{"id":230,"date":"2022-07-08T08:42:19","date_gmt":"2022-07-07T20:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.faithandpractice.nz\/?page_id=230"},"modified":"2025-07-06T16:40:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-06T04:40:07","slug":"books-theology","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.faithandpractice.nz\/index.php\/recommended-resources\/recommended-reading\/books-theology\/","title":{"rendered":"Books – Theology"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"The Atonement of God<\/a><\/h4>\n

By J.D. Myers<\/em><\/p>\n

The book begins with a short explanation of the various views of the atonement, including an explanation and defense of the “Non-Violent View” of the atonement. This view argues that God did not need or demand the death of Jesus in order to forgive sins. In fact, God has never been angry with us at all, but has always loved and always forgiven.<\/p>\n

Following this explanation of the atonement, J. D. Myers takes you on a journey through 10 areas of theology which are radically changed and transformed by the Non-Violent view of the atonement.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Her Gates Will Never be Shut<\/a><\/h4>\n

By Brad Jersak<\/em><\/p>\n

Her Gates Will Never Be Shut endeavors to reconsider what the Bible and the Church have actually said about hell and hope, noting a breadth of real possibilities that undermines every presumption. The polyphony of perspectives on hell and hope offered by the prophets, apostles, and Jesus humble our obsessive need to harmonize every text into a neat theological system. But they open the door to the eternal hope found in Revelation 21-22: the City whose gates will never be shut; where the Spirit and Bride perpetually invite the thirsty who are outside the city to “Come, drink of the waters of life.”<\/p>\n

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\"\"The Day the Revolution Began<\/a><\/h4>\n

By N.T. Wright<\/em><\/p>\n

In The Day the Revolution Began<\/span>, N. T. Wright once again challenges commonly held Christian beliefs as he did in his acclaimed Surprised by Hope<\/span><\/em>. Demonstrating the rigorous intellect and breathtaking knowledge that have long defined his work, Wright argues that Jesus\u2019 death on the cross was not only to absolve us of our sins; it was actually the beginning of a revolution commissioning the Christian faithful to a new vocation\u2014a royal priesthood responsible for restoring and reconciling all of God\u2019s creation.<\/p>\n

Wright argues that Jesus\u2019 crucifixion must be understood within the much larger story of God\u2019s purposes to bring heaven and earth together. The Day the Revolution Began<\/span> offers a grand picture of Jesus\u2019 sacrifice and its full significance for the Christian faith, inspiring believers with a renewed sense of mission, purpose, and hope, and reminding them of the crucial role the Christian faith must play in protecting and shaping the future of the world.<\/p>\n

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\"\"A More Christlike God<\/a><\/h4>\n

By Bradley Jersak<\/em><\/p>\n

What is God like? A punishing judge? A doting grandfather? A deadbeat dad? A vengeful warrior? ‘Believers’ and atheists alike typically carry and finally reject the toxic images of God in their own hearts and minds. Even the Christian gospel has repeatedly lapsed into a vision of God where the wrathful King must be appeased by his victim Son. How do such ‘good cop\/bad cop’ distortions of the divine arise and come to dominate churches and cultures? Brad Jersak proposes a radical reassessment, arguing for A More Christlike God: a More Beautiful Gospel. If Christ is “the image of the invisible God, the radiance of God’s glory and exact representation of God’s likeness,” what if we conceived of God as completely Christlike–the perfect Incarnation of self-giving, radically forgiving, co-suffering love? What if God has always been and forever will be ‘cruciform’ (cross-shaped) in his character and actions? A More Christlike God suggests that such a God would be very good news indeed.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Cross Vision: How the Crucifixion of Jesus Makes Sense of Old Testament Violence<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

By Greg Boyd<\/em><\/p>\n

The Old Testament God of wrath and violence versus the New Testament God of love and peace\u2014it\u2019s a difference that has troubled Christians since the first century. Now, with the sensitivity of a pastor and the intellect of a theologian, Gregory A. Boyd proposes the \u201ccruciform hermeneutic,\u201d a way to read the Old Testament portraits of God through the lens of Jesus\u2019 crucifixion.<\/p>\n

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\"\"The Shack<\/a><\/h4>\n

By W P Young<\/em><\/p>\n

A beautiful allegory about finding God in the midst of pain.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Christianity Contested<\/a><\/h4>\n

by Paul Copan and Stewart Kelly\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Although Christianity has significantly influenced many of Western civilization\u2019s cherished ideals and values, it faces ongoing criticism regarding its truth, goodness, and beauty. Critics argue that Christianity is at odds with science, human flourishing, and the dignity of women; that it is disconnected from modern views on sexuality; and that its Scriptures support slavery and genocide. They also claim that the historical evidence for Jesus\u2019 bodily resurrection is weak and his claims of exclusivity are narrow-minded. Additionally, the problem of evil and the hiddenness of God are major points of contention. In response, a group of scholars has provided a comprehensive, well-reasoned, yet accessible resource to address these accusations for both the church and the broader public.<\/p>\n

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The Atonement of God By J.D. Myers The book begins with a short explanation of the various views of the atonement, including an explanation and defense of the “Non-Violent View” of the atonement. This view argues that God did not …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":19,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-230","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.faithandpractice.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.faithandpractice.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.faithandpractice.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.faithandpractice.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.faithandpractice.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=230"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.faithandpractice.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/230\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1560,"href":"https:\/\/www.faithandpractice.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/230\/revisions\/1560"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.faithandpractice.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.faithandpractice.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}