Here are this month’s book suggestions from your friends at The Scroll:

How Christianity Transformed the World by by Sharon James — Many people today would say that Christianity has done more harm than good to our world.

Sharon James argues, however, in seeking to love their neighbor and reflect God’s moral character the followers of Jesus have had a largely positive impact on our society.

James takes a number of areas – education, healthcare, justice, human dignity – and traces the ways in which these benefits have spread with the gospel. 

James studied history at Cambridge University, theology at Toronto Baptist Seminary, and has a doctorate from the University of Wales. She works as Social Policy Analyst for The Christian Institute, UK, and has travelled to many countries as a conference speaker.

Captivated: Beholding the Mystery of Jesus Death & Resurrection by Thabiti Anyabwile — The Bible implores us to take a long look at Jesus, forcefully beckoning us to come and see through profound questions connected with Jesus death and resurrection.

These questions drive us to consider not just the events themselves but also their meaning as we take a long look beneath the surface and find more of the never-ending treasures of Christ.

In Captivated, Thabiti Anyabwile invites you to set aside your early lessons on politeness and stare (yes, do stare) into the mystery of the cross and empty tomb.

In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character by Jen Wilkin — Sometimes we ask What is God’s will for my life? when we should really be asking Who should I be? The Bible has an answer: Be like the very image of God.

By exploring ten characteristics of who God is―holy, loving, just, good, merciful, gracious, faithful, patient, truthful, and wise―this book helps us understand who God intends for us to be.

Through Christ, the perfect reflection of the image of God, we will discover how God’s own attributes impact how we live, leading to freedom and purpose as we follow his will and are conformed to his image.

Mingling of Souls by Matt Chandler — The Song of Solomon offers strikingly candid — and timeless — insights on romance, dating, marriage, and sex. 

We need it. Because emotions rise and fall with a single glance, touch, kiss, or word. And we are inundated with songs, movies, and advice that contradicts God’s design for love and intimacy.

Matt Chandler helps navigate these issues for both singles and marrieds by revealing the process Solomon himself followed: Attraction, Courtship, Marriage … even Arguing. The Mingling of Souls will forever change how you view and approach love.

Disunity in Christ: Uncovering the Hidden Forces that Keep Us Apart by Christena Cleveland —Despite Jesus’ prayer that all Christians “be one,” divisions have been epidemic in the body of Christ from the beginning to the present. We cluster in theological groups, gender groups, age groups, ethnic groups, educational and economic groups. We criticize freely those who disagree with us, don’t look like us, don’t act like us and don’t even like what we like.

Though we may think we know why this happens, Christena Cleveland says we probably don’t. In this eye-opening book, learn the hidden reasons behind conflict and divisions. Learn:

• Why I think all my friends are unique but those in other groups are all the same
• Why little differences often become big sources of conflict
• Why categorizing others is often automatic and helpful but can also have sinister side effects
• Why we are so often victims of groupthink and how we can avoid it
• Why women think men are judging them more negatively than men actually are, and vice versa
• Why choices of language can actually affect unity

With a personal touch and the trained eye of a social psychologist, Cleveland brings to bear the latest studies and research on the unseen dynamics at work that tend to separate us from others. Learn why Christians who have a heart for unity have such a hard time actually uniting. The author provides real insight for ministry leaders who have attempted to build bridges across boundaries.

Here are the tools we need to understand how we can overcome the hidden forces that divide us.