“This excellent and highly accessible book deals with its uncomfortable subject—rejection—with sensitivity and nuance. No matter where we stand on the Christological issues addressed in the New Testament, we will all recognize the range of responses discussed in this book, including hurt, anger, and disappointment, and we may all learn that rejection can also be a catalyst for positive change and growth.”
—Adele Reinhartz, professor of classics and religious studies, University of Ottawa
“As a preacher and pastor, I so appreciate the clarity, accessibility and wisdom in Bill Loader’s skillful analysis of early Christian communities’ responses to rejection — their own and the rejection Jesus experienced in his ministry and execution. Loader explicates the differences between responses to rejection that risk hate, violence and exclusion, in contrast to responses that sustain divine love, forgiveness and belonging, as seen in Jesus’ life and death, as central to covenant faith, and from the heart of Divine being. In a time when many voices cry vengeance and hatred, this book digs down into the soil of scripture, to open up space for cultivating anew Christian compassion and justice.”
—Nancy Victorin-Vangerud, adjunct professor, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
“William Loader is a master of scientific New Testament exegesis. At the same time, he can write not only for specialists, but also for interested lay people. His book is a very readable introduction to questions of NT interpretation (esp. the Gospels, Paul, and Hebrews) and the context in which these questions were and are relevant. Loader’s book is also an introduction to the way the parables and sayings of Jesus developed, and were interpreted, before they became part of New Testament writings. In our times, where religious thought is under pressure, it is very welcome to reassure believers in their belief, and to make non-believers curious to get more knowledge about biblical issues.”
—Wolfgang Kraus, professor emeritus, Saarland University
“This book takes a fresh look at scripture through the practical lens of ordinary people coping with grief borne out of rejection. It is creative in how it discerns resources in the biblical text to tease out our myriad responses to this universal and perpetual human emotion. It challenges us to think of our own responses to both rejection and acceptance, and it encourages us to position ourselves with the healthiest of gospel responses — while also enhancing awareness of unhealthy responses. But this book’s real gold is that it gives us the opportunity to once again refine our Christian faith into a transformative faith of love, life and abundant generosity.”
—Rosalie Clarke Maclarty, chaplain, Knox Grammar School, New South Wales
