God in the New Testament

The New Testament writers construct God as active in the world and among human beings. These pictures of God are more functional than ontological concerned with Gods activity rather than pondering Gods being. In this insightful book Warren Carter offers both a descriptive and critical look at key snapshots depicting God-at-work in the New Testament and asks readers to contend with the implications of these God-portraits for life in the world today. Rather than offering a single picture of God Carter helps readers discover the power of engaging the sometimes competing images of God-at-work in the New Testament. This critical tension can lead to a more discerning understanding of what God is up to in the world today and how individuals and communities are called to live in light of Gods good news in Jesus Christ.Rarelydoes one exclaim This is a real page-turner! when describing a bookon the New Testamentbut I must say it. With his characteristicconcision and clarity not to mention wit and conversational styleCarter leads us on a tour of God-at-Work in fifteen closely-readtexts. What claims do the various texts make about God? What questionsor red flags do these texts raise? What effect do or should thesetexts have upon us as readers today?Carter intrepidly takes up someof the more challenging and cryptic NT texts and asks aloud many of theuncomfortable questions weve wondered about but might not have voicedso pointedly. He does not provide tidy answers but his approach enticesus not to give up but rather to dive even deeper into the texts theirworld and ours. In reading this book I was variously educatedentertained challenged and even moved. -Jaime Clark-SolesProfessor of New Testament and Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor Perkins School of Theology Southern Methodist University Dallas Texas