God's Good World

“God’s Good World is a very important book. By pointing out how a robust doctrine of creation has been missing—from the church, from education, and from society at large—Jonathan Wilson shows why evangelical engagement with our world is so feeble. He then lays the foundation for a much richer life by showing the necessary connections between redemption and creation. Most important, he shows how we can build on that trinitarian foundation—in our attitudes toward the body, ‘consuming,’ the internet, business, and much more—all in the light of transformed worship. All Christians should read this book.”
—Loren Wilkinson, Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia

“In the current discussions concerning the biblical doctrine of creation, we often bypass what is most important to us as Christians as we debate issues like the age of the earth or the length of the creation days. Jonathan Wilson corrects this oversight as he masterfully guides us to a rich appreciation of God as our Creator and Redeemer. Here we have a theologian who is committed to Scripture, highly skilled as a biblical interpreter, and who knows that theology must be connected to our lives. He enriches our knowledge of God as well as ourselves and moves us to fresh wonder and worship.”
—Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College

“Wilson is right; the modern church has been ‘missing basic research on the doctrine of creation.’ As a result, we modern Christians have very often fallen prey to or even been cheerleaders for many of the most self-destructive habits of our age. This book should be mandatory reading for pastors, theological students, and believers who care about the burning moral issues of our day and want to rethink them theologically.”
—Brian Brock, King’s College, University of Aberdeen

“In God’s Good World, Jonathan Wilson offers a piercing diagnosis of the brokenness of contemporary church, academy, and society. He then offers a beautiful corrective in which Jesus Christ is the telos—the ultimate purpose—for person and community. Allowing trinitarian creation and redemption in Jesus Christ to cast mutual light on each other, God’s Good World is a mature, robust work with the added gift of some profound moments of autobiography.”
—Philip Rolnick, professor of theology, University of St. Thomas

“Jonathan Wilson’s scholarly and comprehensive work insists that the goal of creation can only be understood in Christ, and that redemption reaches all things. His careful research has established significant and original connections to a wide variety of related topics, but also provides a vital commentary on numerous other authors, as well as on scripture itself. God’s Good World is a major contribution to the growing literature on a doctrine that has been sadly neglected until recently, but it is charged with hope. Anyone who wants to discover the rich resource that Christian theology provides both the church and our world as we face the acute environmental challenges will be grateful for this timely book.”
—Peter Harris, founder, A Rocha

“In the many years that I have taught a theology of creation course to undergraduate students, I have searched in vain for a substantial and accessible text that would address the whole range of ingredient topics: God the Creator; the world as creation; the human creature; creation-care; the New Creation; biblical interpretation; theology and science; and so on. My search is over. This beautifully organized and winsomely written book by Jonathan Wilson far exceeds my hopes. From the opening chapters on how the doctrine of creation has gone ‘missing’ in church, through the bracing central chapters on doctrine and Scripture, all the way to the moving meditation on bodies near the end, this volume captivates, instructs, challenges, and delights. It will become the standard text on creation for years to come.”
—Douglas Harink, professor of theology and dean of the Faculty of Arts, King’s University College, Edmonton, Canada; author, 1 & 2 Peter in the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible

“I have been waiting for a book like this for years, and am so very happy this has arrived. Our best theologians have reminded us that to fully understand Christ’s work of redemption and the very nature of God’s Kingdom we must start—as the Biblical narrative itself does—with the doctrine of creation. . . . To have a full-orbed and fully fruitful view of creation, we will have to examine all the implications of the reality, and this fine book takes up this challenge wonderfully. . . . Not only does this book unlock important—essential!—insights about the nature of creation and the implications of living in a created reality but it points us towards the very character of a God who is a creator. . . . This is a beautiful book, wonderfully written, far-ranging (and it even includes some truly lovely woodcuts enhancing each vital chapter). We are very, very glad for this, hoping it is widely read and deeply pondered. . . . A great book.”
—Byron Borger, Hearts & Minds BookNotes blog