1517's Favorite Books from 2025
By 1517 Staff
12/29/25
1min

1517's Favorite Books from 2025

Below is a list of our favorite theological books - across all categories - from 2025. A special thanks to our contributors who submitted titles, wrote summaries and full reviews for these books and more throughout the year.
The Scandal and Splendor of the Savior’s Birth
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
12/26/25

The Scandal and Splendor of the Savior’s Birth

Every sinner can trace their salvation back to this moment when the Savior was born in accordance with the Word of God so that all of God’s words would be realized.
What to Preach and Not to Preach at Christmas
Steven Paulson
Steven Paulson
12/25/25

What to Preach and Not to Preach at Christmas

Christmas is not for remembering, thinking, pondering, trying to make sure you are really celebrating it properly, or for wondering whether you truly have faith.

All Articles

Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
07/09/25

Inception and the Paradox of Grace

Paradoxes hold everything together, not just in Inception’s plot, but in your life and mine.
Amy Mantravadi
Amy Mantravadi
06/17/25

A Review of "Because Jesus Taught It" by Flame

Because Jesus Taught It. By Flame. Concordia Publishing House. Paperback. 205 pages. List price: $17.99.
Craig Donofrio
Craig Donofrio
06/02/25

The Gift of Metanoia: Alive in Christ, Dead to Sin

The baptized do not celebrate sin—they grieve it.
Philip Bartelt
Philip Bartelt
05/28/25

A Review of "Shaman and Sage: The Roots of the 'Spiritual but Not Religious' in Antiquity" by Michael Horton

Those who venture through these pages will find a veritable gold mine for the task of theology today, especially in the realm of apologetics.
Amy Mantravadi
Amy Mantravadi
05/21/25

A Review of "Raised in Splendor: The Hope of Glorification for a Secular Age by Jason B. Alligood

Alligood is at pains to stress that glorification is not the result of our own efforts any more than sanctification or justification.
Aaron Boerst
Aaron Boerst
05/20/25

Gone Fishin'

Forgiveness from Jesus is always surprising to us.
Luke Kjolhaug
Luke Kjolhaug
05/13/25

Becoming Better People, An Excerpt from Sinner Saint: A Suprising Primer to the Christian Life

This is an excerpt from Chapter 6 in Sinner Saint: A Surprising Primer to the Christian Life (1517 Publishing, 2025). Sinner Saint is available today from 1517 Publishing.
Luke Kjolhaug
Luke Kjolhaug
05/06/25

What is a Sinner Saint? An Excerpt from Sinner Saint: A Surprising Primer to the Christian Life

This is an excerpt from Chapter 1 in Sinner Saint: A Surprising Primer to the Christian Life
Seth Moorman
Seth Moorman
05/02/25

May the Fourth Be With You

The Fourth in the fire is Jesus.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
04/22/25

A Review of The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World

Dave weaves together music, movies, and documentaries to illustrate all the ways we seek relief—and then, full and free, he connects our need to Christ’s gift.
Zack James Cole
Zack James Cole
04/04/25

A Georgia Boy’s Lament: Val Kilmer, Doc Holliday, and the Friend of Sinners

News of Kilmer's death hit me like a freight train because his Doc Holliday stirred something in me about friendship—both the earthly kind and the divine.
Kathy Morales
Kathy Morales
04/01/25

A Review of "The Lord’s Supper: A Guide to the Heavenly Feast"

Kleinig continually directs the reader's attention to Christ and his gifts.
1517 is a Christian non-profit (501(c)3) multi-media organization. Our mission is to declare and defend the Good News that we are forgiven and free on account of the death and resurrection of Jesus alone.
1517.org
Search
Academy
Donate

1517 grants permission for our free online resources to be printed, photocopied, and otherwise used freely for private and church use. We require that authorship and source (1517.org) are referenced and maintained. These resources may not be sold or included in any publications for sale.