Baylor profs’ books named among 2022’s best by Christianity Today & Englewood Review

The end of each year brings with it a series of lists that bibliophiles eagerly await — a rundown of the year’s best books. Baylor professors are often honored on these “best of” lists, on a wide variety of topics.

For 2022, two books authored by Baylor faculty members earned recognition from Christianity Today and the Englewood Review of Books, giving readers throughout the Baylor Family new titles to add to their reading list.

* Beyond Racial Division: A Unifying Alternative to Colorblindness and Antiracism, by Baylor sociology professor George Yancey, was named Christianity Today‘s book of the year for “Politics & Public Life.” Describing Dr. Yancey’s writing as “clear,” “persuasive” and “moving,” CT‘s reviewer says the book “proposes a compelling alternative to our current racial stalemate that — dare I say it? — actually gives me hope.”

Yancey joined Baylor’s sociology faculty in 2019 after stints at Texas, UTSA, Wisconsin-Whitewater, and North Texas. His research focuses on such topics as racial identity, academic bias, progressive Christians, and anti-Christian hostility. Yancey’s previous books include Compromising Scholarship (on religious and political biases in academia), What Motivates Cultural Progressives (on activists who oppose the Christian Right), and So Many Christians, So Few Lions (on anti-Christian sentiment in America).

* Asian Americans and the Spirit of Racial Capitalism, by Baylor religion professor Jonathan Tran, was honored by the Englewood Review of Books as the “best theology book of 2022.” Englewood’s reviewer described Dr. Tran’s book as “a healing balm” in “our racially-charged, politicized age,” and applauded the book for “depicting how racism in America is inherently and historically tied to political economy.”

Tran came to Baylor in 2006 after earning his M.Div. and Ph.D. from Duke. He served as faculty-in-residence for Memorial and Alexander halls from 2010-15, faculty steward for Baylor’s Honors College from 2015-18, and was voted Collins Outstanding Professor of the Year by Baylor seniors in 2017. His previous books include The Vietnam War and Theologies of Memory (a theological analysis of America’s war in Vietnam) and Foucault and Theology (on the ideas of French philosopher Michel Foucault).

Sic ’em, Drs. Yancey and Tran!