Tell It Slant: A Conversation on the Language of Jesus in His Stories and Prayers

Continuing his series of ""conversations"" in spiritual theology, prolific author, pastor and theologian Eugene H. Peterson (most familiar for his Bible paraphrase The Message) provides an intimate look at Jesus' words. Arguing that the Fall created a ""language catastrophe,"" Peterson contends that people of faith need to ""eliminate the bilingualism"" they use to talk about religion and everyday life: ""There is no 'Holy Ghost' language used for matters of God and salvation and then a separate secular language for buying cabbages and cars."" To this end, the author explores Jesus' prayers across the Gospels and parables that are unique to the Gospel of Luke. Using poet Emily Dickinson's dictum to ""tell it slant,"" Peterson ably shows that ""personal, metaphorical, particular, relational, local"" language can convey profound religious ideas. His meditations on prayer ask universal questions about its efficacy; most moving are reflections on Jesus' last brief words, which form a ""prayer mosaic from the cross."" Peterson's greatest gift is his ability to write about such ideas as sin, repentance, grace and glory in masterfully simple-and concrete-ways.