Theologian and church historian Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez studies three often overlooked books in the New Testament, 1 and 2 Peter and the Letter of Jude. These writings from the late first century or early second century helped guide the young church as it faced a variety of issues, both internal to the church's life, and external in the social and political culture in which it was growing. The letters help us focus on the character of the church and the importance of congregations in the church's ongoing life. They raise basic issues of authority, on how the church knows the directions to...