OUTRAGEOUS MERCY: Rediscover the Radical Nature of Christianity

What does the cross symbolize? Americans who are inundated by constant images of the cross in jewelry, roadside shrines, the Red Cross symbol and church buildings may have only a superficial understanding of the cross's meaning, warns Farley, an evangelical pastor. He agrees with Martin Luther that the cross alone is the sum of Christian theology and issues a jeremiad of sorts against the ways our culture has cheapened it: "Familiarity breeds contempt," he cautions. Farley can adopt a stern tone—after all, he says he first understood the cross himself after reading the works of Jonathan Edwards. Still, he speaks the truth in love and humility; when he lashes out against "worldly Christians," for example, he has the grace to tell us stories about when he has fallen into that category himself. Farley is a strong writer with a memorable, hard-hitting message.(Feb.)