About the Author

Jeff McSwain (BA, Davidson College, MLitt, University of St. Andrews, Scotland) is the founder and Executive Director of Reality Ministries Incorporated, a community-based, inter-church outreach in Durham, North Carolina. The mission of Reality Ministries is to help adolescents live into the loving presence and life-changing reality of Jesus Christ.

Reviews

""The joyous gospel of God's love comes alive in this passionately argued and carefully resourced exposition. It has powerful implications for evangelistic practice and provides much needed theological tools for the critical engagement with many questionable forms of evangelism today. It belongs on the bibliography of any college or seminary class dealing with evangelism and on the 'must read' list of any church or para-church concerned about the faithfulness, the integrity, and the promise of Christian witness to the gospel."" --Darrell L. Guder author of Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America ""McSwain's work blends scholarly accuracy, practicality, and unswerving integrity. Here, in dialogue with some of the greatest minds of the church, he recovers and re-communicates the original Gospel of grace for those who have lost sight of it--that God has come all the way to us but also lifted us back decisively and permanently to Himself in His Son, Christ, who is now the reality out of which we all live. These pages will correct, liberate, and inspire."" --Douglas A. Campbell author of The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul ""This book articulates the profound trinitarian dynamic of grace. For all who regard themselves as 'evangelical' this book shows the true extent of the 'Good News, ' which penetrates so much deeper than we often assume. McSwain offers remarkable testimony to the way in which the trinitarian Gospel affirms us, liberates us, lifts us up, and, by providing what is required of us, inspires a response that is life-transforming. Further, this book is written by a theologian with a unique ministry to young people which testifies to the liberating power of the faith he expounds so lucidly."" --Alan Torrance author of Persons in Communion: Trinitarian Description and Human Participation ""It is refreshing to find a Christian who works passionately with adolescent youth (in 'Reality Ministries, ' which he founded and leads) and who, at the same time, engages passionately with deep, serious theology (Barth, Bonhoeffer, the Torrances, and others). While I have some questions about Jeff McSwain's super-gracious convictions, I have no questions about his profound immersion in the main Christian questions."" -Frederick Dale Bruner author of Matthew: A Commentary "An eloquent and compelling exploration of the reality of God's grace in Christ Jesus, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to grapple with the full extent of what Jesus' humanity means for our humanity, our discipleship, our prayers, and our proclamation of the gospel . . . In the process, he shows us that we can fully, freely, and joyfully respond to God because we are God's beloved children, thanks to the mediating role of Christ and the gift of the Spirit. This is theology at once profoundly gracious and immensely practical. -Kristen Deede Johnson author of Theology, Political Theory, and Pluralism: Beyond Tolerance and Difference "American Christians, both Protestant and Catholic, have much to learn from Karl Barth and the Torrances. Jeff McSwain has been transformed by Christo-realism and is taking it to the streets and youth of Durham, North Carolina. I recommend this book as an entry point into a much-needed understanding of the gospel." -Christian Smith author of What is a Person? Rethinking Humanity, Social Life, and the Moral Good from the Person Up