“Most modern Christians imagine that the gospel is about God rescuing ‘souls’ from this world to go and live with him somewhere else. The Bible, however, insists that God wants to come and make his home with us—and that he has launched this project through Jesus and the Spirit. The present book, a shining example of systematic theologians actually reading the Bible instead of plundering it for texts to redeploy within other narratives, argues its case through detailed, suggestive exegesis of three central biblical texts (Exodus, John, and Revelation). The result is a vision that is neither Augustine’s spiritualized focus on God alone nor Hegel’s dangerous elision of God and the world but a rich vision of rescued and restored human beings living with joyful purpose within a gloriously renewed creation. A remarkable book!”—N. T. Wright, former Bishop of Durham; research professor of New Testament and early Christianity, St. Andrews; senior research fellow, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford

“Centered on readings of Exodus and John, Volf and McAnally-Linz’s book gives us a ‘story of everything’ as the story of God’s making God’s home on earth. It is an unusual kind of systematic theology but a compelling one. It is scripturally rich and imaginatively engaging, learned and fresh—it will be widely appreciated.”—Karen Kilby, Bede Professor of Catholic Theology, University of Durham

“It is a treat to read the Bible with these systematic theologians! Miroslav Volf and Ryan McAnnally-Linz have discovered the ‘red thread’ in the story of the biblical writings: the ever-deeper coming of God to the world. The goal in the Old and New Testament writings is for the world to become a ‘home of God.’ The indwelling of God is the future of the earth, indeed of the whole cosmos. This is the exact opposite of the modern destruction of the earth and of life. This is the ‘ecology’ of God.”—Jürgen Moltmann, University of Tübingen