Nicholas Perrin PhD, Marquette University, is Franklin S. Dryness Professor of Biblical Studies at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Between 2000 and 2003 he was Research Assistant to Nicholas T. Wright. He is author of numerous books, including Thomas: The Other Gospel, Lost in Transmission, and Jesus the Temple. Jonathan Lunde (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is associate professor of biblical and theological studies at Talbot School of Theology of Biola University. He is coeditor (with Kenneth Berding) of Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament and has contributed articles to The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels and the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Jon and his wife, Pamela, have three children and reside in Brea, California.

• Part 1: Queueing the Questions1.The Kingdom: The Meta-center and Mystery of Jesus’ ProclamationPart 2: Arriving at AnswersThe “What” Question2.Yahweh the Creator God is King3.The Covenantal Structure of Yahweh’s Kingdom4.Yahweh’s Kingdom as a Dynamic, Eschatological Reality5.The Kingdom in the Preaching of John the Baptizer6.The Lord’s Prayer and the Essence of the Kingdom (Matt 6:9-13)7.The Christological Character of the Kingdom: Present Signs of the Kingdom8.The Future Advent of the Kingdom9.The Kingdom and EthicsThe “Who” Question10.Kingdom of Sons and Daughters11.Kingdom of Priests12.Kingdom of the PoorThe “How” Question13.Defining Feature of the Kingdom: Suffering (Mark 8---10)14.Defining Values of the Kingdom15.Defining Activities of the Kingdom: Prayer and Meals16.Defining Commitments of the Kingdom: The Overriding Commitment to the KingdomPart 3: Reflecting on the Relevance17.Living the Kingdom Life Today

Avoiding both oversimplification and hyper-technicality, Perrin addresses a wide sweep of questions and issues regarding Jesus’s central message . . . and continuing mission, through the church and beyond. “The work of understanding the kingdom of God is a holy obligation,” the author writes, and this volume furnishes essential resources. Informed by discussion across the sweep of Christian tradition (and sometimes secular punditry), Perrin effectively marshals his Gospels expertise to produce an incisive study of a controversial topic. I believe the ways he maps challenges and arrives at proposals will not only enhance understanding but also deepen Christians’ daily petition to the Father: “Your kingdom come.”