News, Theology

Ten Theology Books to Watch For – July 2025

Here are some excellent new theology books * that will be released in July 2025 :

* broadly interpreted, including ethics, church history, biblical studies, and other areas that intersect with theology

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Theology Books July 2025

Bach’s Church Cantatas

Ruth Tatlow

(Oxford UP)

What is a cantata? How and why did Bach compose his cantatas? What did cantatas mean to Bach and what do they mean today? In Bach’s Church Cantatas Ruth Tatlow addresses these questions through discussion of five of Bach’s most beloved works enriched by newly researched insights that will intrigue both first-time and experienced listeners.

With the overarching theme of Glory from the Gallery, this guide starts by introducing Bach’s aims for his church cantatas. It examines the devotional content, the theology, and the poetic form of the cantata texts to help the reader appreciate Bach’s musical responses. By analysing his choice of voices and instruments, compositional construction, structural symmetries, and other features in the music, Tatlow asks what significance these held for Bach, and how understanding this can help the listener of his music today. The text is illustrated by numerous rarely seen images from seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century sources. The book ends by reimagining the cantatas and their glories from galleries for all creeds and cultures.

Written in an accessible style for both non-specialists and those already familiar with Bach, Bach’s Church Cantatas uses new research and ways of listening to help us better understand and appreciate the variety of cantata styles and their relevance in the modern world beyond their original liturgical setting.

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A Little Theology of Exercise: Enjoying Christ in Body and Soul

David Mathis

( IVP Academic )

A Pastor Looks at Physical Exercise and Its Potential to Serve Spiritual Life and Joy

We live in an age dominated by screens. For many, life is sedentary, and it’s become increasingly difficult to prioritize physical activity. Quietly conformed to this new normal, they feel sluggish and unmotivated. Others, however, have become entangled in a fitness culture that prioritizes the self, fuels pride, and coddles idolatry. Is it possible to make exercise holy?

A Little Theology of Exercise explores how stewarding our bodies can serve the soul, honor God, and bless others. Combining biblical texts with practical guidance, pastor and author David Mathis encourages readers to embrace modest exercise as a way to deepen their knowledge and enjoyment of Christ and then reflect his love in the world. By placing Christ at the center of physical training, readers will discover a greater joy in exercise and an even deeper joy in their relationship with God.
 
*** Which of these theology books of July 2025 do you want to read first?

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C. Christopher Smith is the founding editor of The Englewood Review of Books. He is also author of a number of books, including most recently How the Body of Christ Talks: Recovering the Practice of Conversation in the Church (Brazos Press, 2019). Connect with him online at: C-Christopher-Smith.com


 
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