Gracious Christianity: Living the Love We Profess

This gentle little book manages to summarize the entire scope of classic Christian theology, from the nature of God to the end of time, in amazingly few pages, basing every theological assertion on a single theme: the more we understand that "gracious love defines the core of God's character,... the more gracious our Christianity will become." Jacobsen, a professor at Messiah College, and Sawatsky, president of the college until his death in 2004, not only describe the basic tenets of the Christian faith but also draw out their implications for everyday life: "We are called to nurture and protect the world as if it were a precious possession entrusted to us by our dearest friend with the stipulation that the earth's treasures be used for the benefit of all." Even difficult doctrines like sin and hell become occasions of graciousness. Sin, for example, "is anything that willfully diminishes the life that we and the rest of creation are meant to enjoy." Basing their theology on Scripture, the authors draw on influential apologists past and present such as Augustine, Aquinas, Bonhoeffer, Nouwen and McLaren. This gracious and accessible book, which includes abundant discussion questions for group study, will appeal to a wide spectrum of Christians. (Feb.)