Song's theology is a startling rebuke to Christologies centered either in historical-critical searches or church doctrines. For Song, theology is the biography of God, and God's reign is evident in stories of God's saving presence in Jesus. The reign of God in Jesus becomes manifest through movements of people to be free from the shackles of the past, to change the status quo of the present, and to have a role to play in the arrival of the future.

This much-hailed volume, here reissued, anchors Song's monumental trilogy--the Cross in the Lotus Land. Against the rich cultural backdrop of Asia, Song's volume explores the mystery of the Word that in the beginning of time now comes into the thick of our times through stories and testimonies of women, men, and children.

C. S. Song here invites Christians to see the whole Christian panoply through a story-centered lens. Focusing on Life, Hope, Faith, and Love, Song delves into each theme or locus (1) as it can be approached in people's experiences or stories, (2) as it appears in related stories from other religious traditions, (3) how its central import can be expressed theologically, and (4) how it can appear in practice. Thus story becomes theology, then theology becomes story. "Central to these stories," says Song, "is the heart that believes in spite of hardships and despair, the heart that struggles to...