More from RBTE: Topics and Trends

by LaVonne Neff, Religion BookLine -- Publishers Weekly, 6/14/2006

Now that 40% of Catholics and nearly 10 million Protestants in the United States are of Hispanic origin, it was not surprising to see so many publishers at the Religious Booksellers Trade Exhibit featuring Spanish titles—Fortress, Kregel, Liguori, Liturgical, Liturgy Training, and St. Mary’s, to name a few. But many of these titles are not home grown. According to Tomás Bissonnette, who recently sold Distribuciones Librería de Habla Hispana to U.S. press The Word Among Us, American Catholic bishops have failed to promote Spanish-language publishing, and many Catholic materials are imports. “Traditionally Protestants do more original Spanish publishing, because they have an ethic of reading,” Bissonnette told RBL. An attractive example of a Protestant translation is Upper Room’s workbook and leader’s guide, Compañerismo en Cristo. Bookstores play a vital role in Spanish-language publishing. Since adding a full-time Spanish-speaking employee, said buyer Lori Newsham of Wheaton Religious Gift and Church Supply, in Wheaton, Ill., the store has seen a marked increase in Hispanic customers.

Books about animals have scampered beyond the children’s department onto bestseller lists, and religion publishers are perking up their ears. RBL spotted several pet projects at the show. Recently published are J. Edward Chamberlin’s How the Horse Has Shaped Civilization (BlueBridge) and Lynn Caruso’s Blessing the Animals (Skylight Paths). Coming this fall are Debra Farrington’s All God's Creatures (Paraclete, Sept. reviewed in this issue) James Taylor’s The Spirituality of Pets (Pilgrim/Northstone, Sept.), and Elizabeth Canham’s Ask the Animals (Church Publishing, Oct.).

Could angels be hovering, hoping for a comeback? Vinita Hampton Wright describes Christian, Jewish, and Muslim heavenly beings in A Catalogue of Angels (Paraclete, Aug.), while in Guardian Angels (Loyola, Sept.), Joan Wester Anderson recounts angelic interventions. Anyone wondering how to recognize an angel (should this trend grow wings) might consult Rosa Giorgi’s already published Angels and Demons in Art (Getty).

A return to tradition may be a growth area, not only because of Boomer nostalgia but also because many younger readers want to learn what their Boomer parents neglected to teach them. Two recent releases in that vein are N.T. Wright’s Simply Christian (Harper San Francisco) and Jewish Light's Foundations of Sephardic Spirituality by Marc D. Angel (both Mar.). Saints and mystics abound, and Mary’s popularity is blossoming anew, even among Protestant publishers. After walking the exhibit floor, Christianity Today book review editor Stan Guthrie observed, “There seems to be a perennial desire of evangelicals to tap into the traditions and insights of Christians from centuries past.” Andy Le Peau, IVP’s editorial director, appealed to tradition to describe their new Formatio imprint: "People are looking for a spirituality that is rooted in the history of the church and in Scripture.”