From Resurrection to New Creation: A First Journey in Christian Theology

What is Christianity really all about? Is it-in its essence-about proper religious rituals, or correct religious beliefs, or acceptable moral behavior? What is at the heart of an authentic Christian faith and life? In From Resurrection to New Creation Michael Pahl provides an introduction to Christian theology which attempts to answer these questions, proposing that the heart of Christianity is not a set of rituals or beliefs or behaviors, but an event-the resurrection of the crucified Jesus from the dead-that prompts a story-the gospel or ＂＂good news＂＂ of salvation through Jesus. Jesus’ resurrection, Pahl claims, is the starting place and the compass in the journey of Christian theology, our journey to understand God, God’s work in the world, and how we should live out God’s purposes for humanity. Thus, beginning with Jesus’ resurrection and using this event as a guide, Pahl surveys the terrain of classic Christian belief and practice. The Trinity, the identity of Jesus, the work of the Holy Spirit, the nature of humanity, Christ’s atonement for sin, salvation and the gospel, baptism and the Eucharist, the church and the future state-all these landscapes and more are explored in this concise introductory survey of essential Christian theology.

Michael W. Pahl (PhD Theology, Birmingham, UK) is Pastor at Lendrum Mennonite Brethren Church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He has taught biblical studies and theology for over ten years in college and seminary settings in Canada and the UK, and he is the author of Discerning the ’Word of the Lord’ (2009) and co-editor of The Sacred Text (2010).