialists both from within and without California for engagement with California’s influential culture, including theologians, cultural critics and specialists in film studies and cultural critique, theological anthropology, missiology, sociology and history.

Workbook in Romans: Arranged According to the History of Redemption, by Kenneth Berding (M.A. ’96, professor of New Testament), Weaver, November 2013. This interactive workbook goes through the book of Romans analyzing the “story behind the story.” In other words, the story of redemption that lies behind what Paul writes in Romans. The major categories of redemptive history include creation; sin; Abraham and the calling of a nation; Moses and the Law; David, Isaiah and the other prophets; Jesus Christ; the Holy Spirit; Gentiles; the church; and the future. Berding then takes the questions Paul asks in the book of Romans and reframes them for personal application.