Progressive Creation and the Struggles of Humanity in the Bible

Why does the Christian walk often feel like an ongoing struggle and why does God's creation include imperfection, let alone forces that are intent on thwarting God's creative work? In seeking a response to these questions, this book argues that the biblical accounts describe creation in terms of a progressive transformation process whereby the initially incomplete created order will reach perfection only in the fulfillment of new creation. The following discussion then outlines a comprehensive framework for the biblical theology of humanity's struggles, centered on three key themes: corporeal temptation, deficient social structures, and the much-debated notion of spiritual warfare.The book presents an overarching canonical narrative that threads together a series of diverse biblical topics, from Job's temptation to the Atonement. The final part surveys biblical teaching on how human conduct can be aligned with God's creative purpose, and discusses three assignments from Jesus to believers: to celebrate the Eucharist, to pray the Lord's Prayer, and to fulfill the Great Commission.Rarely have I read such a stimulating and profitable book. Zoltan Dornyei sets out a fresh telling of the narrative of Scripture which starts by making a persuasive case for the view that creation is a continuous process, initially 'unfinished,' and relates this to the on-going threat of chaos and of spiritual warfare. At the end, he explains his approach has been like writing a guidebook to a new path through the Yorkshire Dales. His work is, however, more like walking the path with an expert guide who is constantly pointing out new views, new insights, new connections, and breathtaking views which many would miss en route. Written with eminent clarity, this is theology at its best: broad in its sweep, careful in its exegesis, masterly in its theological perception and, above all, rich in its practical, spiritual insights.--Derek Tidball, Former Principal of London School of Theology and former Chairman of the Evangelical Alliance, UKZoltan Dornyei is Professor of Psycholinguistics at the University of Nottingham. He has published over twenty books on topics related to human motivation and language learning, including The Psychology of Second Language Acquisition (2009) and Christian Faith and English Language Teaching and Learning (coeditor, 2013).