Hannah Felsbourg
4 July 2024
Reflections on spirituality in contemporary society and personal narratives of faith are among contenders for the 2024 SparkLit Christian Book of the Year Award.
The 10 shortlisted books range across topics including environmental stewardship, missional guidance, and understanding suffering.
They include works by Melbourne-based authors Whitley College lecturer Siu Fung Wu and University of Divinity lecturer Sally Douglas.
Finding God in Suffering traces author Siu Fung Wu’s journey from East Asia to Australia, reflecting on faith’s role in understanding suffering.
Sally Douglas’ Jesus Sophia explores ancient views of Jesus as the female divine, challenges traditional male-centric imagery, and offers practical insights for modern faith.
Charles Ringma’s In the Midst of Much-Doing encourages the church to rejuvenate its inner life through spiritual practices that nourish, support, and sustain Christian work.
Read more: As a former Pentecostal, I found this book enlightening and encouraging
In A Curious Machine, editors Arseny Ermakov and Glen O’Brien present essays on the theological and practical implications of emerging technologies.
Mission is the Shape of Water by Michael Frost argues for a fluid and adaptable approach to Christian mission in the modern world.
Danielle Treweek’s The Meaning of Singleness offers a profound exploration of the significance of singleness within the Christian life.
Andrew Heard and Geoff Robson present Growth and Change, a book focused on growing the church while maintaining theological integrity.
Kate Rigby’s Meditations on Creation in an Era of Extinction provides a timely reflection on environmental stewardship and a theological response to ecological crises.
Searching for Paradise by Charles Nombo Lapa and Janet Dickson is a true story from Papua New Guinea about gangs, colonisation, politics, and transformative faith.
Katherine Thompson’s The Discipline of Suffering examines the role of suffering in spiritual growth and resilience, offering both personal insights and practical strategies.
Read more: An outstanding book, exemplifying the role of Christian health professionals
SparkLit National director Michael Collie said shortlisted books were chosen based on their originality and relevance to Christian life in Australia.
He said judges from different denominations, states, and vocations were selected to ensure the judging reflected the diversity of the Australian church.
With over 80 book submissions but too few for genre-based awards, the shortlist itself was also a way to celebrate Christian books from different genres.
Mr Collie said the purpose of the award was to generate and cultivate an appetite in readers for Australian Christian writing.
He said it was important to encourage and celebrate Australian Christian writers given the small size of the Christian publishing industry in Australia.
However, books were only shortlisted for the award if they could stand out on the international literary stage as well.
The winner will be revealed at the SparkLit Awards Night at St Alfred’s Blackburn North and via livestream on Thursday 22 August.
In 2023 the award went to Christopher Watkin’s Biblical Critical Theory.
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