Practical theology

Soul Repair: Recovering from Moral Injury after War, by Rita Nakashima Brock and Gabriella Lettini. After more than a decade of war in the Middle East, veterans are returning to civilian life with the hidden anguish of moral wounds. Brock and Lettini point out that moral injuries are not the same as posttraumatic stress disorder and require more than psychological and individualistic approaches for healing. They challenge religious communities to receive returning veterans, honor them and support them by engaging the deeper moral issues that affect us all.

Fulfilled: Living and Leading with Unusual Wisdom, Peace, and Joy, by Kirk Byron Jones. A onetime “boy preacher” from New Orleans, Jones encourages readers to go the distance in their vocations, with a sense of purpose and satisfaction. Jones’s poetry and prose are drawn from a deep well of experience, struggle and wisdom and can speak to deep longings in the reader. The book offers practical and inspirational resources for leading and living with a deep sense of joy.

Tall Poppy: How to Lead without Losing Your Head, by Holly McKissick. “Tall poppies” are leaders who can see an alternative vision to the unquestioned and often stunted reality directly facing them and who have enough confidence to participate in new possibilities, all the while knowing that they can and surely will fail. Drawing on her years of creative and successful ministry and the devastating shock of losing a ministry of two decades, McKissick offers stories, biblical references and practical examples as markers for those who are hungry for ways to navigate the increasingly complex and conflicted nature of contemporary ministry. She brings a light touch to her message and offers authentic hope.