Divine Gravity: Sparking a movement to recover a better christian story
A movement manifesto for a more hopeful and Jesus-centered Christianity
AVAILABLE NOW
Over five hundred years ago, the Western church underwent a period of massive recalibration that exposed abuses and theological blind spots and revived the historical foundations of Christianity. Today, signs suggest that we have entered another such religious reformation as new technologies, ecclesial scandals, and a crisis of biblical authority leave many Christians adrift or deconstructing the faith they once took for granted. The Christian story the church has been telling has become too small, and we are at a dead end.
There is hope. Author and pastor Meghan Larissa Good invites readers into a movement that is finding ways to tell a better Christian story—a movement that is already emerging spontaneously as a work of the Spirit in many different wings of the church. Along the way, readers will encounter core rediscoveries of this authentic, Jesus-centered Christianity: through Christ, God is breathing life among us, restoring creation, and reconciling all divided things. In this better story, isolation, intolerance, polarization, and death have no grip. This story satisfies our deep spiritual hunger, beckoning us to renew the church for the coming centuries and reignite a world-changing global movement.
Praise for Divine Gravity
“In this engagingly written book, Meghan Larissa Good has given me new hope for the cause of the gospel.”
Richard J. Mouw,
president emeritus and senior professor of
faith and public life at Fuller Seminary
“I’m so grateful for gifted leaders like Meghan Larissa Good who are not only theologizing about ways forward for Christian leaders and communities but also experimenting with embodying creative theology in congregational practice. The world needs to see congregations of people who are actually following Christ, and that’s exactly where Divine Gravity leads.” (Brian McLaren, author of Do I Stay Christian?)
“With this powerful and insightful book, Meghan Larissa Good gives voice to this rising movement, highlighting its distinctive convictions while addressing how it corrects distortions of the gospel in the past. If you’re one of the many who’ve lost hope in the church, or who just got bored, you owe it to yourself to read this remarkable book!” (Greg Boyd, senior pastor Woodland Hills Community Church, president of ReKnew Ministries, author of Cross Vision)
“With Divine Gravity, pastor Meghan Larissa Good has created a work that will make followers of Jesus rethink what faith and faithfulness mean in the twenty-first century.” (Oneya Okuwobi, teaching pastor at 21st Century Church)
“What the Protestant Reformation did for us in the sixteenth century, Divine Gravity might do for us today, ushering us into a rediscovery of Jesus and his centrality to the Christian faith and life.”
Samuel Kefas Sarpiya,
executive director at the Center
for Nonviolence and Conflict Transformation
“This anointed call to unity cultivated from a different center has the potential to recalibrate our understanding of mission and ministry in our time.” (Keri Ladouceur, executive director and cofounder of the Postevangelical Collective and founder of New Ground Network)
“Divine Gravity offers a vividly written, hugely relevant, Anabaptist-inflected presentation of the way of Jesus.” (David Gushee, professor of Christian ethics and chair of the Center for Theology and Public Life at Mercer University, author of After Evangelicalism)
“This book is a must-read for those who believe in the story of Jesus and dare to hope for a better, God-shaped future for creation.” (Nelson Okanya, Global Missions President of the Center for Serving Leadership)
“In this book, doubter, critics, and the wounded will feel heard. Divine Gravity overflows with images, stories, and illustrations that communicate deep insights with freshness and clarity.” (Mark Baker, professor of Mission and Theology at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary, author of Centered-set Church)
THE BIBLE UNWRAPPING: MAKING SENSE OF SCRIPTURE TODAY
2019 Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year: Theology/Biblical Studies Category
Many people have questions about Scripture they are too afraid to ask. Are all the stories of the Bible true? What about all the books that got left out? What do we make of all that violence? What do we do when biblical authors seem to disagree? And what if we encounter situations the Bible doesn’t address? Drawing from the best of contemporary biblical scholarship and the ancient well of Christian tradition, scholar and preacher Meghan Larissa Good helps readers consider why the Bible matters. Known for presenting complex theological ideas in accessible, engaging ways, Good delves into issues like biblical authority, literary genre, and Christ-centered hermeneutics, and calls readers beyond either knee-jerk biblicism, on the one hand, or skeptical disregard on the other. Instead, The Bible Unwrapped invites readers to faithful reading, communal discernment, and deep and transformative wonder about Scripture.
Join an honest conversation about the Bible that is spiritually alive and intellectually credible. Read the ancient story of God in the world. You may even learn to love it.
praise for the bible unwrapped
“Meghan Larissa Good’s accessible, witty and theologically sound introduction to the Bible manages to introduce complex ideas—like translations, hermeneutics and genre—in ways that translate into a deeper desire to read the Bible.”
Scot McKnight,
professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary,
author of The Blue Parakeet
“The Bible Unwrapped bears untold gifts, as rich and valuable in their own way as those brought to a child by wise ones two thousand years ago. Do not let this unique gift pass by unopened and unenjoyed.” (Leonard Sweet, author of Rings of Fire, professor of doctoral studies at Evangelical Seminary).
“For all its popularity, the Bible is often misunderstood. Meghan Larissa Good skillfully reminds us that the messy and sacred world of the Bible is . . . a window through which we can view God’s story and encounter the living Christ.” (Derek Hogan, assistant professor of New Testament at Campbell Divinity School)
“The book you are about to read is a rare treasure. I have read countless books that introduce readers to the Bible. I can honestly say that I have found none as enjoyable to read―without sacrificing anything by way of biblical scholarship―as this one. Meghan is one of the best storytellers you will ever read or hear.”
Greg Boyd,
senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church,
author of God at War
“In an age when the Bible is increasingly suspect, The Bible Unwrapped offers hope for followers of Jesus who are perplexed by the various issues that arise as they engage our sacred library of texts. . . . This book about the Book is a gift to the church!” (Kurt Willems, pastor, host of Theology Curator)
“You need this book in your church, and in your work with people who are searching for answers. It is the missing piece for our discussions on current topics and the Bible.” (Dottie Escobedo Frank, pastor, author of Jesus Insurgency)