Some books you read and discover something new. Other books, you read them and think, “I knew it!” For me, Recovering the Scandal of the Cross, which I read while writing my dissertation, was the second.
First, a bit more background. My dissertation explored how we talk about the divine and the impact of that talk on the lives of people. In essence, I set out to use the New Testament Gospel accounts to answer the question, what is God like? My conclusion? The God Jesus called Father was nothing like the vengeful and retributive god I grew up learning about. So that sparked the question, what do I do with Jesus’ crucifixion?