Nessan deftly weaves the truths of the "Book of Scripture" and the "Book of Nature" into a rich tapestry of understanding. Three key terms in each chapter provide foundations upon which he layers insights drawn from a wide array of resources to explain such core theological concepts as creation, sin, the cross, suffering, formation, and liberation. With clearly written prose and concrete examples, Earthy Faith is unfailingly accessible but never oversimplified. Nessan approaches difficult topics with a pastoral sensibility, bringing readers along a journey from "alpha" to "omega" that constructs a systematic theology--comprehensibly! This is a rare book that will engage laypeople and ministers, seminarians and undergraduates alike.
Craig L. Nessan is William D. Streng Professor for the Education and Renewal of the Church and professor of contextual theology and ethics at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, and serves as coeditor of the online journal Currents in Theology and Mission. He is the author of many articles, chapters, and books, including Free In Deed: The Heart of Lutheran Ethics (2022) and Shalom Church: The Body of Christ as Ministering Community (2010).