Books
Review

How God Became King

A brief look.

Claiming to challenge the dominant Western reading of the Gospels, N. T. Wright argues that “God became King” through Jesus’ life even before the Cross. Wright understands Jesus as the new temple that ushers in a political order radically different from the empires of Herod and Caesar. Rather than separating the Cross and the kingdom, the Gospels picture them integrated into a community whose heart will be forgiveness. Therefore, Wright contends that Christians are primarily called to the holistic mission of kingdom-bringing on earth as it is in heaven.—Bill Walker

How God Became King: The Forgotten Story of the Gospels

How God Became King: The Forgotten Story of the Gospels

HarperOne

282 pages

Copyright © 2012 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere:

How God Became King is available from Christianbook.com and other retailers.

CT also has more books, film, and music reviews.

Also in this issue

The CT archives are a rich treasure of biblical wisdom and insight from our past. Some things we would say differently today, and some stances we've changed. But overall, we're amazed at how relevant so much of this content is. We trust that you'll find it a helpful resource.

My Top 5 Books On Fatherhood

Getting to the Crux of Calvary

Richard Mouw

Works and Words: Why You Can't Preach the Gospel with Deeds

Duane Litfin

From Powerlifter to Powerless

Kathleen Anderson

Throwing Christ Over the Cliff

Review

Brave New Web: Navigating the Conflict Between Pluralism and Freedom

Joseph Knippenberg

Teach Us to Pray: Learning from Prayer Partners in History

Interview by Elesha Coffman

News

Quebec: Canada's Prodigal Province

Ann-Margret Hovsepian in Montreal

News

Black Church Barrios: African American Churches Adapt to Latino Neighbors

C. L. Lopez

Touched by Jesus: Healing Body and Soul

Timothy Morgan

Miracles in Mozambique: How Mama Heidi Reaches the Abandoned

Tim Stafford

News

Marketing Martyrs: Does Iranian Pastor's Theology Impact Advocacy on His Behalf?

Ken Walker

Helping Urbana Find Its Voice

Elissa Cooper

News

Should Churches Halt Missions Trips to Mexico?

Compiled by Ruth Moon

Wilson's Bookmarks

John Wilson

The Choir's Steve Hindalong: Celebrating Sobriety

Dave Urbanski

News

Sensation Before Scholarship: Gospel Fragment Tantalizes Experts

Gordon Govier

Private Faith and Public Policy: Where Obama and Santorum Agree

Letters to the Editor

Forced Out: Pastors' Fight and Flight

Should We Stop Child Placement Programs if We're Required to Work with Same-Sex Couples?

Paul Shrier, Lynne Marie Kohm, and Ryan T. Anderson

Review

Dollars and Moral Sense: What Money Can't Buy

Todd C. Ream

News

Quotation Marks

Excerpt

Subversive Kingdom

Ed Stetzer

Review

Journeys of Faith

Michael McGowan

News

Foreign Aid Cut from Religious Charities, Authorities Target Official Churches, Religious Quota Creates Controversy, and More News

Review

Rhetorical Darwinism

John Mark Reynolds

News

Migrant Ministries: European Churches Revitalized by Asian Diaspora

Ruth Moon

News

Passages

News

Go Figure

Review

Mercyland: Hymns for the Rest of Us

Andrew Greer

Editorial

The ‘Monsters’ Among Us: Child Sex Abusers in Our Midst

A Christianity Today Editorial

Why We Need 'Community'

Todd Hertz

Q & A: Ross Douthat on Rooting Out Bad Religion

Interview by Sarah Pulliam Bailey

View issue

Our Latest

The Bulletin

Racist Memes, Vance at the Olympics, Epstein Files, and the Vanishing Church

Mike Cosper, Clarissa Moll

Trump posts racist meme about Obamas, JD Vance booed at Olympics, new Epstein file revelations, and young men in the church.

Analysis

Shutting Down an Addiction Supermarket

Even in San Francisco, some change is possible: The Tenderloin neighborhood is improving.

News

At least 18 Christians Killed in Crackdown of Iran Protests

Iranians hope for US action after the regime in Tehran killed thousands–perhaps tens of thousands–last month.

Excerpt

Undragoning the Imagination

Justin Ariel Bailey

An excerpt from Discipling the Diseased Imagination: Spiritual Formation and the Healing of Our Hearts.

We’re Not Made to Outlast Time

Bohye Kim

At the Korean Lunar New Year, everyone turns a year older. Psalm 103 frames aging as a sign of God’s sustenance.

The Russell Moore Show

How Can Martina McBride Help Me Better Serve My Neighbor?

Russell answers a listener question about how a Martina McBride song helps us better love our neighbors.

Analysis

What Can Pro-Lifers Do in Unchurched States?

Pro-life political wins correlate with church attendance rates. So what do you do if most of your neighbors stay home on Sunday morning?

We All Want to Be the Right Kind of Parents

Parenting books—even Christian ones—capitalize on fear and longing, sometimes making promises that don’t hold true.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastprintRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube