An academic work for theologians in academia to consider their craft and its relationship to the world.

The work is a collaboration between two theologians, one of whom is very prominent in the discipline. They explore how one can evaluate the value of a person who goes through the experience of getting a Ph.D in theology and then works in the field, and displays why it does not make good financial sense according to the metrics of the modern economy or valuation of knowledge resources. The authors exhort theologians to consider how they can provide substantive value, and they encourage them to find such value in focusing on what it means to embody flourishing life.

The rest of the work is consumed with the exploration of what the flourishing life in Christian theology looks like, rooted in what God has accomplished in Christ and in which His followers should participate. They exhort theologians to embody the life of the Christian themselves, pushing back against the modern distinction between the character of the teacher and the substance of what is taught. They find the flourishing life in Christ rooted in Paul's description of what the Kingdom ought to be like in Romans 14: righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, and thoroughly exegete how this is so.

How revolutionary one finds this work will depend on how much one is saturated in the ivory tower of academia vs. the lived experience of Christian ministry. As one who seeks to proclaim Jesus the Lord of lords and King of kings while remaining conversant in theology, I found much to agree with but not much that would be "earth shaking." It might be more so for those who have imbibed more of the spirit of the modern academy.

The work is also heavy with theological and academic jargon, which is understandable in light of its primary audience, but a hindrance for those not conversant with such terminology. But for its primary audience, according to its primary purpose, a powerful and important work.

Theology isn't exactly a top-trending topic on social media. Just the mention of the word puts some people to sleep. Because of this perception, a personality has evolved for theology that pushes it into the realm of the academic, seeming to render it impractical for the average person. Volf and Croasmun, both of whom are certainly academics, wrangle with the tension between the somewhat established personality of theology and the need for it to be more widely understood, more commonly pursued as part of abundant life practices. It's a discussion of the things that really matter, the things worth giving our time toward. It's not a simple discussion.