When we hear the word shalom we think first of the common Jewish greeting. Then, perhaps, we consider the promise Jesus, the Prince of Peace, gave to his followers to grant them a peace the world cannot provide. In the Bible, the word shalom means much more than the absence of hostility--it means harmony and prosperity. Shalom refers to life as it was meant to be, as it should be, where sin is gone and love reigns. In this book, theologian Mark DeVine employs the well-known but little-studied Hebrew word to illuminate the three dimensions of relationship God the Creator designed human beings to enjoy: (1) the relationship between God and his people, (2) the relationship between God's people as his children, and (3) the relationship between God and his people in the place, the home God made for them and made them for. DeVine gives special attention to the third dimension, the home God provides to his people. Shalom Yesterday, Today, and Forever offers a more fully evangelical and orthodox comprehension of redemption while avoiding the pitfalls that often jeopardize creation-friendly theologies. ""Wearing his many hats as teacher, churchman, biblical interpreter, and thoughtful theologian, Mark DeVine capably guides his readers through the multiple dimensions of the biblical concept of shalom. Thoroughly grounding his work in Scripture and informed by key Christian thinkers and the best of the Great Tradition, DeVine provides a coherent and full-orbed exploration of redemptive history from Eden to the new heavens and the new earth. .. . It is a joy to recommend this work to pastors, church leaders, and students, who will greatly benefit from this well-designed and thoughtfully presented volume."" --David S. Dockery, president, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School ""What is real flourishing? Few questions shape our way of life so deeply. With bracing rigor, Mark DeVine shows the heretical tendencies of the too-easy answers, summoning us to sharpen our mental tools and think carefully about the place ofshalomin the work of God. This book draws on Scripture to force us to stop in our tracks and reconsider cherished assumptions about things near and dear to us, and that's a rare gift."" --Greg Forster, director of the Oikonomia Network, Trinity International University ""DeVine sets forth shalom in all its beauty. Readers will not only be informed as to how expansive the concept of shalom runs throughout Scripture but also encouraged and edified as they contemplate anew the Lord's goodness in their life."" --Jason K. Allen, president, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary & Spurgeon College Mark DeVine serves as associate professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He is the author of two books: Bonhoeffer Speaks Today and RePlant. DeVine served as a missionary to Bangkok, Thailand, has pastored churches in five states, and frequently serves as a transition pastor. DeVine lives in Hoover, Alabama, with his wife Jackie. They are the parents of two grown sons.
