This is not a theology book. Or. at least, it is not what we would expect a book of theology to be like, yet it is crammed full of theology. At the same time, this is not an autobiography—or again, not what we would expect it to look like. Yet here Goldingay has brought together both theology and life-events to provide an engaging, stimulating, and heartening book.

Goldingay offers a series of meditations on some of the great themes of life, including friendship, darkness, love, hope, repentance, to name but five. Seeing these through the experiences that he and his wife, Ann, have been through, coping with Ann’s multiple sclerosis, and living in the midst of a caring college community, these essays made me laugh and cry. To be personal and honest is not what people often conceive academic theology to be about. Yet perhaps if more scholars of the calibre of Goldingay could be so honest, then such perceptions would not be perpetuated.

Of course I might disagree with some of Goldingay’s theology, or some of the conclusions he reaches. Yet he has presented the work in such a way that it helps the reader to look at his or her own life, and see God working through it. I read this when I was passing through a particularly difficult time. Not only did the book encourage me. but at times it made it even harder as it forced me to look deeper. What I hope is that more scholars can be encouraged to write out of their hearts at times, and that this work will be an encouragement to that end.

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