THE CRUCIFIED GOD brings the question of "Who is God in the cross of Christ who is abandonned by God?" to the center of Christian theology in the 21st century. It is a complex exposition of historical interpretations of the Crucifixion and posits an active God who came into the world in man's historical time through the incarnation and continues to dwell with man and his sufferings in our present historical time. For Moltmann man's time is God's time and vice versa. Moltmann sees hope for the concern of mankind turning toward suffering man through a modern understanding of the Crucifixion and Resurrection taken as a reality of our contemporary lives. The communal shared remembrance of the Crucifixion gives way to communal shared hope of the Resurrection in the acknowledgement of personal responsability in the sufferings of mankind. Moltmann is sensitive to the need to recapture the Judaic background of Christianity in modern Christian theology and offers an interesting perspective on this subject.

Essays by two leading theologians discuss the subjects that they find challenging for the future of Christianity. For Metz, most of the challenge is in restructuring Christianity from a European-based perspective to a more global inclusion of the needs of the non-European world. Metz looks forward to the revitaliation of Christianity from the common base of dealing with the issue of suffering in the world. Moltmann's topics deal with increasing ecumenical understandings between the various Christian sects and take up a broad range of theological isssues that often divide rather than bring together modern Christians such as Mariology and views on the Trinity. Most interesting is an essay on the concept of the triune God in relation to the Judaic concept of God. This collection of essays is readable by a lay person with a respectable knowledge base of traditional theology.

A great book for a lay person to read who is trying to get a handle on how sermons work. Actually a book for the about-to-be-preacher, Karl Barth provides parameters to the form, function and contents of sermons from the perspective of his own theology. For Barth, the best sermon is part of the liturgy - not an aside - serving sacramentally to join the congregation in communion with God's word. If you are tring to determine what distinguishes a good speaker from a good preacher, Barth may provide some guidleines you find useful.

A wonderful way to delve into what a Christian confesses in the Apostle's Creed. Do you find yourself having repeated the confession without remembering that you have? You won't again. Barth parses the Creed, expaining each phrase within the totality of traditional church teaching as well as reflective of the condition and history of twentieth century man. It is mindful of the historical position of individual contemporary Christians looking backward and forward at their role in salvation history. It is not a casual read, but well worth the theological effort.