Recovering the Scandal of the Cross - 2nd Edition by Mark D Baker & Joel B Green (Paperback)

About the Book

Since its publication in 2000, Recovering the Scandal of the Cross has provoked thought among evangelicals about the nature of the atonement and how it should be expressed in today's various global contexts. In this second edition Green and Baker have clarified and enlarged the text to ensure its ongoing critical relevance.

Book Synopsis

For the first-century Roman world the cross was first and foremost an instrument of shameful and violent execution. But early Christians, who had seen their world upended by the atoning power of the cross of Christ, came to view it in an entirely different light. Deeply scandalous, it was paradoxically glorious. For the cross of Christ marked the epochal saving event in God's dealings with Israel and the world. And its meaning could not be fathomed or encircled by a single image or formulation. Since its publication in 2000, Recovering the Scandal of the Cross has initiated among evangelicals a new conversation about the nature of the atonement and how it should be expressed in the varied and global contexts of today. In this second edition Green and Baker have clarified and enlarged their argument in a way that will continue to provoke thought and conversation on this critical topic.

Review Quotes

"Here is a fresh look at the cross of Jesus. . . . I highly recommend it to all Christians who . . . seek to understand and articulate with integrity the saving significance of the cross of Jesus in our postmodern world."

"In the second edition of Recovering the Scandal of the Cross, Baker and Green continue the important conversation about the doctrine of the atonement by responding to new proposals and to critics of the book's first edition. . . . Most helpful is their insightful treatment of non-Western views of the cross which pushes forward evangelical attempts at cultural contextualization without sheer accommodation. Everyone interested in cutting-edge theological thinking about the atonement must read this second edition."

"Recovering the scandalous nature of the cross demands, Green and Baker think, taking seriously the "melange of voices" present in the New Testament, the power and mechanics of metaphorical language, and the impact of culture on the way we think and speak. These are weighty and at times difficult matters; it is Recovering the Scandal's greatest strength that each is treated accurately and comprehensively without ever lapsing into inaccessible acadmic jargon."

About the Author

Mark D. Baker is associate professor of mission and theology at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary. He is also the editor of Proclaiming the Scandal of the Cross.

Joel B. Green is associate dean for the Center for Advanced Theological Studies and professor of New Testament interpretation at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author and editor of many books on the New Testament, including a major commentary on the Gospel of Luke.