On the sixth day of Advent: 6 for 2026 from SCM Press

As we enter the season of waiting, SCM Press’ editor Rachel introduces six titles to look out for in the new year.

It feels appropriate in Advent to be looking forward – while we are aware the promise of new books is not quite on the scale of celebrating the Messiah’s birth (!), we are still excited about our humble offerings of excellent theology and biblical studies titles due out next year.

Here are 6 titles coming out in early 2026 which are now available for pre-order:

1. Breaking, Not Broken: Ableism and the Church after Constantine by Timothy Goode (out in January)

Timothy Goode is the Canon for Congregational Discipleship and Nurture at York Minster, a national disability advocate. In this volume unpacks the idealised norm of the (non-disabled) body which Christianity has inherited from Graeco-Roman society and how this has embedded ableism within it.

There is a focus on heritage throughout: not just in terms of church buildings (there may be a ramp to the front door but can everyone access the pulpit?), but with disabled bodies seen as living heritage with the testimonies they bring in forming an inextricable part of the Church. Archbishop Stephen Cottrell contributes a foreword to the book.

I am delighted to be publishing this powerful and beautifully written call for equality and contribution to the disability theology canon, and I look forward with hope to the impact Breaking, not Broken will have.

2. May She Speak In The Name of the Father: Patriarchy, Preaching and the Gospel by Liz Shercliff (out in February)

Experienced author and steadfast voice in the campaign for women’s equality within the C of E, Dr Liz Shercliff returns with an examination of theological education/formation based on her doctoral research.

Drawing on work done in UK Baptist churches under Project Violet as well as the Church of England, she uncovers the ways in which women undergoing training for the priesthood are made to feel that they do not fit the (male) norm, including in terms of preaching, an area she has written about before (Preaching Women, Out of the Shadows vol. 1 and 2).

I was shocked by several accounts of how women ordinands and trainee ministers have been treated. Liz’s clear, direct style in May She Speak in the Name of the Father suits the message: that the Church must do better in preparing candidates of all genders for ministry. 

3. British Millennials in Global Mission: Faith, commitment and authenticity (out in February)

With fewer Millennials professing a faith, let alone serving in Christian ministry of any form, Alison Allen has carried out research into the experiences of those who have devoted themselves to overseas mission.

Allen’s doctoral thesis was the genesis for this, with interviews with a range of UK-originating Millennials (an age group now forming the bulk of the adult population) who have followed their callings to work overseas. What led them to this path, what challenges have they faced in doing so, and how do they see their experiences in retrospect?

As a British Millennial myself I found this an illuminating study, and the consistent theme of the desire for authenticity that she identifies rings true for me.

I am sure this will have relevance to various fields, from missiology as the obvious starting point through to sociologists of religion and anyone looking at generational cohorts’ responses to religion.

4. Anglicans Who Don’t Like Liturgy: How the worship song took centre stage by John Leach (out in March)

Churches in the Charismatic stream of Anglicanism are well known now for having a more informal style and having moved away from the traditional pattern of set liturgy toward a style seen as freer and more open to the Spirit in worship. Might these songs be becoming a new liturgy?

While opinions differ hugely on the merits or otherwise of this pattern, clearly we have needed research into the reasons for this shift, and this strikes me as a brilliant topic for research.

Happily, John Leach has done this research for his PhD, and adds this to his existing wealth of knowledge about liturgy, praxis and indeed music. In Anglicans Who Don’t Like Liturgy, he skilfully examines the trend and decisions behind the New Wine and Holy Trinity Brompton service style and astutely analyses the resulting culture that has evolved with times of (musical) worship.

As someone with experience of both ‘sides’ of the tradition in C of E churches, I got a lot out of reading this and working with John on the manuscript. I can’t wait for more people to be able to enjoy this book.

5. Praying by the Rules: What Autistic People Teach the Church about Prayer by Helena Cundill

What do you do if you are a Christian with autism and you just can’t get to grips with what you feel you should be doing in prayer?

Helena Cundill is part of the Centre for Autism and Theology in Aberdeen and has explored this question by interviewing autistic people with a faith who struggle with precisely this. She groups this topic into several key concepts, including the idea of a regular prayer time and the practice of silent contemplation and unpacks why these can be so daunting and seem inaccessible for some people with autism spectrum conditions. What can the Church as a whole learn too from its neurodivergent members that non-autistic people might be missing?

I hope that Praying by the Rules will have a heartening impact on many in the same situation and bring some illumination to the experience of many autistic people’s battles against implicit and explicit neurotypical expectations in Christian circles.

6. Esther Keeps the Score: Trauma, Body and Politics in the Hebrew Bible by Alexiana Fry (out in March)

We know, if we have read it, that the biblical book of Esther contains the story of a woman made to marry a powerful King, who keeps significant secrets and faces huge challenges to preserve her life and that of others. Not to mention that the story tells of a narrowly-averted genocidal plot against the Jewish diaspora in that kingdom.

Yet yow often do we consider her a victim-survivor of these traumatic experiences and what does doing so bring to our understanding of the story?

Dr Alexiana Fry is a scholar of the Hebrew Bible and in Esther Keeps The Score she applies this lens, bringing to the fore Esther’s status as a migrant woman subjected to racism, misogyny and danger to her body.

As part of this she offers her own new English translation of the Masoretic text of the Book of Esther, making this a trauma-informed commentary. Old Testament scholars and preachers will find much to gain from this. It is really exciting to be able to publish such a talent as Alexiana and I hope this reaches a wide audience.

On behalf of the SCM Press team, wishing you all the very best for 2026 and a peaceful and joy-filled Christmas and New Year when they come.

Image credit: Hanna Shapovalova at Unsplash.com