This book raises thorny questions about the themes of faith, hope, and love. Is God really like Jesus or was Jesus a temporary exception to the way God usually is? Was there forgiveness before the cross? Will God one day stop loving? What do we do with the fact that the hopes they had for change were not fulfilled? What happened to good news for the poor? Why did some replace it with something else? Does Christian freedom mean we no longer need the Law? Were early responses to rejection always healthy? Does the Bible say all we need to know about sexuality?It responds to what the author observes is a widespread hunger and interest for discussions which identify and tackle some of the troubling themes of New Testament interpretation in ways that are not defensive, but yet are also supportive of faith, especially an informed faith. It draws together the fruit of over half a century of scholarly research and teaching.
