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Why did Jesus come? The traditional argument is that he came to redeem us from sin and destroy death, and thus reverse the fall. Many have long found this unsatisfactory, because it centres human deficit, rather than divine abundance. In this study, Samuel Wells traces his notion of 'being with' right into the Trinity itself, and in dialogue with Maximus the Confessor, Duns Scotus and Karl Barth, among others, articulates a truly Christocentric theology in which God's means and God's ends are identical. In the process, Wells not only greatly expands the compass of 'being with,' showing its scriptural and doctrinal significance, but also offers a constructive account of the incarnation, cross and resurrection of Jesus that out-narrates conventional atonement theories. Wells correspondingly proposes an account of sin, evil, suffering and death that accords with this revised understanding. The result is a compelling and transformational proposal in incarnational theology.
List of contents
Introduction: making the story new; Part I. The Story of God: 1. An incarnational theology; 2. The scriptural story; 3. Being with God; Part II. An Emerging Story: 4. Medieval controversies; 5. Orthodox explorations; 6. Modern developments; Part III. Reconfiguring the Story: 7. God; 8. God's purpose; 9. God's unfolding purpose; 10. God's unbreakable purpose; Conclusion: a wondrous story; Index.
About the author
Samuel Wells is Vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and Visiting Professor of Christian Ethics at King's College London. A regular contributor to Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4”s Today programme, he has published forty-six books, including works on Christian ethics, mission, ministry, scripture, liturgy, and preaching.
Summary
Why did Jesus come? The traditional argument is that he came to redeem us from sin and destroy death, and thus reverse the fall. In this book, Samuel Wells argues that Jesus came not to reverse the fall but to fulfil God's desire to be with us, which was the reason for creation and is God's ultimate purpose beyond this world.
