Looking for some justice-themed books that would make great Christmas gifts for the bibliophiles in your life? Here are some recommendations from our CRC and World Renew staff. 

Have A Beautiful, Terrible Day Daily Mediations for the Ups, Downs & In-Betweens by Kate Bowler

As with any Kate Bowler book, you can expect raw honesty, deep insight, and gentle but profound spiritual guidance. Have a Beautiful,Terrible Day! is no exception. In a world obsessed with putting a positive spin on everything—even when that feels impossible—Kate offers these bite-size daily meditations as an invitation to hold space for the full range of human experience. She encourages us to expand our capacity for all that a single day might hold: the good, the bad, and even the downright messy.

Feeling low or weighed down? There’s a reflection for you. Celebrating good news? You’re covered. Ending a mundane, uneventful day? Don’t worry—there’s room here for your ordinariness too. This daily devotional is exactly what its title suggests: our days are made of both highs and lows, and Kate tenderly reminds us that embracing all of it is part of being fully alive.

Andrew Oppong, Thrive Justice Mobilizer & Content Manager

The Justice of Jesus: Reimagining Your Church's Life Together to Pursue Liberation and Wholeness by Joash Thomas

I’ve had the privilege of hearing Joash speak and have appreciated the clarity and joy he brings to Scripture, so picking up his book was a must. In The Justice of Jesus, Joash offers a refreshing perspective on today’s theological debates, weaving in wisdom from philosophers across history. What makes this book truly stand out is his unique lens as an Indian Christian shaped by the St. Thomas tradition. Joash calls us to see justice and salvation not as competing ideas but as inseparable parts of following Christ, and to live that out practically through prayer, advocacy, and partnership. As he writes, “Every pocket of the global church has blind spots… we all need each other’s eyes to see more clearly so that we can be faithful in the present.”

Naomi Bula, Communications Director, World Renew 

Church for Everyone: Building a Multi-Inclusive Community for Emerging Generations by Dan Kreiss and Efrem Smith 

Church for Everyone calls congregations to embody the richly diverse community God intends, especially in a cultural moment when emerging generations are longing for authenticity, justice, and belonging. Drawing on extensive research and years of pastoral experience, Dan Kreiss and Efrem Smith confront the gap between the church’s biblical vision of multiethnic community and the often homogenous reality found in many congregations. With honesty and hope, they unpack the expectations and frustrations younger generations carry into church spaces and offer a compelling, Scripture-rooted pathway toward becoming truly multi-inclusive communities. It’s ideal for anyone passionate about reconciliation, discipleship, and building a church where everyone can belong.

Sebastian Maldonado, Co-Senior Leader for Intercultural Ministry

My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma & Healing by Resmaa Menakem

Menakem is a Social Worker and therapist focused on racialized trauma and educating law enforcement. Drawing from the tradition of somatic therapy, he explores how the body holds trauma from past generations. Trauma that is passed down is often accepted as culture when in fact is a learned trauma response which may be only adding more trauma to the body and passing it down through the generations. Along with a psychological framework, Menakem also gives some tools and guides which will promote connection to our bodies and overall healing. 

Jeremiah Damir Bašurić, Co-Senior Leader for Intercultural Ministry

Reading the Bible on Turtle Island: An Invitation to North American Indigenous Interpretation by H. Daniel Zacharias and T. Christopher Hoklotubbe

The gospel is meant to be spoken in every language in the world, and to connect with every cultural reality across the globe. This means that every culture has a valuable way of reading the bible that is informed by their unique ways of being, and these readings are gifts that can be exchanged between cultures to help us all better understand God as revealed through scripture and the created world. This book is such a gift from Indigenous communities in Turtle Island (North America), and demonstrates how to do deep biblical interpretation that is also deeply Indigenous. While a more academic text, this is a great gift for the pastor or student in your life, or for anyone wanting to see the bible through an Indigenous lens. 

Adrian Jacobs, Senior Leader for Indigenous Justice and Reconciliation 

Mend: An Invitation from Jesus to Return to Land-Based Repair by Jodi Spargur

Mend calls churches to engage in repairing relationships with Indigenous peoples, and to join with them in caring well for the land. Based around the gospel story of Zaccheus, this book invites us to real-life actions of restitution that will build meaningful exchange between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Jodi shares vulnerably from her own life and learnings, and offers stories of Canadian, American, and global communities coming together to lament, repent and heal. A very practical and accessible read, it would make a great gift for someone who is passionate about reconciliation and wanting to take next steps. 

Cindy Stover, Justice Mobilization Program Manager, Canadian Ministries

Setting a Place for Us: Recipes and Stories of Displacement, Resilience, and Community from Eight Countries Impacted by War by Hawa Hassan

Who says cookbooks can't be transformative? Much of the world's food insecurity is due to geopolitical conflict, and that conflict disrupts livelihoods, food systems, and food cultures. Through recipes, intimate stories, history, and indigenous knowledge, we learn from people in eight countries impacted by war and "the important work of preserving traditions in places of conflict and migration."

The Good Garden by Katie Smith Milway

This children's book shares how sustainable farming practices bring hope to families and communities. Maria is placed in charge of the garden and through a new teacher learns how to restore soil and provide for her family. Based on true stories of Honduran campesinos, farmers who subsist on small land plots, it will spark great conversations amongst your family about food security and social justice. 

Jodi Koeman, Church with Community Mobilizer, World Renew

Surviving Climate Anxiety by Dr. Thomas Doherty

Many of us, as we watch the ebb and flow of climate strategies, may start to feel some anxiety or negative emotions towards progress. In this book, psychologist Dr. Thomas Doherty, walks through techniques to manage this distress. The book walks a reader through cognitive practices and encourages the reader to correctly identify emotions to better understand and manage them. A notable aspect of this book is the lack of sensationalism or alarmism. It focuses on positive aspects while at the same time maintaining an honest awareness that global conditions could be much better. The book is a smart and practical way of managing the psychological impact of climate change. It moves beyond the worry to provide readers a defined path to manage the uncertainty of this global threat.

Helping Students Become Climate Stewards, by Xochitl Bentley

This book is a resource for middle and secondary school educators that addresses habits, myths, and mindsets that threaten global ecosystems. The author promotes environmental literacy, focusing on the power of storytelling to help students envision themselves in key roles related to climate stewardship such as activists and problem solvers.  Reviewers of the book highlight the book’s ability to provide actionable, engaging, and well-researched lesson ideas that resonate with today’s students.

David Flikkema, Climate Witness Project Organizer