Thank God for good beer!
No, seriously: Beer is a gift from God, given for his glory and our joy — and we should thank him for it.
I’m not ashamed to say that beer is one of my deep loves. It’s also occupied many years as one of my personal projects: I’ve been writing and preparing for publication a book on the topic titled Cheers & Amen: Thank God for Good Beer. (The broader project began under the name Brewteronomy, which rhymes with Deuteronomy and is too clever by half.) The manuscript is now in the final stages with an editor and will be published by Lion Press later this year or early 2026.
I like to think of Cheers & Amen as a sort of theology of beer; it’s a collection of reflections not from a trained specialist but from a well-read man in the pews who likes to think about God and drink craft beer — often at the same time.
Its purpose is to encourage beer drinkers to reflect more deeply about theology and, through their beer, to taste and see more clearly the goodness of God.
“A peculiarly Christian approach to drinking beer should begin not with the moral neutrality of consuming alcohol but with the goodness of beer. It’s not a negative argument (beer is not bad) or a neutral one (beer is permissible) but a positive one: Beer is good.”
—Cheers & Amen (forthcoming)
With the book moving through the publishing pipeline, I wanted to take a moment to share some of the details here. You can also follow along at cheersamen.com — or stay tuned in this space for more information as the publication date approaches.
Chapters & Other Material
In addition to an introduction and conclusion, here’s the working table of contents:
On Good Beer
The Creation of Beer
Brewing as Creation
Gift & Thanksgiving
Glory & Holiness
The Joy of Beer
Encouraging Abstinence
Sacraments & Theophanies
Drinking Together
The Church & the Pub
Beer in Church History
Questions of Quality
Drinking Generously
The best way — the only proper way — to enjoy beer is to be thankful to God for it. It follows that Christians should be the best drinkers.
—Cheers & Amen (forthcoming)
The volume will also include a handful of appendices that feature a homebrew recipe, a liturgy for drinking beer; a small collection of, well, collects; and a beer hymn (or beer shanty — you decide!) called “All Praise the God of Mash and Malt,” featuring a setting to an original tune by Michael E. Owens.
Endorsements
I’ve also been fortunate enough to receive a handful of endorsements for the book:
“I am very glad that my friend Josh Bishop decided to do this. His book, Cheers & Amen, is not so much a biblical defense of drinking beer as it is a very capable celebration of it. If this book were a beer, it would be a crisp blonde ale.”
—Douglas Wilson, pastor and author of Mere Christendom and Rules for Reformers
“Here’s a book that I can raise a glass to. First of all, I’m grateful that the Lord delivered me from sin. Second, I’m grateful he delivered me from teetotalism. I’d had doubts about the biblical basis for abstaining from beer for years — but it wasn't until I learned the reasons that it is a good gift that the deliverance was complete. Josh has given us a well-written panegyric to beer that I intend to enjoy with a few pints as I reread it again and again.”
—C.R. Wiley, author of In the House of Tom Bombadil and The Household and the War for the Cosmos
“Beer is a sign that God loves us and wants us to be happy. I heartily raise my glass to Josh Bishop for exploring the theology behind that claim.”
—Rod Dreher, author of The Benedict Option and Live Not by Lies
“Cheers & Amen is a thoughtful and lighthearted exploration of the relationship between Christianity and beer, offering support for those who choose to abstain from alcohol while also celebrating the enjoyment of beer within the Christian faith. Josh’s book is a unique and engaging reflection on a topic often overlooked in theological discussions.”
—Brett VanderKamp, founder and CEO, New Holland Brewing Co.
That’s about it for now! Stay tuned for additional news in the months ahead.
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Fantastic. As a brewer and a partaker I can’t wait for this book.
Congrats Josh. You are a gifted writer and it is inspiring to see your journey with this content. I hope the Lord multiplies the fruits of your labor like the loaves and fishes. Thanks for sharing your talents with us. Cheers!