"About every 50 years, American preaching has a nervous breakdown," asserts Thomas Long in the introduction to his new book Preaching from Memory to Hope (Westminster John Knox). "What happens is that trusted structures and strategies of the pulpit suddenly seem to lose their potency; and worried preachers, their confidence shaken, begin to scramble for the next new thing."

A final volume with a bit of a historical bent is Christian Apologetics Past and Present (Crossway), edited by Willian Edgar and K. Scott Oliphant. Volume I of this two-part anthology recently has been released, covering the years to 1500 A.D. The editors provide helpful introductory material, then present primary source material from writers such as Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas and others. Church leaders with an interest in apologetics will appreciate this resource.

Speaking of history, the third edition of Bruce Shelley's Church History in Plain Language (Thomas Nelson) is available. Shelley tells the story of the Christian Church in an enjoyable style. This would be a great resource for a small group or church study of the history of the church.

I found God's Battalions (HarperOne) by Rodney Stark to be a fascinating book as it unravels the 20th century mythology that has emerged around Islam and the Crusades. Weaving a story that involves kinds and sheiks, knights and monks, Stark makes the case for the Crusades and helps us understand why they occurred -- and it's probably not the reason your high school history teacher offered.

G. Lee Ramsey's book Preachers and Misfits, Prophets and Thieves: The Minister in Southern Fiction (Westminster John Knox) is an exploration of how Southern novelists have pictured (and often satirized) preachers in their work. Lovers of literature and preaching will find it an interesting diversion.

Eric Geiger, co-author of Simple Church, applies the same concepts of Clarity, Movement, Alignment and Focus to the context of student ministries in his new book Simple Student Ministry (B&H Books). He encourages churches to guide students to a new level of discipleship through the principles outlined in the book.

Michael Horton's new book The Gospel-Driven Life (Baker) asserts that the only thing the church can provide that is unique is the gospel. That's why Horton urges churches to depart from their own agendas and focus on the good news that Christ is our only source of hope.